Better Health

Whether you are young or old, the benefits of taking care of your health will not o­nly provide you with a better quality of life, but will also save you money. Prescription drug costs are not regulated in this country and although Congress has passed new legislation for prescription drug benefits under Medicare for those who qualify, the full benefits will not be in affect until 2006.

That being said, your most valuable asset is yourself i.e. your body and your ability to generate income. If you remember this, you will treat yourself accordingly and hopefully never worry about changes in legislation regarding drug laws.

A healthier lifestyle is seemingly easy to achieve with a few basic rules that everyone knows, but few follow consistently:

Eat Healthy. This means of course, adding more fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and reducing the amount of red meat to your diet. (Try to buy organic as these foods are grown naturally and are not tampered with). Fresh fruits and vegetables are also cheaper than prepared foods. If the amount of time needed to prepare fresh meals keeps you from buying fresh, consider setting aside o­ne day per week to make these meals and “package” and freeze them yourself. It will still be healthier, because you are not adding preservatives, food dyes, etc. and cheaper since you will not be trying to reap profit.

Take Vitamins and/or Supplements. Most of us do not eat healthily all the time. A vitamin together with a combination of minerals will assist you in your efforts to stay healthy. Get informed as to what best suits your needs either o­n the Web, at your local library/bookstore, and/or health food store.

Exercise. There have been numerous articles of late about how a little movement can go a long way. Even o­nly ten minutes worth of walking has benefits. Park your car further away from entrances, take the stairs when you can, take a walk after dinner. Ride a bike. If you can incorporate movement into your daily routine, you will benefit longer because it will become a part of your lifestyle. Exercise is the ultimate stress reliever, which will also improve your health. Find some form of movement that you truly enjoy and stick with it.

If you must, lose weight. It’s official. Americans are the most overweight nation o­n earth and as a result, our health is suffering. Being overweight often leads to diabetes, causes the heart to work overtime, stresses the joints and is generally not a lot of fun. Again, the old-fashioned advice of eating healthier and exercising should definitely cause weight loss and regular movement should help keep it off.

If you must splurge, keep your portions small. This will not o­nly spare your waistline but also your pocket. It is a well-known fact that the French eat “fatty” red meats and drink red wine, but the reality is, those portions of meat are not much larger than a small (French) potato. And, even though younger Europeans now frequent McDonald’s and Burger King, they bike there or take the subway and walk a healthy distance to and fro. Also, the trip to fast-food land is not a daily occurrence, it normally happens o­n the weekend after a long night of dancing at the club.

Just Say No. Having lived in Europe for twelve years, this author can attest that homeopathic remedies work, they just take longer and are lower in cost. Homeopathy is based o­n the principle of “let like cure like”. It makes use of medicines –mostly herbal-based—that stimulate the body’s immune system to build a defense and commence the healing process. Allowing the body to build its own immunities to fight illness is healthier in the long run. Our bodies are naturally “pre-programmed” to fight illness and it is often o­nly a matter of letting it run its course. Most experts agree that unless you have a life-threatening or contagious illness, try to avoid medication as long as you can. For further information about homeopathic medicine, herbs, etc. go to your local library or bookstore and/or seek out a practitioner. There are also various informative sites o­n the Internet.

If you must take prescriptive medicines opt for the generic brands, try a web pharmacy or use a Canadian pharmacy. The use of Canadian pharmacies has outraged pharmaceutical companies and increased lobbying o­n Capitol Hill to ban such purchases for the protection of the consumer, however, these are global companies that manufacture all over the world and distribute the same drugs throughout the world. The United States is the last frontier i.e. the o­nly westernized country that does not regulate this industry’s prices and they are simply trying to protect their interests.

In summary, just remember the mantra: My body is my temple. Sparing yourself from healthcare woes will lead to a long, satisfying life without mounting medical costs.
What could be better than that?