Your body responds the moment you begin making healthier choices. (Photo: Getty Images)
Part
of the challenge in healthy living is that you see the effects
gradually. That can be frustrating when you’re working hard in the gym
and sticking to your diet.
But
whether you see it immediately or not, your body responds the moment
you begin making healthier choices. These changes can reduce your risk
of obesity, heart disease, cancer and diabetes, all while making you feel better.
Controlling Blood Sugar Heads Off Disease
When
you eat food containing carbohydrates, your blood sugar rises. How fast
and how much it increases depends on how quickly your body is able to
break down the food. One way of measuring this is the glycemic index,
which ranks food on a scale from 0 to 100 based on how it affects your
blood sugar. Foods with a high glycemic index are quickly broken down
and cause sharper spikes in blood sugar levels, followed by dramatic
drops.
Why does this matter? For one, sharp blood sugar fluctuations can increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes,
and research has tied diets rich in high glycemic foods – such as white
bread, white potatoes, soft drinks and candy – to increased risks of
heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
“Fluctuating
blood sugar causes fatigue, and high levels of insulin can lead to
weight gain,” says Dr. Kristine Arthur, internist at Orange Coast
Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. “Over time, this
can also cause chronic inflammation in the body.”
Controlling your blood sugar can also lead to:
Sustained energy levels. By opting for low-glycemic foods,
you immediately help your body better regulate its blood sugar. This is
better for short-term energy levels. “When you avoid that afternoon urge
to have a donut and a soda, you immediately avoid this spike in blood
sugar followed by the inevitable crash,” Arthur says. “By choosing a balanced snack
of protein and carbs – like an apple with peanut butter or nuts – you
are buying yourself balanced blood sugar and sustained energy levels for
the next few hours.”
Greater mental clarity. Blood sugar fluctuations can also affect your mental clarity in the short term.Low-glycemic foods
release a slower, sustained amount of glucose into your body, which can
optimize focus, according to The Franklin Institute. Research has shown
that dips in blood sugar – common when you haven’t eaten in a while or
when your body is recovering from a spike – can impair concentration,
learning and memory.
Cut Back on Caffeine to Improve Mood
Many of us would meet that afternoon slump with a cup of coffee,
soda or energy drink. But research suggests that caffeine raises
cortisol – the “stress hormone” – and chronically high cortisol levels
can damage immune health.
In
the short term, cortisol can make it difficult to handle pressure, and
caffeine exacerbates the hormone’s effects. In other words, skipping a
caffeinated drink can immediately help regulate this hormone and its
short- and long-term effects.
Find Balance Through Exercise
“Exercise helps your breathing, which lowers your heart rate and blood pressure
almost instantly,” says Dr. Nicole Weinberg, a cardiologist with
Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California.
These
benefits aren’t only good for your cardiovascular system – they also
help your mood. The rush of endorphins during physical activity can
immediately boost your mood and reduce stress levels.
And like diet, exercise has immediate effects on blood sugar, minimizing energy peaks and valleys throughout the day.
Commit to a Healthy Lifestyle
“The
benefits evolve over months, sometimes years. Physiologic changes will
start quickly, but the true effect takes time,” says Dr. Mark D. Lurie,
cardiology director at Torrance Memorial Medical Center in Torrance,
California.
Delayed
gratification is better than no gratification at all, but having to
wait for the dramatic effects of a healthy lifestyle may drive some
people to give up. A measure of trust has to go into eating right
and being active – trust that your body is making changes here and
now, despite the fact that those results aren’t as visible as a drop in your pant size.
“Broccoli
may not taste as good as fried onion rings, and watching TV may not
leave us with the sore muscles of a good workout,” Lurie says. “But we
all have to have our eyes on the prize – and the prize is lifelong good
health.“
Your body responds the moment you begin making healthier choices. (Photo: Getty Images)
Part of the challenge in healthy living is that you see the effects gradually. That can be frustrating when you’re working hard in the gym and sticking to your diet.But whether you see it immediately or not, your body responds the moment you begin making healthier choices. These changes can reduce your risk of obesity, heart disease, cancer and diabetes, all while making you feel better.Controlling Blood Sugar Heads Off DiseaseWhen you eat food containing carbohydrates, your blood sugar rises. How fast and how much it increases depends on how quickly your body is able to break down the food. One way of measuring this is the glycemic index, which ranks food on a scale from 0 to 100 based on how it affects your blood sugar. Foods with a high glycemic index are quickly broken down and cause sharper spikes in blood sugar levels, followed by dramatic drops.Why does this matter? For one, sharp blood sugar fluctuations can increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes, and research has tied diets rich in high glycemic foods – such as white bread, white potatoes, soft drinks and candy – to increased risks of heart disease, diabetes and obesity.“Fluctuating blood sugar causes fatigue, and high levels of insulin can lead to weight gain,” says Dr. Kristine Arthur, internist at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. “Over time, this can also cause chronic inflammation in the body.”Controlling your blood sugar can also lead to:
