I often hear people talk about how expensive it is to be healthy; that organic food is so much more expensive than regular food, that joining a gym or taking yoga classes, all seem pricey—but you could just as easily drop $300 a month at Starbucks.

I consider the money I spend now on my health a long term investment, because I don’t want to have problems with my bones or organs when I get older. Here are some ways that I invest in my health:

Holistic Practitioners

My body was shutting down and it wasn’t until I visited a holistic practitioner that I figured out what was wrong, after half a dozen MDs couldn’t diagnose me.

The fact is there are things happening in your body that a regular MD can’t see without a million tests, such as hormone or cortisol imbalances, or if there are foods in your diet that are causing inflammation.

A holistic practitioner can identify things like this just by asking you a few questions. Holistic practitioners aren’t covered by insurance and it might be more money than you feel like taking out of your pocketbook, but they are worth every penny.

Massage

A massage from a licensed therapist is way more than just rubbing out sore muscles. A good massage will get your blood flowing, push toxins build up out of your muscles, and in addition, address muscles that have tightened up from improper or overuse. Nowadays, massages aren’t as expensive as they used to be, but you should definitely keep an eye out for therapists with certification.

Physical Therapy

If you’ve had an injury, it’s a long term investment to get that injury treated professionally. People make the mistake of believing injuries will heal themselves. I have a bad scar on my foot from a surgery that never healed right. It’s stiff from the scar tissue around it and my foot just doesn’t land right when I’m running. If I had spent a little time and invested a little more on physical therapy after my surgery, I know it would be more flexible. Similarly, I have problems with a shoulder I injured in a triathlon crash. Again, I never went to physical therapy and I now know I’ve been dealing with it since then.

Quality Food

My husband used to get on me about how much money I spent on food, because I would go to Whole Foods instead of a regular grocery store. But, in my opinion food should be your first place to invest in yourself. Food is our daily medicine. The nutrients in your food are absorbed into every system in your body. Same with chemicals, they are ingested into your body. What we put in our body is what we are.

No More Red Eyes

Sleep is so important. It is your body’s best chance to recover and restore after a long day. I will no longer sacrifice two days of my life for the $40 I may save taking a red-eye or a 6 a.m. flight, because of what it takes me to recover. I’ll be exhausted, I won’t sleep well, my sleep schedule will be destroyed, my digestion will suffer and I’ll wind up cranky. I can even see the fatigue in my skin and face. All for $40? totally not worth it. When I fly at times I’m already awake, I get a much better night’s sleep before I depart and when I arrive and I’m not trying to find my hotel in the middle of the night.

The body you have is the only body you’ve got. You have to nurture it and take care of it. You invest money in your children’s future, in your retirement, in your home. You are worth investing in too!

Tell me how you invest in your health. Share it here or on my Facebook page!

Author: Hayley Hobson

Editor: Travis May

Photo: Wonderlane/Flickr