'The main wealth is health', so wrote the philosopher from the United States, Ralph Waldo, in 1860.

This quote shows that awareness of the importance of taking care of health has long been practiced in community life.

We should realize that, without good health, wealth does not mean much because we cannot enjoy it and may even have to spend a lot of money to finance the cost of treatment.

We may be able to live well without a lot of money, but certainly, we can't live well without good health.

Health cannot be bought, but with money, we can take steps to care for, prevent, and treat ourselves if we get sick.

To ensure that health and wealth can be paired well, we must care for our health, even if we are busy working.

Why Do We Need to Take Care of Our Health?

1. The Cost of Treatment is Getting More Expensive

Those who are sick, especially those with long-term illnesses, need to allocate a certain amount of money for treatment every month, compared to those who are healthy and can use the money for other purposes such as investments, vacations, etc.

2. Healthy Individuals are More Productive

When we are healthy, we can do many things better. Whether we have a permanent job or not, a healthy body allows us to produce better quality work, thus opening up opportunities for promotion or even receiving more bonuses.

A healthy body allows us to do multiple jobs, provided we always maintain a healthy lifestyle.

3. A healthy Body Gives More Confidence

If you feel healthy, it gives you more confidence to face any challenge. Subsequently, it allows you to succeed in achieving what you dream of.

4. Health Insurance is Getting More Expensive

With the increase in medical costs, health insurance costs are also increasing. Therefore, subscribe to the insurance as soon as you start working and maintain a healthy mind and body, as it will help reduce the monthly premium that needs to be paid.

5. Exercise is Free

The cost of exercising is practically free if you are smart about finding opportunities and managing your time. In fact, it can be done at home, at work, or in the many parks around the capital.

You don't need to subscribe to any gym; exercises such as jogging, yoga, dancing, and other simple exercises can be done at any time, according to convenience. In fact, it may only take 2-3 hours, 2-3 times a week.

You can also follow various free exercise guides on YouTube channels by experienced people. Start your challenge today.

6. Healthy Body, Smart Mind

This proverb has been shared for a long time since our grandparents' time. Undeniably, a healthy body will positively affect the mind and allow us to lead a quality life.

Enjoying foods rich in zinc and Omega-3 fish 0il can help your mind reach its best potential.

7. Health is An Investment

If you can allocate money to buy luxury and designer goods such as size shoes, viral food, beverages, and so on, why are you still not investing in taking care of your health?

You only need to buy fresh food, fruits and vegetables, simple exercise equipment, good shoes, and comfortable clothes for exercising for you to invest in maintaining your health.

How to Maintain Health and Build Wealth

1. Balanced Diet

Don't get too caught up in the crazy trend that causes you to run out of money to care for your health.

Instead, focus on a healthy lifestyle through good nutrition and regular exercise. Good nutrition includes:

• Ensuring you eat on time.

• Choosing fresh foods such as vegetables and fruits.

• Foods that provide sources of vitamins and minerals

If possible, avoid always eating out or visiting fast food restaurants and processed foods such as instant noodles. It is better to cook at home and bring 'bekal' to the office.

You are not only taking care of your health, but you can also control your wallet by spending wisely and reducing unnecessary expenses, especially those related to unhealthy eating such as fast food and junk food.

2. Exercise Regularly

In today's environment, where most of us work in offices that require us to either stand or sit for long hours, getting exercise into our daily routine should be a priority.

Don't waste money by becoming a gym member if you don't have time; just slip in 30 minutes to an hour each day by going up or down the stairs at the office and walking during lunch hour.

3. Subscribe to Medical/Health Insurance/Takaful

Having insurance/takaful that compensates or covers treatment costs, especially for accidents and critical illnesses, will provide peace of mind and long-term financial stability.

If you have insurance/takaful, you do not need to spend money on treatment costs if you suffer from a disease covered in the purchased policy.

Therefore, you do not need to withdraw savings or investments if you are diagnosed with an illness that requires a lot of money for treatment.

To ensure that your insurance/takaful policy covers you as you wish, get a full explanation from your insurance agent.

4. Invest to Build An Emergency Fund

Even if you have insurance/takaful that will cover the cost of treatment, you still need a source of money to continue living, especially if the illness causes you to be disabled or a source of income to work.

Therefore, building an emergency fund from the first day you work is essential to ensure that you do not face an out-of-control financial situation and have to borrow if you suddenly fall ill.

A healthy body will allow you to work and allocate some money for investment to build savings.

If you are often sick and must pay the cost of treatment, your efforts to build wealth may take time to realize.

For example, investing as little as RM100 per month in Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) can build savings amounting to RM15,500 within 10 years if you receive an average annual dividend of 5%. as long as you do not withdraw the money invested and the dividend.

Therefore, take care of your health so that you can always work, have money to invest, and build savings as a financial resource in difficult times or for a comfortable retirement life.

5. Quit Smoking

If you are a smoker, you should stop because it is not only a waste but hurts your health and the people around you who are facing the possibility of suffering from diseases caused by cigarette smoke.

Smoking is not only an expensive habit, but at the same time, it increases your risk of diseases such as lung cancer. Of course, the health implications of smoking are not worth it.

6. A Balanced Lifestyle for Mental Health

More than 70% of cases of critical illness are related to stress, so it is essential to have clear boundaries to maintain a balance between work time and rest time for yourself and your family to reduce extreme stress and anxiety.

Many take mental health for granted, causing them to suffer from constant stress and anxiety. This condition can interfere with your efforts to work and earn a living because it restricts your ability to socialize and communicate.

If you need to give 120% for your career, maybe you should think again because a saying says, 'When your family is still crying for you, your employer has already started looking for your replacement.'

So make sure you consistently manage your time wisely by giving a balanced time for work and personal life so that you are always healthy to work.