Thursday, November 26, 2009

Go For A Walk

Here's Boris, my amazing walking partner, going around with that beautiful silver hair. I think the wind is in love with him too!

If you're one of the fortunate people who has had the privilege of stuffing yourself with Thanksgiving goodies, do yourself a favor and take a nice, long walk afterwards. It's tempting to flop down on the couch and go to sleep after a big meal, but taking a walk or doing any kind of exercise will help keep your arteries healthy.
Research from 2005 that was reported in The European Journal of Applied Physiology shows that during a four to six hour period after eating a high-fat meal, our arteries look "just like the arteries of a person who has heart disease", states Janet P. Wallace, professor in Indiana University Bloomington's Department of Kinesiology and co-author of the study. That's pretty gross! But if you exercise after that meal, the arteries don't look sick anymore. Of course, the real problem isn't what happens after just one high-fat meal or two, but if this is a regular pattern for you, that's when cholesterol starts to build up, oxidize, and cause serious problems.
Walking is a good choice of exercise after eating because it's so comfortable. It also helps your digestion and just keeps you from feeling the sluggishness that comes with a high-carbohydrate, high-fat meal.
So just get up and do it. Come on, put your shoes on, take the first couple of steps. See how much better you feel?

8 comments:

  1. i was a child and Boris was one of my heroes!thank you for the inspiration!

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  2. You forgot that the best advice for these cases is to have a dog, no one can deny that face that says "take me for walks, going guy, move, move, move!". I also need one, am very lazy lately ... Luckily I found this blog.
    I say the same thing as Gabriel, the two have been (and will always be) my super-heroes ;-)
    Form a beautiful couple.

    An affectionate greeting!

    PD, Sorry for my bad English, I am totally and radically Spanish :-P

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  3. Thank you Gabriel and Belona! I agree about the "dog as personal trainer". We don't have a dog, but we see lots of dogs that other people have while we are out walking and I always pet them. Can you imagine how much exercise you would get if you had a pet kangaroo? You'd be hopping all over the place with it!

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  4. What a sweet thing to say about the wind being in love. Thanks for keeping this blog updated. You inspire me to regain my health as well as grow as an artist and human being. Sorry if that sounds a little corny but it's true:)

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  6. What a great photo of Boris! And I have to agree with Ray on all counts.

    Funny, but our family always had a tradition of taking a walk after dinner, so did my best friend's family when we were kids, so I thought that's just what most people did! I had no idea that it could have such a big effect on one's arteries, though.

    I read an interesting little blurb in a magazine at the doctor's office recently (can't remember which one). It stated that workers who took a 15-20 minute brisk stroll after lunch were significantly more productive than those who stayed seated (no big surprise there) but also, those who walked in a park or some other green space- as opposed to walking several blocks in a city environment- were measurably more relaxed an productive afterward. So I guess picking a route for it's trees and flowers rather than it's window shopping seems like the best bet!

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  7. It does make sense that walking in a more natural environment would allow for much more relaxation. Walking in a city is fun, but there is so much that you have to pay attention to that it would drain some energy. Thanks for those thoughts, Jen!

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