HEALTH IS WEALTH

The principle of wealth other than money we would be talking about on this episode is, Health is Wealth.

All over the world many countries are beginning to ease their lockdowns. The UK and Nigeria are looking at opening schools in June. The UK is also considering easing lock down for non-essential services in the month of June. In Nigeria many businesses are already operational with reduced hours because of the curfew.

The thing is, the rate of infection and rate of deaths are still increasing, however for economic reasons Government’s worldwide have decided to ease the lock down. This is to prevent hunger, revolts and also economic downturns. Despite the threat of Covid19, the world can’t afford to have its economy on stand still.

The thing is, if the infection rates increase, there are not enough isolation beds or isolation centers to treat the number of cases. There is also no cure and a vaccine is still being worked on.

What this means is more now than ever we need to understand that “Health is Wealth”. Many people will give anything to go back to the days before Covid when we could walk around freely, eat anything we want, have parties, go to Church etc. without fear of infection.

Our new normal involves, existing with the threat of the disease.

How do we quantify the value of good health?

Many very wealthy people have passed away during the Covid pandemic. They had all the money they needed to get the best treatment but unfortunately in this pandemic money has no value. In Nigeria people who would have been able to fly out of the country for medical treatments could not because of the air travel ban.

We can therefore agree that Health is more valuable than money.

Research says majority (not all) of the people who have underlying health issues have died of Covid. With a healthy immune system, you have a greater chance of surviving Covid.

As we all go back to work, school etc. we need to ensure that we make health one of our top priorities.

If it already isn’t then it should become a lifestyle. We need to eat right, exercise often, sleep well and rest to ensure we are healthy. We also need to ensure we also take care of our mental health.

Tips to living a healthy life

1. Eat Whole Foods i.e. food that God created instead of artificial food. For example, eat whole grain pasta, eat Ofada rice instead of white rice. Eat yam, potatoes, sweet potatoes etc.

2. Eat more vegetables and fruits

3. Eliminate processed foods if possible. For example, it is better to drink freshly squeezed juices than packaged juices.

4. Drink a lot of water

5. Sleep at least 8 hours a day.

6. Take vacations

7. Exercise everyday or at least three times a week.

8. Take social media breaks

9. Reduce screen times

10. Take vitamins

11. Keep a gratitude list

12. Forgive

If you have a passion for health and wellness this is a time to follow your dreams. Whether it is starting a healthy food business or becoming a certified dietitian or nutritionist, the opportunities are endless especially with the use of technology. The important thing to note is that you must be passionate about it. Don’t start a business only because of the opportunities or because it’s trending. With every business there are challenges and it’s only when you are passionate about what you do that guarantees success despite any challenges that will occur.

Inspirational Story:

Many people who are in the high-risk category such as the elderly or those with underlying medical conditions may be feeling quite helpless and fearful even as the lock down is eased. Despite what research or medical experts say, with God, anyone can survive Covid 19. I hope the stories of these three people encourages anyone reading this that if they could beat Covid19, then even those in high risk categories can beat the disease.

Despite dealing with three chronic illnesses i.e. sickle cell anemia, inflammatory bowel disease and arthritis tendencies, Nigerian lady Danielle Jinadu survived Covid 19. Her mother who was also in the high risk category contracted the disease but also survived .

She posted this message on her Instagram page

“I have 3 chronic health conditions and I am a Covid-19 Survivor.

I contracted Corona Virus in early March. From where? I don’t know. But I can guess. From who? I have no clue. But from about March the 10th (before the 12-week isolation period for the ‘shielding category’ was formed) I have been in and out of hospital, inundated with an overwhelming number of symptoms. At first, I didn’t know what was going on with me. I just remember that I kept telling my mum; something was really wrong with me, but I didn’t know what. It was like my body was trying to tell me something. I just didn’t understand it.
The journey between those moments and now has been a really challenging one. And I hope to write about it more at some point, maybe through an article or blogpost. But this post isn’t really about that particular journey. This is more about a journey with self.
This is actually a thank you note, to my body.
As someone born with a chronic illness, dealing with its challenges from the age of five, at times throughout my life I have seen my body as a burden — to both others and myself. Something that prevented me from having a lot of things and experiences.
But today, I want to publicly apologise and say thank you. Thank you for fighting for me everyday, fighting infection, fighting diseases, FIGHTING COVID-19 and THRASHING IT. Protecting my heart and mind. I should say this more often, but I really appreciate you. You have never given up on me, so I won’t give up on you.
As I get older, I’m starting to see this little disabled body of mine as a really good friend rather than an enemy. Together we are forging new heights. Battling new challenges, taking on greater giants and breaking huge barriers.
This pandemic is a really challenging time for many of us. But I hope we will leave it stronger than we were when we entered it. And I have often found that doesn’t mean leaving without a scar or two. Wishing you all the best 🤍🤍🤍”

The oldest woman in Spain, Maria Branyas, a 113-year-old woman also survived Covid.

Another lady in the US, Sylvia Goldsholl also survived Covid -19. In her lifetime, she has endured the 1918 Spanish flu, the Great Depression, two World Wars, and now the coronavirus.

I hope this encourages anyone dealing with any life challenges. I hope it encourages those who have been told they are in the high-risk category I.e. those with underlying illnesses and older people that you can also overcome.

Financial Advice

“A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions” -Bible

More now than ever it is important to create an emergency fund. We all know that life happens and the unexpected expenses are expected. No one will have anticipated a global pandemic. Many people have spent so much money during the lock down period. Many have lost businesses or lost their jobs. A way to prepare for the unexpected or for the rainy day is to have an emergency fund.

What is an Emergency Fund?

An emergency fund is money you set aside for emergencies. Financial advisers advise that you have at least 3 -6 months of your monthly expenses saved. That way if you lose your job or have to shut your business down you can survive on your emergency fund for 6 months.

Most emergency funds are highly liquid which allows quick access to funds which is vital in emergency situations.

An emergency fund could either be short-term or long-term. A short-term fund is more liquid than a long term fund for example a savings account while a long term fund would be invested in money market funds or fixed income funds.

How to create an emergency fund

1. The first thing to do is to determine what your monthly living expense consists of. This is easy if you budget on a monthly basis. If you do not have one you would have to create one by first of all tracking your spending etc. Please check my blog and read up on previous articles on budgeting.

2. Once you have determined your monthly living expense, the next thing to do would be to multiply it by six to determine the minimum amount that your emergency fund should contain. So, for instance if your monthly living expense is N100, 000, your emergency fund should be N600, 000.

3. Determine how much you can afford to put aside each month to set up an emergency fund of N600, 000. This would depend on your monthly income and expenses as well as the deadline you set for yourself to have an emergency fund. So, for instance you can decide to set aside N30, 000 each month towards your emergency fund. This means it would take 20 months to build up your emergency fund.

4. The next thing to do would be to open a savings account. Please note that banks do not have dedicated accounts for emergency funds. You would have to search for a bank that offers the highest interest rate on a savings account. Another point to remember is that the objective for an emergency fund is not to create wealth but instead to preserve wealth, therefore you would have to look for a low risk, investment option.

5. The final thing to do is to have a direct debit in place with your bank to ensure that you are consistent with your deposit.

To know more about emergency funds , take the wealth creation online course I created on my online financial education platform “The Tech World of Finance™️ -www.wofin.org . It has 9 modules and 24 video lessons and worksheets. Topics include investments, budgeting, savings, how to make money etc.