There are many ways technology can help you live a healthier lifestyle, no matter where you live in Northern Michigan or what equipment you have. And these resources couldn’t be more convenient than through cell phone apps. From fitness to food to sleep, check out these six healthy lifestyle apps.

Fooducate 

Ben Watson, Weight Management Coordinator at Munson’s Foster Family Community Health Center in Traverse City, recommends trying out the Fooducate app. “You can scan a product in the store and it gives it a grade,” he says. “Nothing is ever good or bad; the question becomes, ‘How does this fit into my nutrition plan?’” If you’re looking for an app to keep a comprehensive food diary, Fooducate may quickly become your favorite.

MyFitnessPal

If you’re searching for an app that aids your weight-loss journey, MyFitnessPal is one of the most versatile options on the market. The app allows you to keep a food diary and track your food intakeplus analyze your habits and make more conscious decisions about your health. It’s incredibly user-friendly, as it allows you to scan barcodes, and save meals and recipesmaking food tracking fast and easy. 

7 Minute Workout Challenge

Busy schedule? You might need short workouts! And this app has your back. In seven minutes, the app will challenge you with 12 high-intensity bodyweight exercises—30 seconds per exercise with 10 seconds of rest between activities. Can you cross that workout off your busy to-do list? Yep! Check! 

MyPlate

MyPlate helps keep track of calories and hold you accountable, in a very easy way. By allowing users to input their food consumption, the app does the hard work for you, and automatically counts your calories. Then, it will break down your eating habits by providing an in-depth analysis of fat, protein and carb consumption. By generating a daily nutrition chart, this app examines your habits for you to help identify areas of improvement in your diet. MyPlate is a top pick for being a more mindful consumer.

Sleep Cycle

Through your phone’s built-in microphone, Sleep Cycle analyzes your sleeping habits by using sound and vibration. In order to ensure you wake up feeling well-rested and refreshed, the app recognizes what phase your body is at in the sleep cycle and wakes you up at the optimal point within the 30-minute alarm window you pre-set for yourself. The app also provides statistics and trends about your sleeping patterns, to help you sleep more and wake up less.

My Diet Coach

My Diet Coach is known to keep you on track in order to meet your goals. Through a water tracker, frequent spurs of motivation and reminders for accountability, this app helps implement small lifestyle changes in order to achieve large results. Bonus: Throughout the day, you’ll be reminded to increase your water consumption.

Written by Courtney Jerome