osis. Its an opportunity to shift these factors in the direction of your choice. My approach is to help you better understand what your predispositions are so that you can take a precision approach to understand what tool or practice will most effectively shift you in a positive direction. Unlike what you may have come to expect from genetic testing, I’m here to find solutions and strategies for optimizing your genetic potential, rather than telling you about a fixed outcome.
So, by compiling your SNPs together, a fairly comprehensive picture of how you are genetically wired can be painted. Then by understanding these underlying factors, nutrition and supplementation plans can be developed to epigenetically modify the outcomes of SNPs. Just like the queen bee in the above example, we can target specific genes with different nutrients or herbs that can turn on or off certain genes, or like in the caffeine example, we can modify your intake of substances to match the best outcome.
The Current State of Nutrigenomics and Nutrigenetics
How do I take advantage of this information?
Coaching vs Direct to Consumer Models
Right now, you can type in “genomic diet” to google and find a number of services where you can upload your genetic data and get a report telling you what to eat or how to exercise. The problem with these direct to consumer models is that they fail to account for the individual. An algorithm just simply doesn’t have the capacity to view you, the client, as a complex system of interactions and factors. Some of the top researchers in field are decrying these services as opportunistic and ineffective. Reducing the individual to data simply doesn’t work. It’s like diagnosing a disease without ever meeting the patient.
Working with a trained professional, either a coach or clinician, or doing the research yourself is important to get the full benefits of nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics. I’m not saying that you have to work with me, however, I do urge you to find someone who really understands this material to help you interpret it. When I look at an individual’s genes, I look at over 300 SNPs that interact with each in complex ways. It is certainly possible to learn the information yourself, but for the average person, its a greater time investment than most want to commit to. I’ve purposely left much of the hard scientific details out of this report, but know that the full scope of nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics is quite vast and complicated. There are some fantastic resources out there for you to research on your own, but experts agree that having a guide is essential to getting the most out of this information.
Imagine a world where as soon as you were born, your parents could understand exactly what diet would support optimal health. While it might seem like science fiction, we are closer to that than you might think. The application of nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics holds great promise for the future, and its already here today. Eating for your genes has been practiced by traditional cultures for millennia. Now, we have the scientific tools to quantify these practices and deepen our understanding of how it works. If you’re ready to upgrade yourself at the genetic level and pass on your health to future generations, gaining the knowledge is the first step.
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