It’s official, using technology has become a natural way of life. Our smartphones can actually make us healthier if we know how to use them. Every day new apps are coming out with cutting edge AI designed to quantify our happiness and wellbeing. Our tiny screens can now track and change our habits, stay motivated with fitness, connect with mental health experts, and learn what nutrition plans work best for us all. It’s just about knowing how to separate the wheat from the chaff, so we’ve curated a list of 10 apps to start your 2021 off in optimum health.

1. Headspace

A Buddhist monk turns tech exec to spread the word about the benefits of mindfulness. This meditation app teaches users why bringing themselves to a state of mental calm is essential. Headspace gives you the tools to do this for short periods throughout the day but it can also guide you through a deeper practice. People have reported mental clarity, improved emotional stability, and a better attention span.

2. Health app (IOS)

Source: Apple Support/YouTube

You may already have the Health app (IOS) if you have an iPhone (Google Fit comes with Android and is just as comparable). This app is like having a Fitbit on your phone though it syncs with most wearables and has even more features to offer. It counts your steps, energy expenditure, the number of calories you’ve burned, how long you take to run a mile and it even tracks your sleep. With all this stored data it’s a great place to upload your medical records to share with your healthcare provider.

3. Calm

Source: Calm/YouTube

All the good things you could say about Headspace applies here on Calm as well. It comes with a bit higher price tag but offers even more in-depth meditations and tools for people who are looking to improve existing practice. The interface is more subdued but just as soothing as its more cheerful counterpart depending on what you prefer.

4. My Fitness Pal

Source: MyFitnessPal/YouTube

This isn’t just a super easy to read calories counter. My Fitness Pal app gives you an overview of the nutrients you may be missing and how best to allocate your macros across your diet. The gamified exercise and food intake diary is a great way to start learning and stay motivated. It’s always best to share this data with your doctor or a certified nutritionist.

5. Forks over Knives Based Recipes

If you loved the documentary, you will love the Forks over Knives Based Recipes app designed by the same team. With hundreds of mouthwatering recipes and an easy to use shopping guide, your plant-based meal ideas will be virtually endless. It’s a great way to add new recipes to your vegan diet repertoire, whether or not you’ve already gone full veg. There’s also a handy meal plan version you can download to go along with it!

6. TalkSpace

Source: Talkspace/YouTube

Finally, an affordable and convenient way to access accredited mental health experts. Talkspace has developed the world’s first Digital Employee Assistance Program so users can pay with their own health insurance. In addition to various forms of financial aid,  you’ll be able to get most of your prescriptions filled. If talk therapy is something you’re looking for, it’s here at your fingertips with live professionals at your beck and call. If it’s just something you’d like to test out, this is a far less financially risky way to start! 

7. Happify

Happify uses a scientific approach to increasing your happiness by offering a variety of activities to stimulate different areas of the brain. Happify works by keeping you engaged, reframing your thought processes, and offering the advice of happiness experts around the world. It’s even gotten the attention of TalkSpace and now offer cross-app promotions.

8. Fooducate

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Fooducate (@fooducate)

Fooducate is a great grocery shopping companion. Just scan an item or type in an ingredient and it will give you the full nutritional value while providing a rating on a scale of A to D.  If you ever wanted to know how much fructose is in an apple, compare cereal brands for the healthiest choice, or want to track how many net carbs you have left, this is a great app for that.

9. Sanvello

Based on the highly effective techniques behind Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Sanvello aims to teach you the skills to change the way you think. Coaches use mood and physical health tracking tools to alter unhelpful cognitive distortions and behaviors. You can also use your insurance or apply for financial aid. There are options for coping with a wide range of issues like negative thinking, stage fright, and test-taking to name a few.

10. AllTrails

Have you ever noticed how you just seem a little bit more relaxed when you’re out in nature? For most of us Homo sapiens, the great outdoors is associated with lower blood pressure and an overall sense of wellbeing. AllTrails will help you do just that. AllTrails sources all the best hiking, biking, and running trails, so no matter where you are you can get away. Using your GPS and location photos, you’ll always know where to go. Seeing posts from all those that came before you is also a treat.

Let’s face it, 2020 was enough to bring anyone down. It’s time to get back on a healthy track in 2021 and these 10 apps can surely help!

Lastly, Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home with Food Monster App!

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer and has many side effects. 

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

For more Animal, Life, Vegan Food, Health, and Recipe content published daily, don’t forget to subscribe to the One Green Planet Newsletter! Being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please support us!