New Year, New You

The end of 2018 is fast approaching, and the coming of a New Year is drawing near. This is a good time to reflect on one's state in life, find ways to improve and redefine oneself, and plan ahead for a better future. Health is the currency of the future, and one should invest in it today.

With this in mind, here are some health-related changes that one can start this New Year. Though these wouldn’t take much effort, they can make a major impact on one’s health and total wellness in the long run:

Fitness: Start doing short 30-minute walks every day! Studies have shown that a short 30-minute brisk walk on a daily basis can help one maintain a healthy weight, prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve mood, balance, and coordination.

Food: Start cutting down rice consumption to just half a cup per meal, and replace with additional helpings of vegetables instead. Reducing intake of simple carbohydrates like white rice may result in amazing changes. One may burn body fat faster, strengthen muscles, and reduce risk for diabetes.

Friendships: Start meeting up with close friends on a regular basis, and meet new ones by joining special interest groups or social clubs. Research studies have shown that 'social connectedness' is "at least as good for your health as quitting smoking or exercise."

Fine-tune your mind: Start reading a new book every month. The South African College of Applied Psychology (SACAP) cites several research studies that show that picking up a book regularly helps stave off dementia, enhances brain connectivity and function, improves rationality, creativity, and mental flexibility, and makes one more empathetic.

Finances: Start saving money for a good health insurance plan. A good health coverage not only forces one to set aside savings for a rainy day, it also gives provision for major health expenses in the future.

One such product is BPI AIA's Critical Care Max, a unit-linked health and life insurance plan that provides financial benefits at the early stages of a critical illness. Critical Care Max is designed to take care of serious health-related expenses by giving you a cash benefit upon diagnosis of any of the covered critical illnesses. It also lets you build up a health fund that grows over time to pay for other medical costs. The fund's growth depends on the performance of your chosen investment funds, and continues to grow even after payment of the plan’s benefits. It also provides coverage up to age 100, additional accident protection, and has a 'waiver of premium' benefit that exempts you from making future payments when you are diagnosed with any of the covered 56 major critical illness.

Moreover, Critical Care Max is part of the BPI AIA Wellness Series, a suite of different insurance products powered by AIA Vitality. AIA Vitality is the science-backed wellness program that works to make real change on one's health. Get the knowledge, tools, and motivation you need to do well on your journey towards healthy living so that you get more out of life and enjoy the rewards, while being protected against risks.

To know more about how BPI AIA can help you have a healthier, longer, and better life while securing your financial future, leave us a message or visit the BPI or BPI Family Savings bank branch nearest you.