Some killer apps to give you killer abs

Whether you're an iPhone, Android or BlackBerry user, that little piece of technology is always with you. If you haven't joined the smartphone community, now might be the time. Many apps for the devices can help make your life easier and healthier. Here are favorite health-centric apps.

The Eatery

Free for iPhone, iPad; eatery.massivehealth.comOne quick scan of your Facebook news feed or tweets from your followers confirms that people love sharing photos of what they're eating. This app lets you take that practice a step further. Snap pictures of your food and rate the general healthfulness of the meal ("fantastic" or "junktastic"). From there, you can ask friends to comment on your food choices. The Eatery takes all this and points out dietary traps. The app looks at your overall consumption for a week and summarizes how well you are (or are not) eating.

Google Goggles

Free for Android, iPhone; www.google.com/mobile/gogglesSnap a photo of any food label with your phone, and this app gives you the nutrition information, the company's website, where the item is sold (perfect if you are at someone's house) and more.

The Human Body

$7 for iPad; www.apple.com/appsView, in detail, more than 270 elements of the human body. This is an educational app designed to be fun and informative. View and understand how your brain, heart or kidneys work, or view a 3-D rotatable human body with selectable layers. You can even feel the human heartbeat.

LiveStrong

$3 for Android, BlackBerry, iPhone/iPad; www.livestrong.comLiveStrong has become a powerhouse of a brand, so it's no surprise it now has apps. There are several to choose from, including one that offers tools for nutrition (including a calorie counter and meal planner) and others that focus on fitness and health broken down by gender. You also can click and drag the path of your run/bike ride/walk on a Google map, and figure out how many calories you burned. Smokers looking to quit can use the MyQuit Coach feature.

Nexercise

Free for Android, iPhone, iPad; www.nexercise.comThis app turns fitness into an interactive game. You can play with friends, earn rewards, defeat challenges and track your progress.

Sleep Cycle

$1 for iPhone, iPad; www.sleepcycle.comWe all know optimal sleep leads to optimal performance, but how do you know how well you're sleeping without spending the night in a sleep center? Your sleep patterns are analyzed with this app, using your phone's movement sensor, and you are awakened in the morning when you are sleeping your lightest.

Sodium 101

Free for iPhone/iPad; itunes. apple.comHeart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, and watching your sodium can help with heart health. This app helps users stay within their daily recommended sodium intake based on age and gender. Check prepackaged and restaurant foods and share your daily sodium totals on Facebook and Twitter.

Soleil Organics

$1 for Android, iPhone/iPad; www.soleilmobile.comWith more people eating organic (and more organic options available in stores), the selection can be overwhelming and confusing. This app helps you decipher labels and identify products that masquerade as "organic" but aren't.

Super Diet Genius

$4 for all Apple devices; www.superdietgenius.comEnter your height, weight, gender and activity level, as well as your food likes and dislikes, and this app will help build a food plan for a balanced diet. It also tracks what you eat and when to keep your diet on track.