Cron-O-meter is Amazing

Every once in a while a computer program comes along that is wonderful in that it provides excellent support to my goal of an excellent, healthy lifestyle.

One such program is Cron-O-Meter.  I have not used Cron-O-Meter for some time, but my goal is to use it more frequently in the future.  Cron-O-Meter has a comprehensive food database, including my own food and recipe creations.  I can easily record all my food intake from my iPhone, iPad or Mac.  The resulting daily summary of my food and nutrition is very comprehensive.  Cron-O-Meter gives me the following benefits:

• I can check to assure I am taking in all required nutrients, especially iodine and vitamin B12, which I have a hard time getting from the vegan foods I eat.
• I can assure that my calorie intake is appropriate to the output, especially the mega calories I burn while cycling.  I have been feeling a bit weak and down the last few days, I suspect because I have not been either drinking or eating enough, perhaps both.
• I get a picture of trends in my nutrient and calorie intake, which is very helpful.
• The program steers me to design meals that will give me the daily numbers that I am looking for, both in terms of calories and nutrients.  I can check my nutrient intake progress as the day goes on and adjust my food intake accordingly.

This program is a real winner and I need to discipline myself to use it more often.  I have found, for example, that a morning smoothie is probably a better choice than oatmeal.  Oatmeal is excellent and I will continue to eat it on some days for breakfast, however, green smoothies allow me to pack in lots of nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables to start off my day thus making it easier to get all the calories and nutrients I target by the end of the day.  I am most in control of what I eat for breakfast, so the smoothie can be designed to give me a head start on a day of excellent eating.

Cron-O-Meter has a very comprehensive data base of tens of thousands of foods, and there is the option to create your own recipes and foods.  When I search for a food to enter into my daily log, I rarely cannot find it in the Cron-O-Meter database.  The program is easy to use and, best of all for some, it is free.  There is an upgrade option - Gold Subscriber -  that provides the user with advertisment-free use of the program, and substantial upgrades in the nutritional analysis.

The Cron-O-Meter website is here.