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Case No. 7: Relaxing After Dinner
When we're really stuffed, we tend to go for one of three options: a nap, a dose of tableside chitchat or caffeine. But, healthwise, they're all wrong compared with that old-fashioned-but-now-seldom-observed pastime: a walk. A German study revealed that a post-meal "constitutional" moves food through the system much faster (espresso didn't, surprisingly). At the same time, it helps to neutralize the blood sugar surge—linked with cardiovascular disease and weight gain—reported a study at Old Dominion University of volunteers with type 2 diabetes.

Try instead: Stand up within 15 minutes of your last bite—and go for a 15- to 20-minute stroll (wherever you are). Even slightly exercised muscles clear glucose from the bloodstream.