The Cost of Health

http://www.kiplinger.com

Those looking into starting a on a cleaner path of eating often create excuses for why they should not make the effort to start living a healthier lifestyle. One of the most common excuses involves the idea that eating better forces you to stretch your wallet. It is impossible to tell people that buying better food will not cost them more money. But, you are paying for things that are going to save you money in the future; whether it be by less medical bills or just smaller portion sizes next time you’re at that expensive restaurant. In the long run, starting a cleaner diet will actually end up saving you money.  

In an article written by Dr. Alejandro Junger, http://blog.cleanprogram.com/isnt-clean-eating-expensive/ a doctor who specializes in nutrition, he speaks about the speculations surrounding the expensive stigma that gets placed on healthier foods. Obviously, that $1 Big Mac from McDonald’s is much cheaper than a $12 dollar salad, but the point is moving towards that healthier option. The first topic that Dr. Junger talks about is the fact that getting sick is expensive. As I have mentioned in previous posts, eating an unhealthy diet can lead to higher risks of heart disease and diabetes. Dr. Junger states that, “Considering that most chronic diseases are preventable by better food and lifestyle choices, it’s safe to say that getting sick is much more expensive than eating clean.” People in the U.S. have the benefit of their insurance being able to cover part of all medical costs, but if an unhealthy lifestyle causes you to be sick more often than not, those medical bills will start to build up and possibly cause a problem for families in the future. Another topic that Dr. Junger touches on is the misconception that people have about healthy eating. The example he uses is Whole Foods, a food provider that does sell a large amount of packaged healthy food. This is not clean eating. While these options might be better than some name brand items, the packaging is what stretches your wallet. In order to save yourself from price tag shock, stick to the whole foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, freshly cut meat, etc. The third tip that Dr. Junger provides talks about eating in. His article states that, “Today it is estimated that over 40 percent of our food budget is spent eating outside the home.” Whether it is a healthy restaurant or not, eating out is expensive. Keeping as many meals on your own table would help to keep your food budget at a regular level. There are just small things that you need to consider when going in search of those healthier options and those small things could make all the difference for your overall health.

Future Research Question: How can you tell that you need to change something about what you're eating?