Genetics Archives - LivTRU Weight Loss

What Is Nutrigenomics and Nutrigenetics and How Do They Affect Your Diet?

January 10, 2022

Nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics are two red hot areas of scientific research that simply look at the relationship between your diet and your DNA. Foods completely tailored to my unique body? Yes, please! While it may seem like something out of a sci-fi movie, researchers have made great strides over the past two decades, ever since nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics have been a “thing” in the scientific community. Now, let’s get real for a second. Scientists are not there yet; there is

DNA Diet In 2022: Does It Work?

January 10, 2022

Yes, a DNA diet, meaning a diet that takes your unique genetics into account, can work if you are looking at the right genes to address your dietary concern. A very simple and straightforward example of a diet that takes your genetics into account is the PKU (phenylketonuria) diet. It’s a diet based on only one genetic variation: a mutation in the gene that encodes for a protein which helps build an enzyme needed by your body to breakdown phenylalanine.

Further evidence the diet and genetics relationship DOES matter

January 9, 2022

Body weight and body composition (e.g. fatness) are affected by many, many factors, and there is no singular magic pill for weight loss. Your general health status, stress levels, sleep habits, gut microbiota and of course, activity level, all can affect your body weight. But, so can your genes. And, more and more research continues to support the interplay between your overall diet, your genes and body weight. Case in point? A study published out of Puerto Rico, an island

Does a low-carb diet work for weight loss?

January 8, 2022

Yes, a low-carb diet works for weight loss, but before you throw out your apples, oatmeal, and granola bars (okay, that last one can probably go), there are some things you should know: 1) There is no “standard” definition of what actually constitutes a low-carb diet. The keto diet continues to be an extremely popular version of a low-carb diet. In addition to advocating a (very) high-fat diet, it requires one to limit carb intake to <20 – 50 g/d,

Will Weight Loss Help My Immune System?

January 3, 2022

Weight loss may help your immune system. However, there are a few things to keep in mind. I wanted to address this topic because recently, I’ve gotten A LOT of questions about diet and immune health. Normally, when people find out I work in nutrition, I get a myriad of questions, usually about how to eat healthier, how to lose weight, does the latest diet craze actually work, or some combination therein. However, as all things *2022,* this is no

Is there such thing as an optimal diet?

January 2, 2022

In theory, there should be. If there is such thing as an optimal diet (and at iLivTru we definitely think there is one for weight loss), then it very likely differs from person to person and is based on many factors, including genetics. I actually get this question a lot, especially ever since the Paleo diet (and its variations) have been around. Honestly, I’ve wondered this too, so I dug around the research related to the evolution of the human

The Sirtfood Diet. Does it really activate your “skinny gene?”

January 2, 2021

No. It doesn’t. How do I know? Because, unlike the authors of this new diet fad, I spent several years as a postdoctoral fellow working on sirtuins, metabolism and cellular bioenergetics and published several studies on the topic. In this latest fad diet, certain foods, which the authors call “sirtfoods,” supposedly contain “special chemicals” that activate your “skinny gene,” aka your sirtuins. By the way, you don’t just have one sirtuin type in your cells, as the singular “gene” in

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