To aid my fitness routine, I've been arranging to go walking for 30 minutes after lunch and dinner on my "off" days (these are my recovery days - no exercise days).
I would do it on my "on" days, but I usually don't have time for the walk + my work out, so have to compromise.
The advantages the walk delivers to my body are better blood circulation, quicker removal of waste products and a higher metabolism. Here's how that works:
Raising Your Metabolism
Going for a 30 - 45 minute walk after every meal is a great way to take advantage of your post-meal blood sugar levels.
Using up food energy soon after it hits your blood stream speeds up your metabolism and encourages your body to store the energy in your muscles as as glycogen, rather than in your fat deposit areas around your waist, bum and organs. Muscle glycogen is used up quickly and efficiently whereas energy stored as fat takes longer to unlock and even longer to burn.
Improving Circulation
After a meal, your blood thickens with minerals, vitamins, fats, sugars and amino acids that come from the food you've just eaten. For an hour, you work extra hard to digest the food, then churn the particles around in your blood stream until they either get stored away or eliminated as waste. A brisk walk dilates your arteries and veins reducing resistance to the thickend blood and lowering your blood pressure. It also speeds up the repair, elimination and absorption process making you feel less drowsy and more energetic. Fast circulating blood also prevents crystalised minerals (like uric acid) and agglutinated componds (fatty carb and protein globs that bubble around after meals) from collecting in joints and other places where they can cause discomfort and stiffness.
Parker Lake - Personal Trainer and Nutrition Consultant | M: +44 7984427854 | www.parker-lake.com
This winter I'm doing the SNOW-CAMP Everest Challenge. Please sponsor me on http://www.justgiving.com/parkerlake.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Walking After Meals
To aid my fitness routine, I've been arranging to go walking for 30 minutes after lunch and dinner on my "off" days (these are my recovery days - no exercise days).
I would do it on my "on" days, but I usually don't have time for the walk + my work out, so have to compromise.
The advantages the walk delivers to my body are better blood circulation, quicker removal of waste products and a higher metabolism. Here's how that works:
Raising Your Metabolism
Going for a 30 - 45 minute walk after every meal is a great way to take advantage of your post-meal blood sugar levels.
Using up food energy soon after it hits your blood stream speeds up your metabolism and encourages your body to store the energy in your muscles as as glycogen, rather than in your fat deposit areas around your waist, bum and organs. Muscle glycogen is used up quickly and efficiently whereas energy stored as fat takes longer to unlock and even longer to burn.
Improving Circulation
After a meal, your blood thickens with minerals, vitamins, fats, sugars and amino acids that come from the food you've just eaten. For an hour, you work extra hard to digest the food, then churn the particles around in your blood stream until they either get stored away or eliminated as waste. A brisk walk dilates your arteries and veins reducing resistance to the thickend blood and lowering your blood pressure. It also speeds up the repair, elimination and absorption process making you feel less drowsy and more energetic. Fast circulating blood also prevents crystalised minerals (like uric acid) and agglutinated componds (fatty carb and protein globs that bubble around after meals) from collecting in joints and other places where they can cause discomfort and stiffness.
Parker Lake - Personal Trainer and Nutrition Consultant | M: +44 7984427854 | www.parker-lake.com
This winter I'm doing the SNOW-CAMP Everest Challenge. Please sponsor me on http://www.justgiving.com/parkerlake.
I would do it on my "on" days, but I usually don't have time for the walk + my work out, so have to compromise.
The advantages the walk delivers to my body are better blood circulation, quicker removal of waste products and a higher metabolism. Here's how that works:
Raising Your Metabolism
Going for a 30 - 45 minute walk after every meal is a great way to take advantage of your post-meal blood sugar levels.
Using up food energy soon after it hits your blood stream speeds up your metabolism and encourages your body to store the energy in your muscles as as glycogen, rather than in your fat deposit areas around your waist, bum and organs. Muscle glycogen is used up quickly and efficiently whereas energy stored as fat takes longer to unlock and even longer to burn.
Improving Circulation
After a meal, your blood thickens with minerals, vitamins, fats, sugars and amino acids that come from the food you've just eaten. For an hour, you work extra hard to digest the food, then churn the particles around in your blood stream until they either get stored away or eliminated as waste. A brisk walk dilates your arteries and veins reducing resistance to the thickend blood and lowering your blood pressure. It also speeds up the repair, elimination and absorption process making you feel less drowsy and more energetic. Fast circulating blood also prevents crystalised minerals (like uric acid) and agglutinated componds (fatty carb and protein globs that bubble around after meals) from collecting in joints and other places where they can cause discomfort and stiffness.
Parker Lake - Personal Trainer and Nutrition Consultant | M: +44 7984427854 | www.parker-lake.com
This winter I'm doing the SNOW-CAMP Everest Challenge. Please sponsor me on http://www.justgiving.com/parkerlake.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
The BBQ
Yesterday, I went to a friends BBQ party. It was the first time at a BBQ since I started my diet and exercise programme. Earlier in the day, I had some stirfried Chinese food (chicken and vegetables) and plain white rice from a local buffet. About 1,000kcal's worth.
At the BBQ, I had a microsteak, a chicken drumstick, two chicken thighs (without the skin), and lots of plain fresh salad leaves/tomato/raw sweet peppers. Probably about 600 kcal + a 185 kcal Carlsberg. Let's call it 800kcal all together.
Later on in the evening, a small bowl of black eye peas and rice (about 300kcal), about 100kcal of white grapes (that's a lot of grape!), and a 110kcal banana brought the total to about 2,500kcal.
Because the food I ate was nearly all non-processed, watery, and quite fibrous, I felt like I had a 4,000kcal day. Its Sunday morning and I'm still full-up from yesterday!
Today is roast time. I'm just putting a joint of lamb in the slow cooker, with some veg and headed out for my run. By 1pm (4ish hours from now) the lamb will be ready to serve. Will add steamed carrots, broccoli florets and unbuttered sweet potato mash to the mix to create a tasty 3,000 kcal meal to share between two people. Later on, I'll probably grab a bowl of freshly chopped pineapple and banana with a dash of cinnamon and real lemon juice. So a 2,500 day tops today I think.
Again, I plan to feel quite full after all that. Easily a 4,000kcal feeling day for just over half of that in actual food energy. Getting in about 10 glasses of plain water between now and evening will also ensure I feel full-up for most of the day.
Now, I'm off for that extra 45 minute run I promised to add to my weekly workout. I'll follow it up with about 10 minutes of stretching and ab work for good measure.
Parker Lake - Personal Trainer and Nutrition Consultant | M: +44 7984427854 | www.parker-lake.com
This winter I'm doing the SNOW-CAMP Everest Challenge. Please sponsor me on http://www.justgiving.com/parkerlake.
At the BBQ, I had a microsteak, a chicken drumstick, two chicken thighs (without the skin), and lots of plain fresh salad leaves/tomato/raw sweet peppers. Probably about 600 kcal + a 185 kcal Carlsberg. Let's call it 800kcal all together.
Later on in the evening, a small bowl of black eye peas and rice (about 300kcal), about 100kcal of white grapes (that's a lot of grape!), and a 110kcal banana brought the total to about 2,500kcal.
Because the food I ate was nearly all non-processed, watery, and quite fibrous, I felt like I had a 4,000kcal day. Its Sunday morning and I'm still full-up from yesterday!
Today is roast time. I'm just putting a joint of lamb in the slow cooker, with some veg and headed out for my run. By 1pm (4ish hours from now) the lamb will be ready to serve. Will add steamed carrots, broccoli florets and unbuttered sweet potato mash to the mix to create a tasty 3,000 kcal meal to share between two people. Later on, I'll probably grab a bowl of freshly chopped pineapple and banana with a dash of cinnamon and real lemon juice. So a 2,500 day tops today I think.
Again, I plan to feel quite full after all that. Easily a 4,000kcal feeling day for just over half of that in actual food energy. Getting in about 10 glasses of plain water between now and evening will also ensure I feel full-up for most of the day.
Now, I'm off for that extra 45 minute run I promised to add to my weekly workout. I'll follow it up with about 10 minutes of stretching and ab work for good measure.
Parker Lake - Personal Trainer and Nutrition Consultant | M: +44 7984427854 | www.parker-lake.com
This winter I'm doing the SNOW-CAMP Everest Challenge. Please sponsor me on http://www.justgiving.com/parkerlake.
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