Episode 22 – Using Nutrigenomics to Achieve Optimal Health | Alex Swanson of Nutrition Genome

Knowing that an illness or disease runs in your family is one thing. But learning how to work with the genes that predispose you to it through a personal DNA test to achieve optimal health is the ultimate in biohacking. Alex Swanson, nutritionist and founder of Nutrition Genome, has built a program to tell you all about your nutrigenomics through a simple cheek swab for DNA. Unlike other companies that do little more than telling you that you do or do not have a gene, Nutrition Genome tells you how to work with them, including which foods you should emphasize and which to avoid. They even have a referral list of providers you can work with who understand the data and have gone through their training program. How your environment and food interact with your genes affects your disease outcome, which is why knowing more about your genetics helps you to achieve optimal health. Concerned about privacy? If you’ve been interested in learning more about your genetic predispositions to specific health issues, but have been following the news and how 23 and Me have recently agreed to allow the use of customer’s data for pharmaceutical research, you may have become leery of running this test. Fear no more. Nutrition Genome offers user-friendly data, and a promise never to sell your data or use it for other purposes. If you’ve already run a 23 and Me report before their big changes in August 2017, you can even upload the raw data to Nutrition Genome for a fee and have them interpret your data as well. Alex J. Swanson, M.S Applied Nutrition, is the founder of The Health Beat, Nutrition Genome and is the co-owner of Swanson Health Center. He is a second-generation nutritionist with over 12 years of clinical experience, specializing in genetics, nutritional biochemistry, physical performance, mental health, and longevity research. Listen to Alex Swanson tell Dave Korsunsky, founder of Heads Up Health, in this podcast what information you’ll find in a report with Nutrition Genome and how you can benefit from running this one time test. Listen in iTunes! This podcast is brought to you by Heads Up Health, a web app designed to help you centrally track all of your vital health data. Instantly synchronize your medical records, connect your favorite health devices and apps and use your data to optimize your health! Click on the button below to start your free 30-day trial. Or, read on for more information about our latest podcast episode! [maxbutton id=”5″ url=”https://headsuphealth.com/” ] In this podcast you’ll learn: Why your genes are not your destiny, but a blueprint; its expression changes in response to your environment [8:00] How understanding your genes can lead you to course correct your health [8:30] Why you will never need to have another gene test, but as new information comes out, your profile will be updated [9:45] Why nutrigenomics is the future of personalized nutrition [11:20] How knowing your ancestry will help you to understand what type of diet your body will thrive on [11:55] How Alex’s own nutrition practice lead him to start Nutrition Genome, initially using raw files from 23 And Me [13:00] How the process works when you sign up with Nutrition Genome: from ordering to collection to interpretation [16:00] Dave and Alex share what a report looks like and the information you’ll learn from it, including: (YouTube coming soon) [19:00] Overview Increased vitamin need genes — learn what foods you should and shouldn’t eat Methylation genes Neurotransmitters genes Understanding the interplay between genes and how they affect one another List of foods to focus on Gene combinations Anti-oxidant protection How to find practitioners who understand how to utilize this information [23:45] How the personalized reports give tangible results to clients for understanding why they may need to avoid certain foods and stressors more than someone else [27:30] About the genes for mental health and neurotransmitters (ex. low dopamine receptors and the connection to sugar addictions, obesity, etc. as well as ADD, ADHD) [31:45] How COMT breaks down catecholamines like coffee, wine, tea; why some people are more sensitive to these drinks leading to anxiety and anger issues About the glutamate-to-GABA-conversion and why your mind won’t shut off at night [37:00] How different types of exercise are great for people with certain genes [37:50] Antioxidants and how those with genes with lower antioxidants are more affected by environmental toxins [39:00] Where to start with your results [40:00] How genetics can be influenced by epigenetics to affect your — and your children’s — future health [43:00] References Nutrition Genome Our Partners: Learn more about LEVL, a clinical-grade ketone breath meter, which measures your level of fat-burning and ketosis through a simple breath. Find out more at HeadsUpHealth.com/LEVL. You can learn more about the Oura ring, a state of the art ring that can track sleep cycle analysis, activity, and recovery at HeadsUpHealth.com/Oura. Learn more about Keto-Mojo, a highly accurate and affordable device for testing blood sugar and blood ketones. Check it out at HeadsUpHealth.com/Ketomojo. All of these amazing products are integrated with Heads Up Health. They all allow you to quantify your health in novel and powerful ways. Thank you to our partners! About Heads Up Health Heads Up Health is a website designed to empower individuals who want to take a self-directed approach to managing their health. Instantly centralize your medical records, connect your favorite devices and apps (e.g., Oura, MyFitnessPal, Keto-Mojo, FitBit, Apple Health, MyMacros+, Withings and many more) and use your data to optimize your health. Click on the button below to start your free 30-day trial now! 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