9 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR MARRIAGE HEALTHY

Day 2:  Have a financial plan

 

Nearly 40 percent of married people admit to lying to their spouse about a purchase, according to a 2004 poll, and money woes can quickly send your marriage south. In fact, money is the number-one reason couples fight, and relationships tend to suffer during poor economies. You should discuss and agree upon some hard financial ground rules, preferably before you tie the knot.
Don't fret if you're a spendthrift and your partner pinches pennies.
"It's probably not a good thing to have the exact same philosophy about money, " says Ken Robbins, M.D., a clinical professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin--Madison. "But financial issues are best to resolve early on. You want to decide who is going to pay the bills, how much discretionary spending is reasonable, and how you're going to keep track of it all."

9 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR MARRIAGE HEALTHY

Today starts a series of 9 ways to keep your marriage healthy.  We will cover one way per day.  Please feel free to comment as we all can learn from one another.

DAY 1:

1. Watch your waistline
Now that you're married, you can finally relax and skip the gym, right? Wrong. Wedded couples tend to have fatter waistlines, which can spell trouble in terms of sexual attraction and general health.

A 2007 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that your chances of becoming obese increase by 37 percent if your spouse becomes obese. So unless you want "till death do us part" to include chronic health issues like heart disease and diabetes, it's important to establish healthy eating habits early on.

But warding off weight gain isn't as simple as whipping up a healthy meal together. Eating with anyone -- from your spouse to coworker -- can cause you to consume 33 percent more than you would solo.
Being aware of the potential fatty pitfalls of marital bliss may be enough to keep your portion sizes in check. Spend couple time checking out local farmers' markets on the weekends in an effort to consumer fresher, low-calorie fare. Or schedule an exercise date to work off some of your hearty, homemade dinners.