Three Simple Health Habits Busy People Can Start Today - Short 2/3/2026
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Small changes that don't require rebuilding your life
There are three super simple things that busy people can do to become healthier, and none of them require you to rebuild your life.
1. Eat One Raw Plant Before a Meal
A handful of spinach, a carrot, a piece of fruit—anything of the sort.
Fiber-rich foods slow down carbohydrate absorption, which means your meals will be more filling, blunt glucose spikes later in the meal, and improve your gut motility. Think of this as a warm-up for your digestive system.
2. Take a Short Walk After Eating
I mean 2-5 minutes long.
You aren't doing a full exercise—you are just helping your body adjust. Just a 2-5 minute walk has real-world measurable health benefits. This kind of walk has been shown to reduce post-meal blood sugar spikes and helps your digestion.
3. Replace One Sugary Drink with Water or Unsweetened Tea
Your body hates it when you drink liquid sugars like soda, juice, or sweetened tea.
By making this change once a day, your body is already getting 100-200 fewer calories, and you aren't giving your body a lot of sugar to deal with without the much-needed fiber that comes with it.
Don't obsess over perfection—three small changes can meaningfully improve your life.
Sources
Eating Vegetables Before Carbohydrates
Imai, S., Fukui, M., & Kajiyama, S. "Effect of eating vegetables before carbohydrates on glucose excursions in patients with type 2 diabetes." Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition, 54(1): 7-11, 2014. Available: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3882489/
This randomized crossover study found that eating vegetables before carbohydrates significantly reduced postprandial glucose excursions in both patients with Type 2 diabetes and subjects with normal glucose tolerance. The dietary fiber in vegetables slows carbohydrate digestion and reduces insulin requirements.
Nishino, K., Sakurai, M., Takeshita, Y., & Takamura, T. "Eating Vegetables First Regardless of Eating Speed Has a Significant Reducing Effect on Postprandial Blood Glucose and Insulin in Young Healthy Women: Randomized Controlled Cross-Over Study." Nutrients, 15(5): 1174, 2023. Available: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10005673/
This study demonstrated that food order (vegetables first, carbohydrates last) is more important than eating speed for controlling postprandial blood glucose and insulin responses. The preloading of dietary fiber contained in vegetables helps ameliorate blood glucose elevation.
Stanford Medicine. "Blood sugar response to various carbohydrates can point to metabolic health subtypes, study finds." June 2025. Available: https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/06/carb-sugar-spikes.html
Research showed that eating fiber or protein before carbohydrates lowered glucose spikes in metabolically healthy participants. The study recommends eating salad or protein before starchy carbohydrates.
Short Walks After Eating
Buffey, A.J., et al. "The Acute Effects of Interrupting Prolonged Sitting Time in Adults with Standing and Light-Intensity Walking on Biomarkers of Cardiometabolic Health in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis." Sports Medicine, 2022. Referenced in: CNN. "Just 2 minutes of walking after eating can help blood sugar, study says." September 2022. Available: https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/02/health/walking-blood-sugar-study-wellness
This meta-analysis of seven studies found that light walking breaks lasting 2-5 minutes after meals caused blood sugar levels to rise and fall more gradually compared to sitting or standing. The beneficial effect was observed in a 60-90 minute window following meals.
Hatamoto, Y., et al. "Positive impact of a 10-min walk immediately after glucose intake on postprandial glucose levels." Scientific Reports, July 2025. Available: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-07312-y
This randomized crossover trial found that a brief 10-minute walk immediately after glucose intake significantly reduced peak blood glucose levels compared to resting. Participants walked at a comfortable self-selected pace (average 3.8 km/h), demonstrating that even gentle walking is effective.
UCLA Health. "Taking a walk after eating can help with blood sugar control." March 2024. Available: https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/taking-walk-after-eating-can-help-with-blood-sugar-control
Research showed that even a five-minute walk after eating had a measurable effect on moderating blood sugar levels. The positive effect occurred in all participants regardless of diabetes status.
Sugary Drink Calories and Health Effects
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "Sugary Drinks." The Nutrition Source. Available: https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/healthy-drinks/sugary-drinks/
The average can of sugar-sweetened soda or fruit punch provides about 150 calories, almost all from added sugar. Research shows people who drink sugary beverages don't feel as full as if they had eaten the same calories from solid food, and don't compensate by eating less food.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Rethink Your Drink." Updated January 2025. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/rethink-your-drink/
A 12-ounce regular soda has more than 10 teaspoons of added sugar—that's more than 150 calories from sugar alone. The CDC recommends choosing water instead of sugary drinks and limiting added sugars as much as possible.
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals. "Sweet Drinks and Obesity." Available: https://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/education/sweet-drinks-and-obesity
The body doesn't register fullness after drinking calories the way it does with solid food. This is related to ghrelin, the hunger hormone, which only responds to food, not liquid. As a result, sugar-sweetened beverages are often "wasted calories."