I have been using a device somewhat different than what we are used to analyzing for two weeks. It is a metabolism analyzer, a device that analyzes our breath every day, several times, to detect the amount of CO2 and to be able to reach related conclusions about our consumption of carbohydrates and fats.
The operation is simple: we inhale and blow several times a day:
– As soon as you wake up, before having breakfast: to check if we are burning fat, carbohydrates or a mixture of the two. The ultimate goal to lose weight, for example, is to ensure that we always wake up with a level 1 or 2 (fat burning) .– After heavy meals.– After light meals.– After heavy dinners.– Before to exercise.– After exercising.
Along with all these measurements, we have to tell you how many hydrates we have eaten each day, and for this it uses a special unit with a search engine to facilitate the measurement. We look for the food, we write down the units it has, and we add them to report everything in the Lumen app.
The result, after a while, is an interesting control over our body, since it tells us how and when we burn, and offers us food recommendations to achieve the goal we have set for ourselves (which we must indicate when we start, of course).
The science behind Lumen
In Lumen.me they explain the science behind the device.
CO2 concentration is measured by a single breathing maneuver, performed by inhaling a fixed volume of air through the Lumen device (dynamic for each individual), holding it for 10 seconds, and exhaling fully.
Generally, the respiratory exchange index (RER) is used for this, which is the index between the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced in metabolism and the oxygen (O2) used. The ratio is determined by comparing the exhaled gases with the ambient air. Measurement of this ratio can be used to estimate the respiratory quotient (RQ), an indicator of what fuel (eg, carbohydrates or fat) is metabolized to supply energy to the body.
Lumen uses the RER as the central data point to bring the same measurement to a domestic environment by measuring CO2 in the breath through the sensor and flow meter, according to the RER metric. The results are very similar to those obtained in a clinic.
What I liked the most about Lumen
Thanks to the fact that I have been using Lumen like a maniac for two weeks, I have come to conclusions about my body: dinner is key, dinner time as well, as well as the time I exercise. Over time I have been able to regulate the issue to always wake up with fat burning (something that is not easy).
There are certain conclusions that are logical, but if I wake up burning carbohydrates instead of fat and have had a very light dinner (salad, for example), Lumen helps me understand why, as it indicates what may be causing that (stress, bad night and other variables).
I also liked that sync with Google Fit, so that the watch sends health data that Lumen uses to reach conclusions. They have reached an agreement with Garmin so that the Lumen app exists in the brand’s watches, so if in addition to Google Fit, you have a Garmin, you will have everything integrated.
And yes, I liked it the design, it is very discreet and elegant.
What I didn’t like about Lumen
The food finder it leaves much to be desired. It is not easy to measure the units when you have a mixed soup, since its search engine is very general. You could do a count of grams of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, but that is somewhat impractical. Hopefully they will refine it to improve the way we measure what we eat.
On the other hand it’s all in english, a person who does not have knowledge of the language will miss the advice, the instructions, the guidelines … there is a lot of text in the app, and it is important to understand everything well to be able to know what it is doing and what it is for.
On the price: it is not cheap, it costs more than 300 dollars (with discounts on black friday and cyber monday it goes down 100 dollars), so it is important to understand exactly what it does and what it is for before investing in the subject.