Walking After Eating Lowers Diabetes

Sometimes it can be difficult to get in the full 150-minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week. Between meetings and making dinner, or cleaning the kitchen and preparing for presentations, movement can sometimes take a back seat. 

But, new research found that just two minutes of walking (yes, really!) can have a positive impact on your blood sugar levels and potentially ward off type 2 diabetes.

A meta-analysis of seven studies, published in the journal Sports Medicine, examined the impact of sitting for long periods of time compared to either light-intensity walking or standing on cardiometabolic health markers.

Study participants were either placed in a walking or standing group and were instructed to walk or stand for two to five minutes every 20 to 30 minutes over the course of one day. Two of the seven studies included participants with and without diabetes. 

The remaining five included participants without any history of diabetes. Researchers found that even these few minutes of slow walking were enough to create a drop in blood sugar levels.

Specifically, walking within 60 to 90 minutes after eating (when blood sugar levels are at their peak) was associated with more gradual changes in blood sugar levels compared to sitting or standing. 

This is important for those with prediabetes or another type of diabetes looking to avoid dramatic blood sugar swings.

Researchers measured heart health through systolic blood pressure (the higher number that represents the force at which the heart pumps blood around the body), postprandial glucose (a measure of glucose in your bloodstream within four hours of eating a meal), and insulin (the hormone that regulates blood sugar).

The study did not find any significant influence on insulin or blood pressure. Additionally, the research found standing also helped lower blood sugar levels, but not to the same degree as walking.  READ MORE...

Walking Lowers Blood Pressure

Can walking lower blood pressure? 

While we’ve long known that walking brings with it many health and wellbeing benefits, including strengthening our bones and muscles and helping us to maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat, it turns out that the walking perks don’t stop there.

According to a paper published in Current Hypertension Reports(opens in new tab), regular physical activity is associated with lower blood pressure and therefore reduced cardiovascular risk. 

And walking to control your blood pressure, whether it be in the great outdoors or on one of the best walking treadmills, is no different.

Dr. Mahmoud Al Rifai, a member of the American College of Cardiology(opens in new tab), tells us: “We frequently advise our patients to engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and that can include walking.” And it’s not hard to see why.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(opens in new tab) (CDC), hypertension (the more formal term for high or raised blood pressure) affects 47% of people in the US. 

With the CDC estimating that only one in four adults with hypertension have their condition under control, finding a reliable and consistent way to keep your blood pressure within healthy limits is more important than ever.  READ MORE...

The Tennessee Valley

 

Today in the valley, expect a high of 56 degrees...

Not bad...  for a little past the middle of February, especially when our neighbors in the North are experiencing temps much, much colder...  and, our neighbors in Canada are buried under snow and expecting more...  however, if you travel a few hours to the south of us, the temperatures increase 10 degrees or so and by the time you get the the Gulf of Mexico, the temps will be approaching 70 degrees today...

Many of us in the Valley today will be walking around in shorts spending time outdoors since the sun is out and there are no clouds in the sky at all and none are expected.  While it is a little to cool to work on one's suntan, it is still a nice enough day to spend the majority of it outside experiencing the beauty of nature that has been so freely given to us.

As the figure above demonstrates, the Tennessee Valley is nestled between a plateau on the west and a range of mountains on the east.  The state appears to be landlocked as it does not border any oceans like the Atlantic, Pacific, or Gulf of Mexico, yet it is blessed with an abundance of rivers that flow along its western border like the Mississippi River and a plethera of smaller rivers like the Buffalo River, Clinch River, Cumberland River, Duck River, Elk River, Hatchie River, Hiwassee River, Holston River, Obion River, Sequatchie River, Tennessee River and Wolf River.

Obviously, there are numerous places in Tennessee to camp, fish, hunt, look at the landscape, take photographs, or simply experience the beauty of nature as you walk along the many nature or manmade paths that meander through it wilderness.