5 Ways to Live Healthier On a Budget

Would you like to live healthier, if only it weren’t so darned expensive? Here are some simple tips for a healthier lifestyle – without breaking the bank.

Does it sometimes seem like living a naturally healthy lifestyle is too expensive?

Indeed, if you are on a budget and comparing costs, organic and “all-natural” products can seem a lot pricier than their conventional counterparts. But do you really have to be wealthy to be healthy?

Not at all!

However, you may need to change some of your expectations, and ditch the Western mentality that everything can be fixed by popping a pill, or buying a product.

Living a clean, healthy, and sustainable lifestyle does not have to cost a lot – in fact – it can even save you money! But you have to be willing to learn how to do some things on your own.

Here are 5 areas of your life where you can live healthier, without spending a pretty penny in the process:

Diet

  • Cook more, eat out less. When you start with real ingredients, you end up with real food in your belly.
  • Michael Pollan says it perfectly: “Eat real food, less of it, mostly plants.”
  • Even if you can’t afford organic produce, you can still eat more produce, and cook it with healthier methods. Brown rice, whole grains, and healthy fats are all affordable!
  • Make your own kefir or kombucha—cheap, and amazing for your digestion and your skin.

Exercise

  • Invest 30 minutes a day in walking briskly. You don’t have to join a gym. Got kids? Walk with a stroller. You’ll get more time with your kids while exercising, and they’ll get some fresh air.
  • Try streaming yoga classes online—inexpensive with endless options, even if you’re a total beginner.
  • Strengthen your core. It costs $0, and so many health problems (like back pain) stem from a weak core.

Cleaning Products

  • Make your own baking soda, lemon juice, and white vinegar cleaning potion. All three are brilliant dirt-busters and incredibly cheap!
  • At the very least, use unscented laundry detergent. You’d be wise to get rid of sodium laureth sulfate, as well, since it causes terrible skin problems (perioral dermatitis, eczema) for so many folks. But if you can’t afford a natural brand, at least stop using the hormone-disrupting, petroleum-based fragranced ones.

Personal Care Products

  • Make a lovely body oil from sunflower (50%), olive (30%), almond (19%), and vitamin E (1%) oils. Use it on wet skin – you’ll never need lotion again!
  • Grow a pot of your own lavender, and infuse it in oil – divine!
  • Make your own deodorant with coconut oil and baking soda.
  • ………………………………………..

Meditation

  • All you need is a chair or a pillow, and 5 to 30 minutes to achieve a happier, healthier, more balanced mindset.
Check out the full article at MindBodyGreen.com