Staying Healthy: Tips on How to Stay Healthy During Hard Economic Times

The nation is suffering great economic times, and things appear to be getting worse. Many layoffs and job losses, coupled with loss of health insurance and dependence on others for food and shelter can take it's toll. Here are some tips to help you through these times. Staying healthy is important, and maintaining both physical and mental health is key to your survival.

Poverty has always been linked to health, and it seems that health is the one thing people tend to ignore when going through a hard time. There is no money for health care, dental care, and healthier options such as memberships at the gym or health conscious foods. Some people simply give up, assuming that things aren't going to get better. Why is it so important to be healthy?

Your health is what will determine your outcome and survival. A healthy person feels good, and looks good-factors which can be very important while looking for a job. Healthy people have a better attitude and demonstrate self confidence, which can be used to your advantage when dealing with others in the job market.

If you have been lucky enough to have great medical coverage and dental coverage up until now, you are a step or two ahead of the game. You can maintain your health by using preventative measures for a while, and that might be just long enough to land a great job with excellent benefits, but any job will do if you consider it a stepping stone toward reaching your goals and level of comfort. The goal for now should be maintaining, or improving your health by making healthy choices and choosing low cost alternatives to maintain your health.

Needless to say, health is linked to cleanliness. Germs are everywhere, and you must protect yourself from the dangers of illness by stopping the chain of events that enable them to infect you. Proper bathing on a daily basis is important, and a bar of antibacterial soap can be purchased for less than $1.00. Water is everywhere, and if you still have shelter and utilities you can properly bathe. It may not be comfortable or give you the best medium for hairstyling, but you can use that same bar of soap to wash your hair. Hand washing, especially when out in public- is the number one line of defense against illness! If you don't have shelter you can do what thousands of homeless people do every day-stop in a public restroom and clean yourself the best you are able. If you have a spare set of clothing, you can change and wash your clothing in the sink-just remember to clean up after yourself. This advice is taken from working with the homeless population, who often share their tips with others. If you are lucky enough to get a spot in a shelter for the night, there may be showering facilities available as well.

It's also important to maintain cleanliness in your environment. Use of antibacterial cleaning supplies and germ killing cleaners on surfaces in areas such as your kitchen and bathroom will help prevent illness. Food borne illness can be caused by not maintaining a clean environment in the kitchen area, such as counter tops and cupboards. When out in public use antibacterial wipes and sanitizers, and make sure to carry an alcohol based hand sanitizer as well. Many grocery stores now have sanitizing wipes at the entry area to wipe carts and hand baskets before use.

Dental care is important, but if you brush your teeth after every meal and floss, you can save yourself thousands of dollars later, and many health related problems as well. Poor dental care can lead to gum disease, tooth loss, and cause problems nutritionally. You can get toothpaste, toothbrush, and dental floss for $1.00 each at the dollar store-and prevent thousands of dollars in bills later. If you never floss, now is the time to become acquainted with floss and use it regularly to get those surfaces between teeth, where your toothbrush can't.

Physical activity is another factor that affects both physical and mental health, and it doesn't require special equipment or a gym membership. Walking in parks, or in your neighborhood is one alternative. You can also utilize the mall, when the weather isn't good. If you prefer the health club atmosphere, most YMCA's have a financial hardship program and scholarship memberships for those who qualify. You could also volunteer your services or skills and get a free membership. Keeping active will help you stay energized and positive, and potential employers are more willing to hire individuals who appear to be healthy.

You can call hospitals in your area to locate a free, or sliding-scale based clinic if you need maintenance health care, or in the event you have a health care emergency. These clinics can be a lifesaver and save you emergency room fees, as not everything is truly an emergency. Many county clinics can provide free vaccinations and well woman clinics, STD clinics and access to pap smears and mammograms for women. Prenatal and post-natal care is often provided, as well as birth control options. Consider checking into where to go for help before you need it, and keep the numbers available.

Wal-mart and many other chain stores now have dozens of prescriptions available for $4.00 if you need medication. Your physician may be willing to change your medications based on your needs, but understand that all physicians will not have the information needed-you may need to print this information out and take it with you for your appointment. In my area, Schnuck's also has several antibiotics free of charge! Your physician understands that times are tough-don't be embarrassed to ask. If he cannot accommodate you, the clinic staff may be able to assist you with obtaining assistance through the pharmaceutical company that manufactures your medication. Several companies have programs to assist patients with conditions that require the use of their medication and cannot afford it. These programs are vital to many people with financial hardship.

Eating healthy foods is of utmost importance during bad economic times, and fruits and vegetables are no more expensive than hot dogs, candy bars, and ice cream. Don't drown your sorrows in a sundae-eat a salad. Eat foods that nourish your body, such as fresh fruits, salads, fresh or frozen vegetables, foods low in sugar and fat. If you are still eating out, stop doing that! Your money can be put to better use by cooking at home. If you simply hate cooking, buying a loaf of whole wheat bread and some slices of turkey can make you dozens of sandwiches. Put some tomato and lettuce on them, with some good cheese, have a cup of flavored yogurt, and drink a glass of milk. That's not cooking-but it's healthy eating! You don't have to know how to cook to eat healthy at home. There is generally speaking, little nutritional value in fast foods, and the fat content will have you running to a cardiologist in no time. This is not the time to haphazardly sabotage your health.

Taking all these things into consideration, realize that misery is usually not a permanent thing, so don't let your health suffer. It will only add to the misery, or cause it to last longer, and you certainly don't want that! I will warn you, that misery loves company-so try not to associate with others in a situation like yours that aren't willing to do some positive things to make it better.

Negativity can be the one deciding factor in whether a person becomes ill, or gets better. Maintain a positive attitude and keep yourself busy-things might not get better for a long time, but your health shouldn't suffer-physically or mentally.