Everyone wants to save money. But when it comes to health, very few of them want to spend money. Health issues are a sensitive topic, but there are ways to save you in the long-run if you’re willing to invest some time and money into your physical wellbeing. Preventive health is a segment of medicine that focuses on strategies to prevent or reverse the progress of illness or disease. When you invest in these tests, foods, and habits, the outcome will be a healthier life with less downtime. Here are some of the top preventive health strategies that can save you money.
Preventive Tests
While most people go to the doctor when they are sick, they don’t always think to go in for preventive tests. Your doctor can run a blood test to discover if you have any high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and if you’re at risk of any chronic conditions. It’s better to catch these things before they get bad. People with pre-diabetes for instance can often reverse the progression of the illness through lifestyle changes. In the long run, catching diabetes before it becomes diabetes will save you a lot of money because you won’t need insulin if you aren’t diabetic.
Regular Exercise
The benefits of cardiovascular exercise cannot be emphasized enough. If you want to help prevent lifelong illnesses like type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease, you need to incorporate cardio into your regular routine. While there is no need for everyone to do HIIT exercises, you can easily boost your cardiovascular health with fast paced walking 30 minutes a day. This simple habit can help you on multiple fronts. If you’re trying to lose weight, maintain weight, lower your insulin levels, and even build muscle strength in your legs and core, it’s important to do exercises that get your heartbeat going. This will also improve your resting heart rate and cause your heart to work more efficiently in the long run.
Drink Enough Water
This simple strategy saves you from all sorts of headaches. Literally. People who are chronically dehydrated often struggle with headaches, joint pain, low energy levels, and even mood changes. You don’t need to be walking through the desert to get dehydrated either. When you don’t take in enough fluids each day, you are at greater risk of dehydration. Certain medications, caffeine, and even exercise can all deplete water levels in your body. When you drink enough water, your body systems work more effectively, which ensures everything works best and you stay healthier. Plus, getting a glass of water multiple times a day won’t cost you much more than a walk to the faucet.
Eat More Colorful Food
Some would say to eat all the colors of the rainbow. And they are right. If you want to prevent illness, the foods that are bright and colorful are some of the most nutritious. You can eat fresh fruit, vegetables, and fill half your plate with them at every meal. You’d be amazed at how much better you feel when your stomach is filled with delicious broccoli, oranges, and other colorful fruits and veggies. While it may feel more expensive to buy fresh produce, what you gain in a healthy immune system, less weight gain, and reduced risk of long-term illness is worth the investment.
Supplement With Vitamins and Minerals
While vitamins and minerals are best absorbed through food, sometimes it’s challenging to get enough of these nutrients in their natural form. When this happens, it’s best to implement specific supplements in your daily routine. Many people look towards multivitamins which have been known to offer innumerable health benefits. These benefits include boosting and re-energizing the body, reducing the risk of diseases and infections, and optimizing fertility and reproduction.
Proper Handwashing
Did anyone ever teach you how to properly wash your hands? It only takes a minute or so. You want to run warm water and lather soap on your hands after you’ve scrubbed really well for about 20-30 seconds or so, then you can rinse. The major way that people spread illnesses like colds and flus, is through their hands. You touch something that someone just sneezed on or wiped their dirty hands on and then you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. By washing your hands throughout the day, you’ll be less likely to get sick.
