Synopsis of the App

Yazio is a calorie counter app with a serious focus on keeping those numbers in check.

Platform and Price

Android and Apple. Free to start. In-app products from $6.99 to $54.99 per item.

RDN Score

3 out of 5

Pros

• Cheerful design that’s easy-to-navigate and includes appealing food photography.
• To start, each user sets a goal to “lose weight and get healthy,” “build muscle and gain weight healthily” or “stay healthy and maintain your weight.”
• Strict adherence to calorie levels is encouraged but not necessarily at the expense of food quality.
• Track your food intake and view daily calorie and macronutrient levels. Review macronutrient ratios throughout the day to see how close you are to goal.
• Customize the app with favorite and frequently eaten foods, meals and recipes for easy recall.
• Easily add foods and meals with a couple taps.
• Turn on coach tips for additional motivation.
• Includes a collection of recipes with nutrition information and tags indicating ease of prep or if it fits a specific dietary restriction like gluten-free or vegetarian.
• Recipes are easy and mostly healthy though limited in the basic version.

Cons

• Must surrender an email address and basic personal information to create an account and use the app.
• The basic version of the app doesn’t allow you to view data for more than breakfast meals, making it less beneficial compared to free apps in the category like MyFitnessPal or LoseIt.
• Lacks significant direction and resources on how to eat well in the basic version.
• Frequent pop-up ads encourage upgrading to pro membership to access the complete recipe database, “nutritional” plans, and nutrition tips.
• Heavy focus on calories may not be suitable for everyone. Users are encouraged to keep calorie goals as “exact as possible,” not going below or above the set goal. Instructions state to fill the diary, track foods (portions and quantity) using a kitchen scale for the first week.

Bottom Line

Yazio is best for those who have success with strict calorie counting and who can include the pro version in the budget.

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Synopsis of the App

Rthm aims to help you discover the best times to eat, exercise and sleep based on your personal body clock and circadian rhythms.

Platform and Price

Apple and Android. Free 7-day trial with a premium version available at $19.99/year.

RDN Score

3 out of 5

Pros

• Excellent design that’s cheerful, easy-to-navigate and engaging.
• Discover the best times to eat, exercise, sleep, meditate and just be you.
• Monitor your Body Clock Score against the target easily from the home screen.
• Rthm offers detailed sleep tracking, personalized workouts and healthy eating information.
• It’s unique DeepHeart Technology^TM lets you measure your heart rate daily and before and after meditation to discover trends. The DeepHeart Score helps inform whether you are overactive or stressed and susceptible to common colds or burnout.
• Rthm crunches the numbers to share your sleep average and deficit and suggest the best times to go to bed and wake up. You can even set a “smart alarm” within the app.
• Provides daily personal recommendations for the time of day and type of activity, time and calories to eat, and when you might be at your best mentally.
• Engage in breathing exercises and meditation within the app and measure before-and-after heart rate changes.
• Review your riHealth report each week for tips to improve the Body Clock Score. The reports provide tips to improve bed and wake times (plus details on why it’s important) or stress levels, for example.
• Get hints on when you might be your best self. Rthm splits the day into zones for the best times for sleep, sleep inertia, cognitive maxima, athletic maxima, largest meals and smallest meals.
• Rthm includes motivational quotes and shareable tips on topics like brain food, vitamin D, how to slow cellular aging. It also links out to studies to support the concepts topics with a current study.

Cons

• Sleep habits are recorded based on when you move your phone versus a device on your body.
• Concepts and statements presented as fact often appear to be based on a single study.
• The text often confuses affect and effect and includes other spelling errors, which takes away from the app’s credibility.
• App not synced to trackers like Fitbit to more accurately capture activity and sleep data.

Bottom Line

Ideal for the body-curious, Rthm may help you gain insight into how activities and the highs and lows of the day affect overall health, stress and sleep. Though this is an emerging area, Rthm is a good start in the quantified self space.

The post Rthm – The Body Clock (iOS Version 2.5) appeared first on HealthStylz.

Synopsis of the App

Enlight Videoleap is a feature-rich video editor app that includes standard editing features like trimming and adding fonts, different effect, and transitions in addition to the ability to layer, blend and mask content.

Platform and Price

Apple only. Free to start. Pro version up to $139.99/year.

RDN Score

4 out of 5

Pros

• User-friendly design and confidence-building, non-destructive editing.
• App immediately opens to a new project workspace and displays essential editing tools first.
• Easily add photos and video clips from the camera roll or add stock content to create a new project.
• Export using 360 to 1080p resolution.
• Set the frames per second from 24 to 60 to control the cinematic feel of a project.
• Includes standard editing tools including trim, split, flip, transform and mirror, color correction and audio controls.
• Easily add and edit text with different fonts and 100 different sound effects.
• Get creative with the ability to add custom layers or reorder clips, effects, text and images.
• Apply blending and masking modes to customize layers and make use of green video options.
• Apply seamless transitions between clips.
• Select and customize backdrop colors.
• Review tutorials for all features.
• The free version is fully functional but upgrade to the pro version for unlimited layers and other effects and features.

Cons

• Not all features are intuitive and may take a few tries to fully understand how it works.
• Videoleap Pro can be expensive at up to $139.99 per year.

Bottom Line

Videoleap is easy enough for beginners to cut and combine clips for quick videos and advanced enough for professionals who want to create more styled and creative final projects on the go.

The post Enlight Videoleap (iOS Version 1.2.5) appeared first on HealthStylz.

Synopsis of the App

With its “strong brain, strong life” tagline, Memorado offers brain games backed in science coupled with personalized mental workouts.

Platform and Price

Apple and Android. Free.

RDN Score

4 out of 5

Pros

• Sleek, engaging design that feels like a modern game.
• 25+ games and more than 450 different levels designed to challenge and train the brain.
• Includes an interview to help customize your experience. Focus on skills like remembering new names with ease, understanding new topics faster, getting better at mental math, understanding complex issues, improving reactions on the spot or avoiding distractions.
• Staffed with in-house neuroscientists and researchers.
• Establishes a baseline by setting your training goals and completing the assessment test.
• The algorithm adjusts as you progress through the different games and levels. Your personalized training schedule changes to meet your expanding goals.
• Easily track progress and adjust as needed.
• Includes a relaxation section to play soothing games, read useful tips and listen to relaxing stories.
• De-stress while coloring your own personal mandala for mindfulness and balance.
• New games are regularly added with the most recent to include a language learning game.

Cons

• The evidence supporting “brain games” is not yet solid.
• Takes a while to set up with all of the testing and questions.

Bottom Line

Limited evidence aside, Memorado is a fun and engaging way to keep the brain active with different games and puzzles and/or to take a time out with relaxation exercises. It may help provide a bit more enrichment than mindlessly scrolling through social media next time you find yourself in line.

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Synopsis of the App

Charge Running is a virtual run club that’s ready whenever and wherever you are.

Platform and Price

Apple only. Free 30-day trial; thereafter $9.99/month or $84.99/year.

RDN Score

5 out of 5

Pros

• User-friendly design that engages runners at every point starting with an interactive demo targeting first timers.
• Access a variety of runs and test different trainers to find the running style and coach that works for you.
• You’ll hear the coach welcome you and all others to the run by name (if you enable GPS tracking). He or she will also cheer you on at critical points during the run.
• Includes runs at different times during the day.
• Watch the run leaderboard to stay motivated and challenge fellow runners.
• Listen to music while getting tips and encouragement from trainers.
• See how many people are signed up for a run before joining.
• Review the calendar and sign up for runs throughout the week.
• Get notifications to alert you to the start of your run.
• Connect to HealthKit to access your heart rate while running and add the activity data automatically.
• Run theme examples include Friday Fun Run, Fun Facts Friday, Intervals and Wacky Wednesday to keep you engaged. You can also race for distance, which challenges the group to run as far as possible.
• Follow your favorite trainers to be sure you don’t miss your favorite runs.
• Trainers specialize in different running styles with some targeting treadmill runners, hill lovers or interval runs.
• Choose on-demand (stored) runs that range from light, moderate, hard or extreme.
• Sign up using Facebook or email.
• Easily share run results to social media when you finish.
• Generous 30-day free trial leads to a monthly or annual subscription for unlimited access: $9.99/month or $84.99 for the year.

Cons

• Available on Apple only at the time of this review.
• Live run times may not be convenient across all time zones.
• Must allow location/GPS tracking to track your run and get live feedback.
• Can only sign up for and view runs that are one week out.

Bottom Line

Charge not only makes running more fun with an interactive live trainer, it also helps keep you motivated to keep going and return for more. Never run alone again.

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Synopsis of the App

Anchor lets you listen to shows and record and share your voice, music and conversations right from your smartphone. It may be one of the easiest ways to create your own podcast or radio station!

RDN Score

5 out of 5

Platform and Price

Apple and Android. Free. 

Pros

• User-friendly design with a fun and upbeat tone.
• Includes an audio introduction to effortlessly guide you through set up.
• Transform recorded audio into a podcast with just one tap.
• Listen to news & politics, technology, TV & movies, gaming, music and lifestyle content.
• Sign up with Facebook, Twitter or email.
• Build an immediate audience by sharing your station with friends on social media.
• Personalize your experience with weather and local news updates.
• Save your favorite stations for easy recall.
• Turn on notifications to get alerts when your favorite shows are on.
• Quickly record audio and invite friends to record with you — in say a podcast interview.
• Simply hold the phone up to your ear to start recording.
• Invite listeners to submit audio to be played on your station as a “call-in”
• Add music using simple search or by connecting Apple Music, Google Play Music or Spotify premium to choose from existing playlists.
• Customize your station with free interludes and background tracks.
• Share content to your station where it will live for 24 hours or select parts of the station to submit as an episode that will be saved indefinitely.
• Easily create a podcast (complete with cover art) from your audio and automatically list to major podcast providers.
• Listen via speaker or handset at normal or faster speed and turn applause on or off.

Cons

• Quality of content available to consume varies widely.
• Audio quality is only as good as your phone’s microphone and surroundings will allow.
• Can only call United States-based numbers for interviews at present.

Bottom Line

Anchor is a simple solution to create and consume audio content. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to do a podcast trial without investing too much time or money. If you haven’t used it and want to do a podcast, you’ll be wondering where this app has been all your life.

The post Anchor (iOS Version 2.15.3) appeared first on HealthStylz.

Synopsis of the App

Gixo lets you take live fitness classes from wherever you are with real-time input and a connection to your coach and classmates.

 Platform and Price

Subscription $24.99/month with 30-day free trial. Apple and Android.

RDN Score:

5 out of 5

 Pros

• User-friendly design that keeps the user engaged.
• Access a variety of classes (set to different music genres) like Total Core, Indoor Cardio, Circuit Training and Booty Work starting as early as 5 a.m. and as late as 11:30 p.m. ET.
• A live coach instructs and motivates you through group classes. The coach keeps you on track and accountable with emphatic comments like “you’re crushing your goal today” or “you’re almost there!”
• Monitor whether you are on- or off-goal with a green or red banner visible throughout the session.
• Coaches can see and track your speed, distance, elevation change, step count, location and weather conditions where you are.
• Option to shut off camera, microphone and coach and classmate calls and messages during class to stay anonymous or enjoy a workout without their input.
• Sync with Apple Health to automatically save workout data.
• Great music makes you feel like you are in the actual class.
• Message the instructor with questions or challenge classmates with preset messages like “let’s race” or “you got this” during class.
• Control the audio balance with a slider to better hear the coach or pump up the music.
• Includes a water break, warm up and cool down demonstrated by real people.
• New classes and sequences added periodically so you’ll feel like you’re getting a new workout.
• View course level, intensity and equipment requirements and the breakdown between cardio, mobility and strength in minutes before signing up.
• Sign up for classes a week or more ahead and get reminders and see who’s attending.
• First month is free after signing up for the cancel anytime subscription. Unlimited classes thereafter are $24.99 per month.

 Cons

• Can’t sign up without sharing a valid mobile phone number.
• Though full name, email address and phone number and location are not visible to other users, it is available to the coaches.
• It’s a battery hog. Expect to use at least 18 percent battery power for a 30-minute class.

Bottom Line:

Newcomer Gixo mimics in-person classes like few others have. Privacy issues aside, Gixo is ideal for those who enjoy group classes but want them in a fun, convenient and affordable platform.

The post Gixo (iOS Version 1.5.2) appeared first on HealthStylz.

Synopsis of the App

The newly redesigned Darkroom app is a robust photo editor that lets you access many of the same editing tools as professional photography editing software on the go.

Platform and Price

Free + in-app purchases. Apple only.

RDN Score:

5 out of 5

Pros

• User-friendly design.
• Access your entire photo library organized by album without importing each one individually.
• Fully featured tools for editing on the go from color correction to perspective adjustments.
• Batch any number or set of photos for editing at once.
• Easily copy edits and apply to other photos.
• Create and save custom filters or use the ones included.
• Track, undo and redo edits while you work with Darkroom’s history button.
• Easily access final images in the dedicated “edited” section.
• Supports editing and exporting a range of large and high-resolution images including RAW files.
• Use the transform tool to adjust vertical and horizontal perspective and fix bad angles.
• Automatically hide screenshots from your homepage to keep the workspace clutter-free.
• Export photos as 80 to 100% JPEG, tiff, Live photo and PNG.
• Includes preset aspect ratios for Instagram portrait and landscape and others including 1-1 square, HD and cinematic export options.
• Share images directly to Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
• Upgrade for additional tools such as the curve and color tools for even more editing power.
• Includes 11 tutorials for using curves, editing for dramatic black and white images, and more.
• Works without an Internet connection.

 Cons

• Available for the iPhone only with no immediate plans to expand to the iPad or Android platform.
• Darkroom still uses battery power quickly.

Bottom Line:

Darkroom is billed as the only photo editor you need. This fully featured mobile editor is ideal for anyone who needs to edit on the go or shares images online.

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Synopsis of the App

Simple Feast is a mobile destination for healthy and delicious recipes made simply.

Platform and Price

Free with in-app purchases. Apple and Android.

RDN Score:

5 out of 5

Pros

• Beautiful, full-color food photography to entice you to eat healthy.
• Select from a number of categories including vegetarian, vegan, fish and seafood, meat, breakfast and brunch, breads, alcoholic and non beverages and cocktails, desserts, anti-inflammatory, paleo and gluten-free.
• Inventive recipes like Spicy Miso Drumsticks, Farro with Wild Mushrooms, and Roasted Cauliflower with Chickpeas, Feta, and Marinated Red Onions are beautifully presented.
• Learn to peel and devein shrimp, zest citrus, and prep garlic like a pro in the professionally produced tutorial videos.
• Peruse recipes that are quick and easy or those that cover a specific preparation method like grilling and barbeque.
• Add recipe ingredients to your shopping list in one click or add only what you need item by item.
• Save recipes in one tap to build and save your personal recipe collection.
• Signing in is optional — though required to save favorites.
• Automatically saves shopped recipes for easy recall.
• Includes recipes from a combination of chefs including one RD chef.
• Get curated recipes for specific needs including strength and cardio training, weight loss, pregnancy or breastfeeding.
• Offers a free trial with a generous sampling of recipes and high-quality videos.

 Cons

• Requires an internet or cellular connection to view the full recipes and videos, which can be a challenge when trying to use the app in some large grocery stores with poor reception.
• Free recipes are limited in quantity.
• Must create an account to use the shopping list and save features.

Bottom Line:

Simple Feast lives up to its name providing simple, elegant and healthy recipes. Ideal for the novice cook who could use a little extra guidance or veteran cooks seeking flavor and food inspiration, Simple Feast is worth a download.

The post Simple Feast (iOS Version 2.5) appeared first on HealthStylz.

Synopsis of the App

The Meal Prep Pro app focuses on prepping meals for the week based on the desire to maintain, lose or gain weight or gain muscle.

Platform and Price

Free 7-day trial with a subscription starting at $5.99 a month or $47.99 per year. Apple only.

 RDN Score:

3 out of 5

Pros

• Easy to navigate.
• Starts with a simple interview before logging in. Allows you to customize the meal plan for you alone or with a partner. Set your own calories and macros or allow the app to calculate the ideal calories and macros for you.
• Set a goal to either lose weight or stay at the same weight or gain muscle based on your data.
• The creator serves as an energetic guide through the interview and set up process.
• Adjust calories and macros as needed as you go through the app and begin work.
• App includes many healthy, creative recipes like blueberry and pecan breakfast cheesecake, breakfast casserole and BBQ bison naan pizza.
• Enter cooking mode to watch the recipe step-by-step and advance with one tap forward.
• Recipes are coded to let you know if it’s prepped fresh or ahead of time.
• Easily swap meals with another meal from the app or your own recipe.
• Add all recipe ingredients to a shopping list with just one tap.
• Save notes and tap to save recipes to your favorites lists for easy recall.
• Easily switch from imperial to metric units with a tap while viewing a recipe.
• Includes helpful tips of the day to help with nutrition and meal prep.
• Includes a visual tracker to encourage adequate water intake each day.
• Select the days of the week you want to prepare and eat specific recipes.
• Easily add a partner to the entire day or select meals.
• Sync to Apple Health to automatically include what’s eaten in your daily food journal.
• Free 7-day trial with a subscription starting at $5.99 a month or $47.99 per year.

 Cons

• Available for the iPhone only

• Individual recipe ingredients are not provided in common household measures like ½ cup. Awkward measures like 0.7 ounces rolled oats or 1.7 ounces banana, for example, make the recipes difficult to use without a scale.

• Must subscribe to get the free trial – though you can cancel at any time.

Bottom Line:

With a few recipe kinks to work through, Meal Prep Pro delivers creative food combinations and a good system for meal prep. It may work well for those wanting to stick to a set number of calories or macros and those willing to pull out a kitchen scale.

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