5 Innovations That Are Making Us Healthier

We love writing about innovations that are making the world a better place. It’s exciting to watch creative minds tackle social challenges. With the growing costs of healthcare and rising rates of obesity, it’s fair to say that improving health is one of the biggest challenges our communities are facing today. Thanks to policy changes, innovative organisations, and wearable technology, getting healthier is becoming more accessible than ever. New technologies and programs are increasing our access to health education, healthy food, exercise, and healthy environments. Here are our 5 favourite innovations that are making us healthier:

1. Fresh! Healthy Vending

Healthy snacking is an important part of maintaining a healthy weight. But it can be hard to get the nutrients we need if we are faced with potato crisps and chocolate bars as our only snacking options. Fresh vending is bringing health foods to the convenience of vending machines. Instead of getting a bag of crisps to satisfy your afternoon snack cravings, snack on soy crisps, nuts, dried fruit, and a range of other healthy snacks. To get a fresh vending machine in your workplace or campus, get in touch with Fresh here.

2. Fresh Paper

We love the feeling of coming home from the shop with a bag full of fresh vegetables and produce. It feels like the start of a healthy week! But as the days melt away meal plans don’t always stick. By the weekend half of the fresh produce is still sitting in the fridge, but it has gone off. It feels like my healthy plans have been thwarted by nature! Imagine if you could get your produce to last just a few days longer. You wouldn’t have to feel like you were wasting your time and money at the shop. That is exactly what Fresh Paper aims to do. Their paper sheets are infused with organic spices that keep fruits and veggies fresh for twice as long as normal. Their aim is to reduce food waste and help families eat healthier, fresher foods.

3. Sleep Cycle

Lack of sleep can make you more prone to illness and weight gain. A poor night’s sleep also makes it harder for you to function throughout the day, decreasing your ability to learn new things. Seep cycle can’t make you sleep better, but it can help you start the day on the right foot. Sleep cycle analyses your sleep stages, and wakes you up in the morning in the lightest sleep phase possible. The deeper the stage of sleep you are woken from, the more your body enters panic mode upon waking. Sleep cycle lets you wake up ready for the day! The app also analyses your sleep patterns. You can view how much time you got in REM sleep, and if you woke up at all during the night.

4. Farm to School

How can we get more happy, healthy adults? By helping children been healthier. Farm to school creates connections between local farms and local schools. This allows children to get fresh, healthy food for their school lunches while also learning about nutrition and farming. This initiative is currently only available in US schools. We would love to see this idea catch fire and start seeping into European schools as well!

5. FitBit

Fitbit is the trendiest fitness trackers out there. Fitbit is a wearable technology that tracks everything from workouts, to sleep, to heart rate.There are options for fitness freaks and couch potatoes, encouraging everyone to be more active and more aware of their health. Fitbit also runs a blog filled with the newest trends in healthy eating and exercise.

Have you tried any of these innovations? What are your experiences? Any to add to the list?