Hi, my name is Greg and welcome to my Fitgenetix experience. Highlights in this blog include:
- Decrease in weight, reduced pant size
- Activity has significantly improved
- Cut dairy & alcohol & chicken
- Less bloating in midsection, stiffness in hands/elbows
- Continuing to improve cholesterol/glucose levels by taking control of diet/exercise
I received my results from Fitgenetix in June 2017 and started “digesting” my report in July. As of January 2018, I have experienced serious results that have changed my life for the better, health and mood wise.
I decreased my weight from 205 to 192, reduced pants size from 36 to 34. I have way less bloating in my mid-section which I attribute to reducing dairy products. Plus my cycling activity has increased from 40 miles to 60-70 miles per week!
There were a lot of results in my report I found interesting. Some answers I suspected but never verified, so the test results definitively put science to the results and ended years of speculation. I’ve decided to share my some of my findings with all of you. The goal is to give you some insight on what to expect from your DNA analysis and how to take action to start encouraging change.
Per my report, I’m lactose intolerant. I always knew this but now it’s confirmed! I’ve switched to primarily coconut milk but also use almond milk. I also learned I can’t metabolize alcohol, another tidbit I knew, but now confirmed. I have eliminated alcohol from my diet. Let’s talk about carbs, a topic I’ve chosen to ignore in the past. My A1C results list I’ve been on the cusp of being pre-diabetic with a score of 5.9 and my Fitgenetix report confirmed that I needed to do something to control my glucose levels. Soon, I intend to have another A1c soon to compare results to pre-Fitgenetix test. In regards to fats, I needed to maximize the intake of monounsaturated fats, like adding nuts, canola oil, olive oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil and butter, sesame oil, etc. The idea that I should be maximizing my intake really emphasized some changes in diet that I have made.
Moving onto my HDL and LDL levels, my genetic predisposition stated I have to watch my diet to ensure these levels are within guidelines. These will also be tested when I have the A1C. My current test results show that levels are out of whack. Potassium was one area that I was excited to discover. I learned I needed to optimize my intake of potassium. I really like the recommended food choices, like bananas, broccoli, mushrooms and beans. I really have a sweet tooth and my sweet taste perception shows that I really have to watch it when eating sweets, as I am sensitive to sweets. A couple of other interesting results are I have higher heart capacity potential and have increased my cycling exercise as a result. I have higher soft tissue Injury risk and have eliminated chicken in my diet, which has resulted in no more stiffness in my hands and elbows after I stopped eating it. I got rid of chicken when I read in my report that I should reduce chicken due to my risk for higher soft tissue damage. I decided that maybe chicken consumption was directly related to the stiffness in my hands and elbows. So far it looked like it was somehow related.
I’ve made subtle changes to my diet since July. I have increased consumption of fish and vegetables. I still eat smaller amounts of beef but have made changes such as switching from ground beef to bison. I have decreased pork and eliminated chicken. I no longer drink alcohol or have dairy. Some doctors I work with have deduced that because my background includes Greek, Italian and Japanese that I’ve essentially switched to a Mediterranean diet, but I disagree. My perspective is that my Euro-Asian DNA would have made it more difficult to switch to just a diet fad because the specific changes in protein, fruits, vegetables and spices for example would have made it more complicated for me to evaluate based on generalized changes. Based on my genes, I took the information I learned from my report and felt empowered to take action. I continue to make simple lifestyle changes about the foods I eat and exercises I do daily and my body is thanking me for it. I appreciate the insight I have gained about my genetics from Fitgenetix and encourage everyone to dig a little deeper and learn about how our individual genes can influence our lives!
