Saving your Mind, Body, and Money: How a Healthy Diet Can Improve Your Life

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in eight people on earth were living with obesity in 2022. Adult obesity in recent years is over double what it was in 1990, while adolescent obesity has quadrupled. However, these statistics only scratch the surface of the problem. Issues caused by or correlated with obesity—such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and even certain cancers—have also been on the rise.

Those who are overweight are often looked down upon in today’s society. In response to this “thin ideal”, wave after wave of fitness influencers have emerged: bodybuilders, aerobic dancers, diet enthusiasts… the list goes on. In an era where there is so much weight loss information out there, it can be difficult to understand what a “healthy lifestyle” truly is, or what the benefits are beyond just weight loss.

To break this down, it is important to look for concrete, factual evidence. Many influencers will promote products with buzzwords like sculpting, lifting, slimming… but what actually works? Science says it’s quite simple: a healthy diet, focused on nutrient rich, whole foods. A great, proven example of this is the Mediterranean diet.

Coming in first in the world by the US News & World Report’s annual ranking, the Mediterranean diet has been praised for many things: nutritional completeness, the ease of following it, and perhaps most importantly, long-term sustainability. The diet itself is quite straightforward, emphasizing whole, unprocessed foods, healthy fats, and plenty of plants. It encourages ingredients such as olive oil, fatty fish, whole grains, beans, and lots of veggies, while cutting back on sweets, processed foods, and red meats.

There are several reasons why this diet is beneficial. Fatty fish, a staple in the Mediterranean diet, provide the body with valuable omega-3 fatty acids, which cannot be made in the body. These healthy fats can help regulate blood pressure, and lower levels of harmful fats—called triglycerides—thus lowering the risks of heart attacks and strokes. Whole grains provide another benefit: as complex carbohydrates, they take longer to digest and provide a slow, steady amount of energy. This makes them more filling than simple carbs (found in candies, or soft drinks), which helps to prevent overeating.

Beyond the health benefits, healthy eating can also have several financial benefits. According to Serge Robichaud, a financial planner and proud health-nut from Moncton, New Brunswick, the short-term costs of healthy living are more than worth the long-term potential for savings.

“Although spending more money up front on things like healthy foods (…) may seem contrary to a frugal lifestyle,” Robichaud says, “the money you save in both monthly spending and in long run health costs more than justifies the initial expense.”

 

Robichaud has long been passionate about helping others with their health choices, and has even incorporated it into his approach as a financial planner. He explains that a healthy lifestyle can lower spending on filler foods and harmful vices. Whole grain diets have many health benefits, which Serge Robichaud highlights as another opportunity to save money. “Eating healthy boosts your overall health, so hopefully, barring genetic predispositions, those choices will reduce your need for expensive medications,” he explains. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can increase life expectancy and maintain mental clarity, which serves to increase your income-earning years.

Many diets have similar benefits. However, eating healthy is not, and should never be, about finding the “perfect diet”; the most important thing to consider is whether or not it is sustainable, and a good fit for your life. A good diet is one that you can stick to for years to come. If that means having chips once in a while, but sticking with the overall guidelines for years, that is much better than burning out after trying a highly restrictive diet for a month.

So sure, have that steak, or soda, or chocolate bar— but be sure you’re incorporating a well-balanced diet alongside it!