Health is the smart investment!

Imagine two people: one is a woman in a very expensive car, the other a man walking home from the taxi stand. She is dressed in designer clothes, but she has bad heartburn, she takes pills for headaches every day and she has to have insulin for her diabetes. He is wearing clothes from a cheap shop, but his head is clear, his blood pressure is normal, and when he has to run for a train, his legs are strong and can take him far. Which person would you rather be? Health is worth far more than any sports car; people who care for their health are making an investment that will pay off all their lives, and enrich them whether they are rich or poor.

Your medical scheme of choice, GEMS, will be there to help, especially in times of crisis when you need healthcare urgently, but by making wise investments in health, you can go a long way towards avoiding a chronic disease which will prevent you from working towards your dreams, or spending time with those you love.

It need not cost anything either, that is the beauty of it. Some of the choices you could be making right now, which will pay off in years to come, are:

Eat less salt
We all need some salt in our diets, but almost all of us eat too much, and that can push up your blood pressure and lead to strokes or heart problems. You do not need to spend a cent to cut down on salt - in fact, you could save a few by not putting salt into the pot when you are cooking.

Eat less sugar
Oh, we love the taste of sweet stuff! But scientists will tell you that once again, too much of a good thing makes it a bad thing. Studies show that someone who eats a lot of sugar tends to have a bad cholesterol profile - it pushes up your bad triglycerides and pushes down the good cholesterol (HDL) that you need. And of course, it is high in kilojoules and that means weight gain, which leads to other health problems. So save a few more cents and cut back on sugar.

Do not smoke
If there is one thing and one thing only you could do for your health, with dramatic results, it is giving up smoking (if you smoke).  Within two weeks of stopping, your risk of a heart attack has dropped, and your lungs will be functioning better. You will soon be less likely to have respiratory diseases (like bronchitis) and sinusitis. Your risk of stroke also drops over time. And you can put all the money you would have spent on cigarettes in your piggy bank!

Choose food wisely
Good, healthy food does not have to cost the earth.  In fact, it is the less expensive foods - fruit in season, vegetables in season - that repay you the best, giving you lots and lots of the nutrients that keep you functioning smoothly, mind and body. These little nutrients have also been shown to fight dread diseases like cancer. Did you know that men who eat tomatoes every day are less likely to get prostate cancer? A tomato daily is not going to break the bank, is it!

It makes perfect sense to choose what you put in your body wisely. That way, it will be in good shape life long, ready and willing to help you reach for your dreams.