You sit down at your desk after a full day of classes and club meetings, and your first instinct is to open your laptop. You hear the welcoming sound of its awakening hard drive, the screen lights up and there it is: your close, personal friend—the browser. After several visits to the NYTimes, Facebook, YouTube, and your favorite fashion/beauty blogs (and of course, HC), your eyes begin to glaze over and you’re craving an online resource that’s a little more informative. As a collegietteTM, maintaining a lifestyle routine that works best for you is incredibly important, and some of the best health information out there can be found online! Read on to discover some of Her Campus’s favorite health-related sites that promote healthy, balanced lifestyles and provide info on everything from how many calories are in your smoothie to what to do about that weird rash.
Exercise and Fitness
SELF.com
Looking for quick fitness, diet or beauty tips? SELF magazine’s website is an excellent resource for the latest in fitness, diet, beauty and lifestyle. They offer fun and easy ways to burn calories, recipes for healthy meals that keep you energized, the most up-to-date all-natural beauty tips from celebs, experts, and other SELF readers, and they also share inspiring stories of healthy women across the country. They even offer a free iPhone app, so you can check them out on the go!
5min.com
If you need a quick exercise fix, 5min Life Videopedia gives you how-tos and tons of useful information in just 5 minutes! Surfing their site is a great way to slip in a quick exercise routine or learn something new when you need a short study break. Their videos are super easy to follow and perfect for those days when you’re too busy cramming for a full cardio session!
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Diet and Nutrition
nutritiondata.com
This site provides info on nutritional facts, exercise, and diet. You can even type in any food, from grocery store produce to a specific dish at a restaurant, and it will give you the nutritional facts! It’s a must-click if you’re looking for a way to enjoy your meal out, but still want to keep it healthy. There’s even a nutrition glossary for definitions of those complicated-sounding health terms! It also allows you to select foods based on their nutrition data to build your own recipes.
sparkrecipes.com
Spark Recipes offers tons of healthy recipes that are sorted by dietary needs, prep time, cuisine and occasion! Don’t forget to check out the site’s recipe calculator; you can enter your own recipes ingredient by ingredient and it’ll give you the nutritional info for your dish!
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Lifestyle
thecarrot.com
The Carrot is all about planning healthy lifestyles (Their slogan is “track your life.” Need we say more?). Choose from a number of programs and get customized tips and facts to keep you motivated, calendars to help you plan your goals and graphs or charts to help you keep track of your progress. They’ll create a safe and confidential program that is tailored to your needs. After signing up, don’t forget to download their free iPhone app!
GuideWell.com
It seems like so many sites are about making extreme lifestyle changes, but GuideWell provides small, easy steps that let you lead a healthier and happier life. You can get a plan designed specifically for you to help you achieve the results you want, based on your personal goals. GuideWell’s moto is “the little things mean the most,” and they’re the perfect site to help you with those day-to-day health decisions (like what really is the healthiest thing for lunch, or how to squeeze in a quick workout) that have a big impact in the long run.
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Mental Health
healthyplace.com
Healthy Place is a great online resource that covers very serious mental health issues. They have TV and radio shows featuring information from experts that you can access online, links to other mental health blogs, information about many different psychological disorders, referral resource numbers, and the latest in mental health news.
Womenshealth.gov
Women’s Health’s goal is “empowering women to lead healthier lives.” They’re big believers that mental health is a huge part of overall health. The site is easy to navigate, with links to different kinds of mental health illnesses, ranging from anxiety disorders to depression to substance abuse. In addition to giving tons of info about these illnesses, Women’s Health provides info on how exercise, nutrition, and sleep affect mental health. There’s also a section explaining your rights in school and the workplace, if you have a mental health illness.
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Physical Health
webMD.com
Need some fast answers to your health-related questions? WebMD is a great site if you’re looking for some quick info! They provide reliable facts about psychological and eating disorders, sickness, allergies, alcohol, fitness, sexual activity and much more. Ask a question in their search box, or explore all of their topics listed on the left side of their home page. Definitely check out their recommended exercise routines and healthy beauty tips in their “Living Better” section! Just be sure to check with a doctor before self-diagnosing yourself with anything too serious.
healthfinder.gov
Want to learn even more about healthy living? Managed by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Health Finder is all about teaching readers to live well. The foundation provides the latest health news, a convenient list of locations for doctors/health centers. It’s a one-stop resource; their “Health A-Z” section offers information on over 1,600 health-related topics!
Next time you’re surfing the web for some new exercise routines or natural beauty tips, be sure to check out these health-related sites, collegiettesTM! They’ll help make sure your healthy lifestyle decisions “click.”