Smartphones are nearly ubiquitous in this day and age, and we’re excited to see so many nutrition, fitness, and wellness apps on the market! If you’d like to find out how your phone can be turned into a tool for your personal health, check out this next segment in our Integrative Nutrition Reviews series.

Fitness

RunKeeper - iOS / Android

Enter activity manually, or use the GPS feature to track your run automatically. The app will save information about how far you went, your pace, calories burned, and your route and upload them to RunKeeper.com. It even integrates your phone's music, and makes it easy to share your accomplishments with friends online. (Free)

C25K - iOS / Android / Blackberry

Never run a day of your life? No problem. This app already has your gradual training for a 5K all planned out. With GPS support, music integration, and alerts to let you know when you need to switch between walking and running, you'll be a regular runner in no time. ($2.99)

When most people think about losing weight they envision the ugly act of dieting. They envision all of their favorite foods being taken away from them. That doesn’t sound like very much fun! Most people find that dieting is not sustainable. They can do it for a month or two and lose a few pounds, but after a month they gain that weight back and sometimes more. What about a more sustainable way to lose weight, eat healthier and enjoy life?

Whenever you consider making changes in your life it’s always best to have a support system. Think about any major life decision: applying to college, getting married, etc. Did you consult with your friends and family about which college you wanted to go to or your future spouse? The same applies to healthy living. If you want to eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and exercise more who can you ask in your life that will support you in making these changes? Maybe they also want to eat healthier and exercise more. Set intentions together and steps for how you’re going to reach those goals. Maybe you can start running together or cook healthy meals together.

Another helpful tip for eating better and losing weight is to start a journal. This doesn’t have to be a diary of what you eat every day, but rather how you feel. Have you noticed changes in your mood or energy level by exercising more or changing the foods you eat? This Integrative Nutrition Journal will help get you started.

Have you recently built a support team of people to help you accomplish your health goals? Do you have any tips for those who are just starting out? Share with us!

According to a recent study it takes more than just the right mix of carbohydrates, fat and protein to lose weight. In order to keep weight off, lifestyle factors play a key role as well as proper nutrition.

Here are some tips to help you with your health goals:

Forget the trendy diets. No matter how much hype a diet receives in the media, just because it works for one celebrity does not mean it will necessarily work with you.

Incorporate exercise into your daily life. What type of movement do you enjoy? Try going for a walk with a friend or take a yoga class.

Keep a food diary. This helps people be conscious of what and how much they are consuming.

Question your beliefs about food and cravings. You don’t need to resist all cravings. Listen to your body and find out what that craving is telling you. You may be missing a key nutrient.

Make small changes. Optimal health doesn’t happen overnight. By slowly incorporating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains you will eventually crowd out all of the chemicalized, artificial junk foods.

Be kind to yourself. You can’t be good 100 percent of the time. That’s why Integrative Nutrition came up with the 90-10 diet. Eat whole foods 90 percent of the time and indulge 10 percent of the time.

Remember, everyone is different. You might find that a trendy diet does work for you and that keeping a food diary does not. It is important to experiment and find out what works best for your body and your lifestyle. Do you enjoy keeping a food journal? What kind of exercise do you fit into your daily routine?

In today’s fast-paced world we end up eating in the car, at our desks or in front of the TV. We’ve forgotten that eating is its own activity to savor and enjoy. Many times, we are not conscious of how much we are actually eating and end up overeating before we realize that we are actually stuffed.

Here are five ways to slow down and listen to your body:

1.   Sit down to eat. Take time out of your day to enjoy a meal with your family. Not only will this slow you down, but it’s a great bonding experience.

2.   Turn off the television. This will help you focus only on the food. You will also be less likely to be tempted by fast food commercials.

3.   Take a bite, take a breath. Chewing helps with digestion and will allow you to enjoy your food more. Try putting your utensil down in between each bite.

4.   Keep a food journal. Write down what you eat at each meal or snack and how you feel afterwards. This will help you be a more mindful eater.

5.   Cook more. When you prepare your own meals you have control over the quality and quantity of ingredients. Your body’s natural intelligence will fine-tune your cooking style to create meals that are just what you need.

As you slowly incorporate these changes you will become a more conscious eater and be able to recognize if you are actually hungry or full. A recent article on MSNBC highlighted some of these very changes. For more ways to quiet the mind and listen to your body check out the story.