When it comes to deciding which diet to use to lose weight, the options can be confusing. Some people say you do a paleo diet, while others recommend counting macros instead of calories. Still, others suggest eating “good fat” and drinking a glass of red wine. With all this contradictory advice, how do you know what to follow?
A possible solution to this dilemma is genetic nutrition testing. These tests assert that they can find the correct diet for you based on your genes.
How Genetic Nutrition Tests Work
Genetic tests that identify what foods will help you be healthy are growing in popularity. These tests work by taking a sample of your DNA. You provide this sample by rubbing the inside of your cheek with a swab or spitting into a tube and sending it off in the mail. Using this sample, experts analyze your DNA, searching for slight variations in your genes. A report is then generated regarding your specific gene variations, including whether you have the gene for celiac disease, coffee sensitivity, lactose intolerance, fat sensitivity, carbohydrate sensitivity, and more. This report also includes recommendations about how to eat based on your genetic results.
There are a number of companies that offer genetic nutrition tests. A popular genetic nutrition testing and diet program is the NJ Diet. What programs like NJ Diet cost vary, but in general, you can expect to spend upwards of $300.
What Your Genes Can Tell You About What to Eat
Your DNA test will reveal valuable information about what you should eat to be healthy. It can tell you how good your body is at losing weight by looking at whether you have the genes that encourage weight loss. Furthermore, the test can identify whether you have genes that make it harder to lose weight.
Your test can also show you how your body processes carbs, proteins, and fats. This will tell you what proportions of these nutrients you need in your diet. Additionally, you’ll learn what nutrients and vitamins your body needs more or less of. From this, you will know what foods to eat and which to avoid as well as what supplements you may need to add to your diet. Lastly, your DNA test can show you how much you need to exercise and understand the exercise factors that help you lose weight.
Why You Should Use A Nutritionist
One of the issues with the way we approach diets is that we tend to only look at them through the lens of weight loss rather than overall health. However, it’s important to remember that what we eat affects everything from our skin and hair to our energy levels and sleep quality.
Although testing your DNA to create a diet designed specifically for you has become more prevalent in recent years, at-home genetic testing kits aren’t yet on par with nutritionist-guided genetic nutrition testing. This is because raw laboratory data isn’t useful without interpretation. Additionally, it can be hard to know how to act on your results. For example, what if your test revealed you were intolerant to yeast. Yeast is present in a lot of things. For instance, yeast is present in pretty much anything fermented, including alcohol, vinegar, and soy sauce. Plus, sugar feeds yeast, so eating a cookie with a glass of wine might make you feel sick. To correct this issue, you would not only have to avoid yeast, but you’d have to cleanse your body of the yeast it had accumulated over the years. Doing this requires the help of a nutritionist who can recommend foods to eat and foods to avoid to achieve your goal and re-establish your health.
Furthermore, most nutritionists will provide ongoing support to ensure that you stay on track. This is crucial as the most important part of a healthy diet is sticking to said diet. Therefore, having someone you can call when you need help will make accomplishing your goals easier.
Summary
Genetic nutrition tests work by sampling your DNA and analyzing it to find specific gene variations. In doing so, they identify whether you have particular genes that might make you intolerant to certain foods and nutrients.
DNA testing can show you what to eat by identifying how your body processes certain foods. In doing so, you can find out what foods your body might be reacting negatively to. As a result, you can make changes to your diet that will positively benefit your health.
Many of these genetic nutrition tests are available as at-home kits. However, DNA results require interpretation, which is best done by a nutritionist. A nutritionist will also provide guidance and support during your health journey.
