Healthy Fresh Starts

A roundup of tools to help you kickstart healthy habits in the new year…
 
By Karen Kwan
 
Kicking off the new year with a resolve to live more healthfully? You might have big resolutions. Lofty goals are admirable, but you might also consider smaller achievable goals that will add up and help you live well. These tools will help you kick through 2020 as a better and more healthy version of you.
 
Hydrate better
If you struggle with remembering to drink water regularly throughout the day, the HiDrate Spark water bottle will help you out. Enter some personal info (such as where you live and how active you are) and the HiDrate Spark sets a daily hydration goal, tracks what you consume, and reminds you to sip by glowing. It also syncs to the app via Bluetooth so you can track your intake (as well as your friends’ intake on the HiDrate platform – which, if you have a competitive streak, will help make sure you’re reaching your hydration goals).
 
Sleep better
Created by top sleep experts, the SleepScore app uses your smartphone’s speaker and microphone to track your breathing and body movement, which it then translates into in-depth findings about your sleep stages. Better yet, it provides you with tips on how to improve your sleep.
 
Brush better
Strut into your next dentist’s appointment confident that your teeth are in great shape by improving your brushing habits using the Oral-B Genius X, which uses artificial intelligence to track your brushing style and provide real-time feedback. Missed a spot? The Genius X will let you know where you need to give more brushing attention.
 
Exercise better
Looking for a more personalized approach when it comes to your fitness tracker? The recently launched Fitbit Premium paid membership ($107 for one year) takes your data and delivers customized guidance and coaching in the form of programs, workouts, challenges and games along with advanced sleep tools, to help ensure you’re on the best track when it comes to your health.
 
Fuel better
If preparing a wholesome breakfast is tough with your busy mornings, Holos will make it easier to fuel up with the right stuff before you hit the ground running. Portioned to offer what you need to kickstart the day well, including 20 grams of plant protein along with probiotics and omega-3s, it takes 30 seconds to prep the muesli the night before and then it’s ready when your alarm clock goes off in the morning. Available in four flavours: Vanilla, Cocoa, Peanuts + Maple, and Chai.
 
De-stress better
Get those stress and anxiety levels down by practising regularly with Pip. Hold the Pip tool between your thumb and forefinger and it will measure electrodermal activity to assess your stress levels. Using the Pip app, you can then work on lowering your stress levels through breathing exercises – and with its Loom app, you can see in real time how well you’re managing your stress levels, by transforming a sad landscape image into a happy one. The more calm you are, the faster the image transforms.
 
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KAREN KWAN is a freelance health, travel and lifestyle writer based in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter at @healthswellness and on Instagram at @healthandswellness.