This is the third instalment in simple and effective ways to reduce insulin resistance and HbA1c and to reverse or prevent diabetes.
So here is tip number 3:
Take a 10-minute walk after a meal
As mentioned in Part 2, the French biochemist, Jessie Inchauspé aka The Glucose Goddess has a great book in which she interprets science into easy facts to explain how to regulate blood sugar. Look at her illustration below which shows the radical difference in blood sugar levels if you walk for 10 minutes after eating.
In the Mediterranean it is commonplace to take a walk after dinner. Not only does it lower your sugar spike, but it improves your metabolism and is a social activity which releases feel good hormones.
Please do give it a go and/or the tips in Part 1 and 2 and do drop a comment to let me know how you get on, I would love to hear from you!
Wishing you all health and happiness! Dr Maria Amasanti
- Reynolds AN, Mann JI, Williams S, Venn BJ. Advice to walk after meals is more effective for lowering postprandial glycaemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus than advice that does not specify timing: a randomised crossover study. Diabetologia. 2016 Dec;59(12):2572-2578. doi: 10.1007/s00125-016-4085-2. Epub 2016 Oct 17. PMID: 27747394.
- Colberg SR, Zarrabi L, Bennington L, Nakave A, Thomas Somma C, Swain DP, Sechrist SR. Postprandial walking is better for lowering the glycemic effect of dinner than pre-dinner exercise in type 2 diabetic individuals. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2009 Jul;10(6):394-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2009.03.015. Epub 2009 May 21. PMID: 19560716.
- Manohar C, Levine JA, Nandy DK, Saad A, Dalla Man C, McCrady-Spitzer SK, Basu R, Cobelli C, Carter RE, Basu A, Kudva YC. The effect of walking on postprandial glycemic excursion in patients with type 1 diabetes and healthy people. Diabetes Care. 2012 Dec;35(12):2493-9. doi: 10.2337/dc11-2381. Epub 2012 Aug 8. PMID: 22875231; PMCID: PMC3507567.