NutraOrigin Team
Top 6 Free Weight Loss and Fitness Apps
Aug 13th
Is there really an app for everything? When it comes to health and fitness, it seems to be true- and many of the most popular ones are free! Check out our Top 6 weight loss and fitness apps and download one or all of them to help you hit your goals and lead a healthier lifestyle.
6. Pret-a-Yoga Lite
Pret-a-Yoga Lite is a great introduction to trying out yoga on your phone. Why pay $10 for an app only to decide you really prefer DVDs or an instructional book? Led by expert instructor and physiologist Kathleen Kastner, the brief workout in the free Pret-a-Yoga Lite 4version includes Pranayama (breathing), two Sun Salutation sequences, and a 30 minute beginner’s workout. Kastner guides you through each breath, pose, and sequence using both audio and video.You can choose whether to listen to the packaged music or your own tunes.
Pret-a-Yoga Lite is a good choice for beginners who want to give the discipline a try without committing to the hefty price tag that comes with studio classes or DVD packages. Once you decide you like it, or have mastered the beginning postures, longer and more advanced apps are available to download for a fee.
5. DailyBurn
The popular nutrition website DailyBurn.com recently went mobile with the release of their free app. You have to register with the website if you don’t already have an account, and then the app syncs with your website profile to make it easier to track workouts and meals on the go. It features daily calorie recommendations based on target weight and charting features that show progress and point out ineffective spots in workout routines.
Another great feature to have in the gym is the Find Exercise function, which lets you browse exercise suggestions from the online community, and also watch videos of recommended moves. The Nutrition icon lets you search the site’s food database and log your meals. It then presents a chart of your intake for the day, broken down into calories, fats, carbohydrates and proteins (much better than a simple calorie counter).
There is a more advanced Pro version available for a fee as well, but many users say it’s not worth the money. An important part of DailyBurn’s success has been the helpful connections, encouragement and tips passed between its online community members.
4. StepTrak Lite
The StepTrak Lite app has gotten rave reviews from users who wanted to accurately track their everyday exercise. The free pedometer app not only counts steps but also shows what percent of the activity was “vigorous” with an adjustable classification bias that ensures the program properly differentiates between an individual’s walking and running speeds.
A senior engineer at Aware Technologies pointed out the majority of the development process was focused on making the step counting and classification accurate, rather than making the graphic output pretty. The result is a visually unexciting but precise tool to track your every step. One downside many users mentioned was the lack of a conversion from steps into miles. The app does connect to Twitter, so you can keep your friends updated on all the steps you’re taking towards a healthier life!
3. SparkPeople
The SparkPeople Food & Fitness Tracker app is similar to DailyBurn, in that it syncs nutrition and workout logs to a more extensive website. SparkPeople.com claims to have over 6 million users, and a truly extensive library of healthy-living articles, fitness videos, and recipes. The advantages over DailyBurn include optional daily food plans, daily healthy living tips, and a database of over 1 million food items. The fitness tracker includes a wide variety of activities, inside the gym and out.
One complaint found in user reviews is that the app lacks some of the more functional website features, including the ability to copy meals from one day to the next. However, you can still save any item to your favorites list to reduce data entry time. SparkPeople also offers a Healthy Recipes app for BlackBerry, allowing users to browse and search 200,000+ recipes with nutrition information.
2. Fit Deck
FitDeck is a unique set of physical playing cards that feature a single exercise diagram and instructions on each card. If any fitness product was destined to be made into an app, this is it. The FitDeck Mobile app is only free for a trial period, but test drive the no-equipment, quick motion exercises and if you see results, it may be worth the paid download for all 50 cards. Either arrange the cards into body region groups or shuffle them like an iPod, keeping your body guessing. Since you don’t need any equipment it’s easy to run through a few cards anywhere.
The site suggests using it on your coffee break at work; do five cards twice a day and you fit in an extra workout over the work week without having to change into gym clothes. Bonus: you can set reminders on your phone’s calendar and when the alarm goes off you have your workout in hand!
1. Lose It!
Lose It! lives up to its name and tops our list as the most user-friendly and effective free app. Using the Mifflin equation, the app takes your current weight, age, height gender and goal weight, and determines your target daily calorie intake. Users search for meal items, enter portion size, and get a detailed breakdown of their food intake. The database is extensive, including brand name foods and popular restaurant items. It takes a while to enter a recipe with multiple ingredients, but you can save favorites to enter them more quickly.
The fitness tracking is equally detailed with options to modify intensity levels and listings for a wide variety of activities. The new version allows you to update past days and set up helpful reminders to update the log. The online reports are very detailed, allowing you to track your progress incrementally. If you are dedicated to following a routine and tracking yourself, Lose It! will inform you of exactly how close you are to reaching your goals.
As more and more apps are developed, it becomes easier to understand exactly how we’re impacting our bodies. The important thing to remember about weight loss and fitness apps is no matter how convenient the tracking, you still have to put in the work to see results!
Omega-3 Fish Oil in the News
Aug 4th
A few weeks ago, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center reported findings from a study about the effect of Omega-3 fish oil on breast cancer. They found that women who regularly used fish oil supplements had a 32% reduced risk of developing the most common breast cancer form. Susan G. Komen for the Cure has committed to researching this further and invested $7.5 million in a study at Pennsylvania State University.
This study, the findings of which are said to have a “huge impact” by Dr. Marie Savard, a “Good Morning America” medical contributor, has set in motion a wave of other positive news about Omega-3 and its health benefits. Other recent news items include:
Vision Benefits
A recent feature in Real Simple magazine titled, “7 Ways to Protect Your Vision,” cites the use of Omega-3 in vision health. Ruth D. Williams, M.D., a spokesperson for The American Academy of Ophthalmology, was quoted as saying, “Evidence suggests omega-3 fatty acids found in certain fish, such as salmon, halibut, and tuna, can help maintain the eyes’ protective tear film, minimize dry eyes, and even prevent cataracts.” Read more.
Mood Enhancement
A recent study by the Journal of Psychiatry found that Omega-3 was effective in patients with major depression unaccompanied by an anxiety disorder. Efficacy for these patients was comparable to that generally observed with conventional antidepressants. Read through all of the findings.
Joint and Back Pain
A recent article on Natural News related the benefits of Omega-3 on joint and back pain. EPA and DHA, two fatty acids commonly found in Omega-3 fish oil supplements, stimulate the body’s anti-inflammatory processes and help relieve joint pain. Additionally, recent research quoted in the article stated that EPA fish oil may help reduce back pain in more than 50% of sufferers. Read more.
These findings are great news for Omega-3 advocates everywhere! We’re pleased to see others discovering and talking about the benefits of fish oil, and that the positive news continues. As more studies and research arise, we’ll keep you posted on the findings.
Announcing The Omega Store by NutraOrigin!
Jul 28th
A new day has dawned at NutraOrigin. (Drumroll, please.) I am happy to announce the opening of our new online store, The Omega Store by NutraOrigin! Here you’ll see the first wave of a new line of exciting products, all providing beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids. I don’t have to tell you how important Omega-3 fatty acids are to your health. You have told us. You also told us what Omega-3 products you want. Amazingly, after scouring the Internet we didn’t see any merchant offering all the products you’ve been looking for in one place. Sure, I could give you a list of ten Websites, each with a couple good Omega-3 products, but who wants to go to ten sites to get what they need? Our goal is to be the one-stop-Omega-shop for you and your family. We’re adding products for your kids, too. Even your pets. Exciting, right? Let me lay it all out for you.
Our most coveted product has long been our extremely potent, high DHA/EPA Omega-3 fish oil – it is made from pharmaceutical grade, molecularly distilled fish oil and is so superior to the competition that it was selected for a clinical study on sleep deprivation. And, of course, our fish oil showed compelling results. Our customers have responded to this product, making it far-and-away our best seller. We can barely keep it in stock. Our customers have also told us what they want from us next: Omega-3 fish oil supplements and products for kids, for pets, in liquid form and flavored. How could we say no?
NutraOrigin has been known as the leader in advanced nutritional supplements, and we thank you for your loyal business. Don’t worry, we won’t ruin a good thing; all the formulas you know and trust will remain. But The Omega Store is what’s next, and we have delivered it. Lori Olsen, my Senior Director, Marketing, and I have been hard at work in the Omega Lab (or something like that!), looking to have the best Omega products on the market. After months of hard work, this first round includes: Enteric Coated Softgels to eliminate that fishy taste; Orange Softgels for a bit o’ flava; Pina Colada Omega Shakes to make Happy Hour into Healthy Hour (there’s no alcohol, don’t worry!); Krill Oil and Salmon Oil, for some additional Omega options; Kids’ Lemonade Omega Shake and Kids Omega Gummies, to make being healthy more fun; Vegan Berry Omega Shake, with plant-based oils; and Flax Oil for Pets, good for your kitty, your doggy, even your horse!
As a special Grand Opening Offer to you, all our new products will be Buy 1 Get 2 Free when you go on Auto Ship. Get huge savings now, and always free shipping – you can pause or change the frequency of your shipments or cancel without a hassle at any time (although the canceling would make me sad). Here’s a special code, Gomega5, to get an additional $5 off any order! Share it with your family and friends, spread the wealth, spread the health.
Visit our Store, come back to this blog, find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or sign up for our email newsletter just stay in touch. There’s much more to come from The Omega Store!
-Cheers, Tim
Lori STARTS! Walking: Getting into a Healthy Cardio Habit
Apr 7th
Today is National Start Walking Day , and when NutraOrigin asked me to contribute a short piece for their blog – I took a walk.
I’m a walker. There I said it. There was a time in my life not too long ago when I would not have easily admitted to this fact.
1. It wasn’t true 
)
2. Somewhat of a gym snob – I would not have thought “just walking” would give me the intense – rev up your heart rate type of cardio benefit – that say biking or even an intense elliptical session would provide. So why bother?
When a series of unexpected life events resulted in a change of location – with no gym membership or my beloved spin classes in the immediate vicinity, I looked to the great outdoors to become my new fitness facility. At first, I began walking the neighborhood with my 14 year old Labrador to do his “business” and as a way to become more familiar with the area. From there, I started walking at a nearby beach which provided an amazing view and a more intense hike due to the dunes and rocky terrain. And guess what else… a pretty high heart rate and a number of other unexpected benefits.
Why do I love walking now?
- No excuses. On any given day, I can usually count on being able to put one foot in front of the other. That is really all it takes. No matter where I am, how I feel, what other things I need to get done – walking fits.
- Mood Lifter. No matter how stressed I am (about something probably not all that important), by the time I am done with my walk I feel better – mentally. Call it endorphins, or “walkers high” – but I have been known to return to my car or home singing after an intense OR leisurely stroll.
- Versatility. You can make your walk what you want it to be. Intense heart pounding, arms pumping, fast, hill climbing or a slower pace/longer duration. You can multi-task during your walk (talking to your mother-in-law or teenager while walking actually does help to increase your heart rate!). Mall walking is now infamous, as well as making your destination part of your social plans. You can walk alone when you need solitude or with friends if you crave companionship.
- I get to eat more. No kidding. When I reviewed what has changed in my life over the last year to determine why I have been losing a few pounds – the only thing I could come up with is my daily walking routines.
- Problem solver. Try this: If you have an issue that you need to resolve, think about it intensely before and casually while you are walking. See if you don’t come back from your walk with at least one good solution.
- It is FREE. In these times, who doesn’t love FREE? No gear, no special outfits, no training, no membership fees. Just get out there and do it.
More information on National Start Walking Day on the American Heart Association website here
Lori Olsen is Senior Director, Marketing for NutraOrigin. She has over 20 years of marketing experience specializing in customer acquisition and revenue generation for consumer businesses through online and offline media. She has a passion for healthy living and has worked in the natural supplement business for 5 years. Formerly from Long Island, NY, she can now be found power walking the beaches of Central Florida.