Unexpected Benefits of Living a Healthy Lifestyle

Many people already know that leading a health-conscious life has major health and wellness benefits. Some ways to live a healthy lifestyle include eating nutritious foods, drinking plenty of water, getting a good night’s rest, and avoiding nicotine and alcohol. There are obvious benefits to maintaining healthier habits such as having a lower body weight and overall better health but there are some additional advantages to being health-conscious that might not be as expected.

Improve your Mood

According to the American Heart Association, the food that you eat plays a significant role in controlling your mood. Unhealthy eating habits such as skipping meals can have a negative impact on your mood by making you feel grumpy or anxious. Additionally, those that tend to eat healthier foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and vitamin-rich nutrients have a more stable mood and are less prone to depression. This is because foods that are overly processed or high in sugar don’t provide adequate sustenance to give you enough energy throughout the day.

Lower Life Insurance Premiums

Did you know that those who lead a healthier life are more likely to have lower monthly life insurance premiums? When you apply for life insurance, you will take a medical exam that will go over various health factors such as blood pressure, diabetes, and smoker versus nonsmoker status, to determine your monthly rate.

Individuals who are healthier, in general, are less “risky” to insure and, therefore, have a lower monthly premium. Depending on your health status and needs, certain life insurance companies might work better than others, so keep this in mind as you compare and contrast the different policy options available. If you skip this step and go with the first policy you find, you could end up with a higher rate—this is because companies weigh each health factor differently.

Save Money

Living a healthy lifestyle is not only beneficial to your health but also to your wallet. Healthy individuals also save money in terms of their accrued medical costs. According to the CDC’s health statistics on obesity, a person who is healthy spends $1,429 less annually than someone who is obese. Habits such as cooking at home versus eating out are not only healthier but less expensive. Eating at home saves the average family five times more money than eating out at a restaurant—this is a significant saving, especially considering that restaurant food is not even as nutritious as a home-cooked meal.

Set a Good Example

Parents who live a healthy lifestyle at home have children who are more likely to follow in their footsteps. Since childhood obesity has become such a significant problem in the United States, it is important to find ways to combat this phenomenon. Children tend to mimic their parents’ habits, so if they see their parents making healthier choices, they are more likely to do the same.

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be a chore. Improving your family’s health and wellbeing is an opportunity to bond and get creative in the kitchen. There are many ways to encourage healthy habits at home, so have fun spending time together but try to avoid lecturing or forcing food when a child isn’t hungry—creating healthy habits together should be exciting!

Increased Productivity

Individuals who live a healthy lifestyle tend to incorporate more exercise into their routines. Exercise helps blood flow to your brain, which has both short and long term benefits for your overall health. Increased blood flow gives you more brain-power, better memory retention, and the ability to process more information, which results in increased productivity. This increased productivity can help with everyday tasks, work-life, and overall brain function.

The advantages of leading a healthier life extend beyond weight control and exercise. The social, financial and emotional benefits are also advantageous and important to consider. The journey to health and wellness can seem overwhelming for some because it usually is a lifestyle change and not a quick fix. The trick to committing to healthy changes and habits is taking little steps each day that can help make living a healthy lifestyle a more achievable goal.

Some changes you can make to live a healthier lifestyle

-       Set attainable fitness goals

• Avoid prepackaged foods and snack on fresh produce instead
• Reexamine your financial plan to give you peace of mind Use a water bottle that tracks your water consumption throughout the day
• Include your children in grocery shopping and healthy meal prep so they understand how to make responsible nutrition choices
• Find a “workout buddy” to help support each other on your exercise journey