"Health is wealth" is a popular phrase often reiterated by every single one of us but do we ever sit to think about the impact of it? Is it doing the job it's supposed to do in our lives? Are we even taking the phrase serious enough to live by it? How well are we educating others on it? Well, I can't say for sure but I can tell that my observations surrounding this hasn't been encouraging.
Every day, we go on social media where we have doctors and other medical practitioners create valuable content to educate us on better lifestyle habits beneficial to our health. While this has been helpful and many people get exposed to new information that guides how they handle their well-being, there's also an arrogant pushback when some advices seem inconvenient to people. It's as though they would prefer to pick what healthy habit to inculcate and which one to risk.
For example, if you tell people to reduce their consumption of red meat or cut down on their favourite energy drink that isn't being marketed as soda, you'll hear things like:
"But it isn't soda."
"But I cook red meat with vegetables. It's still healthy." ,
"Something must kill a man."
You may think these are just words and jokes, but they are all a reflection of the behaviour people show towards their health.
Up till this moment, many people can't stay without adding salt to white rice, a meal often paired with sauces already cooked with adequate salt. Many will make excuses for not having fruits for a whole month. Others will tell you that everyday caffeine helps them stay awake to read at night, so it's worth something. Both old and young will give you a reason for not exercising at least two times a week. All of these are proof that we truly do not value our health enough. If we did, we would make conscious efforts to adapt healthy lifestyles.
Now the catch is, I'm not excluded. I still have some poor health habits affecting my life. Examples are not getting enough sleep on most days, not eating often, as well as drinking less water simply because I'm not always thirsty like the people around me.
These are things I've been trying to change and lately my approach has been to have water beside me to make it easier to take a sip every now and then. I've also been trying to force myself to eat and I think what I'm leaning towards these days is making certain food stuff available so I can have what I enjoy. Lastly, the constant reminders on my phones have been helping me sleep before midnight, and my low use of social media seems to be helpful as well because half the time, I get bored to sleep.
I may be putting an effort to help elevate my current lifestyle, but deep down I know I can be better. In fact, I know I'm not giving my best effort right now but I remain committed to being the person who lives a more healthy lifestyle. I hope others can do the same by intentionally changing their sleep routines, switching to healthier meal options, taking frequent walks, doing a personal mental reset alone at home, and seeking medical attention when they feel uncomfortable in their bodies.
I'm certain that if we put in maximum effort, we can live healthier lives that we will be proud of when we become older.
I invite 
