Losing weight can many times be a harrowing experience. Especially when you have taken all the pain and effort to lose weight only to find that you end up re-gaining weight after some months in-spite of the continued effort. Your body may be crying for “help" and it is important to understand the signals, modify your outlook and look for new avenues for achieving sustainable weight loss.
Have you ever wondered why it is the case that when two people eat the same diet but respond differently in terms of weight gain? With the enormous amount of research being done for Obesity, it is now becoming more and more evident that the answer may lie in your genes. Genes make every person unique and that is also one of the reasons why different people react differently to diets, weight gain or weight loss. It is far from a simple “One size fit’s All” approach but a more personalized approach to weight loss based on your genomic profile.
Though Genes play a major role in deciding weight loss outcomes, the environment and the interaction of gene with environment also plays a major role in deciding weight loss outcomes. Chronic diseases are mainly a manifestation of the interaction of genetic variants that predispose people to disease and modifiable environmental exposures, such as : your food, eating habits, hormones, gut health and microbiome, social interaction, fitness, pollutant exposure, level of inflammation, oxidative stress, methylation etc…
When deciding on weight loss programs you need to listen to what your genes have to say.
Your genes will show you the way and throw light on the important factors for achieving sustainable benefits.
Ability to sustain weight loss:
How do you know if you have inherent ability to sustain weight loss?
Do you find yourself gaining weight again after losing it?
While losing weight is difficult, it is equally challenging to keep the weight off. A significant number of people who lose a large amount of weight tend to regain it 1 to 3 years later. Genetic variations influence the ability to maintain body weight post weight loss. This increases the importance of following a healthy nutrition plan and exercise regimen to maintain the weight loss for those people who are at a higher genetic risk for regaining lost weight.
Time of Exercise:
Are you an evening person or a morning person?
How do you know right time to exercise?
Why do some individuals find it difficult to lose weight even after proper exercise intervention?
The CLOCK gene which is an essential element of the human circadian rhythm and metabolic regulation can show the way and decide the best time for you to exercise. Variations in the functioning of this gene may affect the homeostasis of different metabolic pathways, which in turn can influence the weight loss process.
Type of Exercise:
How is your muscle damage and recovery from injury profile?
Is your body more suited for resistance training or muscle building?
How is “HDL Cholesterol” (good cholesterol) response to exercise?
Since every person is unique your genetic profile best shows the way for the type of exercises that suit you best for losing weight. How efficiently people respond to exercise in terms of breaking down of triglycerides, transportation of free fatty acids, and subsequently, oxidation of these fatty acids depends on their genetics. Regular and right type of exercise renders weight control through oxidation of fats and improved metabolism. Losing fat helps in cultivating a positive body image and also leads to a decreased risk of health problems.
Regulation of Eating:
Do you frequently end up over eating?
Do you have an increased urge to snack on foods throughout the day?
Do you end up eating when feeling stressed?
Eating behavior is a complex interplay of physiological, psychological, social, and genetic factors that influence meal timing, quantity of food intake, food preference, and food selection. Any genetic variations can lead to higher intake of calories due to disturbance in satiety response, emotional dependence and higher snacking tendency. Understanding the influence of your genes on these factors helps take the right measures to avoid over eating.
Macronutrients Requirements:
Do you need a low-carb diet or a high-carb diet?
What is your body’s response to fats?
What is your body’s response to Proteins?
Proteins, Carbohydrates and Fats (P:C:F) make up the macronutrient requirement for your body. Genetic variations can impact metabolism of macronutrients and impact weight loss initiatives in relation to diet and exercise. This is the reason why the P:C:F ratio for every individual varies as per their genetic profile. Nutrigenomic profiling helps understand macronutrient requirement and choose the right quality and quantity of macronutrients to stay fit and achieve sustainable weight loss.
Micronutrient Requirements:
How much quantity of Micronutrients does your body require? How does genetic variation influence metabolism of micronutrients?
Do you need additional supplements?
Micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals we get from food and drink. Vitamins and minerals are directly related to metabolism, energy expenditure and the process of building muscle. Any genetic variation in micronutrient metabolism can impact the body's natural fat-burning processes, and impact weight loss. Nutrigenomic profiling helps understand micronutrient requirement and choose the right quality and quantity of micronutrients to keep your energy levels high, allowing you to keep exercising, decrease your recovery time, helping you get more from your weight loss exercise routine.
Your GENES hold a lot of secrets to your weight loss problems. Nutrigenomic profiling helps you unravel these secrets. If you’re struggling with weight management (gain/loss), you may want to know about the genes that may be driving you to be more hungry or addicted to carbs, slowing down your weight loss, nutrition, vitamin, supplement absorption, metabolic function and ideal exercise time, so that you can do something about how those genes are being expressed. Up-regulate favorable genes or down-regulate unfavorable genes by aligning your diet to your genomic profile.
Comments