Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin - Health Tips That Will Save You Money

Episode Date: March 17, 2022

People who are struggling with their health, should not struggle to afford their healthcare. Period. End of story. There are many ways to work to correct this system; today, Nicole focuses on preventing you from falling victim to this cycle, through taking preventative care measures around your health. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Well, it doesn't. Charge for wasting our time. I will take a check. Like an old school check. You recognize her from anchoring on CNN, CNBC, and Bloomberg. The only financial expert you don't need a dictionary to understand. Nicole Lappin. The healthcare system in the U.S. is broken.

I know that might sound like a political statement, but it's really not. And don't get me wrong, I am not afraid to get political on this show. But that's not what this is. The way I see it, there is nothing political about believing that people who are struggling with their health should not struggle to afford their health care. Take it from someone who's had their fair share of health problems. The stress of worrying about whether or not you'll be okay is more than enough to handle. Stacking financial stress on top of that is damn near impossible to manage. And yet it does happen all the time. In Money Rehab episode 160, titled 411 on hospital bills and medical debt, my guest Shelly Rosenfeld, who is the co-director of the

Cancer Legal Resource Center, pointed out that medical debt is the number one cause of bankruptcy in America. It's just wrong. And there are so many ways to correct this system, but what I'm gonna be focusing on today is preventing you from falling victim to this cycle through taking preventative care measures around your health. If you could seamlessly integrate small routines

into your life to avoid hefty medical bills later on, why wouldn't you? And this is about more than just your wallet, of course. The real benefit to making these little lifestyle changes is living a healthy life. I don't want to bore you with the things you already know. We all know that a healthy diet, exercise, sleep, and sunscreen, and yada, yada, yada are important to keeping our bodies in tip-top shape. We know those roles. Whether or not we actually follow them is a whole other story. But reiterating what you already know is not helpful. So today, I'm going to give you three tips that will likely be news to you. Number one, don't take the receipt. Recent studies have

shown that the ink used in most receipts is toxic. Let me ask you something, and I swear this is connected. Have you seen BPA-free water bottles advertised more and more in recent years? Even if you don't know what BPAs are, you probably gravitated toward the BPA-free options because, well, if you don't know what something is, you probably shouldn't expose your body to it. And sure, that's a good rule of thumb, but let's double-click on BPAs. BPAs are chemicals that disrupt your body's normal biological functions, and scientists have found that there is a link between BPA disruptions and health conditions like cancer and diabetes. Not only are BPAs found in certain water bottle materials, but BPAs are also in the ink that is commonly used in receipts. Recent studies have found a link between exposure to that ink and cancer. So next time you're eating

out and they ask you if you want a copy of your receipt, just say no. If you really need a record of that receipt, you can just take a picture of the receipt without touching it. And while you're at it, let the person who's waiting on your table know about this research. Maybe you can help your favorite restaurant opt into digital receipts and help keep your community healthy in the process. Number two, don't brush your teeth after you eat. And don't even think about doing it if you just downed some freshly squeezed OJ. Brushing your teeth after meals, especially if you've had something acidic like citrus or soda, can soften your tooth enamel. And your enamel is what protects your teeth. We need that shit. Without it, you're at the risk of pesky bacteria running rampant.

And that's what leads to super expensive dental procedures like fillings or, God forbid, the many root canals that I've had to have. So brush your teeth either before your meals or wait an hour and a half before brushing. Number three, buy vitamin D supplements. Many experts now recommend that we should get 800 to 1,000 IUs of vitamin D a day. I know what you're thinking. WTF is an IU. IUs are a unit of measurement for vitamins, but you don't really need to know that. What you do need to know is that salmon, a food that is famously high in vitamin D, typically has a little over 400 IUs of vitamin D. So you'll need to eat two full pieces of salmon every day to get your daily amount of vitamin D. Does that sound feasible? If you just said no,

you'd agree with a growing amount of doctors. And those doctors are now recommending folks take supplements to help boost your vitamin D intake, which may reduce the risk of some cancers. This is a great example of how sometimes a little investment can save you from higher costs later on. So spend the 20 bucks on vitamin D supplements now and save yourself from shelling out 10 times that amount in hospital bills, God forbid, later on. For today's tip you can take straight to the bank, get an accountability buddy for these tips. If you live with someone, a roommate or a romantic partner, come up with a system where you both remind each other to follow these tips. Plus, you'll earn some karma points for helping your roommate stay healthy and medical debt free.

Money Rehab is a production of iHeartRadio. I'm your host, Nicole Lappin. Our producers are Morgan Lavoie and Mike Coscarelli. Executive producers are Nikki Etavoie and Mike Coscarelli. Executive producers are Nikki Etor and Will Pearson. Our mascots are Penny and Mimsy. Huge thanks to OG Money Rehab team Michelle Lanz for her development work, Catherine Law for her production and writing magic, and Brandon Dickert for his editing, engineering, and sound design. And as always, thanks to you for finally investing in yourself

so that you can get it together and get it all.