By Sydney Narzabal, SUNY Oneonta Dietetic Intern, Helen Hayes Hospital | August 31, 2018
If you’ve ever had a thought such as, “What if there was a way to…”, there’s probably an app for that. Since the release of the first-generation iPhone in 2007 and additional smart electronics, the uprising of applications has increased tremendously.
With regard to maintaining heart healthy habits, the American Heart Association released diet and lifestyle recommendations. Some key recommendations include that people should:
- Engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week
- Consume a variety of fruits and vegetables without high-caloric sauces or added salt and sugars
- Choose fiber-rich whole grains
- Select the leanest cuts of poultry and fish
- Consume skim and low-fat dairy products
- Replace saturated and trans fats with mono/polyunsaturated fats
- Choose foods with less sodium and prepare meals with little or no salt
In this 21st century, it is now much easier to introduce these recommendations into everyday life at the palm of your hand. Here is a list of some dietitian-approved health and fitness applications and why they should be on your home screen (and they’re free!):
Waterlogged: Drinking water as the main source of hydration is vital for overall health. This app prepares personalized charts and provides reminders throughout the day to help you meet your daily water intake. Users can observe their progress and personally customize the app based on the size and type of water bottle or glass.
Yogaia: Yogaia is a subscription-based app that administers interactive yoga, meditation, cardio and strength training sessions. With more than 100 sessions offered, users can filter them by difficulty level (beginner, intermediate, experienced) and personalize goals such as to relax, strengthen and tone, or enhance overall well-being.
Sodium Tracker: This app provides an easy approach for users to track their daily sodium intake. Individuals can set a daily sodium goal from a recommended list, keep an archive of favorite foods to quickly add them to the daily sodium total and add other foods from nutrition label information. The recommended daily amount of sodium is 2300 mg, but in order to lower blood pressure, consuming 1000–1500 mg of sodium is desirable.
My Cardiac Coach: Supplying reliable and science-based information from the experts at American Heart Association, users are provided with interactive lessons regarding lifestyle changes, trackers for monitoring blood pressure and weight, tools for managing medication(s), and connections to heart attack/stroke survivors and experts via the Support Network.
Honey: In a world where food and nutrition information can be found anywhere and everywhere, it can be difficult to decipher which source is the most reliable. This social network app allows users to view credible food and nutrition information by registered dietitians, follow registered dietitians based on specific areas of interest, and post nutrition questions for registered dietitians to respond to.
References
- Abarbanel, A. (2017, October 06). 4 Health Apps That Nutritionists Love. Retrieved from https://www.bonappetit.com/story/4-health-apps-that-nutritionists-love.
- Apps Archives. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://foodandnutrition.org/tag/apps/.
- IPhone Premieres This Friday Night at Apple Retail Stores. (2018, July 21). Retrieved from https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2007/06/28iPhone-Premieres-This-Friday-Night-at-Apple-Retail-Stores/
- The American Heart Association’s Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/Diet-and-Lifestyle-Recommendations_UCM_305855_Article.jsp#.W3MBl5NKhAY