Her Health: A Healthier,“App”Ier Lifestyle

HEALTH

A HEALTHIER,“APP”IER LIFESTYLE

BY ANGIE WATSON

“There’s an app for that.” How many times have we heard that in recent years? In case you didn’t know, app is short for application that can be downloaded on a smart phone or tablet. As I share with you about lifestyle and nutrition, I would be remiss if I did not include the role that technology can play in helping you make lifestyle changes. Whether you want to eat healthier, exercise more, drink more water, be more consistent in taking your medication, limit stress, or sleep better – you guessed it – there is an app for that.

As a registered dietitian and diabetes educator, I enjoy helping my clients increase their knowledge in the areas of nutrition and diabetes. However, I fully recognize that knowledge alone does not always change behavior. Behavior changes require reinforcement and dedication, and some apps can help with that.

One of my favorite food-tracking apps allows people to track everything they eat and drink throughout the day and provides detailed nutrition information for each item. The app even has a feature where you can scan the bar code of a food package with your smart phone or tablet to populate all of the nutrition information for that item. This helps with accountability and shows where we may be consuming excess calories, carbs, fat or sodium. I still remember years ago when I tracked a particular dessert from a fast food restaurant and thought “What? It has how many calories?” The taste was not worth the calories to me, so I no longer indulge in that item.

Apps that allow for tracking behaviors such as physical activity and sleep can help us make sure we are getting enough of these important contributors to our health. Whether it is a step counter encouraging the goal of 10,000 steps or an app that will total your minutes of physical activity to help you meet that minimum of 150 minutes per week, it can be a motivator.

Have you tried some healthy lifestyle apps? If so, keep using them. If not, there is no time like the present. Choose a goal you want to work on and try to find an app that will help you succeed with that goal. USDA’s “Start Simple With My Plate” app is a great one to ease into healthier eating habits. Have fun, commit to your goal, and be “app”-y!

Angie Watson, RDN, LDN, CDCES is a registered dietitian working in the Diabetes Self-Management Program at the Pitt County Public Health Department. Angie earned a bachelor of science in applied human nutrition (BScAHN) from Mount Saint Vincent University in Nova Scotia, Canada in 2003. Since that time, she has been living and working as a dietitian in North Carolina. She became a certified diabetes educator (CDE) in 2013, and has been working in outpatient DSME programs since that time. Angie is married with a 5 year old daughter, and likes to spend her free time outdoors sailing, camping, and kayaking.

16 Her — March 2021 www.reflector.com/her