The iPhone is a wonderful tool and the number of real-world applications is growing by the day. With so many diet and fitness apps to browse on the App Store it can be a tough job finding one that just works. We have scoured the web searching for a selection of the best to share with you.
Unfortunately we were not able to find an app that makes you dinner at the press of a button. Nor did we find an application that makes you lost weight, lower your cholesterol, tone your abs or beef up those shoulders! Sorry!
But what we did find are some of the best diet and fitness apps which will make cooking and shopping a breeze by helping you organise shopping lists, calories and even providing you with amazing ideas for meals then showing you how to make them! On the fitness side of things we have applications that can measure and track your heart rate (both when stationary and now also while on the move!) Plus, others which will support you in new exercise routines or encourage you to try new things. Interested? Read on to find out more. Clicking the links will open the App Store so make sure you click the correct link for you.
The Seven Minute Workout Challenge
The Seven Minute Workout Challenge App is one of the few apps on the app store which are based on extensive popular science. It is also one of only a handful of apps which are the official supporting app of an international fitness explosion!
This app is phenomenally simple and truly rewarding. Exercising is never going to be easy – you’ve faced up tho that fact no doubt by now. But with this app, you’ll find it doesn’t have to take forever nor feel like a chore.
The seven minute workout challenge app will show you 12 exercises which you are to follow for just 30 seconds. The exercises are dead simple and can be performed almost anywhere you choose.
Should you need any help with each exercise you can select to have a male or female trainer guide with step by step instructions through video, audio and instructional images.
Also featured in this app is a tracking functionality showing you progress with your weight and general exercise tasks. And as an incentive you are offered awards and bonuses for working out which are unlocked for free.
Once you get the app there are no pesky in-app purchases and you don’t even need wifi! Now that’s smart.
Make it yours!
Heart Rate Logger
This application is dead simple and works like a charm. If you are seeking an app which will measure your heart rate in real time and will produce summary graphs from the data then this is for you.
The app was created in response to demand following the production of heart rate monitors that can be worn about the body which transmit information via Bluetooth.
The devices are called BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy Devices or Bluetooth Smart.) For this app you will require the additional purchase of a BLE Heart Rate Monitor which is worn across the chest. Take a look at the most popular brand compatible with the iPhone – the
Scosche Rhythm BLE Chest Strap Heart Rate Monitor.
With the app you can measure your current heart rate and go back through your history plotting peaks and dips. This is an excellent way of measuring your fitness level via your heart rate by using your iPhone.
If you are serious sports person and are looking for something slightly more elite then I personally recommend the
Mio Alpha Heart Rate Monitor Wristwatch. Aside from being an excellent watch it is incredibly accurate at taking your pulse from the wrist and even has USB functionality so you can download stored data. It out performs any application because it is dedicated to one task and doesn’t require a constricting chest band to be worn!
Instant Heart Rate
I couldn’t write about the last application without providing you with an exceptional alternative which doesn’t require an add-on piece of tech.
Instant Heart Rate is a wonderful app that has stood the test of time in the App Store and repeatedly makes it into the top ten most downloaded health and fitness applications.
While it doesn’t do anything clever like producing graphs over time nor monitoring your heart rate while you go about your day, it does do something very special! (And very precisely too!)
Instant Heart Rate can show you your current heart rate simply by you putting your finger over the camera lens on the back of the iPhone. When taking a reading, the app will turn on the flash which will illuminate your finger. The app works by sensing the slight colour changes in the finger as blood is pumped and translates that into a heart rate.
It may sound a bit fishy but I have been using it for years now and find it to be 99% accurate when comparing it in real-time through using a Finger Pulse Oximeter.
By providing the app with your age and gender you are given parameters for which a healthy persons heart rate will fall between. Use this as a guide when exercising.
Plus, you can save snapshots of your heart rate each time you measure and tag it with the exercise you are doing. That way you can see your average and track progress with ease.
Clean Eating Recipes
Clean Eating Recipes is the number one App in the iTunes Food and Drink Category, and has been for a long time. The app is supported by a fantastic
Facebook Page so combining these two there really is no excuse not to begin your clean, healthy and tasty new lifestyle.
Everyone from students to students’ parents will benefit from this app as it helps individuals cook for themselves, or entire families!
If you are seeking an application which will inspire you to eat healthily or help you make small changes to your diet which will benefit you enormously in the long run then Clean Eating Recipes should be yours!
The app helps you lose weight, sleep better, increase your energy levels, clear your skin, reduce your cholesterol levels and plan your food week with ease.
The application contains 86 beautifully presented recipes with more being added in each update.
What are you waiting for? Click to find out more information.
Green Kitchen – Healthy Vegetarian Recipes
Firstly, huge shout out to the designers of the app logo. I love it! It’s also indicative of the quality of information you will find within.
Obviously appealing to a niche market the Green Kitchen app has been rated the Best App for Vegetarians Bar None! In fact, it’s so good it was chosen by Apple to be featured on their recent iPad TV adverts! That’s saying something about the way the app functions and is presented within!
Green Kitchen is here to assist and inspire all vegetarians by providing organic and delicious meal suggestions with all natural ingredients. Wherever possible too there is a minimum of gluten, sugar and dairy products used.
Green Kitchen is like having a best friend that not only gives you great meal ideas but also has taken photos of previously made editions with an HD camera and is tantalising you with them!
In the app you will find a selection of main courses, between meal snacks and even drinks too. Whether you are in the US or UK you can work with the units that suit you (metric and US enabled). You can search recipes looking for vegan, raw, gluten free, sugar free and whole grain to give you more control over what’s in the your meals and then follow the step by step instructions. It could not be made simpler.
So for all the meat-free inspiration you are looking for, look no further than Green Kitchen.
Filibaba Smoothies
It’s still summer time which can mean only one type of refreshing healthy drink – smoothies. But are you bored with the same smoothies and are looking to create your own and try something a bit different? Or maybe you have a selection of fruits in the pantry and want to know what you can do with them? Well let the Filibaba Smoothie App help you out. Plus, it’s free so you don’t need to worry!
Boasting a clean and user friendly interface this application is stuffed full of smoothie ideas. Simply pick a smoothie you like the sound (or look) of or select by ingredients. Then follow the instructions to help you get the correct quantities and consistency.
With lots of gorgeous retina quality photos and with all recipes built in you will have everything at your fingertips to make one mean smoothie!
Nutrino
Are you looking for an app that will help you lose weight and will also take the stress out of devising a menu to help you do it? If so then Nutrino will soon become your best ally.
Nutrino describes itself as being your personal virtual nutritionist – always there on hand to whip you up something good. It is a very simple addition to your life that could have big results.
Simply input your dietary preferences and weight goals and Nutrino will create a menu tailored to your needs. Nutrino utilises an intelligent, adaptive meal planning and on-the-fly supporting meal discovery and recommendation engine. That was quite a mouthful.
This app will give you instant access to thousands of delicious recipes (also includes vegetarian recipes!) and will provide you summaries of your daily intake of Protein, Fibre, Fat and Carbohydrates. (That last part has to the most annoying part of dieting – the working out of all your calories.)
If you need that personal virtual nutritionist then look no further than Nutrino.
Something a little different
If you are looking for a bit more inspiration then why not consider the following?
Simply Being – Guided Meditation for Relaxation and Presence (UK / USA / CA)
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