There are many free health apps including ‘dminder app’, sourced from app stores. Sufficient vitamin D level is one of the most important easy ways of staying healthy. Regular testing of D levels is a helpful part of that strategy eg via the doctor-led Medichecks laboratory, which offers some tests to private customers, see Vitamin D (25 OH) Blood Test.
dminder
“Wherever you go in the world, dminder tracks the sun and tells you when you can get vitamin D. The stopwatch interface lets you set your session target by either the amount of vitamin D to get, or time. Then it will count up or down to your target, applying all the factors that determine how much vitamin D get, like skin tone, age, weight, amount of skin exposed. All your doses of vitamin D, whether from sun or supplements, are used to continuously estimate your current level. Developed with world authority on vitamin D, Dr Michel Horlick, there is a short video with further information”
Did you know that if our shadow is longer than our body, we cannot produce vitamin D from sunlight? This is to do with the angle of the sun in the sky. And as we live in a country of higher latitude, this is happening right now in the autumn/winter. Specifically, the dminder app shows me that the last day of possible vitamin D production here was 14th Oct 2024, and the next day when the sun has got high enough in the sky for our next vitamin D opportunity is late February 2025.
Calcium calculator
Another handy app is the Calcium Calculator, kindly developed by the National Osteoporosis Society. I can fill in the weekly food survey and find out my likely calcium-intake score.
As mind and mood often go with health and food, Boots website features 7 of the best motivation apps including 2 free apps:
- Daily Quotes “You no longer need to search for your daily dose of life inspiration thanks to this app that brings it straight to your phone …”
- Think Up “If you are prone to negative thought patterns, this daily motivation app can help thanks to its variety of positive affirmations designed to encourage positive self-talk”