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How IoT can boost your overall health and nutrition

The Internet of Things (IoT) creates an interconnectivity between humans and the digital sphere that not only boosts convenience and safety but can also influence the way we manage our health.

Cooking is at the heart of our health and nutrition journey and with more than 60% of American adults spending most of their time in the kitchen, it should be considered the starting point of a health journey, says Jocelyn Brown. The interconnectivity between devices will play a critical role in the future of meal prep, which means the kitchen of the future will have its fair share of smart appliances.

Monitoring of health conditions

Wearables are fast becoming one of the major components of a healthier lifestyle, thanks to the ability to monitor vital statistics. While gadgets such as fitbits and heart monitors are already mainstream, mouth wearables are slowly starting to gain traction. These devices can monitor items such as salt intake, which is critical for those who suffer from hypertension.

It can also be a remarkable means of monitoring sugar intake for those with diabetes. Nutrition is a vital part of managing these conditions, and for those looking to fine tune their meals by being able to monitor the components and certain ingredients, it will be far easier to maintain balance. By connecting this device to an IoT setup, users can become their own healthcare professionals and dissect ingredients in their daily menus that could thwart or improve their health journeys.

Improving the ease of meal prep

One of the game changers in creating an eating plan that works for your particular physiology is understanding how the ingredients interact with your body. For instance, there are those who thrive on a diet rich in dairy and fats, whereas others flourish on a diet high in carbs. While there is an overlapping nutritional guideline, how your body breaks down certain foods will be a large component in the success of your eating plan.

Once you have those ingredients that work best for you, it takes more than just throwing things together in a pot with some seasoning and hoping for the best. Smart devices for the kitchen are now able to break down the ingredients and nutritional value of each dish, which is great for those who are following very specific eating plans.

Nurture your own eco garden 

One of the hardest parts about maintaining a healthy and nutritious lifestyle is the access – or lack thereof – to the right ingredients. One of the best ways to curb this is to start a home garden. While this may not tick all the nutritional boxes, it does provide a substantial foundation. But a home garden is not always easy to implement, which is where IoT comes in.

A smart home garden setup is an effective means of monitoring the overall health of the plants. It can detect changes in the soil, water levels, and whether the plants are diseased. Some even adjust the irrigation system accordingly to ensure that hydration is optimal yet efficient. By knowing which of the produce is available for harvest, this information can be fed to other smart devices in the kitchen in order to formulate recipes accordingly.

While there is still much that can be done to integrate IoT into the kitchen, the changes are already helping consumers formulate meal plans for optimal nutrition.

The author of this blog is Jocelyn Brown, a freelance writer 

About the author

The author of this blog is Jocelyn Brown, a freelance writer and mother. She loves the freedom that comes with freelancing and the versatility it allows her in covering many different topics and themes. When not at work she enjoys running, hikes in the country and making the most of family time.

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