by: Avery Phillips
Most of us have heard the proverb “your body is a temple,” but what some of us forget is that temples need upkeep and maintenance too. Even the purest of bodies, minds and souls need a check in to make sure that everything is fine-tuned and in working condition. There are a few medical and healthcare appointments that can save you a lot of money in the long run, as well as a few general practices you should follow to achieve maximum health and wellness.
A Carrot a Day
Your eyes are a part of your body that weaken as we get older. Without the aid of corrective lenses or LASIK surgery, your eyes can get exceedingly worse and end up costing you more money in the long run. There has never been a time in history where we have spent as much time in front of computer screens as we do now. It causes eye strain and overworks the contracting muscles in our eyes. If you have a profession that keeps you in front of a computer screen for most of your day, attempt to implement the 20-20-20 rule into your day. Take 20 seconds every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet away to help maintain your 20/20 vision. Ultimately, to keep your eyes healthy visit your optometrist annually and keep your prescription current.
Keep Smiling Bright
Dental work can be one of the costliest doctor visits, and most of the repairs needed could be avoided by diligent hygiene practices and routine visits. If you have dental insurance, there is no excuse for you to miss your routine six month cleanings. These help prevent against gingivitis, gum disease and are a chance for oral cancer screenings. You can care for your teeth on your own at home with a regular practice of flossing and brushing every day before leaving for work and before going to bed each night. It is said that flossing daily can add 6.4 years to your life. By committing to a dental hygiene routine, you can prevent large dental bills from ending up in your mailbox that you might otherwise get after skipping your cleanings for years.
Clean Body, Additive Free
There are so many things out there that can be toxic to our bodies. Conventional farming practices allow for elevated levels of pesticides and chemicals in the foods we eat, marketing leads us to shop ourselves into debt, and barbiturates that makes us feel good are increasingly appealing in our fast-paced society. The rise in addictions in America is higher than ever before, and not just to legal substances such as alcohol. Doctors are prescribing painkillers and opioids for everything from muscle strains to painful bronchitis that has resulted in a rise in opioid addiction. When offered heavy painkillers or unnecessary prescriptions from your doctor, steer clear and maintain a clean body that is free of addictive drugs. Choose organic products when possible and consider doing a heavy metal cleanse to rid your body of any potential build-up to avoid costly doctor bills to treat symptoms as you age.
Keep Moving
Americans love their step counting technology, like Fitbits, to remind them to keep moving because we have moved towards a culture that is attached to our desk chairs. Sitting has been deemed the new smoking and is terrible for our long term health. Schedule weekly exercise routines to make sure they happen. It seems that unless it goes into our phone’s calendars, it isn’t likely to happen. Try taking on a workout buddy to help keep you accountable and hold you to your workout commitments. How often you exercise can help to determine how fast you can expect to see more serious health risks go down. The equation is simple — the more you exercise, the fewer doctor visits you will have related to high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity.
Making a commitment to your health and getting routine checkups can help to save your body and wallet a lot of grief. You only get one body, so you should keep in mind taking care of it the best that you are able. Set up annual reminders to go to the doctor visits that matter the most to you, or more often if you know that you have issues that you need to keep an eye on. By treating yourself with preventative care you will make your cash last and keep your body in optimum health.
