Most people seem to assume that eating healthy is an expensive choice. That is just not true.
Most people seem to assume that eating healthy is an expensive choice. That is just not true. By eating a healthier diet you can save on future health care costs, and that’s a savings that most people forget to consider. Not only is living a healthy lifestyle good for your wellbeing, but it can also save you a significant amount of money. It is often thought that fruits and vegetables are the most expensive items in a food budget, but meat, poultry, and seafood are. Diets high in vegetables and fruits have been shown to prevent chronic disease, but despite this awareness, consumers have not increased their consumption regardless of income.
Exercise can lift your mood, heighten energy, improve sleep, and lead to a longer life. Just 30 minutes a day of physical activity is recommended — even a brisk walk will do. Exercise can also do a lot for your bank account. According to the Mayo Clinic, regular physical activity decreases the risk of chronic health conditions and diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, certain cancers, stroke, and diabetes. These medical conditions can become costly. So, helping to prevent them can potentially save you money at the pharmacy, doctor visits, and even hospital stays each year. For example, average medical expenses for people with diabetes is $7,900 or more per year, according to Diabetes.org.
Ok, so now we know the benefits of eating healthy and exercising, but how do we incorporate them into our lives?
Stop eating fast food! Have you ever heard the expression “You are what you eat?” Well, that couldn’t be truer. Fast food is typically poor in terms of nutrition. Most fast foods tend to contain various substances that are generally unhealthy. It is high in sugar, salt, saturated or trans fats, and many processed preservatives and ingredients. It also lacks some beneficial nutrients. Not all items on the menu are bad. Most menus now show the calories of each item, of course that is only part of the solution. You need to also look at the fat, salt, and sugar content of the food. A quick search of the restaurant’s website on your phone (you know you have that phone out anyways) will give you all that info. If you’re still not sure, go for a healthier option like a salad. But again, be careful, not all salads are created equal.
Start brown bagging it. Not only is packing your lunch healthier for you, but it saves you a ton of money. We know it’s much easier to grab a quick meal through the drive-through or share a pizza with a co-worker than rushing around in the morning trying to get everyone out the door. Trying to put together a healthy lunch can seem daunting, but it really is the most cost-effective choice to make. Pick up a nice reusable bag you’ll love taking to work every day. Prepare healthy snacks like granola bars, cheese and crackers, fruit (already cut up), veggie slices and pre-portioned nuts. Pack your lunch the night before so it’s one less thing to worry about in the morning (plus, you can sleep an extra 10 minutes.) If you have the space at work, stock up on snacks so that when you feel those hunger pains hit, you have something available and won’t be tempted to eat junk from the vending machine. Packing a lunch every day, week after week, can get boring, so go ahead and indulge occasionally. It is all about moderation.
Drink more water, it is free. From sugary sodas to frappes, neither of these should be your beverage of choice for a healthy lifestyle — especially if you are looking to cut costs and calories. Did you know the average regular can of soda contains 150 calories and about 39 grams of sugar? Drinking a can each day could result in a weight gain of 15 pounds per year. I do not know about you, but I could do without those extra pounds. Buy a nice reusable water bottle and follow your doctor’s orders and stick to your six to eight glasses of water a day. It is free from your faucet, you’ll be healthier and have more money in your pocket.
Incorporate exercise into your workday. Throughout your day you should try to find as many chances to walk or move as you can, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator. If you work in a building with stairs, you can even take a few 10-minute breaks throughout the day to do runs up and down several flights to get your heart rate going, burn calories, and tone your lower half. Go for a walk outside and breathe some fresh air and move your body. Not only will you feel re-focused and re-energized for the rest of your workday, but your body will thank you for the physical exercise. If you drive to work, you can trick yourself into taking more steps by simply parking farther away from your building than usual.
Doing these things in combination (standing up often, walking around your building, taking advantage of on-site gyms, or sitting on an exercise ball) will significantly increase your activity levels each day without disrupting your schedule or cutting into your work time.
Please, please, please QUIT SMOKING! The cost of smoking cigarettes is not only a daily financial cost, but it can also lead to higher costs for health and life insurance. High health care costs due to smoking-related diseases not only affects your health, but it also affects the health of others. Secondhand smoke (SHS) affects everyone around you; it can be harmful to loved ones, co-workers, and your community. The average cost of cigarettes in Rhode Island is $11.71 per pack. Let’s do some simple math. If you smoke one pack per day, it will cost you $4,274 per year. If you keep this dangerous habit for 10 years, you have basically spent $42,742(and that’s if the price never goes up) to cause harm to yourself. Your health and your wallet aren’t the only things affected by cigarettes. Smokers can get a lower resale value of their property. Increased dental bills due to higher incidence of gum disease and tooth loss is another way smoking can negatively affect you. Life insurance rates for smokers can easily be double or triple a non-smoking rate. Over time, people who quit smoking see many benefits to their health. It really is the best thing you can do for yourself.
As you can see, living a healthy lifestyle does more than reduce your waistline. You will discover countless other ways that your finances can improve by taking stock and cutting back on unhealthy habits. Best of all, changing your general well-being will also change your entire perspective on life.
Just keep in mind that you don’t have to spend more money to lead a healthy lifestyle. If you want to work on improving your physical, mental, and financial well-being all at once, it’s entirely possible.
