Many people only think about health when it starts to fail. The most expensive investment you should make is on your health and the health of your family.

Good health is Mother Nature’s gift to mankind, it requires your full cooperation and to actively take steps to maximize it to living longer and improve the quality of your life, allowing you to be more active and feel better.

Relying on health care professionals to look after your health isn’t good, you should learn about your health, which can be expensive, both time-wise and financially, but it’s worth the expense with having a much higher quality of life.

Over 75 per cent of diseases are preventable, your lifestyle and dietary choices  have a greater impact on longevity and overall health than other factor’s.

Successful people know investing in their families’ health is important, but the most expensive investment you can make for without optimum health your life can be unsatisfactory.

Medical expenses and a reduced quality of life are direct results of not investing in your health during your youth.

Aspects of Health Investment

Investing in your health, lifestyle, the foods you eat and the products you use can be expensive, but it’s an investment in your personal and family’s future that will pay off in the long term.

Having a healthy lifestyle can also help you reduce your insurance costs.

Environment

The environment you live in can have a tremendous impact on your physical and mental health. Pollution we all have to deal with, our overall level of health is often related to the way we protect ourselves from the different forms of pollution present in our environment.

• Choose non-toxic chemicals for cleaning, Citric acid is a very effective cleaner and better than most detergents, leaving everything clean and shiny

• Use only inert floor and wall coverings, Avoid PVC coverings as they give off VOC’s and formaldehyde that lead to skin irritation, asthma, and cancer. Opt for natural coverings instead

• Avoid using unnatural herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides, mother Nature has provided an abundance of natural pest control methods that are non-toxic such as borax and pepper for controlling crawling insects, vinegars and baking soda for controlling fungi and predator species for controlling pests on plants

• Compost instead of burning rubbish, when rubbish burns, it releases toxins when it’s composted instead microorganisms convert it into harmless products that join the food chain

Noise pollution

Noise pollution comes in many forms, moving to a quieter area or soundproofing your environment, can potentially be expensive, but necessary for your mental health.

• Be mindful of the noise you make, its volume and intensity, people are adversely affected by intense and loud noise; it’s distracting and irritating destroying quality of life. Avoid excessive noise as loud and offensive noise can damage hearing, increase stress levels, causing undue anxiety and mental disorders.

Nutrition

When you prepare and cook nutritious foods, it usually cost more than convenience foods. But a properly constructed, well planned balanced diet is the foundation of good health and will save you a lot of expense.

• Choose locally grown, in-season foods, Locally-grown foods are more likely to be picked when ripe and more natural. Imported food is often picked when immature, so never reaches is full nutritional potential

• Buy organic where possible, Food that is certified grown organically is free from unnatural chemicals and also contains all the nutrients it should

• Avoid processed foods, especially meats and refined cooking oils, Food is refined so it keeps longer, but this destroys most of its natural goodness causing many of the chronic health issues of today

• Be aware of the food groups and eat accordingly

The basic food groups to maintain good health are:

1. Cereals, breads, noodles, pasta grains
2. Legumes and vegetables
3. Fruit
4. Milk, cheese, Yoghurt, as well as alternatives
5. Lean meat, poultry, eggs, fish, nuts and legumes

When you these 5 food groups it provides a balanced diet where you get the nutrients you need for healthy living

• A little of everything wholesome and on too much of any one thing, This is because Mother Nature has designed our bodies to use different compounds found in different foods to offset any adverse effects that some compounds in other foods may have on our bodies

• Your grand and great grandparents recipes were the best and most, Old recipes are often handed down through the generations; this is not only because of their flavor but because of their health-giving properties and compatibility with our bodies nutritious

Environmental

• Cheap clothing is only a short term gain as they rarely last very long and often made using toxic dyes and fabrics that give off harmful, Choose only natural clothing such as cotton, wool, silk, and leather treated with natural dyes compounds.

• Paying attention to the materials, paints, furniture and floor coverings in your environment as many cheaper products can leach toxins into the surrounding areas where they can be absorbed into waterways the food chain and directly into our bodies by physical contact
• It’s important to be aware of the hazards that sewage, rubbish, chemicals, and smoke can cause to your health and to take the appropriate steps to avoid these things in your environment
• Avoid contact with petroleum products, Petroleum products are carcinogenic, this includes things like baby oil, some first aid articles, and many cosmetics

• Be aware and take precautions against vehicle exhaust emissions, vehicle exhaust emissions are very poisonous, so wear a proper mask to avoid inhaling exhaust emissions as they cause respiratory problems

• Avoid bleach and bleached articles such as toilet paper and feminine, many products are treated with bleach to make them look clean, but some of the bleach always remains on the product.hygiene products

• Avoid chlorine and chemically treated drinking water, many places add chlorine to the drinking water to kill bad bacteria. The best thing you can do for your health is to use a reverse osmosis water filter on the water that enters your property

Activity

Having a physically active lifestyle is vital to good health if you are lucky enough to live in a place where you can take regular exercise you’re fortunate. Using the services of a gym and a personal trainer is a positive investment in your health and its value should not be underestimated

• Enjoy regular exercise, Taking the time to walk a few miles each day can help to reduce your weight and keep your cardiovascular system healthy

• Do adequate stretching before and after exercise, Because most people spend much of their time in very unnatural positions such as sitting, they need to stretch so that all ligaments and joints are elastic before and most importantly after exercise. If you take the time to stretch properly, you will drastically reduce the amount of pain and injury to your body

• Avoid sitting for long periods without exercise and breaks to stretch muscles, our bodies were not designed to sit for long periods, so naturally, they do not function properly without plenty of quality breaks and exercise

Stress

There is no doubt that stress has a large effect on a person’s health so investing in ways to relieve stress, although it can be expensive is fundamental to achieving optimum health.

Seeing a therapist is often a great way to learn how to cope with and reduce stress such as:

• Stress in the workplace – proper job descriptions
• Stress in the classroom – proper nutrition and regular sleep patterns
• Stress in relationships- open and honest communication
• Stress in the home – proper discipline and positive attitudes
• Stress in the kitchen – proper menu planning and nutritional knowledge

The cost of Health

There are always low-cost ways to achieve optimum health, but it’s advisable not to skimp on your health care and to invest the maximum amount you can regularly.

• Knowledge is your greatest weapon against bad health, know what you put into your body and its effect so you can make an informed choice about your diet and what foods to avoid

• Avoid or minimize fast and junk foods – you may save time and money now, but you may pay heavily later, Because our bodies developed over thousands of years, it’s not able to cope with the highly processed and chemically-laden food in the fast-food and junk food market. Our body’s reaction is cancer, high blood pressure, heart attracts, and strokes. The remedy – avoid all processed food

Reaping the Financial Rewards of Investing in Your Health

By investing the time and money on a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition you’ll probably avoid many chronic health problems, unnecessary suffering and anxiety in older age

Each person can choose to invest wisely in themselves, chose the right lifestyle choices and be informed and involved with their health, making it a priority to invest as much as possible in their and their family’s health care.