Gosh, Where to Begin?
I have to be honest. I’m not even sure where to begin with this one. If you’re like most people you probably feel inundated by ever changing health news that seemingly contradicts whatever was reported, just yesterday. One look at this Healthline landing page, gets my head spinning. It’s so overwhelming! Is anything safe at all?
When you feel overwhelmed there are tools to help dig your way out of that hole. Best of all, these health apps can go anywhere with you on your cell! You may access them at a moment’s notice, when faced with a need for a quick choice. Deep breath in, hold for 5, deep breath out. You got this!
EWG's Healthy Living App
EWG, short for Environmental Working Group has varying fields of interest and I find them all useful. On their landing page there is a very brief overview about their work and some of their more popular databases such as the Tap Water Database.
One of their initiatives is a cell phone app: EWG’s Healthy Living App and it’s free! I have used this particular app for so many years together, I can no longer remember how or when I came upon it.
Above are three screenshots of varying types of sunscreen to display the varying results you may find.
EWG Rating Guidelines
Below are the guidelines for EWG’s food rating criteria as stated on their website. They use a number (1 -10) and color (green/yellow/red) coded scale to establish a safety rating. Individual ingredients are also listed and categorized by color based on safety/concern. Additionally, they provide information why a specific ingredient would be of concern ie. carcinogen, allergen, etc.
The lower the number the “safer” a product is determined to be. Color coding follows a traffic light concept, green means go, yellow means use caution and red means stop.
- Nutrition. The nutrition scoring algorithm considers multiple factors, including calories, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, sodium, protein, fiber and fruit, vegetable and nut content.
- Ingredient concerns. The ingredient concerns algorithm focuses on factors such as the likely presence of key contaminants, pesticides, hormones and antibiotics, and the health implications of certain food additives.
- Processing. The processing score reflects EWG’s best estimate of the extent to which a particular food has been processed. Scoring factors include modification of individual ingredients from whole foods and the number of artificial ingredients.
Why I love It
1. It waits quietly (no notifications) on my phone until I need it. Am I the only one annoyed by notifications?!
2. It features multiple search options. You can scan barcodes with your cell camera.
3. It automatically recommends safe options they call “EWG verified” that are relevant to your search.
4. It’s so fast! When I am standing in a store aisle with nothing but a phone, I can still choose a safe(ish) option, quickly.
5. It is easy to read, with color coding for safer or more toxic ingredients.
6. It has directly impacted my home family life and the evidence is all around me. Castile soap like Dr. Bronner’s or Whole Naturals are switches I’ve made thanks to “homework” and support from this app.
Don't Skip Your Homework
And here is my caveat: don’t let any one source be your only resource!
These tools are not a bypass to acquiring the appropriate amount of information from multiple sources to make an informed decision for you and your family’s health. And just because you trust a resource today, does not mean that you will feel that way in perpetuity. Things change.
Also, this in not medical/health advice.
Other Noteworthy Health Apps
I’m an old lady, so I was a kid when the internet was born. I remember only acquiring knowledge from books! What a time to be alive that we can carry access to information, in our pockets. As a homeschool Mom, I love that quick access for my curious thinkers.
EWG’s app fits my needs, currently, so I have not opted to sample other similar apps. There are others that are noteworthy and worth looking into.
Think Dirty: is an app geared to the ingredient safety for beauty products. I decided when my boys were born it was just more convenient to ditch make up all together. I simply have no need of this app. I know women whom do rely on it and find it beneficial.
Fig: Food Scanner: I find this option so interesting! It is an app you purchase. It caters more specifically to people with one or multiple food restrictions. You can create a profile detailing food preferences and allergies or perhaps specific diet plans. It guides you to foods that you can have. Ten years ago, I would have gladly paid to have had this sort of advantage as I trudged through the murky waters of dairy free living. I think it would be a tremendous asset to anyone new to certain food limitations.
