Techno nutrition – will an iphone help you eat smarter?
Nutrition News — By Emma Stirling on June 9, 2010 at 11:21 pmThere’s no doubt that kids of today are already digital natives. My Miss 8 has been writing her blog for nearly a year now. Yes, far longer than me. Some people are amazed, but when I explain it as really nothing more than a personal journal shared with a handful of family members…it sinks in. At our recent Dietitians Association of Australia workshop on social media, guest expert Sarah Stokely challenged us to think about what social media footprint or legacy we would like to leave? Perhaps you have a few photos or old letters of your great grandmother? My daughter’s great, grandchildren will have an amazing historical record with video, pictures and anecdotes of growing up in the 2010′s. And in order to keep up with digitial natives, especially as parents, I’m a firm believer that all gen’s, not just the young y’s and younger, need to get tech savvy. So even if you’re yet to get a smart phone, believe me within a blink of an eye you will. And you need to be aware of where they are leading us. In the case of nutrition? There are plenty of signs that we will be lead down a nutritious path. Let’s give you a taste of two of my faves:
Nutrition Gurus – Eating Trainer
A personal fave of mine, as it’s developed by my Aussie dietitian friends, is - Nutrition Gurus Eating Trainer. Designed to help you eat mindfully and in response to true hunger signals, this handy app helps you space out your meal time and s-l-o-w down. The gurus tell me they are already getting great interest, especially from people post weight loss surgery. Hopefully one of the gurus will leave a comment below and fill us in a little more.
Top tip:
It’s important to remember that there are smart apps and then there are the crap apps. Make sure you click through to the “support” website for the app and check out the credentials of the people behind the design. In the case of nutrition, you are looking for an Accredited Practising or Registered Dietitian.
Jamie Oliver – 20 Minute Meals
Search for a celebrity chef on the itunes store and bingo, there’s a recipe app ready and waiting for you. Jamie Oliver has just announced on Twitter today that his app has won an Apple Design Award. To quote his tweets “Hay guys, I’m over the moon!! My “20 Minute meals” App just won the best APPLE DESIGN AWARD!!!!! we won against an unbelievable 225.000 apps !! that’s mad. apps are wear its @”. So I guess you can gather that he is rather excited. Sure, Jamie has not calorie counted every recipe and a few I may wave my own magic makeover wand over, but what a fantastic way to encourage culinary skills? You can consult Jamie when you’re shopping for ingredients at the supermarket. Or sort your ‘what’s for dinner dilemma’ decision on the commute home from work. And once the ipad fairy godmother has paid us all a visit we can custom fit our bigger screen and invite Jamie right into our kitchen. Check out this post on ipads in the kitchen by tech expert Mashable and this i-want-it-now photo of the kitchen ipad. 
Too appy for words….
There are thousands more apps in the i-tunes library under the Healthcare and Fitness category alone and even more if you expand your search to Lifestyle or Food. I’m not convinced we need the Fast Food Finder . But i-love the idea of the Find Fruit app. It’s a geo-locator for in season fruit growing free in local parks and public spaces so we do not waste a precious piece of nature’s bounty. So how about you? Are you using your smart phone to eat smarter too? Love to hear your top tips and hot picks for apps that you recommend. Drop us a comment below.
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8 Comments
cool post I am making a recipe app, maybe you can review it!
Hi Emma,
Great post!
Thank you for mentioning the Nutrition Guru’s app. A team of dietitians I am involved with were responsible for developing this app. It is great for all people trying to regulate their eating, but in truth the development was sparked by two specific groups. Firstly, those who have just had, or are about to have bariatric surgery. It is important that these clients eat slower and it can take a while to train them. With the app, it is like having an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) or Registered Dietitian (RD), sitting at the table coaching you. The second group were our beautiful eating disorder patients, usually suffering Anorexia Nervosa. It is difficult for some of these clients to eat normally. With the eating trainer, the fights between parents were reduced, because the trainer is an objective target for the girls (and boys) to aim for.
Since it’s release and at the DAA conference you mentioned, I was told some exciting plans from fellow APDs about the apps they were creating. I think it is important, like you highlighted that nutrition apps are designed by APDs or RDs so people know it is not just a fad. I would also like to add that I don’t think using an app will replace the huge benefits to visiting an APD or RD in your area. If you live in Australia, you can find an APD at http://www.daa.asn.au or in the US at http://www.eatright.org.
Keep up the fantastic blog – you are an inspirational dietitian and I love what you bring to the world of nutrition.
Best Regards
Tara Diversi
Emma, fabulous post! The point you make is so true: “It’s important to remember that there are smart apps and then there are the crap apps. Make sure you click through to the “support” website for the app and check out the credentials of the people behind the design. In the case of nutrition, you are looking for an Accredited Practising or Registered Dietitian.” … I couldn’t agree more!
Once someone finds a legit app, as you mentioned above, then it’s key that they actually use it to see any results. Often, people have tons of apps on their phones, use them for a little, and then stop. After someone has their food intake down pat (in a healthier direction, of course) that’s fine! But, before that point using them regularly is a good idea, can help sort through the good and bad (especially, when eating out), and I believe, will become key in this new age of crazed technology!
As an example, my father downloaded an iPhone app, used it for a few days and stopped. Then, I went out with him, he used it, and entered in his food. Consequently, he was shocked at the calories and since has been back on track!
Ultimately, I feel apps are awesome for some and may not be what others need. Some may need more in-person emotional support, a combo of both the app and in-person support, or some may drop some pounds simply with the use of an app. In any circumstance, as long as an app is from a legit professional and people use them (if that’s what works for them), good results could be had–either simply dropping some pounds or just becoming more nutritionally aware–a direction that we all need to go!
Again, great post!
P.S. I also found this article, which is interesting for the top iPhone apps: http://www.coreperformance.com/daily/nutrition/the-10-best-iphone-nutrition-apps.html
Thanks for the review Emma. The possibilities are amazing for using technology aren’t they?
You may be interested that one of the MND students at Sydney Uni is currently doing her research paper as an audit of smart phone and MP3 apps for nutrition education and obesity management. Perhaps she could provide a summary of her results in November for us on your blog? Just an idea!
Thanks for all your great work with your blog.
Thanks for the heads up Michelle. Great to hear. One of my objectives for this blog is to showcase local research and particularly the amazing dietitians and students we have in Oz. So yes, spread the word that I would love to have guest posts from or interviews with Syd Uni students.
Just came across these fantastic cases and ideas for using the ipad in the kitchen. I want one now! http://www.unplggd.com/unplggd/look/wallee-turns-your-ipad-into-a-wall-mounted-display-122907
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