Four Apps to Boost Your Health

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If you have a smartphone, chances are that you spend a significant amount of time on it, playing games, checking mail, listening to music, and navigating a slew of other apps. I know I’m always on the lookout for useful apps to make my life easier, so when I saw a Yahoo! Screen video on health-related apps, I knew I had to share.

The video recommends four apps related to both physical and mental well-being:

1. Breathe to Relax—Did you know that when you are stressed out, your body turns on its “fight or flight” response? I sure didn’t. The truth is, when you’re feeling elevated levels of stress, your body’s digestive system starts to shut down. That’s why you might not feel hungry when you’re slammed at work or have a crazy schedule. It’s not that your body doesn’t need the nutrition; it’s just focused on other things. This app literally helps you take some deep breaths before sitting down to eat so that your body can properly digest and process food, and get those cortisol levels down.
2. Whole Foods Market Recipes—For those of you that cook, this app is seriously cool. It’s got several health-related categories for recipes (e.g. vegan, gluten free), and it allows you to plug in ingredients you have at home to search possible recipes. And like many recipe sites these days, it will even compile a shopping list for you.
3. Fooducate—Ever spend several minutes debating which brand will be better for your well-being? Fooducate allows you to scan barcodes and compare nutritional information to determine which food is better for your needs.
4. Lose it!—Even though I’m not a huge fan of calorie counting (I prefer just eating healthy in general), this app has the potential to seriously put things into perspective, especially for those of you that are chronic snackers. We don’t always realize exactly what we’re putting into our bodies, and this app acts as a food diary that tracks what you eat and keeps you aware of what, exactly, that means for your well-being.

Image from www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Which of these apps seems most useful to you? I’m excited about the recipe app because it’s not always easy to find recipes that fall into the guidelines I want to follow, and I always have leftover produce that I don’t know what to do with.

If you'd like to view the Yahoo! video, check here.

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Low-Calorie, Vitamin Rich

Some of the most versatile foods are also the best for you. I’ll confess I wasn’t much of a veggie eater until recently. I grew up eating mostly frozen and canned veggies, which, let’s face it, are usually lacking. I never realized how much I was missing out on—both in taste and in substance—until I finally started cooking for myself. For me, using fresh veggies is not only easier, but it tastes a heck of a lot better in whatever I’m making. Here are some of my favorite low-calorie superfoods to use:

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1. Arugula—4 calories per cup. A peppery leafy green packed with fiber, potassium, vitamins A, C, and K, and loads of other nutrients.
2. Asparagus—27 calories per cup. Don’t overcook it! A detoxifying food that flushes out your system and contains vitamins A, C, E, K, B6, folate, iron, copper, and protein.
3. Broccoli—31 calories per cup. A nice, crunchy green with plenty of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that could help fight cancer.
4. Brussel Sprouts—38 calories per cup. Looks like little mini lettuce-heads. Packed with phytonutrients and fiber and can help prevent cancer. I like them with their stems cut off and steamed with a few spices.
5. Beets—37 calories per ½ cup. Red or gold, they have a nice earthy sweetness. Lots of antioxidants for fighting cancer, as well as iron, fiber, folate, and potassium.
6. Coffee (black)—0 calories per cup. Without all the sweeteners, black coffee can help reduce risk of liver and colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, and Parkinson’s. It also speeds up your metabolism and helps your body burn fat.
7. Grapefruit—39 calories per half fruit. Great for heart health. Lots of vitamin C, folic acid, potassium, pectin, vitamin A, and lycopene.
8. Kale—5 calories per cup. Many think it might be the healthiest food around. It contains cancer-preventing phytonutrients, B vitamins, folic acid, and manganese.
9. Garlic—4 calories per clove. It can help fight colds, cancer, and UTIs (not to mention vampires!).
10. Tea—0 calories per cup. Straight tea (without sugar, etc.) contains antioxidants that help fight cancer and other diseases. It may also lower cholesterol, prevent osteoporosis, and keep our brains nimble.
11. Berries—32 calories per ½ cup. Whatever kind you like, berries area all full of anti-inflammatories that reduce your chances of getting cancer or heart disease. They’re also packed with antioxidants.
12. Carrots—22 calories per ½ cup. They’re also low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Lots of good vitamins and minerals, too: thiamin, niacin, B6, folate, manganese, dietary fiber, potassium, and vitamins A, C, and K.

Image from www.slashfood.com

Believe me, the list could go on… and on. These are just my favorites. I use most of them on a weekly basis—and now I’m hooked. They taste better and are better for me. But the big thing is that feel better eating fresh, pure, raw foods. What are your favorite superfoods?

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