6 Inexpensive Ways to Stay Healthy

When it comes to health, prevention is better - and cheaper! - than cure.

Someone wise once said: “The greatest wealth is health.” Like wealth, it’s easy to take it for granted when you have it. But you will miss it sorely when you lose it.

The road to wellness requires both knowledge and action. If you need a little motivation to take action, well think about this: It is easier to prevent your health from deteriorating than to repair once the damage has been done.

To help you get started, here are six habits you’ll do well to incorporate into your life. Here’s to great health and great wealth.

Incorporate More Antioxidants in Your Regular Diet

It’s common knowledge that a diet high in antioxidants is good for your health, from warding off cancer to fighting free radicals that cause diseases or inflammation in your body. But, other than heavily marketed foods, such as berries, most people aren’t too sure where else to get antioxidants. In fact, the word “antioxidant” is the new buzzword in nutrition – basically, it means a group of vitamins and minerals that is beneficial to health, which includes Vitamin A, C and E.

The following super-inexpensive antioxidants (compared to berries or supplements, at least) can offer diverse options for improving your diet:

• Apple cider vinegar (mix some into your water and drink a cup daily)
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Tumeric
• Tomatoes
• Dark and leafy vegetables (think spinach)
• Beans
• Sweet potato
• Honey
• Nuts

You’ve probably heard this numerous times, but cutting down on soda can really go a long way to keeping health problems at bay. Adopting a healthy diet now is great investment because it can keep down medical costs in the long run.

Use Your ActiveSG $100 Credit to Exercise

Need an excuse to exercise or get moving? Here it is: Sign up for the free ActiveSG membership and receive S$100 worth of credits — free.

These can be used at a a myriad of sports facilities conveniently located around Singapore such as swimming complexes, gyms, and you can even get trial classes and complimentary booking of facilities.

Yes, S$100 can go a long way, so can you. More information here.  

Purchase an Ofo/Mobike Pass

Cycling, unlike gym workouts, can be incorporated into daily life. Studies have found that cycling can reduce anxiety and depression, and increase life expectancy. Moreover, cycling is environmentally friendly and can help reduce your carbon footprint. Sure, Singapore doesn’t exactly have the best bike weather, but what’s a little perspiration when you consider what it could potentially save you. With numerous bike-sharing options available at affordable prices, it’s not hard to clock the minutes daily, be it to or from work, during lunch break, or in between commute.

At only S$1.50, you can get a 60-day Ofo pass and enjoy unlimited rides up to 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, Mobike is offering a S$7.99 pass for 30 days where you can enjoy unlimited free rides under two hours.

Opt for Whole Grains Whenever Possible

Eating whole grains on a regular basis can bring about numerous health benefits. To name a few, whole grains have more fibre, help control blood sugar, aid in digestion and reduce risks of chronic diseases. Increasingly, more eateries are offering whole grains. So, whenever possible, it would be wise to opt for that option. It could cost you between S$0.50 and S$2 more, but if you can forgo one latte a day, or a slice of cake per week, your body will thank you in the long run.

Cut Down on Your Sugar Intake

Reducing sugar intake in your diet is one of the best first steps you can take to a healthier you. Got those mid-day hunger pangs or sugar cravings? So do we. Some ways to curb the sugar craving and alternative options include:

• Fruits instead of chocolate or candy bars (that’s why they say “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”.)
• Dark chocolate instead of regular chocolate
• Swap salad dressings for balasmic vinegar or olive oil
• Swap sugary drinks for water or tea
• Opt for plain yogurt instead of flavoured

It might seem tough in the beginning to follow through, but as long as you get into the right mindset and turn your “I can’ts” into “I cans”, half the battle is won.

Get Quality Sleep

Last but not least, adequate sleep is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle and should be of high priority. A good night’s rest can, reportedly, curb inflammation (linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis 

and premature aging). More “happiness hormone” is also released with better slumber, hence improving your quality of life and overall well-being. So put your phone away, get in bed early and get your full eight hours. The best part? It’s free and extremely enjoyable.

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By Alexa Fang

Alexa is a pop-culture vulture. She lives to read, write and travel, and decided long ago that life is stranger than fiction. When she's having croissant, she thinks in French. "31 Rue Cambon" is her favourite address, and she believes that money one enjoyed spending is never money wasted.