Nowadays, it is possible to get nutrition plans that suit your genetic structure. But having knowledge and using it effectively are two different things.
you gave up ladoos. OK, this didn’t work. You decided to go gluten-free because your friend said it worked for her. But did it also work for you? No. And you tried going vegan for a week, and then it was a juice detox program, and then you ended up eating only salads for a week and got so angry you ate half the treats you’d reserved for special occasions. It doesn’t matter what you try; You don’t look like you’ve lost any weight, but what you’re losing is your mind. You just want someone to tell you exactly what and how much to eat at the exact time of day. Is this so difficult?
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As a nutrition coach, I hear this request all the time. But most customers don’t suffer from not knowing what a healthy diet consists of; The problem is that they don’t have the skills to stick with one for very long. Old habits die hard, taste preferences take over, and sometimes, often, this requires a complex examination to understand sleep cycles, stress levels, eating and exercise habits, and emotional regulation associated with food choices.
The initial mission always remains the same: to shed light on all those different aspects that contribute to your weight gain and uncover critical habits that do not lead to success. After all, if you don’t know what needs to change, how can you expect to make the right changes? Otherwise, every day becomes a minefield of predictions, trial and error.
By critically analyzing our lifestyle information, we obtain invaluable data on which to base our next steps, laying the foundation for your weight loss success. However, for some, it is impossible to deny that even though they do everything right, they cannot gain weight no matter how hard they try. If we can establish a solid foundation and the client is still struggling with weight loss, we can address this problem by digging deeper into our analysis and seeing what critical information we can gather from various assessments or blood reports. Each layer of data we examine brings us one step closer to discovering which magic mix of ingredients works best for each client’s weight loss.
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right into the DNA
So how “aware” can a person be? How many layers can we peel back to understand how a person’s body works? Everyone’s body is different, but at what level are we trying to explore these critical differences? If someone is tired of constantly trying solutions that don’t work, I can see how far down the rabbit hole they’re willing to go to find the answers, and of course that can be as deep as your DNA.
Since the Human Genome Project began, a number of studies and analysis companies have emerged promoting the testing of our DNA, which can tell us how our bodies use the nutrients we ingest. DNA codes for proteins that change how we digest, absorb, metabolize and excrete food and nutrients. According to a study titled “Nutrigenomics: The Genome-Food Interface” published in 2007, nutrigenomics (the intersection of DNA study and nutrition) deals with the impact of dietary components on the genome, meaning the food we eat contains micronutrients, macronutrients, and micronutrients. Phytonutrients and chemicals that play a role in our body’s processes and, in some cases, interact positively or negatively with our genetics. It brings a new meaning to the sentence: you are what you eat. By understanding this information, they can create a diet plan that maximizes the benefit of eating certain macronutrients while minimizing the intake of others to help them lose weight.
Therefore, analyzing our DNA structure is like looking for clues. Rather than presenting it to you as a confusing set of data points, some DNA diet companies have shown up to 100 ways your genes can affect how food is used in your body and provided their customers with diet advice, recipes, and shopping lists. At least eat what suits you best according to your DNA. They can even tell you which foods, like lactose or gluten, don’t suit your body.
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Science hasn’t caught up yet
This is an exciting area of research and one that many people would like to explore just for the sake of interest. Six years ago the cost of such testing would have been too high for most people; but due to the increasing popularity and ubiquity of the technology, prices have dropped enough to make this a fun and self-contained scientific experiment. But does the science support his claims?
In a scathing article published by Scientific American under the headline “Matching DNA with Diet Doesn’t Work,” one thing was clear: The science isn’t there yet. Studies in which DNA diets have a demonstrable effect on weight loss have not been replicated; This is one of the hallmarks of scientific discovery. If one study could prove a demonstrable difference in body weight after implementing personalized DNA diets, then other studies would need to be conducted to confirm that the findings are not a rare unicorn in the scientific community.
In that article, the same Stanford researcher who completed the initial study and saw the results in 2010 said: “But let’s cut to the chase: We did not replicate this study; We couldn’t even get close. “This didn’t work.” Researchers found that some study participants became finicky and almost fanatical about their new diets, which biased the results away from the majority of participants who remained apathetic and not consistent in their eating habits throughout the study. A fanatical minority may have influenced the outcome. And this is no different than any diet that has ever existed; Whether it’s Atkins, Keto, Intermittent Fasting, or Mediterranean, there will always be a few who doggedly embrace it. In contrast, others begin with pleasure and then reduce their commitment.
You might also think that analysis of our DNA would provide all the information we need to clean up our diet; but this is still not the case. Habit, a leading DNA diet company, said DNA alone “is not sufficient to develop personalized dietary recommendations,” so the company takes into account blood biomarkers and other information important to understanding a person’s diet plan.
Knowing your DNA sequence is just information. Information is only useful if you are given the skills and resources necessary to make changes in a long-term attempt to change your lifestyle. That’s like saying that just because the microbes in our gut thrive on fiber-dense foods for fuel doesn’t mean we like to eat broccoli. And just because we know what our DNA tells us doesn’t mean we have the skills to walk away from the cake box at three in the morning when we’re feeling tired and lonely.
It also tells us that DNA and food intake are not the whole story, and that there are other ways to use our epigenetics, such as exercise, which alters certain positive gene expression. Just because the science isn’t fully available right now doesn’t mean we can’t still explore our DNA to find valuable connections and information that will help unlock our human potential; but until then it’s still just a piece of the pie.
Jen Thomas is a master women’s health coach.
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