Episode 280: Bob Messerschmidt | The ESR Marker That Could Change Recovery

What if your body could warn you before a relapse happens? In this fascinating episode, Dr. Vera Tarman sits down with Bob Messerschmidt — biomedical engineer, inventor, and one of the architects behind the original Apple Watch's health-sensing technology — to explore a surprisingly simple but powerful biomarker: the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Bob is the founder of Core Health and has developed an FDA-registered at-home device that tracks chronic low-grade inflammation over time. For those of us in the food addiction and recovery world, this conversation opens a compelling new door: could inflammation tracking be the missing feedback loop for people working to stay abstinent from ultra-processed foods? 🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE: Bob's personal health journey and how weight struggles led him to inflammation science What ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) is — and why it fell out of favor before we understood chronic inflammation Why inflammation is now understood to underpin nearly all chronic disease How ESR differs from CRP (C-reactive protein) and why its "slowness" is a feature What does a high ESR score mean — and what you can do about it Anti-inflammatory lifestyle interventions that move the needle (including one surprising nighttime trick) How the Core Health device works: a simple weekly finger-stick test from home The feedback loop concept: how seeing your own data creates self-efficacy and behavior change Whether inflammation can precede a relapse — and what the data currently shows How ESR compares to a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) as a recovery tool Bob's thoughts on the Theranos dream — and whether democratized blood diagnostics is truly possible The future of non-invasive glucose monitoring and wearable health tech 🍒 BOB'S ANTI-INFLAMMATORY TIPS FROM THE EPISODE: Tart cherry juice (4 oz before bed — also improves sleep!) Ketogenic eating patterns Vegan dietary approaches Quality sleep Cold plunges Grounding practices 🔗 LEARN MORE & GET THE DEVICE: 🌐 Core Health Website: corehealth.com 📬 CONNECT WITH FOOD JUNKIES: 📧 Email: foodjunkiespodcast@gmail.com 🌐 Website: foodjunkiespodcast.com If this ep