Your healthcare needs matter. Wherever you may be, a comprehensive health and wellness plan will greatly benefit you in the long run. With over 10 years in the business of designing expat health insurance plans – for both businesses and individuals – the Expat Insurance team in Singapore is committed to serving your most pressing needs in healthcare. 

By shedding light on some of the contributing factors behind healthcare issues, we hope to increase awareness and along with it, inspire action to develop and strengthen a promising wellness program that includes insurance, mental positivity and lifelong habits among individuals in Singapore. One such area is in the habit of eating healthy and actively nurturing nutrition in diet. 

Chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure) and cardiovascular problems are leading causes of deaths in Singapore. More often than not, poor eating habits are a strong factor in the culmination of these chronic diseases. As these diseases are lifelong conditions, afflicted persons are not spared from having to take medications and go for doctor appointments regularly. However, preventive measures in the form of nutrition can delay the onset of any such diseases.

Wellness | Is It Only Insurance in Singapore?

What does a holistic approach to healthcare management look like? 

Understanding what contributes to good health will help us ensure overall well-being. Although the healthcare system in Singapore is one of the best globally, the costs incurred for a single outpatient visit can be incrementally high. Apart from gaining health insurance, looking at your background, history and current lifestyle habits can help expats like yourself develop a comprehensive health management plan. Healthcare – not just for expats, but all individuals – should go beyond health insurance coverage in Singapore. Nutrition, environment, support systems and mental care all play a role. 

The different types of expat health cover in Singapore. Do you have them? Check here. 

What is good nutrition?

The importance of good health is often forgotten, until diagnosed with a disease or a chronic illness. Good health can centre your physical and mental well-being, grounding you to be a better version of yourself as you pursue your life’s goals. Managing chronic illnesses can make going about your everyday life difficult. Often, good nutrition is the starting point to developing good health. 

What you choose to eat everyday affects your health over time. Nutrition refers to the process of eating foods that are necessary to support and strengthen growth and development in humans. Nutrients in the form of carbohydrates, fats, fibre, minerals, proteins and vitamins are important to take in for long-term good health. The right combination of these nutrients can help you maintain metabolism, higher energy levels and a stronger immune system – all of which are crucial in preventing and fighting diseases. 

Expats and locals alike can learn how to manage a nutritious diet by researching online. With the wide variety of tools and resources available, you don’t necessarily need a nutritionist for the most basic of health management needs. As health insurance advocates, we recommend that expats also practice basic nutrition habits in their diets. Often, eating a balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables is recommended. Likewise, choosing foods that are lower in saturated fats, salt and sugar is a basic requirement for a healthy everyday diet.

How Can Expatriates Improve Nutrition? | Going Beyond Insurance

You may be thinking – I already have expat health cover, why does this concern me? 

Good health begins with preventive measures. Heard of the saying – ‘Prevention is better than cure’? It is true in every sense of the word. Proper nutritional care can help you save on expat insurance premium costs and medical bills in Singapore. More than food, lifestyle habits such as smoking, regular exercise and self-care are equally important constituents to a healthier you. Selective dieting, fad diets and fasting are hardly healthy ways to manage overall health. 

Quitting smoking can help you live healthier. Find out how you can manage the habit and what types of expat health insurance you may need here. 

How can healthy eating habits prevent and slow down disease?

Eating healthy can be hard, especially when we are surrounded by fast food and are constantly on a deadline. Oftentimes, we find ourselves avoiding nutrition planning because it is either too time consuming, expensive or difficult to do. The good news is – it does not have to be expensive or difficult to integrate into our lives. 

Good nutrition can induce a myriad of benefits into our lives – weight management, stronger immunity, lowered risk of chronic illnesses as well as an overall positive physiological and mental well-being. Regular exercise and a balanced serving of fruits and vegetables are two simple ways you can work towards a healthier lifestyle – effectively serving you well in lower expat health cover premiums. 

Here are some easy healthy eating basics:

1. Keep to the 5 a day recommendation: Eat at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables a day. 
2. Hydrate with at least 6 to 8 glasses of water every day.
3. Eat a heavier breakfast so that you can reduce snacking in between meals.
4. Incorporate some exercise into your daily routine. 
5. Substitute snacks with fruits. Get inventive with smoothies or juices. 

Managing these habits as an expat in Singapore doesn’t have to be a lonely effort. Gather your friends and motivate each other to keep healthy. Sometimes, even with a balanced diet, strong nutrition habits and healthy lifestyle habits, it can be hard to determine how or why some of us fall sick. In cases like these, making sure you have the adequate health insurance required for expats in Singapore is essential. On top of general expat health insurance, it can be useful to also acquire critical illness insurance and an outpatient insurance plan in Singapore for more coverage.

Holistic Wellness: Lower Expat Health Insurance Costs Singapore

Here at Expat Insurance, we want to encourage a system whereby individuals – both expats and locals – can take greater ownership over their health and well-being. Wellness is not a guarantee in any of our lives and it is on us all to live a healthy life so that we can better enjoy the company of our loved ones without fear of falling ill. 

Eating well and practising food nutrition habits are key components to living better. That said, we encourage expats in Singapore to acquire health cover in the form of insurance. It is important to note that employee based medical insurance alone may not be sufficient to cover you in times of emergencies. Different companies take on varying levels of coverage. Proper care and prevention will help expats like yourself live worry-free and stable lives in Singapore, with the assurance that your health insurance is in the right hands. 

Find out if you have enough Life Insurance here in Singapore. 

Our experienced team works alongside corporations and individuals to secure comprehensive and specific medical insurance plans to suit a variety of needs. More than anything, your expat health cover with us will act as a safety net, kicking in when you need it. 

To schedule a consultation with us, contact us here.