Computers can be a blessing or a curse, depending on how they are used. What do they have to do with your health? They can have a significant impact if you are willing to learn and explore new ideas.
Unlike television, computers do not require millions of dollars from advertisers determining what information will be distributed. People can email, go on facebook, have a “blog”, chats, etc, etc and exchange information. People learn from each other. Newsletters containing valuable health information are available online, without influence from powerful special interests.
Because of having hypothyroidism in my family, and symptoms of it myself, I made it a point to learn about it. Mary J. Shomon wrote a great book called Living Well with Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Tell you …That You Need to Know. After reading her book, I learned she does continual research on thyroid and puts the new developments in an online newsletter.
A few months ago when the pharmacist told me he could no longer get the Armour thyroid I have taken over 15 years, Mary Shomon started a campaign through her newsletter to get the FDA to resend the action that took Armour off the market. Great numbers, who have found Armour thyroid to be more beneficial than the synthetic and much more expensive Synthroid, wrote letters, signed petitions and communicated. It got done and the pharmacist tells me he can get it any time now.
My experience with thyroid information is only one small example of how the computer can help you take charge of your health. Many people say they have “been put on” this or that medicine by their doctor. When asked what it is and how it works, they have no idea. It is just “heart medicine” or whatever. Physicians are so busy they often don’t take the time to explain. Most give you what state of the art medicine recommends and send you on your way. You can go online and learn about what you are about to take; whether it reacts with other drugs, side effects, and much more. You can learn how much research was actually done before the drug was put on the market and how effective it was compared to a placebo. Sometimes the difference is surprisingly little.
The computer can also be a bad influence on your health. If you spend hours on it just sitting, reading and dwelling on your ailments, it can actually make you sicker. A profound statement from the Bible is, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is.” You want to think health, not sickness. Learn and then do those healthy things which can help your body heal itself and see yourself well and strong as you enjoy life.
If you spend hour after hour sitting at a computer, it can keep you from getting the exercise you need, much like sitting in front of the television. However, the brain is usually more active with the computer than it is with television. Just learning to use it is stimulation for the brain!
There is plenty of information right online that you can use to stay health conscious. Sure, there is misinformation on the computer as well as anywhere else. The more you learn, the more you will be able to discern what is true and what is deception. Don’t fall for quick fixes. If it says you can eat anything that doesn’t eat you first, not exercise, and be healthy if you take this pill or powder, don’t believe a word of it.
An informative website is mercola.com. Dr. Mercola is an osteopathic physician near Chicago who has made it his goal to reform the medical profession by empowering people to take charge of their health. He includes reports from creditable sources on developments in alternative medicine as well as new findings in the medical world.
WebMD.com is ideal for those who are looking up symptoms and who also want to learn about the latest news in the medical profession. It offers medical advice for those who have questions regarding their health. Since it tends to focus on conditions, diseases, symptoms, and treatments, this one can cause you to dwell on what ails you, and even perhaps develop the things you read about. Learn what you are looking for and then get out of it.
Some favorite websites of mine are chetday.com and drdavidwilliams.com. Chet Day is a journalist who specializes in health. He has many contributors and he gives his readers an opportunity to share their ideas, recipes, etc. Dr. Williams travels all over the world studying and he shares what he learns about health with his readers. I subscribe to his Alternatives newsletter (snail mail) and log onto his website for more information.
The computer can be a wonderful tool, but like everything else, it can be misused.
(Janice Norris lives in Heber Springs, has a B.S. in home economics from Murray State University, taught home economics, owned and operated health food stores in Illinois and Heber Springs, has taught numerous health and nutrition classes, and wrote a weekly newspaper column in Illinois for 15 years. She can be reached at janicenorris34@yahoo.com)
Heber Springs, Ark. —
