Friday, July 15, 2016

Saving Money by Being Healthy!

There is a substantial cost to being unhealthy – e.g. becoming obese based on a sedentary lifestyle can lead to substantial costs in medicine and medical treatments.  Currently, I am living a very sedentary lifestyle and packing on weight.  Shamefully, I ignore my apparent physical changes and, paint a different picture than then my own reflection in the mirror. 
Here comes the wakeup call, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states “[o]besity is a serious concern because it is associated with poorer mental health outcomes, reduced quality of life, and the leading causes of death in the U.S. and worldwide, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer.”  And the economic costs to society are high.  In the US, the cost for just medical care alone for obesity were estimated at $147 billion in 2008 – like over 2x Warren Buffet’s net-worth.  Now I know why health insurance is so expensive!  The American Diabetes Association reports that an individual diagnosed with diabetes will “incur average medical expenditures of about $13,700 per year, of which about $7,900 is attributed to diabetes.” That person would be much better off spending the money on healthy food and exercise equipment to extend his or her life.
So what can I do?  The CDC recommends a “healthy diet pattern and regular physical activity.” The diet should consist of “whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein, low-fat and fat-free dairy products and drinking water.”  Although, other researches such as Dr. Atkins would argue a diet without whole grains and dairy are better – e.g. a low carb, high protein and fat diet.  I have never tolerated breads or milk extremely well, and I may opt for more veggies and proteins for the diet.  Further, in terms of a healthy diet pattern, I have implemented a intermediate fasting pattern for eating with a 4 – 6 hour window for feasting, and a 20-18 hour block for fasting. Why?
A Johns Hopkins University researcher, Dr. Mark Mattson, found that “that the normal … three meals a day plus snacks … isn’t the healthiest eating pattern.”  Rather, Dr. Mattson determined that “fasting twice a week could significantly lower the risk of developing both Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease” because “[c]alorie restriction (CR) extends life span and retards age-related chronic diseases.”  There are many other studies and individuals who have demonstrated various benefits to an IF pattern that exceed any benefits to the 3 or 6 meal a day approach. 
In summary, I plan to blog about health in terms of saving money – also, extending my own life to enjoy compound interest!  Currently, using IF alone I have dropped around 8 lbs.  My goal is 188, and currently I am at 210.  I will follow up this blog with my exercise routine – which hasn’t been implemented yet.  I just ordered a bench and weight set for under $70 dollars.  I think this set up will be a great start on my journey to healthy lifestyle.



 References and Additional Reading

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