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Best Time To Eat Sweets

With festive season in its full fervour, a lot of my students have come up with the question that is almost everybody’s Achilles Heel: is it right to eat sweets (mithais, milk chocolates, ice-creams)? At first, it feels as if going to a church and asking the father, is it right to sin? Though I am tempted to say no at the outset, but since it is human nature to indulge, there is always a way out. Before going on further, let me clarify that sweets are bad for health and are best to be consumed once in blue moon, this article only focuses on ways to minimize their adverse effects on the body.

The trick here is to keep a check on the time of consumption of concentrated sugar (i.e. sweets). Whenever we eat anything our blood glucose levels go up, causing our insulin levels to rise to neutralize the former’s effect (body wants the glucose levels to be in as stable range). But the point to be accentuated is the rate at which glucose levels go up after a meal. Foods containing Complex carbs like cereals, pulses, brown rice, apple etc. raise blood glucose levels (and consequently insulin) slowly and steadily, which gives us energy in progressive manner. On the other hand foods containing simple carbs like sweets, chocolates, sugary drinks etc. make glucose levels shoot up in a jiffy causing our insulin levels to go for a toss (routine repetition of which is the main cause of diabetes) ,which gives instant energy at the outset ,but then it goes for a crash, harming the blood glucose homeostasis(equilibrium) .

So, what’s the remedy then? The best time to eat concentrated sugar is when the body is in a fasted state i.e. blood glucose levels are low. So effectively when you wake up in the morning and after workout are the best times to gorge on those mithais. Also, it’s better to consume sweets before a meal than after it because of the same aforementioned reason. I know it’s tough to eat them at such times, but no good comes without some discomfort.

Problem with standing desks

Standing desks have become really popular of late, but today we will discuss some issues with these.

Standing Incorrectly

We have been accustomed to sitting while working for many years and when one makes this switch, it’s not easy for the body to adapt. The issue lies in standing incorrectly. The body often goes in an Anterior Pelvic Tilt, which can cause unnecessary pain. The right way is to squeeze the butt, brace the abdomen and keep the monitor at the eye level not below.

Inertness

Sitting or standing for long periods of time have detrimental effects on the body, different they may be. When the body is still for a long period of time, it adapts to muscle imbalances. The solution is to make some kind of movement every hour or so such as stretching, short walks etc.

Food sensitivity

Foods we eat have a variegated effect on the body. Today, we will delve deep into the food intolerance patterns in the body. Some foods that are supposedly healthy don’t suit an individual and hence should be avoided. Sensitivity ranges from no effect to imparting full blown allergies in the body. What happens when you eat foods that you are intolerant to, is that your gut becomes inflamed. The nerves which enervate the gut also enervate the abdominal muscles. Consequently, food sensitivity can shut down the core muscles, therefore leading to a variety of postural problems, such as lower back pain, Anterior Pelvic Tilt etc. Most of the doctors today don’t take this seriously because it doesn’t kill you per se. But it definitely doesn’t allow to function optimally or feel at your best.

A simple method to test for a particular food intolerance is to eliminate that particular entity in your diet for around 3-4 weeks and then see how it feels. Next introduce it again and observe the changes. There are many blood tests as well that can be done to determine the food sensitivity for majority of the eatables.