I’ve had so many clients tell me: “I know I need to eat more vegetables and cut out the junk. But give me tips that’ll work for me, specific to my needs.” I can now answer that with: “Well, let’s look at your genes!” Looking at our bodies’ basic constitution, our genes, and how different types of foods can affect us can allow dietitians to give more individual nutrition counselling rather than general recommendations.
Through genetic testing, we can now determine how a person’s body reacts to different nutrients and then give specific recommendations on how eating habits can be improved.
The test available in Canada is called Nutrigenomix. It tests the body’s response to 7 different dietary components related to managing optimal health and preventing your risk of chronic disease.
-Sodium and risk of high blood pressure
-Folate and risk of low blood levels of folate
-Omega-3 fatty acid and risk of elevated blood triglyceride levels
-Saturated fat and risk of developing obesity
-Vitamin C and risk of low blood levels of vitamin C
-Whole grains and risk of type 2 diabetes
-Caffeine and risk of heart disease
A simple saliva test is all that is required! Your genetic profile will then be evaluated and I will be able to give you the best diet plan. How motivating would it be to know that the recommendations you are receiving are based on what you specifically need to optimize your nutritional status and prevent nutrition-related chronic diseases.
If you’ve been told you are at risk for chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease or if you have a strong family history for such diseases you can contact Kim Arrey to find out how you can get the Nutrigenomix test.
For more information about this topic, listen to Kim Arrey’s radio interview with Kelly Alexander(second part of the interview): Kim Arrey – Hydration & Genetic Testing (July 26th ’12)