It is almost impossible to go anywhere, read anything or speak to someone nowadays without hearing about the economy and the recession. Most of the time though, we focus more on gathering material wealth that we inadvertently ignore our health and when we do manage to gather wealth, we are unable to enjoy it due to poor health. If we are not healthy, we will be unable to utilize our material wealth and be productive.

Health is wealth because without good health, you wouldn’t be able to work productively and therefore, there would be fewer chances and opportunities for earning and making money. To generate income, one has to work and that cannot be done if he or she is ill and is incompetent to do physical activities.

Having established the fact that your health is very important if you want to live a fulfilled, productive life, here are a couple of tips to help you along the way:

1. Have a balanced diet: Consuming enough food does not mean that you are healthy. You need to choose the right foods and space your meals in a balanced way.
2. Drink Plenty Of Fluids: Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water every day. Water not only flushes out toxins from your system but also keeps your skin glowing and healthy. You can also have other healthy beverages at frequent intervals to maintain your hydration level.
3. Use Less Salt: Reduce your salt intake, as it may lead to increased blood pressure and can also have a negative effect on your cardiovascular health.
4. Maintain Good Hygiene: It is important to maintain good overall hygiene to prevent infections. Always use hand sanitizers or soap to wash your hands before preparing or having meals.
5. Exercise: Exercise is a must. Aerobic workouts, like walking or jogging, can help regulate your heart rate, giving you more energy throughout the day.
6. Get Proper Sleep: Get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep every night. Sleep relaxes your mind and keeps you healthy. Lack of sleep increases the risk of obesity, heart disease, infection, and high blood pressure. Hence, a peaceful slumber is very important to stay healthy and fit.
7. Avoid Pessimistic Thinking: This, by far, is the most poisonous drug ever known to humanity. The irony is that it is self-induced. The misfortune is that the person who is thinking negatively doesn’t know they are doing so. People who think positive live a healthy life, as per a study conducted on older adults.
8. Avoid Smoking and Control Your Alcohol Intake: Smoking ruins your health, sooner or later and while alcohol may relax you after a hard day’s work, it is as dangerous as smoking cigarettes. Frequent drinking alters your behavior, may affect your mental orientation, memory, and concentration, and ends up damaging your liver.

The idea that our health is the most important thing that we have is so obvious that it is often overlooked. Unfortunately, most people do not realize it until they find themselves spending exorbitant sums trying to solve health issues that they could have easily avoided. Your health is what gives you the freedom to experience the richness of life. Your ability to travel, feel good about yourself, be nice to others and make a positive contribution in the world often requires you to be well.

Have a very prosperous, new year!