Financially sustainable ways to live well

In my last post, I discussed my frustration at the cost of being well in this country. In reflection, I’m realizing now that it isn’t exactly the true cost of being well that is so frustrating but the perceived cost of this lifestyle based on how the wellness industry portrays it.

I’ve been the journey to live healthfully since I was 12, being the weird kid who would enjoy walking the aisles of the Commodities natural grocery store after dance class instead of perusing Urban Outfitters. I have had many stages of my life since then. I can tell you firsthand that with the right education and guidance, it is possible to be well on a budget. Here are some tips that kept me on the right track through my lighter-wallet eras:

Walking

Walking is the single most beneficial exercise there is. It benefits our cardiovascular system, metabolic system, our mental health, and it’s free. In my early 20s, I lost 40 pounds intentionally. For the first 30 of them, my only exercise was walking.

Now, walking is not an option for every person in every neighborhood, but a lot of people discount getting in their 10,000 steps each day when they compare themselves to people who go to the gym four times per week. We don’t need to let our want to have an optimal training routine and not be able to, discourage us from pursuing other good habits. If you can only get in your steps, you are already doing a lot, much more than the majority of the population.

Of course, you won’t get big muscles, but achieving a healthy weight will be a lot easier, and the muscles you do have will not break down with this kind of cardio, versus if you decided to take up jogging. Walking also promotes non-physique goals, including a healthy metabolism, a healthy insulin response, it prevents heart disease, improves mood, and counteracts high blood pressure.

Youtube

If you do want to get toned and cannot afford a gym, there are tens of thousands of free videos on Youtube that can help you get fit from home with little to no equipment. My favorite channels being:

Yoga/Pilates : Boho Beautiful

HIIT: Xhit

Classic Mat Pilates : Move With Nicole

General fitness/circuit : Stefanie Williams

You don’t need to buy everything organic

Organic produce has been shown to contain more antioxidants and vitamins than conventional produce. However, if you are on a budget, it is still better to buy non-organic veggies than none at all- just be sure to pick the non-organic veggies that are least harmful for your body.

Each year, the Enivronmental Working Group, tests a collection of produce for traces of pesticides that can be harmful. It creates a list of the most likely produce to have these harmful substances, “The Dirty Dozen” and the least likely, “The Clean Fifteen”. The items on the “dirty” list have shown to contain pesticides that could disrupt your hormones and be harmful to the nervous system, cardiovascular system, and contain known carcinogens, so you want to try to buy these organic. The items on the “clean” list however, contained the least amount of these substance (or even none at all) so spending the extra money to buy them organic will not be necessary.

Dirty Dozen Clean Fifteen

Buy frozen produce

People often assume that fresh is somehow better than frozen when it comes to food quality. However, this simply is not the case.

In fact, frozen foods are usually flash-frozen at the peak of their freshness, so you’re not going to have to worry about buying a bag of something and wasting your money because you forgot to make it for a week and it died cold and alone in the corner of your fridge drawer. Frozen food will last you.

Frozen produce, on average, is 50% cheaper than its fresh counterparts. If you’re going to spend money on fruits and vegetables, especially the more expensive organic ones, opt for frozen. Frozen fruit can be thawed for use in yogurts, on nut butter sandwiches in place of jelly, on its own, or used in its frozen form in smoothies or as a cold snack. Frozen veggies can be put into stews, stir-fries, pasta sauces, and pretty much any veggie meal imaginable.

Opt for frozen seafood

It is not just frozen produce that is flash frozen at the peak of freshness, but frozen meats as well. Salmon is a staple at my house due to the high amount of heart and brain-loving omega 3s. However, salmon can be very costly.

If I were to buy it fresh, it would clock in at a whopping $7.00 per portion, but A bag of four portions of Atlantic Caught Frozen salmon is $12.00 at my local grocery store. When I put the bag of frozen salmon in the fridge, it’s ready to make the next day, just as I would fresh salmon.

Grocery store organic lines

Organic, minimally processed food has a bad reputation for being expensive. Luckily, these days most of the major grocery stores now have lines of organic produce, meats, dairy, and pantry items that run much cheaper than the name brands. Here are some of the most popular:

Giant- Nature’s Promise

Acme – O Organics

Hannaford – Nature’s Promise

Stop & Shop – Nature’s Promise

Kroger – Simple Truth Organic

Albertsons – O Organics

Food 4 Less – Simple Truth Organic

Harris Teeter – Simple Truth Organic

Target – Good & Gather Organic

Wal-Mart – Organic Marketside

Costco – Kirkland Organic (Costco is actually known for having a wider selection of organic foods than Whole Foods)

Whole Foods – 365 (While generally expensive, the Whole Foods brand of food is relatively cheap. In this case, I’m talking about everything BUT the produce, which is still quite pricey)

Ralph’s – Simple Truth Organics

Smith’s Food and Drug – Simple Truth Organics

Cut out the fancy food- opt for whole foods

While many wellness influencers will talk about their favorite $12 granola and superfood products, the areas of the world with the longest living populations tend to eat more simple, minimally-processed foods based on plants and healthy fats. You don’t need to buy fancy vegan cheeses or powdered greens to reach optimal wellness.

If you avoid processed foods and just stick to meats, veggies, fruits, healthy oils like olive oil, and whole grains like brown rice and bread with less than five ingredients, you’ll be doing wonders for your health.

“Fast food” doesn’t have to be processed

In this day and age, we are busier than ever. Most people reach for fast foods not because they believe they’re the healthier option but due to convenience. If you’re working one or multiple jobs and caring for kids, cooking for hours each day is not feasible.

I don’t care for children yet, but I have had my fair share of working 16 hour days. Here were my go-to types of meals:

Oats. Nature’s Promise (my local grocery store’s organic brand) instant oats with some frozen berries, protein powder, and a spoon of peanut butter was my go-to between ESL tutoring in the morning and running to a double waitressing shift for the rest of the day.

Sheet pan meals. They are a god-send, to be honest. You would be surprised by how many things can be cooked at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. For a fast lunch, I would season some kind of potato cut on Sunday into 1/2 inch pieces (or already prepped at my grocery store), a veggie, and a 4 oz piece of chicken breast or salmon. A portion of chicken breast and salmon both cook in 10 minutes and potatoes in 20, and a most veggies somewhere in between. And you need to use is one pan and you’re good to go.

Pasta meals. A one-pot wonder. You make the pasta and in the same pot you can heat up the sauce with meat or beans, or mix some dried herbs and lemon juice with a can of tuna, and throw in some greens to wilt at the end, for your veggie, and you have a well-rounded meal.

You don’t need a bunch of supplements if you’re eating whole foods

Supplements are very expensive for the average person. While they can do their part in helping you feel better, you can still feel very good and get everything you need from a well-rounded diet. Somethings to think about while crafting a diet that doesn’t need supplements:

• Center your meals around produce and protein. Protein powders are expensive and not necessary if you’re eating protein with each meal. Think of chicken breasts, canned tuna and salmon, lean grass-fed beef, beans, tofu, and eggs.
• When choosing produce try to eat as many different colors as you can. This doesn’t need to be with every meal, but make it a goal to incorporate the rainbow throughout the week, as each color has different vitamins.
• Eat healthy fats for your omega 3s. This means salmon, tuna, flax, walnuts, and olive oil, to mention a few.
• Eat your probiotics. Yogurt, kombucha, kimchi, and sauerkraut are great cost-effective ways to avoid spending the 20+ dollars on a probiotic supplement.

Take away…

I know that it can get overwhelming to want to pursue a wellness lifestyle and search for media to inform you on how to go about it, only to see the wellness blogs and influencers all recommending things out of your price range.

Remember that wellness, at its core, is about nurturing your body and feeling good. Our bodies were made and have evolved in nature and nature is simple. When in doubt, stick to simple, and more often than not, you’ll be on the right track.