My Top 5 Health Apps

As a naturopathic doctor, I'm often asked for tips on how to stay healthy from day to day. Aside from the basics of healthy eating, exercise and a good nights sleep, here are a few apps that I like to use myself as well as recommend to others.

1. Headspace

"Meditation made simple"
Headspace is a free app that guides you through 10 days of 10-minute meditations. There are countless researched and documented health benefits to meditation, but it can be a difficult task for many of us to fit in with our busy lives. Headspace is great, as it is short and can be done virtually anywhere. Rather than repeating a mantra or trying to let go of all thoughts, it helps you be more mindful of your breath, your body and your surroundings. Great to do first thing in the morning to set your intention for the day, after work to clear your head, or before bed to prepare you for a deep restful sleep.

Free. https://www.headspace.com/

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2. My Calm Beat

Mycalmbeat helps you slow your breathing rate to encourage feelings of calmness and relaxation. Breathing is an interesting phenomenon, as it is both an autonomic response and a voluntarily controlled action. By being more aware of our breathing rate (and in most cases slowing it down), we can shift our nervous system into a parasympathetic state, also known as "rest and digest" (as opposed to the sympathetic stress response that is dominant in our fast-paced culture). Like headspace, this app can be used anywhere, and even multiple times per day. Feeling stressed out at work? Try a minute of slow breaths using this app, and see how good you feel.

Free. https://www.mybrainsolutions.com/mycalmbeat

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3. My Fitness Pal

While I don't necessarily agree with the 'calorie counting' philosophy for weight loss (weight loss is much more complex than simply calories in - calories out), I do think it's important to be mindful of what we put into our bodies, and the act of keeping track of what you eat and how much you exercise for a week of two can be quite eye opening. Knowing that you are accountable can also help you make healthier choices (i.e. not eating that second piece of cake because you know you are logging it into that app). 

Free. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

4. Duolingo

Duolingo is a free app for learning a new language. While this might not be considered a 'health' app by some, the health benefits of learning a new language are clear - slowing brain aging, keeping memory sharp, and decreasing the risk of cognitive disorders such as alzheimer's disease. 

Free. https://www.duolingo.com/

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5. Environmental Working Group

The Environmental Working Group is a non-profit that shares information to protect both human health and the environment. They have two different apps, both of which are useful:

Dirty Dozen
This popular list helps you determine which foods to buy organic (the dirty dozen, or foods with the highest pesticides) versus foods lower in pesticides that are not as essential to buy organic. This list can also be downloaded as an app so that it's handy while grocery shopping, and it is updated yearly.

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Skin Deep
This app shows information on personal care products, from shampoos and soaps to lipstick and sunscreen. It gives each product a safety rating based on it's ingredients and chemicals, helping you chose the safest and healthiest products.

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Other Apps

A couple other apps that are useful, but more specific for certain people include:

1. Swim Guide
This free app tests the water from beaches, lakes and swimming holes across North America and lets you know if they are safe to swim in. Updated daily.  https://www.theswimguide.org/guide/get-the-app/

2. iPeriod 
For the women, tracking your cycle (with this app or others, there are many) can be helpful for a variety of reasons. It can help determine if something is irregular (cycle length, pain, spotting, etc), if other symptoms fluctuate or correspond to a time in the cycle (i.e. migraines), and which days are most fertile.  www.winkpass.com/iperiod.html