Avoiding The Healthcare System: Preventing Illness At Home
Our healthcare systems are facing significant challenges, due to depleted workforce, a growing and aging population, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the looming threat of climate change-induced crises.
And so, increasing awareness to maintain personal health is essential. While avoiding the healthcare system entirely may not be realistic, adopting preventive measures at home can contribute to overall well-being.
Registered nurse Enxhi Kondi writes in the Toronto Star that the public is only waking up now to what healthcare professionals have known for decades: our healthcare system is headed for collapse.
While complete avoidance of the healthcare system may not be feasible, adopting a preventive mindset at home can significantly contribute to overall health.
One of the most accessible and impactful preventive measures is maintaining a healthy diet.
According to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada, up to 80% of premature heart disease and stroke cases can be prevented through lifestyle choices, with diet playing a pivotal role.
Ways a healthy diet can lower your risk of heart disease and stroke:
Improving your cholesterol levels
Reducing your blood pressure
Helping you manage your body weight
Controlling your blood sugar
Heart & Stroke’s 5 elements of a diet to prevent illness:
A wide variety of lots of fruits and veggies
Whole grains
Protein
Lots of water instead of sugary drinks
Avoiding ultra-processed foods
Another challenge is that despite knowing what to eat, its hard to come up with recipes. There are apps such as Whisk (now called Samsung Food), My Fitness Pal, Paprika etc. that help find recipes, but you still have to browse through 100s of recipes to find the one which your’d enjoy.
Another alternative to find recipes is by asking your nutritionist. It becomes affordable if you can cover their cost through your health insurance.
In navigating the challenges of Canada's healthcare system, individuals can take charge of their health by adopting preventive measures at home.
A foundational aspect of this approach is maintaining a healthy diet, which plays a significant role in preventing heart disease and stroke. If you are looking to outsource the task of automatically finding recipes for free, try Easy Platter. And, if you need help cooking (because your are busy), consider getting matched with a Easy Platter personal chef today.