No you can’t change the genes your given, BUT diet and lifestyle can change the way these genes are expressed.
This is powerful stuff. No longer do we need to think of diseases as inevitable because of our genetics.
About 5 weeks ago I was siting in my naturopaths office when she mentioned in passing that they do Gene Profiling. I almost fell out of my chair I was so excited. I had heard about this test and wanted to get it done, but didn’t know where to get it. I jumped at the chance to do it, a little cotton swab, $645 Aussie dollars and 5 weeks later I have the results in my hand!
My naturopath sat down with me and went through every gene they tested, what that meant for my health and the lifestyle and diet factors that will help turn on, off or up the genes for optimum health. I thought you guys might find the results interesting as well!
The genes they tested:
- Inflammation
- Cell Defence
- Cardiovascular Health
- Fat Metabolism and Cholesterol Regulation
- Vitamin D Metabolism
So… the results!
1. Inflammation
The genetic profile revealed I have an increased risk of inflammatory response, and I have many DNA markers for auto-immune diseases which explains the celiac disease. So I need to work on ‘turning off’ those inflammation genes. Here were a few of the recommendations:
- Increase omega 3 by including flax seed oil, walnuts, olive oil and a fish oil supplement (I am using a vegan one), decrease omega 6 containing foods. I have since found out that marine phytoplankton may be a good alternative to deep sea fish for omega 3, including DHA – I am currently researching this further and will report back.
- Increase cruciferous vegetables
- Follow a Mediterranean style diet
- Include a broad spectrum probiotic
- Exercise
- Reduce stress, get enough sleep
2. Cellular Defence
My gene profile showed that I have tendency for poor anti-oxidant production and increased risk of free radical damage. Free radicals cause oxidative stress which leads to cardiovascular disease, dementia, diabetes and cancer. This area explains why I am highly sensitive to smells like smoking, petrol and perfumes – I can’t stand these smells and when my liver was at its worst (just a short time ago) I would get really sick from any of these. Even though I’m not getting the headaches so much any more, I still have to avoid these toxins as much as possible for long term health (as we all should, really).
Recommendations for me:
- Avoid sugar, stress, alcohol, smoking and environmental toxins.
- Ensure adequate selenium levels (brazil nuts).
- Small regular meals
- Increase cruciferous vegetables, parsley, yellow and orange fruits and veggies.
- Avoid prolonged, intense exercise
Detoxification
The liver has two phases of detoxification, and they both need to be working properly in order to safely get rid of toxins out of the body. Phase 1 is where toxins become damaging and free radicals are produced, and phase 2 take the toxins and safely excrete them out of the body. So its a bit of a problem if either your phase 1 or phase 2 doesn’t work properly. My gene profile shows that I have good phase 1 detoxification but phase 2 is a little sloppy. Dang!
Recommendations to help turn down phase 1 and turn up phase 2:
- Grapefruit juice
- Avoid caffeine, smoke, environmental toxins
- Include parsley, turmeric, coriander, cumin, carrots, dill, parsnips and celery
- Include watercress, turnips, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, broccoli sprouts, cauliflower, horseradish, onions, garlic, berries apricot
3. Cardiovascular Health
These genes showed that I have a tendency for reduced folate metabolism.
Recommendations for me:
- Include high folate foods: green leafy vegetables, broccoli, brussel sprouts, spinach, peas, beans, asparagus and lentils
- Include eggs and lecithin to increase choline required to help folate metabolism (I’m not sure what to do about the egg recommendation, still thinking about it)
- Include beetroot, eggplant, silver beet, pistachio nuts
- Avoid sulphur based additives eg preservative 220
My gene profile showed that I have a tendency for damage due to oxidative stress especially damage to blood vessels, increased risk of atherosclerosis and high blood pressure – very interested since I have actually had problems with low blood pressure many years ago.
Recommendations for me:
- Limit sodium
- Include dark chocolate, spirulina, ginger, spinach, celery, betroot, fish oil
- Reduce stress
- Avoid smoke
- Eat small regular meals. Mediterranean diet recommended.
- Exercise – power based training and aerobic exercise
4. Fat Metabolism and Cholesterol Regulation
The gene profile revealed that I have a tendency for fat metabolism issues – tendency for weight gain if I overeat and don’t exercise, tendency for fat storage, poor fat metabolism and a tendency for increased levels of cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and lower HDL (good cholesterol).
Recommendations for me:
- Regular exercise
- Limit fat and carbohydrate intake, but avoid calorie restricted diets
- Avoid overeating – smaller portions
- Include seaweeds + yellow and organic fruits and veggies
- Reduce stress and alcohol
5. Vitamin D Metabolism
I have good a vitamin D receptor functioning! Hooray!
So, would I do it again or recommend it?
I think Gene Profiles are a great idea for anyone with health issues who can’t seem to get better and who can’t recognise what exactly is making them sick or what is helping (as was my problem). Knowing exactly what you need to do to be healthy on a genetic level takes out the guesswork, and will save you time and lots of money on supplements that won’t help you.
For example, it was recommended to me to eat sunflower seeds and large amounts of green tea, but my Gene Profile revealed that both those foods are not good for me at all because I should avoid the oils found in sunflower seeds (omega 6) and my body can’t handle digesting green tea (yeah… I worked that one out from the headaches).
It was a lot of money, but after struggling with my health for years now I feel it was worth it to me. I feel very empowered about my health.
The biggest change I’ve made so far is to do more exercise. I love yoga dearly but I’m doing a lot more walking, bouncing on my rebounder, weights etc now. Which is good, I’m really enjoying it and loving feeling more strong.
I don’t love the recommendations to eat fish oil, deep sea fish and eggs. I am looking into alternatives for these, but I really don’t want to be on 5 different supplements, which is what its looking like at the moment.
What do you think?
Would you get your Gene Profile done? Have you gotten it done and loved it or not so much?
Please note: these were personal recommendations specifically made for me, and are in no way to be considered health advice for you. Please talk with your health care provider or naturopath for recommendations on your health.