At a holiday party this past weekend I was asked, â€œ how can we sustain the best health possible during tough economic times? It seem like being healthy is more expensive than unhealthy.â€
Ok folks, as always, I will give you the take home message. After years of studying the link between health and economics, I have come to the conclusion that being healthy is not nearly as expensive as being unhealthy.
In fact, it is MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE to be unhealthy than healthy.
1. Healthy people are generally more productive than non-healthy people â€“ which can lead to higher income.
2. MOST OF DISEASE comes from being unhealthy â€“ the out of pocket expense from having a disease (of course, it varies depending on the disease) can be in the high thousands. Even if you have health insurance coverage, your insurance will NOT cover all the cost of your treatment and the medications needed.
3. You are less likely to get hired for a job if you are overweight. Yes, you will get discriminated against. The possible employer will assume that hiring you will cause their health insurance cost to rise significantly from you getting an illness associated with your size (in width).
What is health? Most experts would agree that health consist of physical, mental and emotional well-being, not just the absence of disease. Actually, the World Health Organization defines health similarly.
How to obtain and sustain health?
1. EAT RIGHT â€“ Eat foods that mostly consist of vegetables, whole grains, fruits, seeds and animal products that are raised organically and eat their natural diet. Eating right also includes the occasional consumption of Low Revenue (LR) foods without guilt. No need to eat all foods organically – eat the top 12 foods that are most contaminated organically: Peaches, Apples, Sweet bell peppers, Celery, Nectarines, Strawberries, Cherries, Pears, Grapes(imported), Spinach, Lettuce, Potatoes. Keep in mind, â€œcheaperâ€ foods are usually LR foods.
2. Get moving â€“ clearly, basic observation and research shows that those who consistently EXERCISE live longer healthier lives â€“ quality of life also dramatically improves. All you need in this case is a good pair of sneakers (cost no more than $100.)
3. Get adequate SLEEP â€“ that may mean 6 to 8 hours. Note: the better your diet, the less sleep you require.
4. Get about 30 minutes a day of SUN as often as your local weather allows.
5. Take the right SUPPLEMENTS: In this tight economy the supplements that give you the most bang for your buck include: First Tier: High quality fish oils â€“ between 2,000 to 4,000mg a day, green pills (these are vitamins that have a mixture of dehydrated fruits and vegetables in them) and vitamin D 2,000 to 5,000IU a day. Second Tier: Add CoQ10 60 to 300mg a day, Lipoic acid 50 to 200mg a day and vitamin c 2,000 to 4,000mg a day. Keep in mind that top tier supplements may change with time depending on the available research available on any given time.
In Optimal Health,