“The first wealth is health.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
I am sure many of you have heard the saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
Well, I wish I would have taken that more to heart when I was younger.
Sure, I focus on my health more today, but when I was young I was a junk food junkie.
And I would feel sluggish, moody, and unhappy. I didn’t drink enough water and craved salt and sugar.
About six years ago, I started getting serious about my health as most of my reading on wealth would discuss how important your health is in the journey to accumulate wealth.
In one excerpt, a man stated he worked out and ate well for the past 60 years because he knew he would acquire most of his wealth toward the end of his career.
In the illustrious words of Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves), from Bill & Ted’s Adventure: Whoa!
Hearing this man say that really made me think about the choices I was making. I started to clean up my act. Limit the sugar and focus on nutrients.
It has also been reported, that most people become millionaires after the age of 50!
In fact, 99% of Warren Buffet’s wealth was earned after his 50th birthday and he is worth over $60 billion dollars.
So, put down those empty calories and stop eating those chips and pass the hummus!
Here are some of the things I would tell young me to do in order to be healthier to get wealthier.
FOCUS ON WHOLE FOODS
I heard Jillian Michaels once say that if it doesn’t come from the ground or a mother, don’t eat it.
Real whole foods are the way to go.
You do not eat for taste. You eat for nutrition.
SKIP THE BOX
I used to be the cereal queen.
If it had sugar in it, I ate it.
It was like that scene in The O.C., when Seth (Adam Brody) says, “please help yourself to the large assortment of breakfast cereals.”
Yes, he just loves cereal.
Unfortunately, food that is in a box usually contains high amounts of sodium, sugar, and GMO’s.
Major no-no’s when it comes to health.
Best to just stick with real eggs, lean meats, nuts, fruits and veggies.
IF IT’S FAST, GO SLOW
I would go to McDonald’s sometimes twice a day! Now I haven’t been inside one for the past five years or more.
What a difference a decade makes!
It’s no secret that fast food is loaded with salt, sugar, and lots of calories!
In some instances, a burger such as a double bacon cheeseburger can be 1,200 calories or more! And that’s based on the recommended 2,000 calorie diet. Yikes!
Better to purchase farm fresh ingredients and cook at home. Less calories and more flavor. Oh, and did I mention it’s cheaper.
The money saved on not buying junk or the medication to remedy any maladies from bad food consumption can go straight toward investments and working for you instead of being spent on you.
STAY ACTIVE
They say even walking has its benefits. It keeps joints and muscles healthy. The mind sharp and is a mood booster.
So lace up those sneakers!
People who stay active tend to have less health problems down the road.
This means more time to focus on working, accumulating, and growing those assets.
DRINK WATER
I know smoothies are all the rave, but I still prefer plain old water.
In addition, I prefer to eat my calories.
In one book I read (Beyond Diet), it said to drink half your weight in ounces daily.
Not only does water help your organs, it keeps the weight down, regulates your mood and blood flow. Yes, all that from H20. So drink up.
Oh yeah, and it clears the skin better than anything else on the planet!
TO BE OR NOT BE ORGANIC
I started doing some reading about organic foods to see which is better.
Safe to say the organic shelf is the top shelf of foods.
However, not all organic food tastes great or may even be necessary.
One dietitian said that sure all organic is a great way to go but, if you cannot afford it then at least get organic milk and eggs.
You just need to focus your energy on what you can do to be healthy and not what is the most expensive.
Remember this: Life is not about wants, but needs.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s good to want things. Just like Winona (Ryder) says in Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael.
However, everything does not have to be so expensive because truth be told most useless things are.
Put that money to work and then use it for something that is useful.