Megan Young’s 5 secrets to staying happy, healthy, and vibrant

Here are Megan Young’s top 5 tips to staying happy, healthy and vibrant.

1. Nutrition

Megan is an early riser. She starts her morning with a bowl of oats and has two cups of coffee throughout the day. “Nutrition is such a big part of my life because it’s what fuels my body,” she says, showing some of her favorite food including protein-rich dishes, veggies, and fruits. “Wala lang rice dito kasi di ako nakapag-luto,” she adds with a laugh.

Megan reveals, “When it comes to my meals, I love having carbs, carbs, carbs! And also meat and dessert. The reason I’m saying this is because siyempre we want to make sure we treat our bodies well. We can eat 80% healthy food and 20% kung ano gusto nating kainin.”

Megan would rather focus on a healthy lifestyle than on a diet because she feels that a diet puts her in a mindset that she needs to eat less. For her, moderation is key.

Carbohydrates help regulate our mood since low blood sugar levels can induce mood swings and irritation. Carbs also give us energy to perform physical activities, help us gain muscle and relieve muscle fatigue. Lean meats provide protein and iron which help us gain muscle and bone strength. A diet that’s rich in vegetables and fruits can help lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and have a positive effect on our blood sugar levels.

 “Feed your body with the nutrition it needs,” Megan says. “Food is medicine. Always remember that prevention is better than looking for a cure.”

2. Pausing and taking a breather

Going on trips requires financial planning and being healthy. Megan considers “going away to take a breather” an essential way to avoid burnout since the couple, who got married in 2020, have very busy working schedules.

“We save up and take care of our health para ma-enjoy talaga namin these things. To do that, we always make sure that we work out and, of course, we take care of our finances,” she says. “Definitely pause and take a breather especially in these times of social media. Enjoy your time with your family and loved ones. Or even if you’re going solo, just pause and enjoy the view.”

Megan says her two favorite destinations in the world are Japan and Iceland. “Gustong-gusto talaga namin ang Japanese food. It’s our favorite cuisine. Just before the pandemic, Fofo and I flew to Japan for an anime convention. We went on a whim and didn’t even have a hotel booked. It was exciting and frustrating, but it was a moment to remember because a lot of things happened. What I loved about Iceland is that it was out of my comfort zone. We were in the middle of nowhere, but I really enjoyed the hiking and sightseeing.”

3. Exercise

Exercise helps manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, improve memory and brain function and strengthen bones and muscles. It can also lift your mood as it helps reduce depression and anxiety. According to a study by the University of Michigan, more exercise leads to more happiness and other positive benefits.

Megan admits that because her schedule is always packed, she exercises only two to three times a week but wants to do it more often. “During a workout, I’m so tired and I’m always second guessing why I’m working out, but after the whole workout I feel really good, I feel energized. Exercise is important because I want to be strong and healthy so I can do things throughout the day. And of course, it’s planning for the future. If and when Fofo and I do have kids, my body will be ready. Basically, I exercise for physical wellness.”

4. Financial planning

“For those that don’t already know, medyo matipid talaga ako sa mga bilihin. I guess it’s because I want peace of mind. That’s why I always try to plan with my husband kung ano yung mga bagay na gusto ko. These may be trips I want to go on, k-pop merch I want to buy, or maybe new experiences we both want to try that we have to put out money for. Just to summarize what I’m sharing, plan your finances accordingly to enjoy and have peace of mind.”

So what would she do if she wants a designer bag that isn’t budgeted or planned for? “I would window shop the bag because I know I can’t afford it and it’s not budgeted for. Bakit ko pa bibilhin?”

 “Oh and bonus tip: when we’re doing our financial planning, we don’t do it just for luxuries or things we want to enjoy. It’s also for things that are important to us. An example of this is taking care of our health, whether it’s with insurance or health protection. We need to budget this because medical expenses can be high, so we make sure that we have insurance para less worries.”

Megan agrees FWD Vibrant Critical Illness Insurance is a complete health protection. “It protects you from wellness to treatment to recovery. You’re covered before anything happens up to after everything happens. With FWD Vibrant you can get cash for health screening so that you can monitor your health; you’ll also receive cash for medicines to support your recovery in case you get sick; and for your peace of mind, you can claim up to 6x for major critical illnesses; and on top of that, you get minor critical illness coverage worth 25% of the benefit amount.”

5. Self-care

The most important result of taking care of herself is that she gets energy that she is able to share with her family, friends and co-workers.

Megan makes time for self-care and this includes a daily skincare routine. She makes sure to remove her makeup before going to bed to prevent breakouts and clogged pores. “I like getting my nails done and I love getting a massage every so often especially after a very difficult workout.”

Megan’s final tip to celebrate living with energy and joy is to “take care of your health and finances. And don’t forget to stay happy, healthy and vibrant with FWD Life Insurance.”

For a more happy, healthy, and vibrant life, set up a meeting with an FWD financial advisor. Check out the FWD Vibrant calculator here for an initial idea of the plan.