Traveling is a necessity for business and pleasure. And when traveling, it doesn’t have to be impossible to keep up with your healthy habits, as healthy eating and physical activity are important strategies for overall well-being and energy.
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Keeping a healthy diet and staying active are healthy habits that also help prevent many chronic diseases and can affect life insurance rates. Life insurance rates are typically less costly for healthier and younger adults. Those rates can depend on many variables, including age, gender, and health status.
Life insurance coverage is important for everyone to understand. We’ll discuss basic information about life insurance rates and coverage and then give many tips on how to observe these healthy habits: physical activity and healthy eating while traveling.
How much does life insurance cost?
The cost of life insurance usually comes in the form of a monthly premium. This is a set fee paid monthly for the life insurance coverage benefit. Life insurance rates depend on many different factors. Age, gender, and health status are the main variables when it comes to determining the cost of life insurance.
The costs of life insurance for younger adults are cheaper than for older adults. As we age, life insurance rates increase. Females typically have lower costs for insurance than males when comparing similar ages and health conditions.
Health status is a major variable to determine the cost of life insurance. You can expect to answer questions about your medical history, medication use, and current health conditions.
Some policies may require a medical exam and some may not. Rates will usually be cheaper if you have a medical exam.
Individuals with no medical or chronic illness or conditions will have cheaper rates. The rates are also cheaper for those who do not use tobacco versus those that do use tobacco.
The amount of the life insurance policy also determines the monthly cost. For example, a $250,000 policy will have a lower monthly premium than a $500,000 policy for the same individual.
Weigh the policy amount with the monthly premium to find an affordable option that will also provide the necessary coverage.
Average Cost of Life Insurance
Term life insurance means the policy has a certain amount of time before the policy expires. If you outlive the policy, you will need to purchase a new policy.
If you have children, you will need to decide the amount of the policy you want to purchase. A general guideline is to purchase life insurance that is seven to 10 times your annual salary.
A $250,000 life insurance policy is one of the most common policies purchased. For a 20-year-old male, this policy could cost as little as $10 a month for a 10-year term. For a 50-year-old male, this same amount could cost closer to $25 a month for a 10-year term.
For this same coverage, a 30-year term could cost closer to $19 for a 20-year-old male and $72 for a 50-year-old male. Policies for females are similar but are a few dollars cheaper per month. Women tend to live longer than men, so that explains why rates are cheaper for women.
Weigh all of the considerations when choosing a term life insurance policy. Considerations include the length of the term, the cost of the monthly premium, and the amount of the policy.
Life Insurance Rates
Once you decide on the type of life insurance, the amount of the policy, and the term, you should start to compare quotes from different companies. Get quotes and compare rates from different companies to get the best deal. It can be easy to shop online for life insurance rates.
Understanding the details about life insurance is important when checking for quotes online and determining the coverage you need. Now that we have discussed the basics of life insurance, let’s jump into the tips for observing healthy habits like healthy eating and staying active while traveling.
Eating Healthy and Staying Active During Travel
Traveling does not mean you have to abandon your healthy habits like physical activity and eating healthily. Not only does healthy eating and physical activity impact life insurance, but it can also help you live longer, improve energy levels, and enhance overall well-being.
These tips will demonstrate that it’s easy to stay healthy while traveling. Planning ahead, including balance, variety, and moderation, eating healthy in restaurants, and staying active are all great healthy habits/ ideas to travel healthily.
Planning Ahead to Eat Healthily
Planning is key when finding healthy habits options during trips and vacations. Taking a few steps to plan meals and snacks helps keep you on track for healthy eating and keeps you away from foods high in sodium, sugar, and fat.
Before your trip, make a list of the meals and snacks that you can bring along. If you enjoy eating at restaurants, plan the meals that you will eat out and the meals you will prepare. This will help you make a list for the store and keeps you on track for healthy eating.
Non-perishable snacks don’t need to be kept cold and can be easily packed for travel. Some options for convenient non-perishable snacks include:
a) Nuts and seeds
b) Peanut butter or other nut butters
c) Packaged tuna
d) Whole-grain crackers
e) Protein bars
f) Whole-grain cereal
g) Applesauce
h) Dried fruit
i) Apples
j) Bananas
k) Jerky
If you are able to travel with a cooler, you can pack perishable items that need to be kept cold. These include:
a) Sliced fruits or vegetables
b) Hummus
c) Low-fat yogurt
d) Low-sodium lunch meat
e) Low-fat cheese
f) String cheese
g) Low-fat milk
You should also plan to either bring bottled water or a reusable and refillable water bottle. If there are places to refill your own bottle, this is convenient and can save money. If not, bottled water is also an option. Keeping hydrated is very important while traveling.
If possible, make plans to stay in a condo or hotel with a kitchen. This is one of the great travel tips or road trip essentials that will make it easy to plan meals, get groceries, and prepare meals. It also makes it less likely that you will need to rely on eating at restaurants for all of your meals.
If you will not have a car available, find a location with easy access to grocery stores, supermarkets, or healthy restaurants. Even if you do have a car, sometimes it can be very easy to run into a local grocery store that is within walking distance.
Many healthy breakfast meals can be prepared with little or no kitchen equipment. If you have a refrigerator to store low-fat dairy foods, then simple breakfast ideas include whole-grain cereal with milk or low-fat yogurt with fruit.
All you need is a microwave to prepare oatmeal, which is a healthy breakfast with fiber and plenty of nutrients. Pair that with some yogurt and sliced fruit for a well-balanced breakfast.
If your hotel has a complimentary breakfast, check out any healthy options like oatmeal, low-fat yogurt, whole-grain cereal, or fruit.
Simple lunch or even dinner options include tuna with whole-grain crackers, low-sodium deli meat on whole-grain bread, or hummus with vegetables. Some grocery stores offer prepared salads that can be paired with some protein for another simple meal idea.
Food Variety, Balance, and Moderation
Variety, balance, and moderation are the keys to healthy habits for eating. These three concepts can help you make smart nutritional choices anytime and anywhere.
Variety means eating a variety of foods from the five food groups. Each food group has different nutrients so eating a variety of foods is best for optimal health.
Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, antioxidants, and many vitamins and minerals. Whole grains are high in B-complex vitamins, many minerals, and fiber.
Lean protein foods like fish, chicken, and eggs not only have protein but also provide vitamins and minerals. Plant-based proteins such as nuts, seeds, or soy-based foods like tofu or tempeh are also high in nutrients.
Balance means eating the recommended amount of food but avoiding eating too much of one nutrient at the expense of other nutrients.
A balanced diet includes plenty of foods with macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fat), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and water. A variety of foods also helps achieve a balanced diet.
Moderation is enjoying all foods in moderate amounts. Moderation in our food choices enables us to get the nutrients we need for good health but also avoid getting too much or too little of those nutrients. You can enjoy a dessert, but treats should be consumed less often.
Highly processed foods, packaged foods, and foods high in sugar, solid fats, and sodium should be limited or avoided. It doesn’t mean you should never eat these foods, but they should be consumed in moderation.
Use MyPlate as a Guide
MyPlate is the food guidance system in the United States. It is a visual that represents what a healthy plate should look like and incorporates the concepts of balance, variety, and moderation.
The MyPlate visual suggests making half of your plate full of fruits and vegetables. The other half should be split between protein and grains. Milk, yogurt, or low-fat cheese should also be included with each meal.
When planning meals, try to visualize your plate resembling MyPlate. While grocery shopping, try to make sure your cart has plenty of fruits and vegetables, plus lean protein, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods. This will help you get a variety of nutrients for good health.
Healthy Eating at Restaurants
Planning is also important when choosing restaurant options while traveling. A little research can help you seek out restaurants, including fast food restaurants, with healthy menu options. Many restaurants have a menu online with nutrition information included on them.
A balanced meal at a restaurant can be a portion of protein like fish, chicken, or lean steak, with a serving of vegetables like salad or cooked vegetables. Add a whole grain like brown rice, a whole-grain roll, or quinoa for extra fiber and to round out your meal.
There’s nothing wrong with indulging while eating in a restaurant as long as it is done in moderation. It’s OK to share a fried appetizer, indulge in an entree, or try a dessert as long as you limit these options. Enjoy yourself and then get back on track with your healthy habits, eating healthily after that meal.
Try to greatly limit or avoid alcohol and sweet sugary drinks. These beverages are full of empty calories and sugar with little to no nutritional value. An occasional drink or treat is OK, but try to limit these choices to save your calories for nutritional foods.
Staying Active
One of the best health habits is to stay active during trips or vacations. So, plan for active time. This can mean scheduling active time first thing in the morning or planning activities that include walking or moving. This can be as little as 30 to 60 minutes a day for planned physical activities.
During vacations or business trips, it can be easiest to get a workout first thing in the morning. You could even wake up a little earlier to enjoy a quiet workout before the day gets busy. After your morning workout, you have the rest of the day to enjoy yourself or be productive.
If you are enjoying a beach vacation, go for a walk on the beach each morning or evening. If you are staying in the mountains and there are opportunities for hiking, use those trails to stay active.
The good news about amusement parks is they usually include a lot of walking, which helps with staying active.
Hotels with workout options are great to keep up with exercise and physical activity. Some hotel gyms have treadmills, bikes, and basic weight training equipment. If your hotel does not have a gym, ask if they have a partnership with a local gym nearby to offer free or discounted workout sessions.
If your gym has locations across the country, you may be able to use your membership or get a discounted rate while traveling. This is a great opportunity to try a new group exercise class or get your workout on in a new gym.
Take some light equipment with you, like resistance bands, jump ropes, or a yoga mat. This can make a quick morning workout easy or you can watch an online or streaming workout right in your hotel room. A light stretching routine can be done anywhere, even with limited space and equipment.
Many exercises can be done with little or no equipment in a hotel room or small condo space. Try jumping jacks, burpees, lunges, squats, push-ups, planks, and crunches.
Enjoy a daily morning walk in a safe area near the location you are staying. If you enjoy coffee, find a local coffee shop and walk to get your morning cup of joe. While planning your meals to enjoy at a restaurant, find options that are within a safe walking distance to get a few extra steps in.
Encourage Participation by All
If you are traveling with others, encourage everyone to join you in healthy habits. Staying active with friends or family is more fun than doing it alone. Include family and friends in the planning and cooking of your healthy meals.
Get the entire family involved in your morning beach walk, morning yoga session, or afternoon stretching activities. Kids should be encouraged to stay active while traveling as well.
Let family members help plan and prepare various meals during your vacation. Kids can even be involved in planning and meal preparation. Older children can even help with some of the cooking.
Get Back on Track
You may find that it’s more challenging to maintain healthy habits like eating healthily and staying active while on vacation or traveling. If traveling for work, you may be busier than normal and eating more prepared meals or eating in restaurants more. If you are on vacation, visiting great tourist attractions, you may be more focused on enjoying time with family and friends.
In either case, a healthy lifestyle takes a backseat to other priorities. Don’t beat yourself up about this, just get back on track after your travels. If you travel regularly for work, it is good to plan ahead and get into a good routine so you aren’t always abandoning your healthy habits every time you travel.
Other Tips to Stay Healthy
While physical activity and healthy eating are two important strategies for well-being and to help keep life insurance rates lower, there are other healthy habits tips that are also important for good health.
Make sure you are getting plenty of sleep, using sunscreen when necessary, and washing your hands often. These health habits are also vital for preventing acute and chronic diseases and boosting immunity.
Vacations are often a time to rest and re-energize, but sometimes we cram so much into our schedules that we don’t get as much rest as we should. If you are traveling for business, it’s easy to cut back on sleep and rest when time is limited.
Sunscreen should be used to protect your skin from sun damage and UV rays. Washing your hands often is one of the best defenses we have to protect against illness.
No matter if you are traveling for work or pleasure, these healthy habits tips and strategies will help keep you on track for optimal energy so you can make the most of your travels.
Tags: healthy eating healthy habits How do I stay healthy while traveling? physical activity Travel
