My Favorite Green & Health-Promoting Apps

by Dr. Amy Wiesner

I don’t know what I would do without my iPhone. It helps me to stay organized and easily allows me to stay up to date with all my interests. But one of my favorite ways to use the phone is by using the amazing apps that make being environmentally friendly and healthier that much easier. I am not in any way an app expert, but as someone trying to make the world a better place, these are my favorites of the ones I’ve found.
 

1. The Greenpeace app isn’t a tool for better green living per se, but it is adorable and they have a news feed. And every download supports Greenpeace, which works for me!
2. The Dirty Dozen app from the Environmental Working Group is fantastic. The EWG did research on which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticide residues on them and which have the least. The “Dirty Dozen” are the produce they recommend buying organically whereas the “Clean 15” are the ones you can buy conventionally.
3. The Seafood Watch app helps you identify which are the most eco-friendly sources of fish to eat. You can search by location, ie the Northeastern U.S., then look up which fish are the most environmentally friendly, which are good alternatives and the types of fish that should be avoided. They also have a sushi guide within the app and important news about ocean conservation.
4. The GoodGuide is another tool not to live without. It allows you to scan or search products to see how healthy and environmentally friendly the company and its product is.
5. Green Smoothies are one of my favorite meals--and Victoria Boutenko’s app is based on her many years of teaching and research on the benefits of eating them. This app has good recipes and gives information about each ingredient she recommends.
6. As I avoid Food Additives whenever I shop, I don’t really need a list telling me which to avoid, but it does come in handy to help identify something I can’t figure out. It also tells you when an additive is banned in other countries, which I find interesting.
7. Animal Free lets you scan and search items letting you know if the products have ingredients that are derived from animals.  
8. The TreeHugger app is great for keeping you on top of environmental news. It also helps you to find local places to recycle.

I also just read about an app that is becoming available in March called EcoSpeed. It helps by telling you the best speed based on your car and driving habits to conserve the most fuel. I will look forward to trying that one out.
 

Using smart phones to be healthier and more environmentally responsible is an extraordinary use of technology and I for one am grateful for it!

Image courtesy of Wired.com. 

Comments

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Try aDailyApple - its an app on healthy foods and healthy eating. You will learn about one new food every day. It also has recipes and videos about that food. They have a website at www.adailyapple.com.

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