Websites that help with overall wellbeing

Using your web browser to find health information

The world wide web is a trove of useful information that can help you be more informed about health and wellbeing. By using the web browser on your computer or mobile device, you can:

• View web pages with health information
• Watch videos such as those on YouTube
• Subscribe to and play podcasts about health and wellbeing.

Using websites for meal planning

Let’s look at one way you can use the web to find information related to your health: meal planning.

You can use your web browser to search for recipe websites that can help you to easily work out meal plans. If you don’t know what to cook, you can search via dietary requirement, such as gluten free, coeliac, or low salt.

Using websites for grocery shopping

Many recipe sites let you create a shopping list of the ingredients you need for that meal, and then copy it automatically to a supermarket shopping site, if the items are available.

You can then order the list for delivery or pick up, without having to search each item individually on the supermarket’s site.

Some supermarket sites have recipes too

Some supermarket websites also have their own recipe section. There is usually less variety here, but the advantage is that the page will tell you if all the ingredients are currently available for order, and you can order by clicking or tapping a single button.

Look for the recipes section in the top menu of your preferred supermarket site.

Apps for other aspects of health and wellbeing

The Australian Government has a list of approved apps that may help with your health and wellbeing. The list includes the government’s HealthDirect app for finding free health information, advice and services, plus first aid and asthma apps, and more.

You can find the list at: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/health-and-wellbeing-apps

Staying safe when using health sites and apps

Sometimes it can be tricky to be sure that advice given by an app or website is correct or genuine.

Many sites and apps offer links to accredited sources of information and advice, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), which you can read for yourself.

If you are in doubt about anything, the safest thing is to ask your doctor about the information on the site or the app, and follow their advice.

Staying secure when using health apps

Many health apps use a health profile to track your results and data. These apps include a privacy statement you can read to make sure you are comfortable about how they use your information.

You should always use a strong password with a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters, when using a health app or site.

What health apps may do with your data

Many health apps will store some, or all of the data generated by the app in the cloud. Some of this data may also be visible to other users of the app. For example, they might get a message saying you have completed a walking circuit recently. Your data may also be shared with other apps.

If you are uncomfortable with any of this data being shared, it’s best not to use the app at all, or only use the features you are comfortable with.

Well done!

This is the end of the Websites that help with overall wellbeing activity. You’ve learned how the internet has lots of information about health and wellbeing, and how you can access this information safely.

If you’re a registered user, you can now complete a short quiz to test your learning. If you’re not registered, this is now the end of the Ways to improve your wellbeing course.