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10 Apps To Download to Help Keep You Happy And Healthy

Our phones play such large roles in our lives. We often find ourselves so busy that we cannot find time to relax or workout. To help you out here are 10 apps that can help you be happier and healthier.

 

Calm

Calm is an app that focuses on helping you relax. You can download it for free on both Android and IOS, with the option to purchase extra features in the app. The most notable free feature in Calm are the guided meditation sessions that are available with different time lengths. Other free features include bedtime stories for adults called “Sleep Stories,” and the ability to play calming nature sounds.

 

 

 

10% Happier

10% Happier is a meditation app. New York Times bestseller Dan Harris and other instructors wanted to simplify meditation through this app. You can download it for free on both Android and IOS. 10% Happier includes a number of free features that include a 7 session info course for mindful meditations, daily teaching videos that simplify meditation, guided audio meditation, quick meditations, and new content each month.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MyFitnessPal – Calorie Counter

MyFitnessPal – Calorie Counter is an app for nutrition tracking. You can download it for free on both Android and IOS, with the option to do the premium subscription once you download the app. MyFitnessPal – Calorie Counter has over 6 million different foods already in the system, and it allows you to create your own food as well. A few of the other free features include water tracking, a barcode scanner to scan foods, a breakdown of the nutrients you’ve ingested, and the ability to set goals for yourself.

 

 

Under Armour Record

Under Armour Record is an app for fitness tracking. It is available for free on both Android and IOS. The features for this app include step tracking, workout tracking and logging, ability to log weight, and the ability to log sleep. In addition to those, Under Armour Record syncs with MyFitnessPal – Calorie Counter to show your calorie intake for the day, and it syncs with numerous other fitness apps if you already have one.

 

 

 

Sworkit: Workouts & Fitness Plans

Sworkit is a home workout app that does not require any equipment. It is available for free on both Android and IOS, with the ability to purchase extra features in the app. Sworkit does have a number of free features. One such feature is custom workouts. The app takes the amount of time you say you have to workout and creates a workout for what you want to work that lasts your set amount of time. The other big feature is the 6 week workout program to get you “Leaner,” “Fitter,” or “Stronger.”

 

 

 

Sleep Cycle


Sleep Cycle is an app that tracks your sleep. It is free on both the Android and IOS app stores. Sleep Cycle uses your phone sensors to analyze your sleep, and then it wakes you up during your lightest sleep stage within the time frame you set. This allows you to wake up with more energy for the day. Like many sleep apps, you can see your “Sleep Statistics” after you wake up. The feature that sets Sleep Cycle apart from other sleep apps is that Sleep Cycle does not require you to have your phone under your pillow.

 

 

 

 

Medvoucher

Medvoucher is designed to save you money on healthcare services. They work directly with providers to guarantee the lowest price possible. You can search vouchers based on cost, location, and what service you are looking for. Their database consists of many different providers, so you can choose the one that is best for you. Medvoucher’s platform allows you to not need to pay costly insurance premiums, co-pays, or deductibles. The price of the voucher is all you pay for your service! There are no extra hidden fees!

 

 

 

 

Journey

Journey is an app that allows you to keep a digital journal. It is available for free on both the Android and IOS app stores. Journey includes a number of great features. They include syncing to Google Drive and other Google apps, a journal timeline, a private journal, it syncs across multiple platforms so you could start an entry on your phone and finish on your iPad, and you can post your entry directly to social media if you would like to share with friends.

 

 

 

 

Day One

Day One is a digital journal app. It is available on the Android, IOS, and Mac app stores for free, with the option to purchase extra features from the app. Free features include a private diary, so you can set a passcode in order to view your entries. Other prominent free features include Flashbacks where it will show you journals you had in the past, and a Memory Calendar that you can add pictures to to better remember th

e day.

 

 

 

 

Colorfy

Colorfy is a digital coloring book app. It is available on both Android and IOS app stores for free, with an option to purchase extra features from the app. Colorfy allows you to relax through coloring their numerous designs, and more are added each week. The app offers an offline mode, so you do not need to be connected to the internet in order to use it. Other features include the ability to post your art to social media, and an augmented reality function that allows you to view your art in a real-world perspective.

 

Medical Imaging

Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About MRI’s

Odds are you’ve heard of an MRI, but may not know how it works unless you are a doctor. A MRI, which stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, is a commonly used diagnostic test in medicine. Although it is commonly used, many people do not know how it works or why they need one. This is a beginner’s guide to understanding an MRI.

 

What exactly is an MRI?

First and foremost, what does MRI even stand for? The answer is Magnetic Resonance Imaging. An MRI is a type of scan that doctors use to view an area such as a person’s head, chest, leg or whatever is needed. As is in the name, through the use of magnets in combination with radio waves, images of the inside of the body are created. This allows doctors to view organs, tissues, and even skeletal system all without needing to make any cuts to look inside.

 

How does an MRI work?

The way an MRI works is that you lie down on a moveable table, and it slides you into this tube that is open at both ends, and is surrounded by magnets. The reason this works to produce images is because humans are made primarily of water. A molecule of water consists of 2 hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom. During an MRI, the radio waves cause the hydrogen atoms to realign for a short time. When the atoms begin falling back into their natural places, they give off a signal. The magnets in the machine are able to pick up these faint signals, and then a computer is able to convert the signals into images that your doctor can read.

 

What do doctors use an MRI for?

Doctors use MRI’s for diagnostic purposes to be able to see and recognize medical issues or healing processes in patients. An MRI is non-invasive which means the doctors do not have to actually make an incision to see what they are dealing with. Doctors can use an MRI for imaging for a lot of the human body.

 

Why may you need an MRI and what can it show?

You may need an MRI because it can help doctors diagnose the issue or see how progress is coming along with treatment to make sure everything is healing as it should. The primary uses of an MRI are checking the brain, spine, heart, blood vessels, bones, and joints. MRIs can also be used to check a woman’s breasts and ovaries, a man’s prostate, along with a person’s liver, kidneys and pancreas.

An MRI on your brain and spinal cord can show evidence of blood vessel damage, cancer, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and brain and/or spinal cord injuries. MRI of the heart and blood vessels can show damaged caused by a heart attack, heart disease, blocked blood vessels and even problems dealing with the heart’s structure. You can also get an MRI on your bones and joints. This can show problems with cancer, bone infections, spinal disc problems, and overall damage to joints.

 

How does an MRI differ from a CT scan?

Both an MRI and CT scan provides diagnostic images, but there are differences. For one, a CT scan uses x-rays whereas an MRI uses magnets and radio waves. Another difference is that a CT scan gives of a tiny amount of radiation, but an MRI does not. The x-rays for a CT scan need a tiny bit of ionizing radiation in order to get the images which is why radiation is given off. A CT scan can also be done much quicker than an MRI can, as they may only take 5 minutes.

 

What do you do during an MRI and how long should it take?

The time it takes to get an MRI varies due to how many images are needed, and what part of the body is being examined. That said, the process of getting an MRI usually takes between 20 minutes and 1 hour. The MRI images are also taken in sequences that last only a few seconds or minutes. This means you aren’t forced to be still for the entire length of the exam, but it is best if you do not make drastic movements. During the imaging sequences, it is important to be as still as possible while the MRI is going on. The more movement there is the more likely it is that the image is not clear and it has to be done again.

 

Is there a difference between an open and closed MRI?

Most MRI machines are “closed” as it has a top and bottom so it is like being inside of a tube. Being stuck in a small tube can understandably be claustrophobic. To solve this, some places offer what is called an “open” MRI. What this means is that instead of completely surround the person, the magnets are just on the top and bottom, allowing the sides to be open.

 

During an MRI why can’t you have any metal on you?

This is a pretty easy question. Simply, the magnets in the machine are powerful, so if you have any metal on you it will get sucked to the magnet. This can cause damage to the machine and to the person inside of it. This is why a lot of times doctors will ask you to change into a hospital gown before you get an MRI.

 

What should you disclose to your doctor before your MRI?

Since an MRI is using powerful magnets, there are some risks. If you have a metallic joint or joints, artificial heart valve,implantable heart defibrillator,pacemaker, aneurysm clips, cochlear implants, tattoos, piercings, a bullet, shrapnel, or any other sort of metal, let your doctor know so they can make a decision as to whether it will be affected by the MRI.

 

Sources:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/mri/about/pac-20384768

https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-an-mri#1

https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=bodymr

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/146309.php

https://osmri.com/open-vs-closed-mri/

https://www.viaradiology.com/news/whats-difference-ct-scan-mri/

 

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