Short Walks After Meals Can Help Fend Off Diabetes

After dinner, you probably just want to kick off your shoes, curl up on the couch, and fire up your DVR—but here’s why you shouldn’t: Taking a 15-minute post-meal walk can help regulate your blood sugar level and reduce your risk of type-2 diabetes, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS).

In the study, 10 healthy seniors spent three 48-hour spans in a lab. During each session, participants ate the same foods and followed one of three exercise routines: They either walked at an easy-to-moderate pace on a treadmill for 15 minutes after each meal, walked 45 minutes in the morning, or walked 45 minutes in the afternoon. In each of the three scenarios, researchers continuously monitored participants’ blood sugar levels. What they found: The short post-meal walks were more effective at regulating blood sugar levels for up to 24 hours.

Why this is so key: Typically, your body can handle the normal blood sugar fluctuations that occur about 30 minutes after you eat: Your pancreas releases insulin, which sends the sugar to your liver, where it’s stored as fuel. But as you get older (or if you’re inactive throughout the day), your body doesn’t react as efficiently, which leads to prolonged high blood sugar levels, says lead study author Loretta DiPietro, PhD, MPH, chair of the department of exercise science at SPHHS. Over time, this can damage the walls of your cardiovascular system, heighten your risk of getting type 2 diabetes and heart disease, affect brain functioning, and even lead to blindness, she says.

Luckily, exercise triggers muscle contractions that work like insulin. Why are post-meal walks more effective than a single 45-minute stroll at another time? They jump-start this process exactly when your body needs it: When sugar enters the blood stream, says DiPietro.

Can’t swing a walk after every meal? Focus on moving more about 30 minutes after you eat your largest meal of the day or after you eat carbohydrate-rich dishes (like pasta or rice) or super-sweet foods (like donuts and sugary drinks). All of these cause your blood sugar to spike faster and hit higher levels, says DiPietro. Bonus: She says that walking can also help you sidestep that post-meal energy zap—so you’ll actually be able to stay awake when you do sit down to catch up on those DVR’d shows.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

More from WH:
What Your Blood Test Results Mean
Why Fit People Get Diabetes
The Right Way to Walk

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Do Short Emails Piss People Off?

Everyone has their own style when it comes to technology: Some people kick off emails with a “Dear so-and-so,” while others don’t even type “hi.” Some people send novel-length text messages, while others send incomplete sentences. In a recent New York Times article, writer Nick Bilton makes the case that many short emails and texts are rude.

His argument? Sending emails or text messages that just say “Thank you”—or leaving voicemails when someone doesn’t answer the phone—can be a waste of time for the person on the receiving end, particularly since their digital mailboxes are likely already overflowing.

Regardless of whether you agree with Bilton’s point of view, the fact remains that people today are inundated with emails, texts, calls, and voicemails—and it can sometimes be hard to decide how (or if) you should respond.

A lot of it comes down to the preference of the person on the receiving end—especially in an office setting or if that person is your boss. “You have to know who the audience is, how they operate, and how they want to be communicated to,” says Dan Schawbel, Gen Y career expert and author of the forthcoming Promote Yourself: The New Rules For Career Success. Follow the person’s lead, or if you’re feeling up to it, ask what they prefer. If your boss is heading out for a meeting and expecting a message, for example, say, “What’s the best way for me to get this information to you?”

Keep reading for other tech etiquette tips:

Your email strategy
“All emails really should contain a specific purpose,” says etiquette expert Lisa Mirza Grotts. Even a message that just says “thank you,” for example, can let the recipient know that you received their email. If your boss sends you an assignment and you don’t respond—even with a quick “Sounds good!”—she has no way of knowing that you’re on top of the task. The same goes for responding to an appointment cancellation, a completed assignment, or even a congratulatory message.

“You’re welcome” emails, on the other hand, aren’t necessary. A good rule of thumb? Before you fire off a short email, ask yourself if it has a point. Is it to show receipt? Go for it. Is it for the heck of it? Hold off.

Your texting strategy
You know the unspoken rules for texting friends, but texting in a business setting can get a little trickier. Definitely check with your managers or colleagues before you start texting them. And even if they give you the green light, Schawbel says text swapping should only be done for small messages. “The package you were waiting for just came in” works well here, but save any conversation that requires emotion or tone for a different medium.

Your voicemail strategy
Voicemail is dying, says Schawbel. “Why call when I can just send a quick text and I know it will get through?” he says. “People don’t even have time to listen to voicemails anymore.” Point being, it’s probably safer not to leave voicemails for other people.

That said, if you receive a voicemail, you cannot just ignore it. You could miss a call from your credit card company or a recruiter—yikes. Plus, it’s just more considerate to the person on the other end of the line. “With any type of communication, the faster you respond, the better,” says Schawbel. “That’s also part of what’s happening with our culture.”

Business-related voicemails are their own story. If you’re calling someone for work-related purposes, managers and colleagues expect you to know how to leave a message that’s professional and on-topic. Never just say, “Call me,” says Jacqueline Whitmore, etiquette expert and author of Poised for Success. State your name, number, and the purpose of your call. It might sound silly, but it gets the right message across.

TELL US: When do you think it is and isn’t OK to send a short email or leave a voicemail? What are your biggest tech-related pet peeves? Sound off in the comments!

photo: Stockbyte/Thinkstock

More from Women’s Health:
Workspace Rules
Social Networking: Don’t Overshare
Dealing with Difficult Coworkers

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