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Being Frugal & Living Healthier @ the Same Time

July 15th, 2011 at 04:28 pm



A lot of people say that it is just too expensive to live healthy. And for the most part, they are right! $50/mo gym memberships, produce and other raw ingredients costing more than pre-packaged food items, bottled water being so expensive. 

Well, guess what? It's really not that bad - it just takes a little work.

Start at the Beginning - The Grocery Store
The grocery store is absolutely the number one place where we spend the most money that directly impacts our health. This could be for good or for bad - for both our health and our financial fitness. 

However, keep in mind my

Text is post on developing and sticking to a grocery budget and Link is http://urabbit.savingadvice.com/2011/07/01/groceries-on-a-budget-literally_70543/
post on developing and sticking to a grocery budget. With a grocery budget in hand, my wife and I are able to save money while eating healthier as well. If you look at
Text is our grocery budget and Link is http://bit.ly/lh4Y58
our grocery budget, you'll notice that we do not eat much processed foods. The popcorn, chips, crackers, and other possible bad foods that we eat, are all natural with no artificial colouring or flavours, and are low in cholesterol, saturated fat, and sodium.

Kettle Brand, Lays All Natural Baked, Tim's (mostly), Sun Chips, etc. are all brands that are less unhealthy than other brands/types. But remember - you still need to monitor your intake. Wheat Thins, Triskets, and others for crackers.

Notice that the most we spend on, is produce. This is a must. You need to prioritize your grocery spending. Also remember portion control - one serving, do not eat until feeling full, etc. Drinking water will help curb your hunger also. More on water later...

Really, you just need to be creative with your meal planning. My wife - thank goodness! - is a natural cook. For those less fortunate, there are some great web sites with great frugal recipes. Some of those include:
Text is a frugal recipes blog and Link is http://frugalrecipes.wordpress.com/
a frugal recipes blog,
Text is MiserlyMoms and Link is http://www.miserlymoms.com/frugalrecipes_updated.html
MiserlyMoms,
Text is Frugal Recipes and Link is http://www.frugalrecipes.com/
Frugal Recipes, and many more!

When you eat healthier, you perform better. You are more likely to want to exercise, and be healthier in other aspects of your life. 

Healthy Activities
A lot of people associate the word 'healthy' with a tight firm body on a treadmill. This is not necessarily the case. Health status should not be determined by the outward appearance, rather, it should be judged by what you take in. Nutrients, vitamins, alcohol, smoke inhalation, etc. And chances are if you feel healthy, you are. And if you don't, well...

Let's say that you actually do need to exercise. Come on now, everyone needs exercise! But if you are one of the many Americans needing supplemental exercise activities because you do not get enough throughout the day, then there are plenty of things you can do, without spending loads on a gym membership. 

Yoga - My wife does yoga daily (when the baby allows!), and she loves it. It is rejuvenating, revitalizing, and renewing. (Ah, I love synonyms!) She can perform it relatively well in our living space, though ceilings higher than 6 feet would be better. Ha! 

Running/Walking - Something that I personally need to get back into! When I was in the Army, I learnt one very important thing about running - do not walk. Everything in motion, tends to stay in motion. Everything at rest, tends to stay at rest. When you slow down, you are more likely to slow down again. Do not break that rhythm. Get into a good breathing pattern that aligns with your steps. If you have shin splints like me, it will be a painful experience. But it is most likely because you are running wrong. Chances are you're over-striding. To get a good running stance, take a deep breath in. You know that straight up standing position you're in at the peak of that breath? Keep it while you run. But please, do not hold your breath!

Running can be done anywhere - around your neighbourhood, a recreational paved trail, the local school's track, etc. I have actually found that running in dirt does not hurt my shin splints. I honestly cannot say why, but some avid runners suggest that it is simply because our bodies were made for uneven surfaces.

And what about walking? Everyone should enjoy a nice walk. Especially with the family! Even with our baby in-tow in her stroller, we can speed-walk together. Speed-walking is not even required necessarily. We took a 5-mile walk down one of Boise's historic residential districts, and did not even realise the distance. We took pictures (
Text is see them here at my flickr set and Link is http://bit.ly/lh4Y58
see them here at my flickr set), gazed in awe, and just enjoyed our time together. Afterwards, we both felt great as a result of a bit of a workout!

Working Out
There are loads of exercises you can do with absolutely no equipment, or very little equipment.
Text is Here is a good article and Link is http://www.google.com/m/url?client=safari&ei=fFsgTpD9GufnsQeNhtW6Ag&hl=en&oe=UTF-8&q=http://www.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding_250/264_create-an-effective-home-workout-program.html&ved=0CBQQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNE62UC7mMzjnYPWGRIwWOzsuYGbVA
Here is a good article for men.
Text is And here's one and Link is http://www.google.com/m/url?client=safari&ei=fFsgTpD9GufnsQeNhtW6Ag&hl=en&oe=UTF-8&q=http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/at-home-workouts-0&ved=0CBwQFjAC&usg=AFQjCNH_7IzbBWvcIC1JPArsB4PH6B2urg
And here's one for women.
Text is And a web site and Link is http://www.google.com/m/url?client=safari&ei=fFsgTpD9GufnsQeNhtW6Ag&hl=en&oe=UTF-8&q=http://www.homebasedworkouts.com/&ved=0CBgQFjAB&usg=AFQjCNHKnSOkORWYrlxUoJbecjTCNeSqpg
And a web site dedicated to home workouts. 

Staying Hydrated
Absolutely every single person needs to keep hydrated! Even if you do not feel thirsty, chances are you are still dehydrated. What I always say is, If you are not peeing every hour, you are not hydrated.. Truth be told, if you are hydrated, you are most likely visiting the restroom often throughout the day. And you will know for sure that you are hydrated when your urine is clear and not of any colour. (Unless you have kidney issues...)

A
Text is Discovery News article and Link is http://news.discovery.com/human/glass-water-weight-loss.html
Discovery News article notes:
...dieters who drank two cups of water before each meal lost 5 pounds more than a group of dieters who didn't increase their water intake.

Water helps in so many ways, that they are just too numerous to list here. But among them, some are: help breakdown of fats, stimulation of metabolism, boosts immune system, etc. 

But what about how much it costs? A case of 24 12-ounce bottles of water costs around $4 on average. If we are drinking the suggested amount of water daily (which is about 80 ounces for a 160-pound adult), we are consuming 6.5-7 of these bottles a day. So a $4 pack will only last one person about 3.5 days. So we are looking at over 8.5 cases per month, about $40/mo for a single individual. Quite the expense to stay hydrated! 

Now... Think of all that waste! Having to recycle the bottles, the waste that the manufacturing plants produce, etc. There has to be some other way!

Most of us hate the taste of our municipal tap water. And I don't blame you - So do I! However, there is a way to take the convenience of filtered water and the frugality and enviro-friendliness of tap water with you, by combining the two. 

There are a few companies with similar concepts, but the best has to be
Text is bobble and Link is http://waterbobble.com/
bobble. This nifty creation consists of a clear BPA-free bottle and a BPA-free carbon filter in the colour of your choice. There are solid colour filters, multi-colour filters for the kids, and a special edition two-tone green filter that, upon purchase, 50% of purchase price goes to an environmental protection organization, The Nature Conservancy. There are three sizes of bottles as well. One for the kiddos, a 'regular' sized one, and a super-hydrator size.
Text is Check 'em out and Link is http://waterbobble.com/
Check 'em out!

4 Responses to “Being Frugal & Living Healthier @ the Same Time”

  1. Jerry Says:
    1310759740

    These are great tips that can really lead to a more active lifestyle and some insurance of better health as well. I particularly like your tips about running, since I have just been getting back into it myself. It makes a difference!
    Jerry

  2. rob62521 Says:
    1310759917

    Good for you, Jerry!

    As for your tips urabbit, they are great. I often remind myself when I'm buying fresh fruits and vegetables, that in the long run, it is far more frugal to spend money on these, than to spend more on medical expenses.

  3. uRabbit Says:
    1310769955

    Thank you both for the compliments!

    Running is great! I need to get running shoes though, as I currently do not have any. Argh!

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