Life is crazy busy, but thankfully there are apps, gadgets, and other modern things to help us remember to drink lots of water and practice healthy lifestyle habits. Here are some of the better ones you should check out today.
BioFeedback Apps
BioFeedback has been around for a while now, but the newest tech gives you real-time feedback of your state of mind.
You can train yourself to enter into what apps sometimes refer to as “flow” or “optimal states.” Need to study? Now you can map it out. Need time to chill? You can plan for that too.
Older bio-feedback devices relies on physiological cues like heartbeat and skin conductivity. New technology detects your brain wave signals and, thus, your brain wave activity. This means the device is capable of measuring Alpha, Beta, Theta, Gamma, and Delta waves.
Gamma is associated with the formation of ideas, language, and memory processing. It’s also involved in learning. They tend to disappear during deep sleep and return during a wakeful state.
Beta waves only occur during full consciousness, when you are wide awake. Alpha waves are similar to Beta, except that this is an “awake but relaxed” state. These waves are prevalent when you’re awake but not really processing much information.
Theta waves occur under extreme relaxation or during light sleep. It’s also a state when you’re very receptive to suggestion. Theta wave induction is useful in hypnosis, for example.
Delta waves are produced during deep, dreamless, sleep. It’s the slowest band of brainwaves and, when it occurs, you are basically unconscious and in a healing state.
Nootropics
Everyone wants to be like that guy in the movie “Limitless.” You take the pill and suddenly you’re a genius. While there’s technically no such thing as a “limitless pill,” there is such a thing as a nootropic. Nootropics are brain enhancing supplements or drugs that let you process information faster, think more clearly, and improve your ability to memorize and recall information.
The most powerful are drugs like Piracetam and Oxiracetam, which boost mental performance and overall health.
e-Therapy
Need to talk to a therapist? There’s an app for that. No, seriously. Apps like e-Therapy let you sign up for psychotherapy text messaging. It’s like having a therapist in your pocket everywhere you go.
You sign up, pay for a subscription level that you think is appropriate for your needs, and then text away. Problems solved.
In an age where everyone is connected, it’s nice to be able to download your entire chat history with your therapist, talk to specialists about sensitive subject matter, and get the help you need on your time without having to schedule appointments or worry that you’re not speaking with someone who’s qualified to help you.
Body Scanners
If you thought a virtual therapist was cool, wait till you check out the amazing body scanning tech that’s coming out now. Some of the pioneers, like Scanadu, want to make personal monitoring very sophisticated for the consumer. They’re working on a device that can scan body temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, and blood pressure and then send the information to a doctor or to your smartphone.
With this kind of connectivity, it will dramatically improve the information doctors use and rely on to make a diagnosis. Multiple data points can be gathered over time, improving accuracy and allowing doctors to see trends instead of fixed points in time.
Smartlid
This is a specialized hydration tracker app, for sure, but some people are having good luck with it. According to the blog Project Sunny, the Thermos Connected Hydration Bottle with Smart Lid tracks your water intake.
Kind of weird, but it does what it says on the bottle. There’s a sensor tube inside the bottle itself that tracks the amount of each and every delicious sip you take. It also tracks your daily, weekly, and monthly hydration progress.
And, all that water usually results in a lot of trips to the bathroom – also good because you can guarage your health based on the color of your urine. Check it out: http://www.thealternativedaily.com/pee-may-trying-tell/.
If it sounds like the gamification of hydration, it’s because it is. After a while, you’ll get a sense of how much water you need to drink based on your age, height, and weight, and intake goals. If you’re an athlete, you’ll need more water. If you’re a sit-all-day kind of person, you may need less.
In the summer, more. In the winter, maybe less.
Michelle Stevens is studying to be a naturopath and alternative health practitioner. Michelle enjoys sharing her research through blogging. Her articles mainly appear on wellbeing and healthy lifestyle blogs.
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