This summer I decided to start a new wellness habit: walking after eating.
I had the idea after Sara Álvarez, creator of the fitness program Reto 48, and Carolina Toledo, a functional nutritionist with the same team, recommended that I get into the habit of walking for at least 10 minutes after eating to avoid a sedentary lifestyle. They told me that scientist and influencer Jessie Inchauspé, a.k.a. The Glucose Goddess, talks about the benefit this brings, not only to our fitness but also to better control our glucose levels.
These two phrases turned into a mantra. During my summer vacations, after every meal I went for a 10-to-15-minute walk (sometimes even 20). I even managed some days to drag my mother with me, always under the promise that this would “help prevent our glucose spiking” and that she would feel much better.
In my case, it was easy to keep this promise during the state of grace that is the summer, with its relaxation and vacations, and I managed to maintain the discipline of going for a walk right after lunch as I returned to the busy fall season. But the return to routine, work schedules, and the stress that comes with them have led me astray and I have stopped being so consistent with this practice.
I’ve immediately felt the consequences, experiencing a roller coaster of ups and downs in my blood glucose levels, and feeling fatigue, stress, and hunger. On her Instagram account, Inchauspé has insisted that walking 10 to 15 minutes after a meal or doing some exercise (squats, doing the laundry, or lifting weights, for example) reduces the intensity of this blood glucose peak.
Other benefits I have experienced from starting this habit include feeling calmer the rest of the day and less tired, and keeping control of my weight. I’ve also found I am making better food choices (and not snacking between meals).
After my experience, walking after eating is one habit that I hope to stick to.
This story was first published in Vogue España.
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