Good News in a Poor Economy

Have you been paying more attention to your health this year?  More people than ever are placing health and well-being high on the scale of importance in these tough economic times. At the beginning of this year I began to receive an increasing number of calls and requests for both nutrition counseling and bodywork.  I began to wonder what, if any, impact the down economy had on the uptick in people interested in health support services, so I began to ask. 

Here's what I heard:  'I'm worried about losing my job, and if I lose my job, I lose my health insurance. I've decided I need to take better care of myself so if that happens, I will be in better shape.' Another said 'I'm so stressed because of all the slack I've had to pick up since major layoffs happened. I knew I would get sick if I didn't find ways to relax.'  Yet another said 'I'm unemployed but received a good severence package, so I'm using it to get healthy again before I rejoin the workforce.'

There is always a silver lining in life events that initially look dark and cloudy.  In this instance, seeing a return to self-care and a healthy lifestyle is truly a silver lining. A return to more meals at home, while perhaps first driven by the down economy, offers a chance to eat healthier foods and be with  family members. Rising costs in grocery stores have sparked a resurgence in backyard organic vegetable gardening. Community gardens are flourishing. 

Learning to eat healthy is one of the most economical steps you can take.  When you eat healthy, you will find yourself needing and desiring far fewer processed junk foods, dairy and meat,  all of which are among the most expensive foods you could buy. A truly healthy diet does not need to be an expensive diet.

If you'd like to see how easy it is to cook and eat healthy, go to my calendar and tap on May 7 to learn about an evening  cooking class I've scheduled for you in Norwood.