Invest in your health today
I see a lot of posts on social media everyday about investing, but not so much in one's health which I honestly think should be addressed at times like these when getting sick can cost you heaps, and I'm not just talking about money here. So what does getting sick really cost us? Well, let's name a few:
- Hospital bills (room, doctor's fee, etc)
- Medication costs (while in the hospital and even after being released)
- Time (wasted from getting sick and recovery period)
- Suffering/Pain
- Stress (for you and your family)
We've all heard the saying "Prevention is always better than cure." over and over again, but do we actually believe and apply it in our lives? I don't know about you guys, but our family actually does, for almost a decade now. It took us (me the longest haha) a while, but we finally got our act together and are now reaping the rewards of choosing the healthy lifestyle. It was definitely hard most especially in the beginning stages, but not impossible if you really put your mind into it. To give you an idea of what changes we made to achieve a healthy lifestyle, here are some of the things we eliminated from our diet:
- Fast food
- Canned goods
- Processed food
- Soda
- Refined sugar
- Artificial colors and flavors
- GMO
- Instant food
- MSG
You can say we just eliminated the bad and left all the good, that's our life in a nutshell when it comes to health. We do a lot of research on what we eat, the household products we use, even for hair and skin care which greatly affects our body. We came to an understanding that food matters. We are what we eat, so we avoid the fast, too convenient and cheap when it comes to our meals. We get branded for being extreme with our health choices and sometimes accused of depriving ourselves of a lot of good things which we can never really agree to. Yes, we don't eat those artificially flavored food products that taste great (it's the chemicals talking) but we also feel great and rarely get sick (not even skin problems, beauty from within?). The only time we ever grace a hospital with our presence is when I'm in labor haha, and we don't plan on going that route anymore the next time I get pregnant (home birth it is). Yes, our kids don't get to eat hotdogs, chicken nuggets, candies, or junk food but they're also enjoying their childhood more than others. They're all physically fit, have never been confined in a hospital ever, have perfect vision, don't suffer from allergies or skin problems, they don't even have cavities. They rarely catch the flu or any disease even when all the neighborhood kids have it.
I remember the last time we got sick though, it was in December of 2013. We went to Tagaytay with my in laws who paid for the whole trip, so it would be rude of us to say no when they opted for a drive thru meal in Jollibee. I guess, our body rejected the not so healthy meal we had and reacted violently since we've been clean from it for years. It began with our eldest, she caught the flu first which was so rare at this point, for any of us. There was a flu epidemic that week at my in laws' house in Las Pinas, where we stayed at after Tagaytay. Our family doesn't take synthetic medications that are accompanied with harmful side effects due to the chemicals in them (read the package inserts). So, we only took raw honey (from Los Banos, Laguna), fresh calamansi juice, turmeric and baking soda to help rid us of the flu. The kids recovered first, the adults last and I think Mr. D finally managed to talk to his parents at length about the cause of the incident because they never brought us to a fast food restaurant ever since haha. Getting sick is a huge pain in the neck, more so when it's us. We are the worst patients one can ever have because we're not used to being ill anymore, we can't take it like strong men. In my opinion, feeling great all the time and rarely getting sick is worth all the effort and fuzz of making the huge change in our lifestyle and overall health.
Health Tips:
- Research
- Read food labels
- Research each ingredient
- Read the package insert (for medications)
- Cook your own meals from scratch
- Never microwave your food
- Eat fruits and vegetables
- Organic
- Opt for natural remedies
- When in doubt, do your own Research
It might seem like an impossible feat for some, but take it from me who, in the past was the poster girl for everything unhealthy. It was a battle, admittedly an addiction that I'm glad I got rid of before it was too late. If I can do it, so can you. If you want to, that is. Getting sick is the direct result of the choices you make that greatly affects your body and overall health. It can be prevented if you want to, a healthy lifestyle is the key. :)
