updated health tips and articles

11/06/2010

The Biggest Danger of Poor Health - Going Broke

Debbie Russell

You'll never guess where I got the inspiration for this article. From the back of my cereal box! Suzy Orman, one of America's leading personal finance experts says the following:

"A healthier you means a wealthier you! Taking care of your health saves you money. You will spend less on medical care, qualify for the lowest life insurance rates, and have a reduced need to retire early due to health issues. Take care of your health and your wealth will follow."

According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, a retired couple will need over $600,000 in the bank to ensure they have enough money to cover their medical costs and that's above and beyond what Medicare covers. Part of the reason for such high expense is the fact that the cost of health care in the United States is the highest in the world. People in the country spent 15% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on health care. The second highest is Switzerland who only spent 11% of their GDP, a whole 4 percentage points less.

But the major deciding factor of whether you'll get to enjoy any of the money you saved for retirement and whether you'll be spending it all on treating the disease that is destroying your quality of life will be how you take care of yourself now. 75% of the money spent on health care costs went towards the treatment of chronic diseases like diabetes and asthma. According to the Center for Disease Control, about 50% of all chronic disease cases were preventable or stemmed from bad health habits such as smoking.

The only way to keep yourself from going broke paying for chronic health problems that can be easily avoided is to take care of your health. This goes beyond getting regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding health destroying habits like smoking. This also means avoiding toxic foods, polluted atmospheres, and personal care products filled with dangerous chemicals.

You've probably heard so much about the toxins contained in the mainstream food supply and the dangers of using most of the personal care products found on store shelves that you probably think it is all one big scare tactic. But the truth is that even something as innocuous as bottled water can be hazardous to your health.

First, it is a myth that bottled water is purer than what you can get out of the tap. Some bottled water has been shown to be more polluted than local tap water and other bottled waters are actually filtered tap water in disguise. Secondly, the plastic bottles can leach bisphenol-A (BPA) into the water which the majority of experts believe is linked to heart disease, obesity, hormone disruption, and other health issues.

There are two things you can do to protect your good health and improve any existing health challenges you may be struggling with. You should phase the toxic products out of your life and replace them with greener, healthier options. This includes switching over to organic foods and using personal care products made from natural ingredients the support health and wellness.

Switching over to green products offers many benefits including:

* Healthier products that work with the body's functions instead of throwing them out of whack and causing bigger health problems to develop.
* Some health problems, such as allergies, are the result of being exposed to toxic products that cause inflammation in the body.
* Reduce your susceptibility some degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer's
* Increase energy, productivity, and vitality
* Improve the environment for everyone

Finding green products is as easy as ever. In the past you had to find specialty stores that often only offered a small selection of products. Today, however, natural and organic products are everywhere. To save time and money, the best place to get these products is to shop online and I found a great place where you have access to over 22,000 green products all in one place. My online mall works with hundreds of green retailers to bring you a wide selection of products and you'll earn cash back on your purchases.

Not only will you improve the health of your body but you'll make your wallet feel better also. Good health and increased wealth are the best gifts you can give yourself.

Debbie Russell is a marketing veteran who's sudden job loss made her appreciate that she had developed a profitable Plan B for just such an occasion. If you believe life favors the prepared, go to her website http://www.debbierussell.me for tips and tools to help you create a Plan B that finances your dreams. To find out how you can generate a full time income with the Ultimate Savings Machine, visit my online business tour.

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