Why Genetic Testing Is Imperative, 23andMe and DNAfit Unlocks Your Human Potential and Dominating Life Into Old Age
What’s up Unleashed Humans! On this episode I discuss my results from 23 and me genetic testing and why you should without a doubt get your 23 and me testing done ASAP. Now Before we jump in I wanted to again let you know about my FREE book you can get by going to www.theunleashedhuman.com/unleashed. I know you’ve probably heard me talk about my book like a million times but if you haven’t it has the cheat codes for health, happiness, having a killer digestion, amazing bio hacks, becoming stronger, smarter, getting better sleep and unlocking what you’ve been missing in your life. Just go to www.theunleashedhuman.com/unleashed to get a copy of my FREE book. No shipping, no payment. Totally free straight to your email. Check it out while it is still up for grabs! So, I just did my 23 and me genetic testing and I am so freaking pumped to tell you the results. I have been waiting nearly a month for my results and finally got them back. I mainly got 23 and me genetic testing done to see my risk for conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. But the cool thing is that you can also do 23 and me to see your heritage and family lineage, so I did them both together. Turns out that I am 63 percent British and Irish. 18 percent Northwestern European and 14 percent French and German. It comes to no surprise that I am mostly British because my last name is Woodham for crying out loud. But I always thought I was Scottish not Irish. 23 and me goes super deep into family lineage so if you’re into this, totally get this testing done. Now, like I said, On this episode I discuss my results from 23 and me genetic testing and why you should without a doubt get your 23 and me testing done ASAP. I will talk about the top 8 conditions relating to health predisposition and the genetic variants associated with them. I will also cover the are risk factors for each of these conditions and I will share how you can prevent these through lifestyle alone. Like I said, I highly recommend you invest in 23 and me genetic testing not just because it will give incredible insight to your heritage and health but, because it opens doors for you to see your genes in much greater detail. For instance, I uploaded my raw data from 23 and me uploaded it both DNAfit.com and go.strategene.org. DNAfit will tell you what diet, workout plan and lifestyle will fit you best based off your genes. It is actually extremely impressive how detailed DNAfit is and you will get to hear all of my athletic performance and nutrition markers from DNAfit. And to be honest Its almost overwhelming how much info they give you. It is amazing. Secondly, if you want to nerd out and learn about your single nucleotide polymorphisms aka genetic variants associated with a certain gene, then go to go.strategene.org and enter your raw data. Dr. Ben Lynch will send you a report breaking down your genes and what they mean in a super detailed fashion. That being said, 23 and me is AN ABSOLUTE MUST. So, if you’ve been on the fence, JUMP OFF the fence and just buy a damn 23 and me kit. All you have to do is order it online and they send a kit right to your door. You spit your saliva into a tube and then send it back. Simple as that! Then you can learn all about where your ancestors came from in super deep detail and simultaneously harness your genes to make you a super human. What could be better than that? Now before we begin, understand that genetic testing does not diagnose or give treatment Recommendations for any condition what so ever. So please do not think you are going to get Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s of you get genetic variant for these conditions. Genes only mean you have a predisposition to certain conditions if you chose to live an unhealthy lifestyle. Do not go overboard on supplementation or nutritional advices given by these websites because they are not designed to be treatment routes for any serious illness or disease. They are merely suggestions and supplemental info to help prevent certain diseases. Remember, you chose to live your best life every day. As a general rule of thumb, if you eat healthy, workout regularly and stay away from harmful substances, you are likely to live a long and rewarding life. Don’t overthink or stress out about your genes. They are not your fate. Your lifestyle, however, is your fate, so live accordingly. With that being said, lets jump in! So first I am going to go over the 9 most common health conditions tested on 23 and me. They are as follows: Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Celiac Disease, Hereditary Hemochromatosis, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, BRCA1/BRCA2, G6PD Deficiency, Hereditary Thrombophilia, Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease. Remember, these are only 9 of the most common conditions. 23 and me also tests like 50 more conditions and they get super detailed. I’m not going to go over those because we would be here forever, and I didn’t haven’t any genetic variants for those anyway. Now, from my results, out of those 9 conditions, I only had 3 genetic variations. 2 of them were unlikely to cause risk, while one of them slightly increased my risk. The two that were unlikely to put me at risk were Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Hereditary Hemochromatosis. The one that puts me slightly at risk was Celiac Disease, which doesn’t surprise me because I have always had a sensitive digestive tract. Now, I am going to first talk to you about the three conditions I mentioned, what they are, how they manifest and how to avoid them. The first one is Age-Related Macular Degeneration Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. I have one of the two genetic variants tested in the CFH Gene However, I am not likely at increased risk of developing AMD based on my genetic result. Lifestyle and other factors may also influence my risk. About 2% of people over the age of 50 develop AMD. Smoking is associated with higher risk of developing AMD. If you smoke, quitting is one of the easiest ways to reduce your risk. The risk of developing AMD increases greatly as a person ages. This condition is rarely diagnosed in people under the age of 50. Over the age of 80, 2-14% of people have AMD, depending on ethnicity. Parents, siblings, and children of an individual with AMD have a higher chance of developing AMD themselves People of European descent are more likely to develop AMD than people of African, Hispanic, and Asian descent. Eating a healthy diet has been associated with a reduced risk of developing AMD. A healthy diet that benefits the eyes emphasizes the consumption of dark green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, nuts, and whole grains. Consuming healthy fats — found in fish, nuts, and olive oil — and minimizing saturated and trans fats are also important. When does it develop? AMD is rarely diagnosed in people under the age of 50. Vision loss related to AMD usually becomes noticeable in a person's 60s or 70s and tends to worsen over time. How common is the condition? The prevalence of AMD reports to affect about 2% of individuals over the age of 50 in the U.S. Approximately 2 million Americans are currently living with AMD. Typical signs and symptoms are Blurred or distorted vision Vision loss Yellow fatty deposits in the retina called "drusen" Blood or fluid leakage in the retina There is currently no known prevention or cure for AMD. Having regular eye exams can help detect early signs of the condition. Progression of AMD can be slowed with the use of certain treatments and medications. That is it for AMD… now onto Celiac Disease. Celiac Disease Now, Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition in which the consumption of gluten (found in wheat, barley, and rye) can result in damage to the small intestine. Celiac disease can lead to both digestive and non-digestive problems. This test includes two common variants associated with an increased risk of developing this condition. I have one of the two genetic variants we tested in the HLA-DQB1 gene I have a variant linked to the HLA-DQ8 haplotype. People with this result have a slightly increased risk of developing celiac disease. Lifestyle and other factors can also affect a person’s risk. However, studies estimate that only about 3% of people with one or more copies of the HLA-DQ2.5 or HLA-DQ8 haplotypes develop celiac disease. Gluten (found in wheat, barley, and rye) is the main non-genetic factor that triggers the development of celiac disease in people with increased genetic risk. Parents, siblings, and children of an individual diagnosed with celiac disease have a higher chance of developing the condition themselves. People with certain health conditions, such as Down syndrome, Williams syndrome, or type 1 diabetes, are more likely to develop celiac disease. Celiac Disease is Also known as: celiac sprue, CD, gluten-sensitive enteropathy, non-tropical sprue Celiac disease can develop anytime from infancy to adulthood, most commonly between the ages of 10 and 40. In people with celiac disease, symptoms occur after consuming gluten. Typical signs and symptoms are Diarrhea, gas, and bloating Poor appetite Skin rashes Fatigue Anemia Headache Celiac disease affects people of all ethnicities. About 1 in 100 people worldwide have celiac disease. Celiac disease can be effectively treated by removing all sources of gluten from the diet. This includes foods and drinks made with wheat, barley, and rye. And that is it for Celiac Disease.. not too bad, unless you are obsessed with grains, like most people, then it can certainly destroy someone’s quality of life…as I am sure some listeners suf