 "Photo: Courtesy of Skimble.com")
 "Photo: Courtesy of Skimble.com")
Browsing the Internet can either be time well spent or time well wasted. Scores of entertainment and gossip Web sites, blogs, videos and Twitter accounts are often used to procrastinate and pass time rather than to learn. Instead of updating the Facebook status, check out these popular innovative health Web sites.
WebMD
WebMD covers every health topic from A to Z to ensure healthier lifestyles for family members and pets. This interactive site lets users browse through the latest health news articles, daily polls, medical tests and message boards. Users can also choose from a wide selection of videos that feature real stories and expert interviews.
“WebMD empowers consumers to take a more active role in their care by providing engaging, relevant and credible health and wellness information,” WebMD Public Relations Representative Rupali Parikh said.
This Web site addresses thousands of health concerns and questions about symptoms, diseases, disorders, infections and ways to prevent them. News content is written by award-winning journalists and reviewed for accuracy by board-certified physicians. Users benefit from the endless amount of accurate and reliable facts and the site’s interactive elements.
GoodFoodNearYou
For those dining out, this site allows users to make healthier fast food choices instantly. By simply typing in a zip code, a list of 20 nearby restaurants appear along with a map on how to arrive to the tasty destination. Users can sort through search results by closest distance, lowest calories, lowest carbs or lowest fat content.
This Web site is helpful for people who are counting calories or are simply in need of a new lunch spot. No matter what city one might be in, nutrition information is easily accessible for the more than 220,000 U.S. restaurant locations. GoodFoodNearYou also has a free downloadable phone application on its Web site for BlackBerry and iPhone users on the go.
Skimble
This Web site motivates its users to be active and engage in outdoor activities such as running, rock climbing, kayaking, cycling or hiking. Those who regularly exercise live healthier and more productive lives. Users who create a free Skimble account can log on to plan and track their workout activities and earn points for each activity completed.
“Our mission is to socially inspire active lifestyles by providing tools to help you plan, track and discover your active life,” co-founder of Skimble Maria Ly said. “Current fitness and activity sites focus on weight loss, whereas Skimble offers social activity tracking, activity comparisons and an accomplishment leaderboard to help motivate people to be active and have fun.”
Supercook
Staying home and cooking one’s own meal just got easier. There is no need to be a professional chef or run out to the nearest grocery store. Users who log on to Supercook can learn how to create and cook meals with ingredients they already have at home. Every time a new ingredient is added to the list, the recipe list is instantly updated.
Keep adding ingredients and Supercook will keep suggesting flavorful meal recipes that match. Choose a recipe and step-by-step instructions, nutritional facts, photos, suggestions for similar recipes and user reviews appear. With more than 380,000 recipes, users will always have something new and tasty to create.
ExerciseTV
For those who are tired of the old gym routine, this Web site allows its users to be salsa dancing one minute and kicking it Tae Bo- style with Billy Blanks the next. ExerciseTV features hundreds of free and downloadable full-length and mini-workout videos from some of the most well-known trainers on TV.
These videos, which can be up to 45-minutes long, are divided into fun and diverse categories including abs, bootcamp, cardio, dance, kickboxing, pilates, body sculpting, stretch, tips, interval, sports and strength training, walking, quick workouts and yoga.
For a fun, new workout routine fit for any age, mood or fitness level, visit www.exercisetv.tv.
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