| You can't afford to get sick! | | | | those little irritations that turn into major headaches. |
| Benjamin Franklin said, "Early to bed, early to rise, | | | | Don't wait until the gas tank reads "E" - fill up at 1/4 full. |
| makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." Considering | | | | Schedule a morning to sleep in, with nothing else to do |
| healthcare and prescription drug costs, you have to be | | | | until noon. Don't try to make a 3:30 pm dental |
| healthy to be wealthy! Think about this: Even if you | | | | appointment for little Sally when she gets out of school |
| only made minimum wage, the cost for losing five | | | | at 3:15 pm. Build in some wiggle room. Give yourself |
| days of work due to unpaid sick leave is over $260. | | | | time to breathe. |
| According to a 2006 report, the average cost for an | | | | 4. Boost your brain power: People who keep their |
| emergency room visit is $560, and that's before a | | | | minds sharp take better care of themselves. A study |
| single prescription is written or the first test is run. | | | | of 678 elderly nuns shows that those with the highest |
| Check into a hospital and you'll shell out on an average | | | | educational and intellectual life suffer the least |
| of $5,226 - a day! Even with insurance, the co-pays | | | | symptoms of Alzheimer's. Good concentration and |
| and deductibles are enough to make you nauseous. | | | | focus enable people to react faster, make better |
| So what's a frugal person to do? Here are some of | | | | choices and feel better about themselves. Do a |
| the best tried and true tips for staying healthy, even | | | | crossword puzzle. Learn a new language. Calculate |
| when those around you fall ill: | | | | your gas mileage in your head. |
| 1. Stay hydrated: Your body needs water to function | | | | 5. Reduce your exposure to toxins: Sick Building |
| optimally. Water carries waste out of your system. It | | | | Syndrome, air pollution, water pollution, pesticides -the |
| brings needed nutrients and chemicals to every cell. It | | | | list of chemicals that assault us goes on and on. Many |
| provides lubrication for your joints and digestive tract. | | | | common household products contain alcohol, ammonia, |
| As a matter of fact, there are over 50 reasons why | | | | bleach, formaldehyde, and lye. These substances can |
| your body needs water! Dehydration can play a part in | | | | cause nausea, vomiting, inflammation and burning of |
| many illnesses like headaches, fatigue, high cholesterol, | | | | the eyes, nose, throat, and respiratory system, and are |
| obesity, high blood pressure, and arthritis. Did you know | | | | linked with neurological, liver and kidney damage, |
| you can even avoid catching a cold from re-circulated | | | | blindness, asthma, and cancer. Repeated exposure |
| airplane air by keeping your nasal tissues moist? | | | | can severely reduce your immune function. EPA |
| Inhaling a light mist every few hours keeps the delicate | | | | studies of human exposure to air pollutants indicate |
| membranes from drying out and cracking which allows | | | | that indoor air levels of many pollutants may be 2-5 |
| easier entrance for airborne viruses. | | | | times, and occasionally, more than 100 times higher |
| 2. Get off your duff: You've heard it before but it | | | | than outdoor levels. Cleaning products and other |
| bears mentioning again: Exercise makes you healthier. | | | | household products are among the many culprits. New |
| There's no getting around it. Exercise improves energy, | | | | "green" products that are both safe for humans and |
| boosts immune function, improves sleep, increases | | | | environmentally-safe are much better alternatives for |
| good cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, reduces the | | | | cleaning and disinfecting. Many essential oils are more |
| risk of diabetes, improves concentration, not to mention | | | | effective than their synthetic counterparts at cleaning |
| contributing to weight loss! One doctor commented, | | | | and healing but don't have big advertising budgets like |
| "There is no drug in current or prospective use that | | | | some of the more profitable, "patentable" products. |
| holds as much promise for sustained health as a | | | | Cleaning with vinegar and baking soda is also safe, |
| lifetime of physical exercise". Eighty percent of the | | | | cheap, and effective! |
| health problems once associated with aging are now | | | | 6. Eat real food: Don't eat fake food. I'm not talking |
| thought to be preventable or at least able to be | | | | about plastic fruit or rubber chickens. The |
| postponed if a person stays fit. A 30-minute walk | | | | supermarkets are filled with "pseudo-food": Twinkies, |
| most days of the week is enough to boost your | | | | Cool-Whip, Snapple, Cheez-Puffs, Cheez-Its, |
| longevity by 29% and reduce your health costs by an | | | | Cheez-Whiz, artificially-flavored, artificially-sweetened, |
| average of 24% over your sedentary neighbor. | | | | fortified, enriched, nutritionally-empty non-food. Cut |
| 3. Build in some margin: Take it easy on yourself. Rest | | | | down on the stuff that is boxed, bagged, or canned |
| is equally as important as exercise for maintaining a | | | | and go for food you can actually see. That way you |
| healthy body and mind. Over two-thirds of doctor's | | | | at least have a shot at consuming a vitamin or two. |
| office visits are for stress-related illness. Stress | | | | You can see from these tips that health doesn't cost |
| contributes to 50% of all illnesses in the U.S., including | | | | much while illness can be quite expensive. If you really |
| the number one killer of Americans, heart disease. | | | | want to stretch a dollar, the proverbial "Apple a day" is |
| Building in margin means leaving some room around | | | | a good way to start. To be healthy and wealthy, be |
| the edges. Don't over-schedule yourself or your family. | | | | wise. |
| Make sure you have some down time, some room for | | | | |