Wearable Health Tech: Apple Watch, Fitbit & More (feat. Ted Kritsonis)

The Salad With a Side of Fries podcast is hosted by Jenn Trepeck, discussing wellness and weight loss for real life, clearing up the myths, misinformation, bad science & marketing surrounding our nutrition knowledge and the food industry. Let’s dive into wellness and weight loss for real life, including drinking, eating out, and skipping the grocery store. 

Today we are joined by Ted Kritsonis, who studies a variety of tech products. Ted is talking to us today about wearable health tech. In this episode, we cover the best wearable tech Ted has seen and discuss the pros and cons of some of the most popular smartwatches on the market. He dives into the accuracy of wearables and the best way for consumers to use the products. Ted also gives some great tips on choosing the best device for the purpose consumers seek to understand. Tune in today to learn how to utilize wearable tech for your lifestyle.

IN THIS EPISODE:

●   [4:51] How did Ted get into the tech field from journalism? 

●   [7:28] Ted’s favorite wearable tech products.  

●   [9:40] What's the best product for sleep tracking? 

●   [12:10] Ted discusses the pros and cons of the major smartwatches on the market.  

●   [16:10] What to consider when buying a smartwatch for yourself or others. 

●   [18:16] What should we know about WHOOP and Oura Smart Ring?

●   [25:02] Ted discusses the accuracy of wearable devices. 

●   [32:03] How does what you eat tie into wearables? 

●   [34:10] How do the devices get our heart rate from the top of our wrists? 

●   [36:52] How should we understand the context that devices share? 

●   [40:50] Why should you take the data to the doctor to determine the next steps if something seems “wrong” on the wearable?

●   [43:19] What does Ted think is next in this space?

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

●   Different watches have different benefits, so when shopping for a smartwatch, determine what you want it to do and then shop for the best watch with those capabilities. For example, for runners, Garmin is the best. 

●   Accuracy is getting better, but the information isn’t 100%. Use the information as insight instead of final information. Use it to compare how you’ve done across a span of time vs. reading too much into the information. If something seems off, take the data to a doctor to help you understand.

●   Your lifestyle habits, including sleep, nutrition, and physical activity, all tie into your health. The watch cannot give you all the answers, especially regarding the food you consume.   

QUOTES: 

“I always advise people to skip a year and go two or three years before you upgrade because then it’ll feel like there's a bigger jump. There are times when a feature comes out that people can get excited about. Where I feel like there's confusion, is the expectation that one company, because it has a reputation for making good products, is really good at making this type of product, and I have to call out the apple watch for that. A lot of people look at the apple watch and think that's the best and end all of smartwatches when it is not. If you're a runner, I would recommend a Garmin over an apple watch any day.”  Ted Kritsonis

“Treat the numbers that you see as an insightful perspective. Thank it from, like ok, maybe I'm in the ballpark, and if that ballpark is dangerous, that could be a cause for concern. There's ECGs now on certain smartwatches; if there's something that seems off about the way your heart is working, the watch isn't going to tell you why, but go to your doctor and say, hey doc, I'm seeing this number on my device pretty consistently, what do you make of it?.” Ted Kritsonis

“I do suspect we will see more, especially on mental health. Mental health tracking, brain scanning, things on the cognitive side of health as opposed to just the physical activity.” Ted Kritsonis

RESOURCES:

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GUEST RESOURCES:

Ted Kritsonis Twitter

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Tednologic Podcast Twitter

Tednologic Podcast Instagram

GUEST BIO:

Ted Kritsonis has been a freelance journalist and photographer for 20 years, covering the tech industry. Having seen and tested thousands of products in that time, he’s grown a specialty in assessing various tech devices and understanding how tech has evolved over time. Ted has contributed to dozens of publications in Canada and the United States, including Android Central, Digital Trends, PetaPixel, and Android Police, just to name a few. Ted is based in Toronto, and you can find him on his podcast, Tednologic.