A Different Kind of Freedom

Independence Day will be here before we know it. As we celebrate freedom in the United States, we have some unique materials that prompt your clients, students, or employees to consider a different kind of freedom.

Our Freedom from Chronic Disease materials inspire folks to think about their health and realize that good health can bring them freedom, now and in the future.

What kind of freedom are we talking about? Here are some examples and ideas you can use to discuss Freedom from Chronic Disease:

  1. Freedom from worry. Someone who has a long family history of heart disease may spend lots of time worrying about it. Would making a diet or lifestyle change now, even if it’s small, help to alleviate this worry? Maybe feeling more in control will lead them to make more healthy changes.
  2. Freedom from medications. Think about the money you can save by not having to take cholesterol-lowering drugs, for example. All meds have side effects, so not having to worry about that is another form of freedom that people may not consider.
  3. Freedom from expensive healthcare. Chronic disease means seeing specialists, undergoing tests and procedures, paying for prescriptions, and more doctor visits in general. These things are costly in dollars as well as your time.
  4. Freedom from high food costs. People think that healthy food costs more, but a little education can go a long way when it comes to healthy eating on a budget. Healthy food doesn’t have to be organic or gourmet!
  5. Freedom to do what you want to do. This is important as you get older. When you’re healthy, it’s easier to travel, play with your grandkids (or great-grandkids!), and stay independent.

Spread the word about the benefits of Freedom from Chronic Disease with posters, banners, bookmarks, and stickers!

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

 

Two-Pronged Approach to Healthy Retirement

When planning for retirement, most people don’t think about healthcare expenses.

Yet, healthcare expenditures increase dramatically for people age 65 and older. We’re talking an average of $12,411/year compared to $5,644/year for someone age 18-64.*

Medicare helps, but it doesn’t cover all medical costs. And some medications and procedures may not be covered at all, leaving retirees with unexpected medical bills.

The answer? Take a two-pronged approach to retirement planning:

  1. Take care of your money: Consult with a financial planner to learn how to plan for retirement by saving and investing your money.
  2. Take care of your body: Consult with a registered dietitian and other health professionals to stay as healthy as possible, which could help you avoid high healthcare costs during your golden years.

Our Men’s Health Bootcamp and Women’s Health Bootcamp PowerPoint shows are perfect for teaching your clients, students, or employees how to take care of their bodies for a healthy retirement. Each covers common diseases for American men and women, including causes, symptoms, and prevention strategies for each condition.

These Bootcamp presentations are versatile, so you can use all or parts of each one depending on your audience. Here are a few ideas:

  • Partner with a financial planner to offer a bootcamp-themed webinar series on healthy retirement, from both a financial standpoint and a health standpoint.
  • Plan a series of social media posts or emails about taking care of your body now for a healthy retirement.
  • If you work with teens or high school students, find out if they take a course on budgeting or personal finance. See if you can incorporate some of the Men’s and Women’s Health Bootcamp PowerPoint shows into discussions on retirement planning.

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

*Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Mean expenditure per person by age groups, United States, 2018. Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Generated interactively: May 2021. https://meps.ahrq.gov/mepstrends/hc_use/.