You are what you eat.
I recently discovered that this is more than just a phrase. It’s true, even on a genetic level. Everyone is affected by foods differently, different proteins and sugars are processed by our bodies in unique ways. I have learned over the years that one size fits all diets aren’t effective. On my quest for another nutritional shake up I discovered a company that uses my individual genetic makeup to create a customized wellness plan. I had to do a simple DNA spit test, mail it off and in a few weeks I would get a report on how certain foods affect my body and how I can best reach my personal goals. I decided that along this process I would document everything and this is what I learned while doing the best diet and meal plan i have ever encountered.
For those of you who don’t know me, I am a health nut. I have built my whole brand and living around being healthy. My business is called Leg Day Fitness and I like to say I help change lives through online nutrition/fitness coaching. My clients live all over the world and my goal is to educate clients about the importance of nutrition and activity in our lives and to inspire, motivate and empower people to take action towards their goals. Through coaching, I hope my clients take what they’ve learned and apply the knowledge to their lifestyles, for maintainable, long-term changes. Everyone deserves to feel good inside and out! Experimenting with Fitgenetix was just another way to educate myself and my clients about living a healthy, active and balanced lifestyle.
Fitgenetix. What is it? When I first heard of this company, I immediately dissected the name in my brain, fit and genetix.
Using Fitgenetix in home spit test I can understand the food, according to my genes, that my body craves and hates! My genes can actually tell the best foods to eat and the exercises most beneficial in reaching my personal goals. Sometimes what we think we’re doing right, may be hindering our personal progress. Learning more about the food my body responds best to was fun for me. I have done every diet in the book, from Atkins, to Paleo, Lemonade Diet, KETO and the bodybuilding diet. Too many plans out there are so restrictive, stripping your body of the nutrients you need to function. Or diets that starve you to the point when you do give in and eat something so called “bad” you end up becoming a garbage disposal and binge, feeling worse than ever. Don’t even get me started on the liquid diets. I personally believe in food for fuel! The idea of something new or elaborate advertisements promising results suck you in, but it’s not guaranteed your body will respond the right way. Because I’ve tried diet after diet, I’m more aware of the programs that will benefit me in the long run, versus damaging me. As I get older and wiser, eating right and working out to live a longer life is the goal, not crash diets for a temporary fix. Based on those experiences I knew that a personalized plan like this was worth a try.I was unsure about what would be done with my DNA info, but the website ensured the information is kept private. The test’s look simple, you just spit in a cu and mail it back. I saw the price. It was spendy, yes, but an investment into my health. In my opinion, the best investment we can make is in ourselves.
Within a few days, I got my DNA Collection Kit. Collecting my sample went like this:
First step, fill out client information form, check.
Second step, follow directions to collect saliva sample. Oh, I have to fast before getting my sample?
Third step, 30 minute fast , I can do that. No eating, drinking or smoking.
Fourth step: Fill the test tube with spit. Filling the test tube was more challenging than I thought, but the handy dandy directions inside gave me tips on how to produce more saliva, like rubbing your tongue on the inside of your cheeks. Odd, but hey, I learned something new. My saliva was almost to the line, the end was near. I did it!
Fifth step: Seal the tube, put it in the protective bag, then put the form/test tube in the pre-addressed envelope provided for mailing and dropped it off at the post office.
That was that.
Now for the waiting game, the website said to be prepared to wait about three weeks until results are ready. This is a serious process, scientists analyze 128 genes. Not sure exactly what that means, but I’m prepared and excited to learn a lot about myself!
On their site they recommend doing a fitness reset diet to help detox your body. I really want to do this right and also want to test out the meal plan before making a longer commitment. What if the food sucks? There was an “Fit-Reset, All Organic Detox Diet,” I could start while I waited for my results. A break from shopping, food prepping would be nice. I did the math, you get 18 meals for the week, for around $10 a meal. About the same or less then what I spend eating out.
A week later, my meals came in. They were packaged nicely in an insulated box, vacuum sealed in individual cases. The description said all meals are freshly prepared, organic, gluten free, soy free, dairy free, preservative free. I looked at all my meals, eager to try them throughout the week. The directions were on the package for how to open the tight sealed containers. You use a knife to outline the package. I followed the instructions to heat the meal in the oven for best quality. I ate steak and vegetables.
The food smelled so good! No different then if I had purchased it at Whole Foods. Guess what? It tasted the same too! Whole Foods. I was impressed. After one week of only eating these meals I felt great. I didn’t feel overfull full or gross, I was motivated to stay on track and detox while I wait for my results.
Just over three weeks and I got my report through email. I felt like a kid on Christmas opening up my well-anticipated present! Everything I want to know and more was in this document. Wow, more than 100 pages? I like the detail! Thank goodness there’s a glossary. I can’t believe all of this information is about me, my genes, my DNA. I learned so much and was shocked by some of the results, like I’m super sensitive to caffeine and the stimulant causes my blood pressure to rise. The report recommended I limit coffee to 1 cup or less per day or switch to decaf. My genes told me carbs affect me negatively and to limit my intake to 50% of my calories per day and that my HDL (good cholesterol) is below average and that I needed to incorporate more olive oil, whole grains, blueberries and flax seeds into my diet. I also was encouraged to optimize my B12 intake, improve iron levels and reduce sodium intake. I have the fat burning gene and the best exercises for my body to lose weight are running and cycling, two exercises I typically avoid. What’s neat is all of these results and recommendations are catered to me and me only!
With all this information, I now have the tools to make informed decisions to improve my health and reach my goals. Going through a personalized program like this made me realize that there really is no cookie cutter diet or exercise for everybody. We all deserve to have an individual game plan based on our genetics, our unique selves. The recommendations to make improvements were easy to add and change in my life, making me feel like I’m doing something positive to take control of my health. If you’re interested in truly learning about yourself and how you’re made up, I highly recommend trying out the Fitgenetix programs. Fitgenetix, is an innovative approach to every diet out there.
