Where do you find out about health information? I mean really think about it: where have you learnt most of the health stuff you know? When you truly consider this, you will realise that much of it came from newspapers, TV, advertising, friends/family and the Internet. Are these really the sources you want to rely on for your health? Most people do more thorough research into buying a car than they do into how to look after their bodies.
We all know that papers and TV are more interested nowadays in a good story than they are in an honest story or an accurate story. In fact most of the people writing those articles and creating that TV content will have no health qualifications whatsoever and will get most of their information from commercial press releases, advertisers and special interest groups. Hardly sounds like a recipe for unbiased, accurate advice.
Advertising also has obvious flaws. Everyone wants to claim their product is the best, the healthiest, the tastiest. Ads are designed to sell products - not to be truthful and accurate.
We all know that the Internet can be very hit and miss. There is lots of great stuff on there but there is also lots of dribble. Knowing which sites are truthful and accurate can be very difficult.
What about your friends and family? Well, research shows that over 80% of Australians have some sort of chronic disease. In fact our rates of lifestyle diseases are getting higher and higher every year. Are these really the people you want to rely on for your health information?
So where should you get your information from?
There a number of good, healthy resources you can look at. Of course, there is my website www.drbretthill.com, but that is just one of many great resources. A couple of websites that I have used extensively over the years are www.mercola.com (lots of general health and wellness info and research) and www.crossfit.com (great functional fitness content). I also have lots of excellent books that I have read and recommend on my Amazon list (http://astore.amazon.com/drbretthillco-20). I am also fortunate to have a lot of colleagues and acquaintances who spend their lives researching and learning about health, and share that with me one-on-one and in seminars.
The key for you, though, is to actively find your own resources that you know and trust. Use ones that have been recommended to you by your healthcare provider or a learned friend. Check the facts and research to see that they are to be trusted, and always seek to get a couple of different points of view... because if you just rely on the information that you are being spoon-fed through the TV, Internet and your friends, then chances are, you are entrusting your health to a sales rep and a marketing guru.
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