If you ask any of my friends they’ll tell you: I’m a girl who never stops moving.

It can be infuriating how fidgety I get if I’ve been sitting too long, and I’ve been known to turn casual “sitting on the couch” hang outs into small workouts (“hey guys, lets see who can hold our legs up the longest!”)

One of my favorite ways to get moving is to take walks after meals.  Not only is it great to step away from the laptop/cell phone and get outdoors, but it makes me feel so much better, especially if I’ve just eaten a big meal.

I’m not alone in this way of thinking. According to a recent article in the New York Times, a walk as short as 15 minutes post-meal can help aid with digestion and improve blood sugar levels.

Luckily I’m pretty persuasive so I can usually convince someone to take a stroll with me 😉 Sunday night was no different:

You’ll have to forgive the lighting…summer nights are leaving us faster than normal this year.

My dad and I set out for a 20 minute walk yesterday after dinner.  We had just had our first family dinner in awhile (it’s hard to get 4 working adults to sit down at a table together): a BLT bar!

Crusty, toasted Italian bread, cool veggies, and crispy bacon. Now I haven’t had bacon in years (I never eat red meat and rarely eat pork) and while it looked and smelled so delicious that I couldn’t turn it down, my stomach did not agree with it later in the night. Looks like I have to try tempeh again….or maybe turkey bacon?

My dad and I went on our walk and talked about everything from mortgages to lunch breaks at work.  It made me realize that not only is walking after meals good for your physical health, but it was a wonderful emotional break.  We were able to step away from the devices that distract us constantly and simply focus on two things: walking and each other.

When I got home I quickly snagged one of these cookies my mom and I picked up at the grocery store:

Goodness gracious they are soooo good.  So airy and chewy and sugary–three of the best things in a dessert!

My Monday was pretty boring, as Mondays tend to be.

It started out with an early morning weights/stairmaster workout before work.

And included plenty of good food:

Chocolate protein powder mixed with almond milk (gotta find my shaker…protein powder chunks are not my favorite)

Oatmeal with almond milk, flax seeds, banana, and topped with chunky pb for breakfast.

Veggie burger with roasted green beans for lunch (roasting veggies is life-changing)

Snacks on snacks

Dinner is unpictured because it was chili that I ate at work at the end of my shift… I was just too hungry to wait until I came home haha.

But even more exciting than dinner was dessert!  Along with a handful of chocolate covered almonds I tried a new purchase: chocolate covered bananas! I guess you can say I like chocolate a little bit.

Today is another hot day in Chicago! Luckily I’m working from home so I don’t have to worry about melting like the wicked witch of the west on my walk to work.  I hope you all have a fabulous day!

Questions:

• Do you ever take walks after meals?
• Do you know of any good substitutes for bacon?

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/24/really-the-claim-taking-a-walk-after-a-meal-aids-digestion/