There’s an app for that: Using technology to support well-being

With smartphone technology, we can text, listen to music, navigate cross country, watch movies, participate in social networking and email colleagues and friends.

While there are tons entertaining smartphone applications, you can also use them to enhance and support your health and well-being.

One glance through the application market on a smartphone will demonstrate that there really is an app for everything. Certain apps make it possible to track food intake, quickly evaluate the quality of food items, obtain restaurant nutrition information and log physical activity. Many of these apps are free to download. When used consistently, these apps can be helpful tools in supporting healthy choices and behaviors.

Let’s take a look at what some of these wellness apps have to offer:

• Restaurant Nutrition by Foundation Health Care Network: This app is a useful guide in choosing healthier options when dining out. With a simple search, it is possible to find nutrition information on thousands of food items at popular restaurants. This app also has a navigation tool that allows the user to search for the nearest restaurant. While this app is somewhat limited in its menu choices (as menus change frequently), it still provides great, “at-your-finger-tips” information that can encourage healthier choices.
• Fooducate by Fooducate, LTD: This app is one of my personal favorites, and it comes in handy at the grocery store. With Fooducate, you can scan the barcode of any product to see nutritional highlights. Foods are graded based on contents such as sodium, preservatives, added sugar, etc. Once a food is scanned and graded, a list of alternatives is offered. It also allows you to compare products side by side and it keeps track of the history of analyzed foods.
  This app is a fantastic tool to help you and your loved ones make better, more informed nutritional choices. The downside is that the newest products on the market are not always available in the app’s database. Also, keep in mind that while this app provides some good feedback, it is not a replacement for nutrition advice from a registered dietitian. If you do have some nutritional concerns, seek the advice of a professional.
• 360 Wellness Tips by the Cleveland Clinic: This app provides daily health and wellness tips for living a happier, healthier, more mindful life. The Wellness Tips app is unique in that it not only focuses on the body, but stresses the importance of the dynamic connection between mind, body and nutrition. It's a great mood booster and motivator.
• Calorie Counter by MyFitness Pal: Don’t let the name fool you – this app provides more than just a means to counting caloric intake. In addition to a large food database, this app focuses on nutrition and physical activity and allows you to track your progress based on personal goals. The best part: its memory. With Calorie Counter, foods entered are remembered for easier tracking on subsequent days. It makes the days of logging food by hand ancient history.
• RunKeeper by Fitness Keeper, Inc.: This app allows users to track workout sessions, monitor overall progress and benefit from social support by sharing results and progress with friends. Although the app is called “RunKeeper," users can select more than just running as their activity of choice. This app is especially attractive to those who respond well to visual stimuli. RunKeeper provides charts and graphs to illustrate an individual’s progress toward a goal. Lastly, and probably the most appealing feature, is RunKeeper’s GPS driven characteristics. As a result, this app can interface easily with other apps such as, Garmin or Fitbit.

As with any app, not all are offered for every device, so be sure to check out what options are available to you. Whatever app appeals to you, embrace the convenience and simplicity of making better, "smarter" and healthier choices that will enhance your personal well-being.