Health is Wealth

He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.” –Arabian Proverb

The concept of health is fundamental to life and leads to the creation of wealth, whether spiritual or material. Inversely, people with the means to acquire long-term health tend not to pay the same attention to it as they do to the purchase and maintenance of a new car, stereo system or even the trendy clothes they wear. Annual spending of black families in North America is projected to break the $1 trillion mark by 2012, yet black businessmen and businesswomen are even more susceptible to debilitating health issues than others, due to the extra stress involved in running, working for or heading a successful business. Oftentimes, their busy schedule forces them to put off simple health precautions for another day – something they would be less likely to do with an important portfolio or business decision.

In 1950, the death rate for blacks was 1.6 times higher than the rate for whites – identical to what it was in 1995, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Although the overall death rates have declined for both blacks and whites, the racial gap is wider today than in 1950 for several leading causes of death. At every level of income, blacks have higher death rates than whites for eight of the 10 leading causes of death – heart disease, cancer, stroke, unintentional injuries, flu and pneumonia, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and cirrhosis of the liver. This is why attention to your health is so important, especially if you have the means and knowledge to achieve it.

You do not have to be a prisoner to sickness, diseases, pain and suffering, weight issues, depression, and a lack of energy. Here are some simple tips to attaining and maintaining long-term health that can create wealth in your day-to-day existence.

1. Move it Often

Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. If you are given a choice between a staircase and an escalator or an elevator, climb the stairs. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss a ball around with friends; mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, but a stress buster as well. Think ‘move’ in small increments of time. It doesn’t have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class (but that’s great when you’re up to it!). Walking is said to be the best activity for heart health and is also beneficial for good circulation and overall muscle tone.

2. Cut Fat

Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (e.g. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk, and cream should be eaten in low-fat versions. Keep in mind that dairy products are also more a matter of “want” than “need.” Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter, and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower-fat versions.

3. Quit Smoking
Since 1960 when it was announced that smoking is harmful to your health, North Americans have been reducing their use of deadly tobacco products. Just recently, however, we’ve seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Cigarettes kill five million people each year, more than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, murders, suicides, drugs, and fires combined. As we get older and more busy, we pick up bad habits that have deleterious long-term effects on our overall health. This is perhaps the most dangerous. Substituting cigarettes for marijuana is erroneously believed to be less addictive and harmful. Based on the toxic contents of cigarettes, that is so; however, inhaling smoke into the lungs is never a good thing for the blood, organs and cells, and getting constantly high (some call it “mellow”) is the opposite of long-term psychological and physical health.

4. Reduce Stress
This is easier said than done, but stress busters come in many forms. Here are some techniques recommended by experts. Think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like (e.g., soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie). Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible.

5. Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can’t live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high-traffic areas, inhaling highway fumes, and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Make sure your home is dust -free and, if possible, carpet-free – failing that, clean your carpets thoroughly and frequently. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Make sure that the air quality is good if and when you exercise indoors. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard; plants are good pollution deterrents and they also cut down on dirt stirred up from the street.

6. Floss Your Teeth

Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it’s because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don’t?

7. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook

There is a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life.  You can transform your life by renewing your mindset; empower yourself by thinking positive and healthy thoughts on a daily basis.

8. Choose Your Parents Well
The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn’t mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed to you.

9. Educate Yourself on Healthy Choices and Alternatives

Consider making a deliberate choice to live a healthy lifestyle. You can choose to live a healthy lifestyle . . . if you truly want it! This requires educating yourself! After you make a choice to live a healthy lifestyle, simply take some time everyday (10, 15, or 20 minutes a day, or whatever your schedule permits) to learn about health and nutrition. Take a trip to a bookstore and purchase a few books or CDs from the health/nutrition section. If you’re trying to cut down on spending, visit your local library instead. Attend health seminars or workshops, join a support group and consult with a health or nutrition expert for guidance. Practice proper meal planning by setting up a weekly meal plan. By preparing your meals ahead of time, you won’t be spending money unnecessarily on restaurants or ordering take-out. When you lack knowledge, you will lack understanding; and lack of understanding creates a clear path to ill health, resulting in medical treatment which could have easily been prevented! To quote comedian Chris Rock, “The money is not made in cures, but in keeping people sick.”

Finally, there are people who believe that living a healthy lifestyle means all work and no play. That’s not so! It’s vitally important to have harmony in your life: take care of important matters, but have fun too! Enjoyment is part of a healthy lifestyle as well. When you are engaged in fun activities, such as exercising, dancing, and laughing, you feel better. When you feel better, you often think more clearly, which can lead to you making healthier choices. There is nothing stopping you from living healthy and having fun too!

- Sankofa