Any form of illness is a villain. Perhaps, this makes health and wellness our top priorities. Who would want to get sick and face the skyrocketing costs of hospitalization? Aside from its effect on our finances, we also become anxious about the impact of illness in our daily lives, particularly in our productivity at work. Hence, for our peace of mind, we opt to pay for costly health insurance packages that may vary depending on the age of the insured and the tier you prefers to avail. Unfortunately, as you get older or wishes to receive more benefits, you may need to pay higher monthly premiums. These monthly premiums are not actually paid in flat rate and may even increase due to certain circumstances, such as frequent clinic visits and unnecessary or repetitive diagnostic tests.
With the global healthcare system’s current situation, it seems that the cliché, “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver” is undeniably true. In a mere blink of an eye, a large portion of your hard-earned money was used to pay for monthly premiums that you can barely see or feel. So what can you do to prevent the situations that can lead to rising premiums and the negative effects of illness in your life? It is simple – make your own health an investment. Here are some tips that can help you decide where to invest your money, time and effort to prevent illnesses and maintain optimum health and wellness.
Healthy Diet
You have to be mindful of what’s going inside your body. Though food prepping is a tedious process compared to eating food that comes in ready-to-eat packages, it is better to buy fresh, organic and natural foods and prepare it yourself. In fact, giant food and retailing companies have shifted to healthier alternatives in order to prevent a wide array of preventable medical issues, particularly heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some forms of cancer. (Gerber, 2015).
Exercise and Fitness
Exercise is a vital component of achieving your fitness goals. If possible, you may consult fitness experts, avail gym membership packages, and purchase wearable fitness trackers that can guide you in maintaining a healthy weight and physique.
Treatment Regimen
Certain types of illnesses can be prevented by different treatment regimens, such as cryotherapy. One of the most significant applications of cryotherapy is in the prevention of early onset of Alzheimer’s disease because of its capability to reduce inflammation and create episodic stressor that un-regulates brain function (Misiak & Kiejna, 2012). Hence, reversing both mental and physical aging (Shanebrook, 2016). Aside from this, cryotherapy is also known to boost our immune function by increasing the number of natural killer cells that act as the primary defense when bacteria and viruses invade our body (Lubkowska, Szygula, Klimek, & Torii, 2010). On the other hand, cryotherapy is also used to prevent sports injuries as it can reduce associated swelling, facilitate faster healing, improve blood flow and flush cellular waste products. (Game Ready, 2015).
If you believe that doing these tips is quite expensive, then think twice. The best things in life do not always come for free, but are worth every penny. Just imagine the repercussions of not prioritizing your own health. Remember that your body is your most priceless possession and without having it in good shape, you cannot serve your purpose.
References
- Game Ready. (2015, June 4). Retrieved February 2, 2017, from Game Ready: http://blog.gameready.com/blog/bid/363083/3-benefits-of-cryotherapy-compression-for-soccer-athletes
- Gerber, R. (2015, August 6). Retrieved February 2, 2017, from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2015/08/06/healthy-investing-could-make-you-wealthy/#167894aa4682
- Lubkowska, A., Szygula, Z., Klimek, A. J., & Torii, M. (2010). Do sessions of cryostimulation have inXuence on white blood cell count, level of IL6 and total oxidative and antioxidative status in healthy men? European Journal of Applied Physiology , 67 – 72.
- Misiak, B., & Kiejna, A. (2012). Translating whole-body cryotherapy into geriatric psychiatry – A proposed strategy for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. Medical Hypotheses , 56 – 58.
- Shanebrook, J. (2016, June 19). Retrieved February 2, 2017, from Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/whole-body-cryotherapy-prevent-treat-alzheimers-julie-shanebrook