Eating according to your genetic make-up offers the promise of lasting weight loss and the chance to take preventive action before illness strikes.
Everyone's gene sequence is different — that's what gives you a hair and eye colour and a height unlike anyone else's. When we're all so different, how could general healthy-eating advice apply to every person in exactly the same way?
Just as you try on a favourite piece of clothing in a shop and buy the size that fits you best, in your eating too, the food best suited to your body helps you reach an ideal weight and live a healthy life. Each of us is a unique individual with a different genetic sequence, so our bodies' responses to foods differ according to that sequence. Thanks to genetic testing, it's now possible to learn how much of which foods your body needs, based on your genetic make-up.
When your nutritional status, environmental factors and lifestyle are blended with your genetics, the results let you glimpse your body's future.
As nutrition and dietetics specialists, we prepare tailored, healthy eating plans by listening to our clients' lifestyles, blood tests and nutrition histories. But because each person's genetics differ, personalised nutrition opens a new chapter — letting us take into account details and differences we couldn't reach any other way, and giving us a person's nutritional map.
For example, the standard recommended daily intake of vitamin B12 is 2.4 mcg. But if your genetic test results show that B12 isn't metabolised well in your body, your need is higher — and general advice alone may not be enough to raise your B12 levels. In that case, your dietitian can take this into account, include more B12-containing foods in your menu, or recommend a supplement if needed. This lets you lose weight healthily even without dieting, and because you're listening closely to your body, you can respond better to its needs — so even when your diet process ends, you can maintain the weight you've lost and take charge of your body without needing extra support.
Knowing the genetic traits you carry and eating accordingly not only helps you reach your ideal weight but also lets you take preventive action against illnesses you might face in future. Even conditions that can't be detected by blood tests, examinations and various screens can be revealed through your genetic analysis. If not detected or prevented, conditions you're genetically prone to can progress over time — sometimes becoming irreversible. But thanks to genetic testing, discovering the illnesses you're prone to before they appear, and adjusting your nutrition and lifestyle accordingly, is in your hands. For example, you may have heard of someone who never smoked developing lung cancer — if a person is genetically prone to it, then even without smoking, factors like passive smoking, a stressful life and air pollution can bring the illness on far earlier than in someone who does smoke. The key is to know from your genetic map which conditions your body is prone to, and to shape a lifestyle to match.
Remember, there's no one else quite like you! Each of us is different, special and one of a kind — so what's right for others may not be right for you. By having your genetic analysis done, you too can learn which foods to eat and avoid based on your make-up, and respond far more effectively to your body's needs, both to improve your quality of life and to protect your health.