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.
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