DietTech: Applying DigitalTech to Effective Nutrition

Within the StressTech Literacy model, we use the 5 Pillars of Health as a frame for how to apply digital tech to our stress management activities. Over the next few posts, we will take time to talk about digital technologies designed specifically for each of the 5 Pillars. In this post, we take a look at DietTech, the tech that can help us with what we eat, how we eat and when we eat in support of our health. As always, I want to acknowledge that this blog post was prepared with the assistance of Google Gemini.

What We Eat?

Many of us grew up hearing that "we are what we eat" and indeed that is true. That said, too often these days we are junk as a result of the junk we eat and this is too often influenced by the content we receive through our digital devices and channels. Too few of us are aware of how our digital devices and channels can give us access to content and services which transform a junky diet to a nutritious one.

Technologies here exist across a broad range from mean planning and delivery to grocery shopping to recipes:

• Meal planning and calorie tracking apps that track our caloric intake and assist with meal planning. These apps contain vast databases of foods for easy logging. Additionally, some provide they provide insights into your caloric needs and balance. I have personally benefited from their use when it comes to weight control as they have helped me cultivate a mindset related to caloric budgeting. Popular choices include MyFitnessPal, Lose It!, and Cronometer.
• Meal delivery services are helpful as a convenience to gain access to foods and recipes that might otherwise not be easily available. Why I classify them as digital is that they are accessed through websites and mobile apps. These services deliver healthy meals and portions to one's home, saving time and planning. Popular services in this category are HelloFresh, Blue Apron, and Sunbasket. This option is a great way to explore new recipes and ensure you're getting a balanced diet without the hassle of grocery shopping and prepping. HelloFresh, Blue Apron, and Sunbasket are popular offerings in this category.
• Grocery shopping apps allow one to create grocery store lists, discover coupons, and compare prices across stores, ensuring you get the best deals on healthy ingredients while saving time. Instacart, Peapod, and Shipt are popular versions of these apps.
• Recipe apps and websites offer libraries of recipes filtered by specific dietary restrictions and nutrition preferences. Allrecipes, Yummly, and Food Network Kitchen are popular versions of these.

How and When We Eat?

When it comes to diet as a health pillar we focus a lot on what we eat but underestimate the degree to which even good food, even in a poor manner, works against us. When we eat in a rush, alone, without thorough chewing, we benefit less from even the good foods we eat and you see how this is negatively complicated when poor eating practice meets poor food choices.

• Nutrition coaching apps, and their accompanying services, provide personalized guidance to better nutrition to affect weight, chronic illness and performance. These services use registered dietitians or qualified nutrition professionals to provide tailored advice and support. Popular services include Noom Coach, WW (formerly Weight Watchers), and Virta Health.
• Mindful eating is a meditation technique by which we slow down our eating to give attention: 1) to how our food has been sourced and processed step by step on the way our plates and mouths, and with gratitude, and 2) to all our senses while eating from the feel of utensils in our hands to the smell, texture, and sound, in addition to taste, of the food from our plates to our mouths and down our throats. It is recommended that this practice be observed for at least 15 minutes with any meal it is used. It is challenging and healthy. You can learn, practice (socially), and track this practice using any number of meditation (I like Insight Timer), streaming video and podcast, and even body-doubling and videoconference apps. Research (Cherpak, 2019) in this area suggests that this technique yields better digestion, and nutrient absorption and has implications for weight loss. Interestingly in my research, I even came across an article on mindful cooking. Who knew?
• Social eating is a commitment to combining the health benefits of eating well with those of being in a community when you eat. Digital applications like MeetUp.com are useful for finding eating-related groups and events as eating with friends and family is a default practice for most. Evidence-wise, I found a paper by Hanna (2023) that suggests a positive and healthy effect of eating in community with others.
• Intermittent fasting is a technique that involves cycling between disciplined periods of eating time windows and fasting time windows that emphasize when you eat. An underlying logic of intermittent fasting is that when the body is given periods of fasting, versus digesting, it can focus on repair. Such repair does not take place to the same extent when we eat continuously without giving our systems a rest. Research (Sun, 2024) suggests intermittent fasting contributes to several positive health effects that include weight loss, improved blood sugar control, and reduced inflammation. I especially benefit from this approach to control inflammation flares in my system that are exasperated by stress and an undisciplined diet on my part. There are a number of different methods that divide the day or week into eating windows and fasting windows of 0-500 calories. Popular methods include: 1) 16-hour fasts with 8 eating hours in a day, 2) 2 fast days our of 7 in a week, and there are others. Remember, it's always best to consult with a doctor before starting any new eating plan. Popular digital apps in this space include: Zero, LIFE Fasting Timer & Tracker, FastHabit Intermittent Fasting, BodyFast, Noom, and MyFitnessPal.

Even I questioned why some of these are classifiable as Stresstech apps. I then remembered that as a tool they support healthy stress levels in how they are used. If used to maintain disciplined healthy food choices, and to free up time for other more healthy activities then meets the criteria of StressTech. For some, this is a small, seemingly inconsequential thing and remember that good health, like lack of health, is made up of many small practices that together make us or break us.

Thanks again so much for reading our newsletter, spreading word about it and checking out our StressTech Literacy Program. We are actively looking for audiences, organizations and collaboration partners who can benefit from greater digital health literacy.