Friday, September 6, 2013

Free Online Health Education

In my eight years experience as a health professional I truly believe that our health is the number one asset that anyone can possess and free online health education is vital. Sadly, we often take it for granted until it is compromised, whether that be developing back pain, feeling exhausted, or a suffering a significant health event like a heart attack.

While genetics and other factors we can't control have their part to play, we have a huge amount of control over our energy and health. Here are some interesting statistics; heart disease is 60-70% preventable (Koop, 2002), strokes are 80% preventable (Michel/ USC 2001), cancer is 60-80% preventable (Rosenthal 1998), and type 2 diabetes is 90% preventable (Hu, 2002).

The main factors that we can control include what we take in to our bodies- what we eat and drink, what we think, how we move, how we rest and recover. Prolonged stress, toxins in our food and home, lack of exercise and relaxation, poor food choices, disturbed sleep, lack of education and motivation are common factors leading to poor health. Free online health education can address many of these issues.

Our bodies are much more dynamic then we often give them credit for. Our nerve endings in our brain respond to input and stimulus over time, our bones adapt and can become stronger with load, relaxation can speed healing and regeneration, and most of our skin cells are replaced every six weeks. Optimal inputs give rise to optimal outputs, and we have more control than we think.

Free online health education is the answer to optimising health world wide as there are one billion people who access the internet on a daily basis and free removes financial barriers to access. The internet is now the main source of knowledge and information world wide, and needs to be utilised in a bigger way to improve world health.

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