Since my monthly earning is limited, I sometimes ponder over the question of whether I have been spending too much money sustaining insurance premiums from all the policies that I have purchased for myself as well as for the entire family.
I like insurance which is the transfer of risk to insurer for protection. However, insurance and the protection can only bring benefit once certain conditions are triggered which means the unfortunate event already happened. The money does make life easier for the family but it does not buy you any additional happiness at that juncture.
Health supplements are also very important especially as one aged and all sorts of funny ailments started kicking in. Most folks started to get high cholesterol issue. Other metabolism disorder due to aging means the risk of hypertension or diabetics shoots up drastically. Chronic diseases lead to a deterioration in the quality of life.
Osteoporosis is also becoming more prevalent these days….I have an auntie who slipped in the bathroom while showering and the bones in her right foot ended up shattering like glass and broke into hundreds of finer pieces. The shocking thing is she really merely slipped and did not even fall down as in slipped but managed to recover her balance in time….just that the extra impact of the foot landing during recovery seems strong enough to cause the bones in the foot to shatter into pieces. She told me that since I am still not as old as her, I better take more calcium so that I don’t regret it during old age.
So with unlimited wants but limited resources, which one is more important? Health supplements or just allocate everything into insurances and investments?
If you're spending more than 5% of your salary on insurance, you're paying too much. Elderly without dependents essentially just need shield plan. You can contribute to parents & grandparents Medisave and get tax deductible too. They can use their Medisave for their shield plans.
ReplyDeleteEating simple whole foods with minimal processed foods, and cutting down on refined carbs like sugar, white rice & white bread is much better than taking supplements. Eat mostly veggies, fruits, fish, unrefined grains like brown rice & wholemeal bread.
Important to exercise moderately, mixture of aerobic & resistance. Brisk walking is one of the best. Exposure to sun plus resistance exercise is necessary for strong bones. 30 min a day is all it takes. A whole foods diet like the above is enough to provide all the natural calcium you need. U also need sunlight for the body to produce vit D3 (calciferol) in order to utilise the calcium.
My parents are in their 80s and they don't have hypertension, high blood sugar or high cholesterol.
Agreed. Walking and getting some sun is the best. But in this country which is very different when I live in California, people hate the sun, lose the benefit of natural Vitamin D & E. Many people also hate to walk. People prefer to use PMD or cycle. Btw, cycling has been proven to increase risks of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men in medical studies conducted by a few US and UK universities. This is due to the pressure of our weight on the prostate. The heavier one is, the higher the chance. Older men should watch for prostate cancer, the 2nd killer among men.
DeletePS: Can go polyclinic for bone mass density (BMD) test for the elderly, to see if signs of osteoporosis. They can advise on actions to take.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting topic that is close to my heart. As a vegetarian, I can vouch the benefits of going meat-free diet. If one's diet is adequate with vegetables and fruits, I would say supplements may not be necessary. Of course, the advertisement have us believe that we are not having enough of this vitamin, that calcium and is so easy and convenient to pop 2 pills in the morning. Soon, you will be popping another 2 of this and that. No wonder ,the multivitamins is a billion dollar industry.
ReplyDeleteWhat's more important is the mental health aspect that many writers on health did not touch on. If one is able to maintain a good state of mental health, i.e. peace, joy, happiness for most of the time (some stress is good) then, this is to me, a better form of insurance.
Invest time in keeping one's body and mind healthy beats taking all these supplements and go crazy over which insurance plans is the best for you. With the exception of medical insurance, the others imo is a nice to have.
Cheers
For me definitely health supplements(Hopefully it works) and a decent amount of insurance coverage (At least enhanced shield plan). Getting sick is no fun and even if you are insured to the eyeball, but has to be bed ridden all the time, whats the point? Better to be healthy .
ReplyDeleteGreat tips, many thanks for sharing. I have printed and will stick on the wall! I like this blog. Medical shop in Jaipur
ReplyDelete