Episode 29 – More Than a Calorie Counter: How Cronometer is Transforming Health

If you’re trying to accomplish anything significant with your diet, using a nutrient tracker app is definitely helpful. But what’s the point of doing all that tracking if you’re not even sure if the info is accurate? Aaron Davidson, founder of Cronometer, the best nutrient tracker app out there for accuracy, has taken a part-time hobby and turned it into a full-time business. Now he’s transforming the health of those using his app, regardless of what diet they’re following. Not only does this nutrient tracker app track macros, but it also tracks micronutrients — all of those trace nutrients that can set you up for illness if not met long term! Tracking with Cronometer can help you meet your dietary goals. Whether you’re a new keto dieter trying to make sure your carbs are low enough, or a vegetarian wanting to prove to your family that you’re getting enough protein in your diet. What makes Cronometer stand out as a nutrient tracker app from all the others is that Aaron Davidson and his team spend a lot of time, money and effort on making sure their database is accurate. They do this by having professionals enter data to check for accuracy rather than relying on users to populate data. They also enter all of the data for the micronutrients for those of you on a therapeutic diet needing more specific details like zinc, vitamin B12, selenium, and more. Listen in iTunes! This podcast is brought to you by Heads Up Health, a web app designed to help you centrally track all of your vital health data. Instantly synchronize your medical records, connect your favorite health devices and apps and use your data to optimize your health! Click on the button below to start your free 30-day trial. Or, read on for more information about our latest podcast episode! [maxbutton id=”5″ url=”https://headsuphealth.com/” ] In this podcast you’ll learn: That the trick to caloric restriction over the long term, while still getting good nutrients, is to track what you’re eating with a nutrient tracker app [6:20] How what Aaron Davidson started as an offline standalone product (built in a weekend out of personal necessity, and initially given away for years) turned into the Cronometer so many love and use today [7:00] Where the name Cronometer came from. (CRONometer = Caloric Restriction with Optimal Nutrition + meter to indicate nutrient density in your diet!)  [8:10] More on the origin of Cronometer and Aaron Davidson’s story from Ireland to Canada. When the free use version of Cronometer started feeling like a job (people were emailing daily with questions), Aaron turned it into a full-time business, making his nutrient tracker app web-based and mobile [8:30] The parallels between Dave Korsunksy’s story of building Heads Up Health and Aaron Davidson’s build of Cronometer [10:15] How Dave had a difficult time getting his ketones above 0.5 mmol/L without tracking his data, and the reasons why he built Heads Up Health for others to track their health — to see what inputs made a difference for them [12:15] If you want to build something for a unique audience like Dave and Aaron have done with their health apps, DO IT!  There are other weirdos out there like you that will want it too! (Find your weirdos!) [12:55] Though Cronometer has grown a lot in the last couple of years, initially Aaron still had to take another day job [15:30] In 2016 Aaron hired his first employees; by 2017 he went full time himself. Now he has about 17 employees and 11 in the office (who have chair lift meetings in their ski town of Revelstoke!) [17:30] Why Cronometer is considered a best nutrient tracker app above others. Their high standards and commitment to making sure their nutrient database is the best, keeping up on the nutrition data, having larger amounts of micronutrients than any other nutrient tracker app. [19:50] How the Cronometer database is put together by experts, not entered by users. (This means it may get entered a little slower, but it’s going to be more accurate and reliable. In fact, there’s a whole team around data curation staying on top of the database.) [20:40] A little about micronutrients and reasons why you would want to track them to transform your health: [23:00] You’re taking supplements and want to know if you’re getting enough in your diet. Or maybe you don’t need a supplement anymore? You’re a cancer patient (or caring for one) wanting to know you’re getting what you need at therapeutic levels Mental health Keto dieters tracking electrolytes Vegans making sure they’re getting their protein Vegetarians making sure they’re getting their B12 Genetic mutations that cause you to not absorb typical micronutrients and you need to take in more And many more reasons… How Cronometer and Heads Up Health have integrated and now synchronize between the two apps [26:00] Learn how a two-way sync with blood sugar and ketones may be in the future between Heads Up Health and Cronometer! [26:50] How you can input blood test info in Cronometer, which is useful to see how your nutrient intake is affecting your lab values over time [27:30] Why even though the biggest users of Cronometer are those following a keto, vegan, or raw food diet, as well those using it for weight loss, any dietary approach works with this nutrient tracker app  [30:00] How researchers are utilizing Cronometer for diet research [31:10] Why Dr. Mercola prefers Cronometer as a nutrient tracker app and how the Cronometer team customized it for him [32:45] References Cronometer The Methuselah Foundation Our Partners: Learn more about LEVL, a clinical-grade ketone breath meter, which measures your level of fat-burning and ketosis through a simple breath. Find out more at HeadsUpHealth.com/LEVL. You can learn more about the Oura ring, a state of the art ring that can track sleep cycle analysis, activity, and recovery at HeadsUpHealth.com/Oura. Learn more about Keto-Mojo, a highly accurate and affordable device for testing blood sugar and blood ketones. Check it out at HeadsUpHealth.com/Ketomojo. All of these amazing products are integrated with Heads Up Health. They all allow you to quantify your health in novel and powerful ways. Thank you to our partners! About Heads Up Health Heads Up Health is a website designed to empower individuals who want to take a self-directed approach to managing their health. Instantly centralize your medical records, connect your favorite devices and apps (e.g., Oura, MyFitnessPal, Keto-Mojo, FitBit, Apple Health, MyMacros+, Withings and many more) and use your data to optimize your health. Click on the button below to start your free 30-day trial now! [maxbutton id=”4″ url=”https://headsuphealth.com/” ] The post Episode 29 – More Than a Calorie Counter: How Cronometer is Transforming Health appeared first on Heads Up Health.