How DNA Testing Can Improve Your Health and Fitness
DNA testing is becoming increasingly common. Millions have decided to take advantage of these tests as the cost of sequencing a person's DNA has dropped.
DNA tests give you detailed and illuminating information about your ancestry, health risks and genetic makeup - and you can even discover your Ayurveda Dosha.
One of the first things to remember with DNA testing is that you are dealing with probabilities rather than certainties.
Your DNA will only ever tell you about your likelihood of developing some form of the disease; thus, potential terminal conditions are not always guaranteed.
You might have a result that suggests that you are highly likely to develop Multiple myeloma compared to the average population.
However, you may have all the increased risk factors and not develop multiple myeloma, while someone who lives a life with minimal risk factors will develop the disease.
Genes are activated by many environmental factors - including your own body - some you have control over and some you don’t.
Either way, then, it makes sense to understand your likelihood of getting a particular disease and do what you can to mitigate and lessen any risk factors that you may have.
Thus before you run out and get your DNA tested, there are some essential things to consider before diving in headfirst.
Here are some ways that genetic testing can improve your health and fitness - as well as a few things you should know first:
It's easier than ever to get started with DNA testing
Getting started with DNA testing has never been easier - you no longer have to have access to a laboratory.
You must choose a testing service, order your kit and send it in.
The process is simple and painless--you either swab the inside of your cheek using the included swabs or fill up a tube with your saliva, then mail your sample back in the pre-paid envelope provided by the DNA testing company.
Once they receive your sample kit, they'll analyse it and notify you when the results are ready for viewing online.
The results take time to come back because they're being analysed, verified, and checked by relevant professionals before being released to you.
Your results will remain confidential unless otherwise requested by you or others who have access to your test results; many services also include the ability to download your raw DNA test data.
This is useful if you are working with a third party who will analyse your DNA in-depth for any health or fitness investigations.
Your results aren't a complete picture of your health.
While DNA tests can tell you much about your health, they're not the complete picture.
You need to understand their limitations and what they can do for you.
DNA tests aren't perfect:
They only give one part of the picture regarding predicting how well your genes will affect your health.
You also need to consider lifestyle factors like diet and exercise and environmental factors like pollution or radiation exposure that could affect how those genes affect your body over time.
Even knowing the above, it is typical to feel stressed and anxious about your results - especially if you know that genetic diseases run in your family.
It’s good to understand that this fear comes from the unknown and that by doing this test, you can adjust your lifestyle and take any necessary action to mitigate your risk factors.
The reports can be overwhelming - but not forever
If you're just getting started with DNA testing and don't know what to do with the information, plenty of online resources can help you interpret your results and determine how best to use them.
You may find it helpful to check out the blog section on personal genetics company Adntro's website and read their posts about health topics like Alzheimer’s or weight loss.
The more familiar you become with what different genes do and how they interact with each other and environmental factors like diet and exercise, the easier it will be for you to see improvements over time.
Once this happens, though...
You can learn how changes in your diet and exercise habits affect your genes
Diet and exercise are the most critical factors in maintaining good health.
The foods you eat, as well as how much you move around and how often, impact every cell in your body--even those cells that make up your DNA!
For example: say that someone has a genetic mutation that causes them to have high cholesterol levels.
Suppose this person eats a lot of fatty foods (which are bad for anyone). In that case, their cholesterol levels will probably go up even further than usual because they're eating things that increase cholesterol production within cells.
On the other hand, if this same person switches over to eating healthier foods like fruits and vegetables instead of fried chicken wings or pizza slices all day long, then their body will produce less fat than before because it's getting fewer calories from food sources rich in saturated fats like buttery sauces or creamy cheeses.
One genetic report isn't going to be enough
You'll need to take several tests to get a complete picture of your health and fitness, which means that DNA testing can be expensive if you're paying for it yourself. But there are ways around this:
One option is to have several companies analyse different parts of your genome (for example, 23andMe, ADNTRO and AncestryDNA). This way, they can give you different perspectives on how they think they know what makes up who we are--and sometimes those perspectives will contradict each other!
That's fine--you don't need them all agreeing with each other for them all to be valuable insights into how our bodies work together as systems.
Another option is to use one company but pay someone else who has been explicitly trained in interpreting these reports so that even though we may not understand everything, there is still value in getting answers from people who do understand those things better.
You can find out which foods are right for you.
You can also find out which foods are bad for you.
You might even learn that some things that tasted good in the past, like potato chips and soda pop, are awful for your body's health and fitness and should be avoided at all costs!
You may need some help interpreting your results, especially if they're complex
If you don't understand your results, asking for help is okay.
You can get help from health professionals and online resources.
If you don't have access to these services or if they don't provide the answers you need, consider finding someone else who has had a similar DNA test--they might be able to interpret your results in a way that makes more sense than any other source of information.
DNA tests are easy, simple and helpful tools that can help you improve your health
DNA testing is a great way to learn about your health and fitness. It can help you understand your personal medical history, as well as the health and wellness of your family members.
DNA tests can also be used to determine how closely related two people are, which can be helpful if you're looking for family members or trying to find out more about their origins.
Getting a DNA test done is simple: all you have to do is send in some cheek swabs or blood samples (depending on what kind of test you want), then wait for the results!
Most labs will give you an estimate of how long this process will take--it varies depending on what type of sample was sent in and whether or not there are any backlogs at the lab where it's being processed--but most customers receive their reports within three weeks of sending their samples in.
Conclusion
DNA testing is a powerful tool for improving your health and fitness.
It can tell you what foods are right for you, how well your body responds to exercise and even where genetic risk factors might need addressing.
The best thing about these tests is that they're so easy to use - all you have to do is send in a cheek swab or spit sample! So if this sounds like something that might interest you, why not try it?
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Find out how to claim your discount and start your journey to better health awareness.