7 Health Apps to Keep Your 2022 New Year’s Resolution

As the New Year approaches, the resolutions start to set in. With only 8% of people successfully achieving their resolution, people often begin to look for ways to help keep their exercise, movement and health goals alive. As technology and innovation continue to advance, there are a number of good options to help you track and compare your fitness goals, in the form of downloadable apps.

Ochsner Health was the first in the country to introduce the concept of a "genius bar' in a health setting: The O Bar. The O Bar uses interactive health technology to help people navigate their health through doctor-approved apps, activity trackers and other devices.

We asked our O Bar Technology Specialist, Braden Lemon, to provide his top 7 health apps as a perfect option to incorporate into your New Year’s resolutions.

Shop Healthy:

Fooducate

Cost: Free

Scan over 250,000 product barcodes to see a personalized nutrition grade (A, B, C, or D).
Get suggestions for healthy options based on foods you scan.
Ask questions and get feedback from the community.
Analyzes information found in product nutrition panels and ingredient lists, such as:
- Added sugars
- Tricky trans fats
- High fructose corn syrup
- MSG - monosodium glutamate
- Controversial food colorings
- GMO - genetically modified organisms (premium feature)
- Additives and preservatives
- Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame

Shopwell

Cost: Free

Scan products to get personalized food scores.
Take your healthy grocery list to the store.
Find foods that match your needs. Great for those who have food allergies or want to avoid certain foods.
Get nutrition facts and ingredients.

MyFitnessPal

Cost: Free

Track your diet and exercise.
Largest food database of any calorie counter – over 5 million foods and growing daily.
Easiest and fastest food entry – remembers your favorites, add multiple foods at once, save and add entire meals and more.
Built-in step tracker – iPhone 5S/6/6+, 6S, 7 users can track steps right from their phone, no separate tracker required.
Barcode scanner – track a food just by scanning its barcode. Over 4 million barcodes recognized.
Track all major nutrients: calories, fat, protein, carbs, sugar, fiber, cholesterol and more.

Exercise Friendly

Map My Fitness

Cost: Free

Can track workouts, running, cycling, walking and there is a calorie counter.
Over 600 different types of workouts; can join challenges, connect devices and view 24/7 activity data.
Add your athletic shoes and start tracking mileage with Gear Tracker. Provides helpful insight such as how to avoid common injuries and notifications when it’s time for a new pair of shoes.
Record GPS-based workouts with customizable voice feedback for precise stats like pace, route, distance, calorie burn, elevation profile and more.
Sync your account with other health and nutrition apps like MyFitnessPal and Google Fit.

Manage Your Health

iHealth My Vitals

Cost: Free

Must sync devices with the app.
Automatically tracks and manages your key health vitals all in one place.
This is really great for someone who needs to monitor blood pressure and pulse due to an underlying condition.

MyOchsner

Cost: Free

Connects directly to your electronic medical record at Ochsner.
You can communicate with your physician, view upcoming and past appointments and view test results.
Perfect for the start of the year when you schedule your annual physical and other screenings.

Livestrong MyQuit Coach

Cost: Free

Creates a personalized plan to help you quit smoking.
Physician approved, interactive and easy to use so you can evaluate your current status, set attainable goals and adjust preferences according to your needs.

The O Bar is a free service. Anyone who is interested in working with one of the technology specialists to choose the right product or app for your lifestyle, as well setup guidance and support, can visit one of the following locations: