Health & Wellbeing: Prevention is better than cure

An old and yet a very actual Latin proverb that has so much wisdom in it. The rush and busyness in our contemporary world are definitely a trend which overpass the prevention stage in our life.

And this matter becomes even more impactful when it comes to University Hospital Limerick which, unfortunately, keeps stubbornly its top position as the most overcrowded hospital in Ireland.

The last report issued by the Department of Health, www.gov.ie, about Key Trends in Ireland 2022 is proof that we can do better with prevention in our country. The 2022 edition of Health in Ireland: Key Trends provides summary statistics on health and health care over the past 10 years.

A figure that caught my eye straight away was, preventable deaths by gender. Death rate per 100.000 population in Ireland is just under 200 in men and very close to 100 in women. That tells us that, every year we can prevent 3% of the deaths in our country by increasing the prevention behaviour when it comes to our health. This is leaving alone the prevention of other diseases which impact our daily lives and the health system in Ireland.

How can we do that? Is prevention a hard thing to do that requires time and money? How is this going to work for us as busy human beings in a world of technology and digitalisation?

These are the three questions that I am going to answer here.

How can we develop a preventive sustainable behaviour when it comes to our health?

The answer is by going back to basics. As human livings we are designed with a very smart software which has the capacity of self-regulation. That means that our organism can return to its balance state called homeostasis under normal circumstances.

It is our daily job to keep these normal circumstances present in our life. What are those normal circumstances: food, water, exercise and level of stress. We are what we eat, so keeping our eating habits clean and seasonal is a guaranteed working switch that can turn on our immune system.

Drinking water, instead of sugary drinks is vital for a body which is 75% water.

Our tissues and organs will reward our efforts for keeping them hydrated by functioning optimal.

Choosing a form of outdoor exercise, walking, cycling, running is a cheap and cheerful way to move your body and connect with Mother Nature which ultimately, we belong to.

Keeping the stress levels as low as possible can be a tricky one but once you find the right key to your own nervous system it’s always going to be up to you. It is like any other learned behaviour.

Going back to basics is never going to cost you more than it will cost you to fix yourself. Eating nourishing healthy foods, it is never too expensive if they act like your medicine. When you invest in your health it is never too expensive.

Pause and use the switch off button on a regular basis when it comes to technology and give your nervous system a break. If it works for your computer, it is going to work for your nervous system.

And least but not last, ask for help.

There are professional health and wellness practitioners out there that are happy to help.