Another Blistering Day

I just read an article that suggests grey hair caused by stress might be reversible. Which coincides with me wondering if I was hallucinating because I could've sworn I had a lot more grey hairs atop my head than I currently see. I don't color or otherwise treat my hair and the economic Suave shampoo is unlikely to do anything other than clean off sweat and bug spray with a mildly pleasant fragrance. 

Perhaps it's not that I feel less stressed. Maybe it's that I'm finally getting more than 5-6 hours of sleep each night! It's not unreasonable to think that stress can also be sleep deprivation. Of course, there's an article that states that exercise such as brisk walking or a good run can counter the higher risks of heart disease, cancer and death that poor sleep is affiliated with.  

Heat is stressful. I almost slept in the living room last night because that's where the a/c comes down the stairs and into the rest of the house. The bedroom merely has a floor fan aimed at the bed. And I have to sleep with at least a sheet, if not just because I'm still being attacked by pesky tiny biting insects (no seeums, thrips, gnats) but also because that's what makes me comfortable. I've got a few bites on my arms and legs, neck, shoulder, back and a lot of bites on my hands and between my fingers. Try scratching the webbing between digits! Bug bites are stressful.

I get to the gym with time enough to do cardio and core and maybe even shoulders. Except that I think I'd like to order some Cuban sandwiches from the new restaurant two doors down and bring them home when I pick my son up from his camp counselor job. Today I'm wearing shorts I forgot I owned and while there's a/c at the gym, I'm still drenched after I stop pedaling. I manage a few push-ups and some pull-ups as well. 

I'm disappointed that I've put on a few pounds. It's hard to eat properly and lose weight simultaneously. I'm eating oatmeal on a daily basis for the cholesterol and BP lowering benefits. I glimpsed an article last week about prunes, not just fruits and vegetables, also having a similar if not more powerful effect on cholesterol. I buy a package of prunes and decide that eating 5 a day isn't going to hurt. I actually like dried plums as a snack and I'm sure they'd be fine in my morning oatmeal, although lately I've been using a spoonful of dried tart cherries. 

I absolutely do not want to take medication the way my friend does for her cholesterol, blood pressure, thyroid... She says she's virtually vegetarian and has dropped 40 lbs since the pandemic, but her blood pressure and cholesterol remain stubbornly high.

30June 2021
Blistering Wednesday

Precor elliptical
30 min + 5 cool down
Program 1
HR 139-185, 86
Cal 323
Distance 2.89

Crunches x 60 x 2
Piriformis Stretch
40 Dead Bugs x 2
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Mat stretch w Seated Twist

HGPU 14