‘Mens Sana in Mens Corpore Sano’
The old Latin quotation of a ‘Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body’ really does still apply today. Increasingly insurance companies take a look at their applicants’ lifestyles as a component of the general risk they have to take, so a healthy life style can also lead to a healthier wallet. Obviously, accidents and chronic illness cannot be prevented but if you are in better physical shape you may well be in a stronger position to deal with the unexpected.
Vices
Too much of anything is rarely a good thing but it has been proven that too much alcohol can really damage the body leading to weight gain, liver problems and circulatory disease. Anyone who smokes shouldn’t, most smokers are aware of this and thankfully there is increasing help for those who wish to give up the dreaded weed. In 2012 the ANC voted to increase South Africa’s anti- smoking laws and also to ban alcohol adverts. A glass of wine with a meal or a pint of larger is not seen as a problem, but moderation is most definitely the key.
Work
The advent of the computer has meant that more people spend their time sitting in front of a computer screen. All too often, those with a 9-5 job will just exchange the chair at work for their car seat for the drive home and therefore eliminate the possibility of exercise. It’s far cheaper and healthier to see if you can walk to and from work, walking is seen as a part of cardio-vascular exercise so you’ll be treating your heart at the same time. If this isn’t an option then why not try walking to the shops or even offer to exercise a friend’s dog. Exercise doesn’t just have to be all about joining an expensive gym. With the country’s diverse range of coastal shorelines and National Parks there is no shortage of glorious places to enjoy outdoors activities and it rarely costs anything to visit these places. Kruger Park costs ZAR 50 to enter which is minimal compared many other forms of unhealthy entertainment.
Food
With all the recent food scares in the global press, horsemeat in the UK, donkey meat in South Africa the move to healthy eating may be viewed as a necessity rather than a life style choice. The amount of calories in most pre packed food is scarily high and the food doesn’t always taste as good as a meal prepared at home. Fruit and salads are always good news but it’s also far cheaper and more beneficial to try to prepare all your food yourself. If you are leading a very busy lifestyle you can always cook a batch and then freeze the meals for later use.
By Celina Bledowska, writer and journalist
