Staying healthy is vital for an improved quality of life—as well as a happy checkbook. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to help prevent costly diseases or illnesses farther down the road. Here are just a couple of healthy habits you should implement now to save yourself an expensive trip to the doctor’s office in the future.
Keep Your Skin Moisturized
If you want that healthy glow and reduce costly skin problems, you will want to moisturize daily. The right moisturizer keeps your skin balanced, minimizing oily or dry patches, and preventing wrinkles, blemishes, and acne. In fact, keeping your skin moisturized helps prevent skin cancer or other types of skin damage. By applying moisturizer daily, you could save yourself from an expensive skin treatment later.
Depending on your skin type, you will want a different type of moisturizer. For those with oiler skin, you should opt for a lotion coupled with an exfoliant. For those who tend to get dry skin, try a cream instead. If you want to go for a more natural option, try coconut oil or green tea.
Cutting Alcohol
Alcohol is a leading contributor to chronic illnesses and other serious health issues. Some of these include heart disease, stroke, cancer, and liver or kidney failure. So, unless you want to pay for expensive cancer treatments or dialysis, costly hospitalization, or weight reduction surgeries it may be time to cut back on your alcohol consumption.
If alcohol has been a daily pleasure, it can be hard to remove it from your diet. But don’t feel too overwhelmed: It is okay to take it one day at a time. Recognize that, by eliminating alcohol (or at least cutting back), your body will be healthier, your mind will be sharper, and your pocketbook will be happier.
Exercise Regularly
Frequent exercise cannot be stressed enough: rigorous activity plays a critical role in all-around wellness, including mental, physical, and emotional health. Taking merely 30 minutes a day to exercise can make a world of a difference in helping you control your weight, reduce health risks, and improve your mood. Just half an hour of activity could save you an expensive trip to the hospital or the need for costly, prescription medications. In fact, as you get older, you can develop vein diseases that exercise can help prevent.
Furthermore, exercise is sure to improve your whole quality of life. If you are feeling intimidated by starting an exercise routine, start easy and then build from there. Try to incorporate activities that you love to do, like swimming, rock climbing, or dance. Be willing to think outside the box!
Sunscreen
Along with a moisturizer, it is important to develop a daily habit of sunscreen application—especially if you frequently find yourself outside. The most obvious perk of wearing sunscreen is that it protects your skin from harmful UV rays. These UV rays can damage your skin, leading to unattractive sun spots or deadly cancer. Yes, you may be sacrificing that tan you’ve been wanting—but it is worth it for your skin and your health, as well as your pocketbook! Nobody wants to get hit with costly hospital bills later in life.
Drink Water
You are probably feeling tired of people telling you to drink more water—but they are encouraging you for good reason! Drinking water not only can improve your memory, mood, and digestive health, but it can also reduce the risk of kidney stones, high blood pressure, and bladder infections.
Furthermore, drinking a lot of water every day will help you perform more effectively throughout your various daily activities, as well as keep your skin fresh and healthy. If you struggle drinking water by itself, try throwing in some fresh herbs or fruits, like lemon or mint. Strive for at least two liters per day.
Minimize Distress
Did you ever think that minimizing distress could save you an expensive trip to the doctor or hospital? Well, it sure can. As psychologists have found, stress by itself can actually be a good thing. Good forms of stress motivate people to focus and increase their efficacy and efficiency. However, bad stress, or distress, can be harmful and lead to excessive ‘fight or flight’ activation in the body. You may be experiencing too much distress if you get frequent headaches, struggle sleeping, or often get sick. That distress could turn into mental or physical health issues, necessitating expensive treatments, therapies, or medication. Try minimizing distress through daily relaxation and meditation.
It can be hard formulating new habits, but it is always worth it in the end. It is easy to underestimate the small, daily actions that can either lead to really good or really detrimental outcomes. Start implementing these habits today to achieve a happier, healthier you.
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