Eat Carrots for Digestion, Drink Milk for Bone Health, and 3 More Nutrition Tips This Week

Small changes to your nutritional routine can go a long way, especially if you make them regularly. This week’s wellness tips cover simple ways to support gut health and manage blood sugar, from eating bananas or blueberries as an afternoon snack to taking a 15-minute walk shortly after dinner.

1. Try Bananas or Blueberries for Better Blood Pressure 🍌🫐

Bananas can help lower your blood pressure because they are rich in potassium, a nutrient that also reduces sodium intake. Meanwhile, blueberries contain antioxidants called anthocyanins that can help reduce inflammation. This antioxidant might be good for your heart, as chronic inflammation has been linked to high blood pressure.

Whether you want to add more bananas or blueberries to your diet depends on your health needs and goals. And while one option isn’t better than the other, both fit into a DASH-style diet, created to help lower blood pressure and which recommends eating 4 to 5 servings of fruit per day.

2. Walk for 15 minutes after a meal to control blood sugar🚶🏻‍♀️‍➡️

Taking a 10- to 15-minute walk within 15 minutes of a meal could help ease a blood sugar spike, especially after a high-carb meal. This movement helps you use the glucose in your blood and keeps your muscles energized and engaged.

Timing also matters, as walking immediately after eating may be more effective in reducing postprandial blood sugar than a 30-minute walk later in the day.

If you don’t have time to walk, try squats, stair climbs, calf raises, or even just a standing break during the day.

3. Eat carrots daily to improve digestion 🥕

Raw carrots are an excellent source of soluble and insoluble fiber, supporting regular bowel movements and your gut microbiome. Carrots also contain fiber called rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I), which research suggests may have prebiotic effects.

Although carrots can aid digestion, eating one a day won’t renovate your gut. But adding one or a few carrots to your diet could increase your overall fiber intake, which could improve your digestion.

Pay attention to portion control. Eating very large amounts of carrots over time can also cause carotenemia, in which beta-carotene builds up and turns the skin a yellow or orange tint. The disease is harmless and usually disappears after reducing beta-carotene intake.

4. Choose tea or milk to keep your bones strong 🫖🥛

Milk is rich in nutrients that help keep your bones strong, including calcium, vitamin D, and protein. Research has shown that adults who added milk to their diet had a slight increase in bone density, particularly in the hip and lower spine, which often weaken with age.

Meanwhile, some evidence suggests that tea may promote bone health. The drink contains polyphenols and other antioxidants that help the body fight inflammation and protect bone cells. Studies comparing the effects of coffee drinking to tea drinking have found that tea drinkers have higher bone mineral density than their coffee-loving counterparts.

Both milk and tea can be part of a bone-healthy diet, exercise, and lifestyle. However, neither drink is a solution to preventing fractures.

5. Plan your meals before exercising for better energy ⏰

The best time to eat before exercising depends on exactly what you eat, which can also affect your energy levels and digestive discomfort. For example, a small meal or snack 1 to 2 hours before a workout can provide moderate energy without putting excessive strain on digestion. Or, having a light, carbohydrate-rich snack an hour before exercise can give you a quick energy boost.

Meanwhile, larger and more complex meals should be eaten 3-4 hours before exercise, giving you plenty of time to digest.

You should adjust the timing of your meals depending on the intensity of your workout. For example, eating a large meal shortly before high-intensity exercise could increase the risk of nausea, cramps, or other gastrointestinal symptoms. In this case, have a small snack rich in carbohydrates in the hour before training.