The other day I heard someone say that it is too expensive to stay healthy. It costs too much to eat organic, use nutritional supplements, use non-toxic cleaners, etc… in the home and to make healthier meal choices every day.

The first thought that came to my mind was that it is a lot cheaper to be healthy than the alternative.

First, let’s talk about eating organic. My family and I try to choose organic as much as possible. My daughter loves eating fruits and vegetables. She will snack on these all day long as opposed to eating less healthy snacks. So, I try to make sure these fruits and veggies are organic since she eats so much of it. Some people will say that you can just wash the pesticides off, but in most cases you will never be able to remove all of the pesticides. Some things like berries will absorb the pesticide making it impossible to remove. I don’t know about you, but I am not fond of the idea of my child or myself ingesting any amount of pesticide. Here is a list of “The Dirty Dozen and Clean 15”. Also note that some non-organic foods are GMO (genetically modified organism).

Next, nutritional supplements. Today, even if you eat a perfectly balanced meal, getting all the nutrients you need per day is nearly impossible. The nutrients are just not as plentiful in our foods today. Choosing a high quality supplement is important. Many vitamins and supplements are not tested for contaminants or safety. Some vitamins have been found to contain more, less or none of what is said on the label. Many times drastically different amounts in the same bottle! That is why we chose the best quality nutritional supplements available. I would never trust anything else. We feel great and are rarely ever sick. I have met parents that have children that are sick once, sometimes twice a month, especially if they are in daycare. Then one of the parents takes time off from work to care for the sick child, sometimes both parents alternating. The child may be sick for a day or 2 or a week depending on what bug they have and how strong their immune system is. The parents are finally relieved that their child is feeling better and that they are catching back up from missing work. Well, then one or both parents comes down sick with it as well. So, they have to either work through feeling miserable, probably spreading the germs to their co-workers, or miss more time off work. And then the cycle starts again a month or so later until they begin making healthier choices.

Non-Toxic household cleaners/Personal care products. I believe everyone knows that these are good for our environment and everything living on this earth. Did you also know that many common household cleaners are a major contributor to asthma in children and adults? There is a new term now “Environmental Asthma” that is rapidly rising among our population. Also think about your lotions, creams, etc…That all absorbs into your bloodstream through your skin. No thanks, I’ll take my non-toxic, fumeless cleaners any day. I rather have my home smell really clean (no smells) as opposed to overwhelming fake lemon or baby powder scents. Oh, and I actually save a lot of money on the non-toxic cleaners that I use and have not given up on convenience.

Healthier Meal Choices. I think we are all guilty of not making the best choices sometimes when it comes to our meals and snacks. However, we do try to make the best choices we can 95% of the time. Did you know that it has been found that proper nutrition and lifestyle choices can prevent many major diseases 60-90% of the time. How many people do you know that have heart disease, type 2 diabetes or cancer.

The way I see it, is that it’s way more expensive to not make healthier choices in our lives. Prevention is easier and less costly than doctor’s visits, medication, time off from work, etc… Not to mention, you just feel better. I realize that there are people that truly live in poverty, are struggling and really cannot afford anything.  However, many of us buy coffee and junk food every day among other things that we really want. We somehow always have the money for the things that we really want or believe are important to us.

I think the question we should all ask ourselves is “What is my health and the health of my family worth to me”.