The walk I take after every meal
Karuna Ezara Parikh tells us why the post-prandial walk is essential to her wellness.
If you’ve read our profile of Karuna Ezara Parikh [find it here], you’ll know that her approach to food and her body arrived not through a wellness phase but through something considerably more serious, and that what emerged on the other side is a way of living that is thoughtful without being punishing, and pleasurable without being careless. This is one of the habits at the centre of it.
We asked her about the post-meal walk, a ritual she describes as genuinely non-negotiable, and she explained it to us and why it’s a little habit stack that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
“So you know how I spoke about the link between sugar and cancer cells? One of the things these rogue cells thrive on is sugar. It can come from various things, of course, not just dessert, as many people erroneously think, but yes, some spikes are worse than others. In general, though, every time you eat, you do experience some kind of sugar spike. The idea is to slow the spike and plateau the peak, which essentially means you’re just living better, in a way that allows your body to burn energy more slowly and in a smarter fashion, making you less susceptible to mood swings, exhaustion, burnout, and, in the long term, illness. Many things can help with this – eating vegetables or a green salad 20 minutes before a meal, adding protein to an otherwise all-carb dish, other food hacks, and – you guessed it – walking for as little as 10 minutes after eating. While, of course, I incorporate preventive methods, I’ve also stuck to the walk. I live very close to a gorgeous park where I’m so lucky to be able to go for this, but even when I can’t, it’s up and down the living room for me. It also clears my head and gives me ideas for my writing. So, a win-win, really.”
We were so convinced that we wrote a whole other piece about it. Our full feature on why it’s been a cornerstone of daily life across cultures for centuries is here.
1,000 Ways to Live Well is a Mille publication. Mille is a modern nutrition brand built around everyday rituals, starting with protein that doesn't ask you to compromise on taste. millesupergrain.com