Apps for a Healthy New Year

This post is part of my partnership with the
US Cellular Blogger Brigade Ambassador Program.

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The cookies have been munched.

The turkey and stuffing devoured.

The pie stuffed into my face.

 

 

Christmas has come and gone, it’s time to start the new year right.

Of course, I say that every year, and I’ll be honest I try to stick to a healthy lifestyle. However, sometimes I don’t feel like hitting the gym, or I miss that dentist appointment, or I eat and drink my weight in sweets and alcohol.

As 2017 approaches I’m more and more conscientious about making health a priority for myself and my family, but I could use some help.

While a chef, nutritionist, personal trainer and personal assistant might be helpful they’re definitely not realistic. There’s one thing in my life that could do all that and more, and it’s my iPhone.

According to US Cellular, today’s mobile devices are empowering people to become more engaged in health and wellness than ever before.

In fact, a recent survey by U.S. Cellular 17 percent of smartphone owners used a connected device to monitor their health, nine percent to track their medications and seven percent to monitor their blood sugar.

Smartphones allow us to access and view our health information in an entirely different way.

Earlier this year my husband had a catheter ablation of his heart. Basically, it was beating out of rhythm and needed to be fixed. The surgery was successful, but he still needs to monitor his heart rate. Instead of wearing a heart rate monitor all the time he uses a device that can be snapped onto his iPhone. This little device has given him peace of mind and helps him keep his heart rate in check.

Smartphones and tablets, such as the iPhone 7, Samsung Galaxy S7, and the iPad Air 2, can also provide blood test results, medication information, glucose readings, medical images and much more.

 

I even keep track of my heart rate too, especially during exercise, so I can monitor my health data and get continuous guidance and information. Instant Heart Rate (IOS and Android, Free) allows users to measure their heart rate wherever they are by simply placing a finger on the device’s camera. The app records heart rate data and notes each measurement with details on physical activity.

I can’t wait to try it!

 

 

One of my favorite apps that will help me on my 2017 health journey, is MyFitnessPal. I use this every single day. Lately, due to medical reasons, I’ve had to monitor my diet. The ease of calorie calculation and food diary documentation makes MyFitnessPal a life saver. Not only that, but I can just email a copy of my food diary to the doctor each week. Easy peasy.

 

 

 

Luckily for us, our hospital has online medical records we can access at any time, even from our smartphones. This comes in handy when referencing medications, test results or immunizations.

If your hospital doesn’t have digital medical records yet, there are a few apps that can do the same thing {within reason}.

 

CareZone (IOS and Android, Free) lets users create a list of medications, dosages, and schedules directly from the device’s photo library. The app also documents and shares symptoms with a user’s family or doctor, while providing a place to store vital insurance information and schedule reminders for upcoming appointments.

 

 

 

My Medical (IOS and Android, $4.99) is a comprehensive record-keeping app for personal medical information.  Users can keep track of immunizations, blood pressure, cholesterol, emergency contacts, health insurance and doctor’s information. It will automatically keep track of upcoming appointments on the smartphone’s calendar app. Not only can you keep track of your own medical records, you can also keep track of your kids’, parents’, and others.

 

 

 

Some apps and services even give you medical advice for non-emergency situations:

 

 

Doctor on Demand (IOS and Android, Free for the app, $49/doctor visit) delivers quick medical advice for non-emergency situations.

The app provides video visits with a board-certified physician, psychologist or more from home or anywhere. There is no subscription fee, but doctor visits are $49.

 

 

 

 

With these helpful tips and apps, I’m ready to start my health journey.

Bring on 2017!

 

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All opinions are my own and an honest view of my story as a US Cellular customer.

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