With so much information out there, it can be extremely difficult to find the nutrition plan that will allow you to achieve optimal health and the best physical results. In our constant quest for wellbeing, more energy and longer life, finding the plan that works for us as individuals can be a tricky task.

In this episode, Angela discusses personalised nutrition and whether or not there’s a single nutritional protocol that can positively benefit everyone.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Human beings share many of the same genes, but the small variants in our genetic make-up can radically alter the way we process and generate energy from proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Our capacity for digesting different types of food is partly dependent on the types of foods our ancestors ate.
• One way of determining which dietary course is right for us is to figure out which ancestral strain we belong to, thereby learning exactly how our bodies process different food types. We can find this information out by looking at our own DNA.
• After testing her own genetics, Angela discovered that she was particularly sensitive to carbohydrates, and was struggling with PCOS and insulin resistance. Both of her parents’ sides of the family had a strong history of Type II Diabetes. After being told that these conditions might affect her ability to have children, Angela began to research ways of controlling PCOS through nutrition.
• The beta adreno-receptor gene variants ADRB2 27 and 16 are vitally important in unlocking fat cells and allowing fat to be burned for energy. Knowing your own variant is vital in understanding how your body will react to carbohydrate intake and staying lean and healthy.
• If you carry a certain variant of ADRB2 27, and your aim is to shed body fat through exercise, then you may need to stimulate this gene more and so will benefit greatly from beta-receptor stimulation before you exercise. This can be done by taking caffeine. Understanding how quickly you metabolise caffeine can help you fine-tune things further.
• The FTO gene (or “Fatso” gene) is a protein prevalent in the body that’s associated with obesity in adults and children, and acts as a nutrient sensor that impacts hunger and the amount of food we need before we are satisfied. Scientists have found that those with variants of the FTO gene often have a higher Body Mass Index (BMI).
• PPARG has been called the “Thrifty Gene” and was named so for its use as a fat-storer. In past times, this gene would have enabled the build-up of body fat to allow humans to survive winters. Now that food is abundant, too much activation of PPARG can cause weight gain and increase the risks of heart disease and stroke. 
• Time restricted eating is an incredibly powerful way of lowering inflammation and enhancing body composition. It also acts as a fantastic kickstarter to losing body fat. 
• Angela’s top five nutritional practices for achieving a healthy body and maintaining it are: 
  • Ruthlessly remove all highly processed foods from your diet. 
  • Move, move, move!
  • Prioritise your sleep
  • Use time-restricted eating to restrict your window of eating to a maximum of twelve hours per day
  • Test your DNA (you only need to do this once!) and test your key blood bio-markers and your gut annually.

BEST MOMENTS

‘This is a complex process that happens in our cells over a billion times per second’

’Not everyone is as sensitive to carbs as another person’

‘If you’re someone who’s hungry all the time, it could be that the FTO gene is playing a part here’

‘It’s the expression of our genes that’s important’

‘Processed foods are driving the increase in heart disease and weight gain that we’re currently seeing’

‘The sedentary lifestyle has been dubbed the new smoking for a reason’

VALUABLE RESOURCES

 

The High Performance Health Podcast – Omny

 For more information on DNA testing and assessing your epigenetic expression, go to bit.ly/personalisedhealth

For ways to optimise your workspace, go to bit.ly/workspacehacks

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker: https://amzn.to/2XDfsUB

 

ABOUT THE HOST

Angela Foster

Angela is a Nutritionist, Health and Performance Coach. She is also the Founder and CEO of My DNA Edge, an Exclusive Private Membership Site giving individuals the tools and biohacks needed to optimise their genetic expression for optimal health and performance.

After recovering from a serious illness in 2014, Angela left the world of Corporate Law with a single mission in mind:

To inspire and educate others to live an energetic, healthful and limitless life.

Angela believes that we can truly have it all and has spent the last 5 years researching the habits and routines of high performers, uncovering age old secrets, time honoured holistic practices and modern science to create a blueprint for Optimal Human Performance.

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