My Five Faves – 5 Apps to Keep You Healthy!
There’s an app for everything and that’s sometimes the problem. When it comes to health and fitness there are literally hundreds of apps that promise to help us in our journey to better wellness.
Well, we are 30 days into the new year and if you’re like me, few apps could make exercise and eating healthy seem like a better choice than curling up on the couch with a glass of wine and some dark chocolate. But there are a few that can help even in the dead of winter when we need all the support, motivation and guidance we can get. It ain’t easy my friends, but there are tools you can use to maintain your healthy habits. Your phone is powerful. It allows you to take a world of knowledge with you to the grocery store, track your progress, set reminders to get moving, or stream workouts anywhere, at any time.
You just need to download a few apps (and maybe delete a few) to harness that power and you’ll be on the road to a healthier, happier YOU!
So, here they are…These are my Five Faves for apps.
Fooducate http://www.fooducate.com/.Your health and wellness is determined mainly by what you put into your body. In fact, losing weight is 80% diet/nutrition and 20% exercise. So, know what you’re eating. And, I’m not talking about calories. Know the kind of fats contained, how much added sugar, where the ingredients are sourced from and are they made in a lab or in the field. What I love about it: You simply scan the product’s barcode and it gives you a grade. A, B, C, etc. And, it provides reasons for that grade, alternatively healthy products to buy if it doesn’t score well and a comprehensive breakdown of the ingredients/nutrition. It even has restaurant menu items. Finally, there are recipes, a newsletter and other educational features that make it a great resource.
MyFitnessPal https://www.myfitnesspal.com/. I’ve tried others and I always come back to this one. It is the most intuitive and comprehensive food and exercise tracker. It has millions of foods in it, and while the exercise database needs to be updated (um, no HIIT training??), it is surprisingly comprehensive. Plus, it is compatible with dozens of other wellness apps like Fitbit, Strava, Peloton, Lose It, RunKeeper, and more! What I love about it: The ease of use. It’s saves all your recent foods and favorites. It suggests other foods that might accompany something you’ve selected. For example, it suggests almond milk and Greek yogurt when I select Shakeology powder.
All Recipes or All Recipes Dinner Spinner http://allrecipes.com/. This is my go-to recipe finder and place for saving favorites that I will use again and again. What makes it different, in my opinion, is that it’s populated by users of the app as well as food companies and other commercial entities. What I love about it: It has ratings and feedback from those who have made the recipe and comments on their modifications and improvements. In addition, the search function has a lot of parameters to really narrow down your choices. You can choose “Ingredients I want” or search with dietary filters such as dairy-free, wheat-free, etc. And, there are literally thousands and thousands of recipes. The website was around a long time before the app and their collection is noteworthy.
Grocery Gadget http://www.grocerygadgets.com/Gadgets/grocery-gadget.aspx. This is another one I’ve had forever on my iPhone. It truly is the best grocery list app I’ve found. You manually add items, scan barcodes and create multiple lists for any shopping trip. What I love about it: It’s simple. That’s what I need when I’m putting together a list. I can carry it around my kitchen and scan barcodes and add items to a list. It saves everything I’ve ever added so I can repeat lists. There may be apps with more features but I like this one for its simplicity.
Beachbody on Demand https://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/TBBClub?referringRepId=476579. Working out from home is my jam. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do less than go to a gym. It’s just who I am. For more than 10 years I’ve been doing workout DVDs – most were Beachbody programs but my early fitness years were spent with VHS tapes of Billy Blanks’ Tae Bo, and the ladies of The Firm. Fast forward to the digital streaming age and Beachbody On Demand is the new at-home workout program. Thousands of workouts, online, on-demand, any time. Everything from yoga to country line dancing to kickboxing to military-style bootcamp. What I love about it: I’m never bored with the workouts, I can try something totally new and out of my comfort zone without worrying about how I look or if I mess up, it tracks my workouts every time I log in, I can access it from my iPhone, iPad or PC (and smart tv if I really wanted to). And, it’s cheap. Yes, cheap. $99 for an annual pass or $199 for an annual pass AND a meal planning system and month of Shakeology. I’m all about convenience and saving money. If you want to work out in the privacy of your own home and have lots of choices, this is a great option.
So, there they are…my 5 faves right now. I’m always looking for new apps to help me live healthier and as I find them, I will pass them along to you. On my radar are sustainability rating apps for food and other products, local sourcing apps and local healthy dining apps. If you have a favorite you want to share, comment below or send me a message.
Until next time…Eat clean, move more and enjoy the journey!
Xo
Niki