While researching the value of nutrition on our long term care benefits (“Eating for Life — An LTCi Benefit“), I came across a powerful infographic. There was so much important information in that image, I decided it needed its own blog post. I want to highlight all the great points made.

Many people spend their time and energy looking to solve their health issues with multiple prescriptions. But some of the easiest answers can be found in the foods we eat on a regular basis.

The Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University has launched a Public Impact Initiative to address the “nutrition crisis” found across our nation. They are bringing the full power of their research to help create awareness and change. They are targeting farming programs, school lunch offerings, the military and many other stakeholders in the healthcare sector.

Food Is Medicine

The image below starts with the 10 foods that cause nearly half of U.S. deaths (heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes) each year.

• Eating too much:  sodium, processed meat, sugary beverages, and unprocessed red meat
• Eating too little:  nuts & seeds, seafood Omega-3, vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and polyunsaturated fats

The Public Initiative aims to save lives and also reduce the skyrocketing costs of healthcare.

Workplace Strategies

• Reducing employee health risks (like high blood pressure and sugar levels) by only 1% can save employers $83 to $103 each year.
• Wellness programs lower medical costs by $3.27 for every $1.00 spent

Lower Income Families

• Increasing intake of fruits & vegetables of all SNAP recipients will save $6.77 billion over a lifetime.

Healthcare System

• Increasing intake of fruit & vegetables by Medicaid and Medicare participants could prevent almost 2 million cardiovascular disease incidents and save over $40 billion in healthcare costs.
• Treating diabetes by providing free fresh food lowers the risk of death or other complications by 40%.
• Increasing the amount of whole grains, nuts, fish, and plant-based oils in our diets can prevent 3.31 million cardiovascular disease events. This could save over $102 billion in healthcare costs.

The LTCi Benefit

Here’s the bonus! While we’re enjoying all of this delicious, nutritious food, we’re feeling the incredible benefits in our bodies. We’re also living longer lives with significantly better health. This lowers our own cost of healthcare.

In addition, this preserves the value of your long term care insurance policy, allowing it to grow in value for a longer period of time. When you finally need to start receiving payments, you will have a deeper well to draw from. This gives you access to a wider variety of care options and a higher quality of life in your later years.

Click here to receive a free, no-obligation quote for your own LTCi policy.