Frequently I hear people say ”It costs too much to get healthy.” Many lobbyist and political figures promote the idea that people are in poor health because they don’t have enough money. Unfortunately some are buying into this untruth and failing to see the power in their personal choices. 

Consider the following ways to make a healthy lifestyle more affordable. Turn off the lights, the computer the television and go for a walk, play outside with the kids, rake the yard or push mow your lawn.

If you mow with a push mower you get a double benefit. First they are less expensive than a riding mower and second, you get much needed physical activity, while maintaining your home.

Walk to complete your errands anytime you can and save gas while you get moving.

Wash your Car by yourself. You save money and you get up and get moving a little.

Stop smoking. Yikes…..no one wants to hear that! Cigarettes are outrageous. In Kentucky you can get a pack for around $4.50. In New York cigarettes cost $14.50. So, a pack a day smoker in Kentucky will pay $1642 per year buying a known carcinogen, and a New Yorker will pay $5292.50. Regardless of the price both the smoker in Kentucky and New York are using their hard earned money to destroy their health instead of improving it.

Stay away from products that promise extreme or quick weight loss. America is spending more than ever on drinks and supplements that promise to let us eat all we want and still lose weight. These products do not work long-term. They are not contributing to the building of a healthy lifestyle and they are an unnecessary expense. These products are not tested or approved by the FDA, and All Natural doesn’t mean safe. Poison Ivy is natural.

You don’t have to buy organic food, just make it a point to buy healthy food instead of junk food, not in addition to. It always makes me smile when I hear someone say, “I guess I better eat some fruit or vegetables”, after they have overdone it on fried food and deserts at the buffet. So they get up and get a small amount of fruit or a salad smothered in fatty dressing.

Start with healthy first so you fill up on that, and you just might skip the unhealthy junk food, or at least eat less of it. Take small steps, they really do matter. Try to switch form whole milk, to 2% then to skim milk. Your taste will eventually adapt to this.

Gradually reduce the sugar or sweetener and creamer you put in your coffee. Use less salad dressing on your salad and less mayo on your sandwich. Don’t order chips and a soda with your Subway. Just have a big glass of water. This saves money and calories. Eliminate the soda and fries with your burger. Yes, this is difficult, but it’s worth it. Eliminate the soda. If you are one who down five Mello Yellos or Dr. Peppers a day, just try to drop to three, then one, then put it down all together. Depending on how much you drink on a daily basis you could save a significant amount of money and calories every year.

Don’t buy candy, cookies, cakes or donuts YES, this will be hard! Your body, your mind and your mouth will have a fit, but in time you can break your sugar habit. This is a very hard habit to break but it can be done.

The problem is that it’s easier for us to say “I can’t afford to eat healthy” rather than tell our bodies, and mouths no to all the junk we’ve been feeding them with over the years. Drop the booze. This is just another thief of your money and health because alcohol offers no nutritive value. The heart protective factor found in wine is not worth the price or the risk because it can also be achieved by exercising and eating healthy, without the extra calories.

Is it easier when your income is higher so that you can have a personal trainer, a gym membership, athletic equipment and a chef to prepare nutritional food so you don’t have to eat fast food, YES! However those things are not required to develop and maintain good health.

Good choices about what we eat and what we do are powerful, and they are up to you! Good Health is an investment, it is not a purchase