Phone applications dish out data

— Whether you’re an iPhone, Android or BlackBerry user, that little piece of technology is always with you. More and more applications are offering to make your life easier, and more healthful.

Here are some.

THE EATERY

What it does: One quick scan of your Facebook newsfeed or Tweets from your followers confirms people love sharing photos of what they’re eating. This app lets you take that practice a step further. Snap pictures of your food and rate the general healthfulness of the meal (“fantastic” or “junktastic”). From there, you can ask friends to comment on your food choices. The Eatery takes all this and points out dietary traps.

The app isn’t as scientific as some others, but it does look at your overall consumption for a week and gives a summary of how well you are (or are not) eating.

Available for: iPhone, iPad

How much it costs: free

Find it at: eatery.massivehealth.com

GOOGLE GOGGLES

What it does: Snap a photo of any food label with your phone and this app gives you the nutrition information, the company’s website, where it’s sold (perfect if you are at someone’s house) and more.

Available for: Android, iPhone

How much it costs: free

Find it at: Google.com/mobile/goggles

THE HUMAN BODY

What it does: View, in detail, more than 270 elements of the human body. This is an educational app designed to be fun and informative. View and understand how your brain, heart or kidneys work or view a 3-D rotatable human body with selectable layers. iPad users can even feel the human heartbeat.

The Human Body app is one of five education apps picked by Apple as the “Best of 2011” in the Rewind 2011 promotion.

Available for: compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 4.0 or more recent.

How much it costs: $4.99

Find it at: apple.com/apps

LIVESTRONG.COM

What it does: LiveStrong has become a powerhouse of a brand, so it’s no surprise it now has apps. There are several to choose from, including one that offers tools for nutrition (including a calorie counter and meal planner), and others that focus on fitness and health broken down by sex. You can also click and drag the path of your run/bike or ride/walk on a Google map, and figure out how many calories you burned. Smokers looking to quit can use the MyQuit Coach feature.

Available for: Android, Black-Berry and iPhone/iPad

How much it costs: free to $2.99

Find it at: livestrong.com/mobile-apps

NEXERCISE

What it does: Is playing a video game so much more tempting than exercise? If so, download Nexercise. This app combines the two activities, turning fitness into an interactive game. You can play with friends, earn rewards, defeat challenges and track your progress.

Available for: Android, iPhone, iPad

How much it costs: free

Find it at: Nexercise.com

SLEEP CYCLE

What it does: We all know optimal sleep leads to optimal performance, but how do you know just how well you’re sleeping without spending the night in a sleep center?Your sleep patterns are analyzed with this app, using your phone’s movement sensor, and you are woken in the morning when you are sleeping your lightest.

Available for: iPhone, iPad

How much it costs: 99 cents

Find it at: SleepCycle.com

SODIUM 101

What it does: The Sodium 101 apps help users stay within their daily recommended sodium intake based on age and sex. Check prepackaged and restaurant foods and share your daily sodium totals on Facebook and Twitter.

Because people will be fascinated.

Available for: iPhone/iPad

How much it costs: Free

Find it at: iPhone App Store

SOLEIL ORGANICS

What it does: This app helps you decipher labels and identifies products that masquerade as “organic” but aren’t. The app also provides tips on what food to choose.

Available for: Android, iPhone, iPad

How much it costs: 99 cents

Find it at: SoleilMobile.com

SPOTTER

What it does: This is specifically for Gold’s Gym members and it has the expected gym locator, class finder and calorie counter. It also has a goal countdown feature, which tracks how long till that wedding or reunion. Just set a date and track your progress.

One feature I love is the ability to Flipbook yourself. Take progress photos. watch your transformation.

Available for: Android, iPhone, iPad

How much it costs: Free

Find it at: GoldsGym.com/community/phone-apps

ActiveStyle, Pages 24 on 06/25/2012

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