The famous proverb ‘Health is Wealth’ means health is the most significant wealth instead of money. Health can be defined as the state of a person’s physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being. The basic laws of good health are related to the food we eat, the amount of physical exercise we do, our cleanliness, and amount of rest and relaxation in our lives. Healthy people are normally more confident, self-assured, sociable, and energetic. They view things clearly, calmly, and without prejudice. Along with physical fitness, a good mental state is also essential for good health. Mental health means the emotional and psychological state of an individual. The best way to maintain good mental health is by staying positive and meditating.
We live in a superfast digital world. The internet has shrunk the world dramatically and people are connected 24*7. Multitasking is the order of the day and due to this, we often forget to spare time for ourselves. In earlier days, life was very simple. People worked for a stipulated time, often walked everywhere, ate mostly homemade food, did household chores, and enjoyed a healthy balanced life. Now people have cars and bikes to commute, and hence, they walk less or do not walk at all. With long working hours, people are awake till late in the night and indulge in more junk food than home-cooked food. Modern equipment at home has reduced the manual work and has increased dependency on machines. People do not have enough time to exercise or even get enough sunlight. Such unhealthy lifestyle has led to an increase in various diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, hypertension, etc. This is an alarming situation, and therefore, it is very important to focus on our health as much as we focus on our work. Good health has a direct impact on our personality and well-being, and it is the most valuable wealth one can possess in the modern age.
One of the most common excuses of unhealthy lifestyle is that eating healthy is too expensive. We need to break this myth. We do not have to be wealthy to eat healthy. All we need is to be willing to make small lifestyle changes, and this begins with making good choices at the grocery store. With some simple changes we can be on our way to a better self:
• Making water our best friend: Not only is it free, but also it is the best thing that one can do for their body. Drinking lots of water will help us to maintain body fluid balance. Drinking water allows our organs to filter more efficiently. Water also helps skin look better by decreasing dehydration and helping pores remain opened. While water does not have any magical effect on weight loss, substituting it for higher calorie beverages can certainly help trim our waistline. Also, sugary drinks cost money, so it is better to drink water and cut calories while saving money at the same time.
• Fruits/Vegetables: Fruits and vegetables can be affordable if we plan ahead. We can check for which fruits and vegetables are on sale every week. This can also be combined with what meals we are going to make for the whole week. we can also plant our own fruits and vegetables in our backyards and save lots of money on shopping this necessity of ours. Fruits and vegetables contain essential nutrients that help us to stay healthy and energized. As per a study, 7-10 cups of fruits and vegetables can fulfil our daily nutrition needs with ease. It is often found that rich people spend a lot more on small amount of Organic fruits and vegetables that are anyways not enough for their nutritional fulfilment. A little focus on what and how much one eats can be enough to stay healthy with minimum expenditure
• Plan your meals ahead of time: It is extremely easy to spend extra money at the grocery store. We can avoid this by making a list of items and sticking to it. We should always have meals in mind for the week and choose versatile ingredients so that we can mix and match. Also, we should make it a point to never go shopping hungry because we tend to grab foods not on the list.
• Saying no to processed foods (as much as possible): Reading labels should become a necessary part of our life because it is important to be informed on what we are putting into our body. Processed food is not always the cheapest food and it contains large quantities of hidden sodium and saturated fats. If we are going to eat something that is pre-made such as a frozen meal, we should choose the ones that are made with high quality ingredients. Processed food is often more expensive than open food but not always the healthiest. Thus, Being rich does not ensure a healthier diet.
• Limiting our intake of junk food and alcohol: Junk food (chips, cookies, ice cream, etc.) and alcohol have lots of calories, sugar and sodium. Cutting these out cuts those unnecessary calories and the extra cost. High sugar and sodium levels in the body are the reasons behind diseases like diabetes and hypertension. Giving them up by avoiding expensive Junk food is the easiest way to stay healthy.
• Exercise: Exercise is extremely important in your weight loss journey. And it can be free of cost. It is recommended to exercise at least 30 minutes a day, at least five times a week. For that, we do not need a gym membership or fancy equipment to burn extra calories. We only need motivation and a good pair of sneakers. Finding a friend to work out with can help in building motivation level.
It is the basic truth of our existence that if we are not healthy, then no amount of wealth, fame, or power can keep us happy. Being fit and healthy is not an option but a necessity. Health is like money because we learn its value only when it is lost. However, staying healthy is a matter of lifestyle choice and it does not depend upon how much cash a person earns. People with lots of wealth can choose to eat and drink whatever they want, but to keep their health in check, they follow a healthy lifestyle. Though their food choices might be expensive, but same level of health can be achieved by choosing a low-cost healthy lifestyle, too. Hence, it is not necessary to be rich to possess good health