The world of nutrigenomics and testing dna

If we considered the leading cause of death 100 years ago, we would find that infectious diseases were our greatest killer. Due to improved hygiene and modern medicine these rates of deaths have been reduced and ee are now in an era of chronic inflammatory diseases. With our increasingly unhealthy lifestyles that lack movement, sunlight, consumption of highly processed food, and nutrient poor foods our bodies are beginning to express themselves with degenerative inflammatory diseases. An emerging science of Nutrigenomics is starting to transform the way we consume food and create our lifestyle. The study of Nutrigenomics explored how our DNA interact with our environment. This can be a game changeover for our wellbeing and personally it has changed my life and freed me from Depression and Hormonal dysfunction.

A Simple Explanation of Nutrigenomics

Nutrigenomics is the study of how foods affect our genes and in return how genes affect the way our bodies interact with food.  We have around 3 billion DNA pairs living within our 23 pairs of chromosomes. While 98% of our genes are all the same, our protein-coding genes comprise of around 2% of your genome. It’s this 2% that contains the genes that define your uniqueness, such as lactose and gluten sensitivity, conversion of essential nutrients, inflammatory responses in your body and so much more!

So while we all have the same genes, we can each have genetic variations that create our individuality. Hence why certain diets can work for some and not others. We are all unique and individual, and in order to reach optimal health we have to seek how to understand our bodies and listen to the health expressions to make better choices every day. Researchers and scientists have discovered that people respond differently to different diets because of these variations in our DNA. 

What You Can Learn about Your Body

Nutrigenomics can reveal a number of issues that can help you better understand what fuels your body and what doesn’t. When I ran my genetic profile I learnt that I had gluten intolerance, caffeine sensitivity, issues with Vitamin B12, Folate, Vitamin D utilisation just to name a few. Once I started changing my diet and lifestyle to address these issues I found that my depression no longer existed! This is just one example of how understanding your genetic composition can support you to achieve your health outcomes.

You can determine your diet so it aligns with your genetic difference and this supports you to manage your weight and health issues. For example, finding our if you were gluten intolerant you may not connect sore joints, lethargy and bloating as a symptom of this sensitivity. Another example is establishing which fats align with your body, carbohydrate intake or consuming more foods rich in a particular vitamins you need more of. With a comprehensive view of your body’s needs, you can ensure you choose the right foods that help you feel energized, healthy and full.

Why is Nutrigenomics Important?

Most professionals will tell you that staying fit and at a healthy weight is only 20% exercise and 80% diet. Regardless of how much you exercise, your diet plays a key role in your weight and your health, including your risk for type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol, heart disease and cancer.

While we may know we need to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables per day and limit our fried food intake, a well-calibrated diet goes far beyond general recommendations. Without taking a deep dive into your body’s genetic variants and current health, you may not realize you’re lacking in a particular nutrient or consuming too much protein and not enough carbohydrates.

How Can I Test My DNA?

Get in touch with use at Food For Life, we will post you a test kit that can easily be completed in the comfort of your own home. Then post it off to the lab, we awat your results. This can take up to 4-6 weeks. Once they are in we schedule a consult time to go over your results and implement them into your life. A truly personalised diet and lifestyle consultation!

At Food For Life we use SmartDNA, please see the below video of Elspeth with Dr Margaret Smith.

You can order your test kit today by contacting us at

Learn about your -

• Your eating behaviours. Explore how you may be inclined to be attracted to sweet foods, salty foods, cravings, addictive behaviours and so much more.
• Your food reactions. Explore the possibilities of lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance, caffeine tolerance, alcohol consumption and more.
• Your matching diet. Explore your genetic diet type, including your response to monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 and omega-6 levels.
• Your nutritional needs. Determine which supplements and foods you need to focus on.
• Your metabolic health factors. Explore how your diet and lifestyle influence your cholesterol, risks of diabetes, risks of HDL and LDL cholesterol profiles and more!

• Your macro nutrient break down. Determine your Macro Nutrient percentages, protein, carbohydrate and fat intake.
• Your reaction to exercise. Determine the style of exercise better for your body and recovery times.