There is no doubt that we live in an age where people are more concerned about their health and keeping in the best shape possible.
Most people now know about exercising regularly and eating well to take care of the bodies, minds and internal organs.
Taking the time to do this will bring many benefits in terms of a more robust immune system, stronger bones and a clearer mind. But is this general approach to our health enough?
One branch of science that is hoping to provide more insight into how our specific genealogy works with our diet to affect our health is nutrigenomics.
Leaders in this field include Dr Amy Yasko whose book Feel Good Nutrigenomics published in 2014 provides an excellent introduction to this field.
Dr Yasko sees this way of combining science with diet as being the key to staying healthy. By tailoring our diet to what our bodies react well to, it is hoped we can then avoid any stresses to our genetic weak points and remain healthy in the long term.
Can unique diet plans provide the answers?
In the world of nutrigenomics, a unique diet plan is the essence of what is needed to stay healthy.
As we all have different genetic make-ups and DNA, then it makes sense that our bodies need different things. While fruit is good to eat, for example, one particular kind may not be suitable for your genetic make-up and provoke a negative response.
Eating this could actually cause you to feel sluggish which is the reason a tailored diet plan is much better.
With a unique diet plan, you only eat and drink the foods that agree with you and will help make you feel good.
You would first have to take a Nutrigenomic test to analyze your genetic pathways before a unique diet plan can be drawn up. By following the diet plan you are giving your body what it needs and what will not cause it any problems.
One size fits all diets or healthy eating plans simply cannot work to such a detailed level.
Help to fight serious yet growing threats
Eating according to this kind of diet plan will also help to avoid diet related conditions like obesity.
Very often, these could be avoided simply by knowing what your body cannot process properly or what will cause it to gain weight or react in a certain way.
As obesity and other illnesses like diabetes continue to cause big problems, unique plans could save healthcare providers lots of money in treating patients and also help people to avoid any serious health issues.
They help to set people on the right path and keep them there
The problem with traditional diets or healthy eating plans is that they are hard to stick to in the long term.
This could well be because you do not enjoy the food you are having to eat, or it actually makes you feel worse. Unique plans are a much better option as the food you eat is guaranteed to work with your body and make you feel healthier.
This will make it far more enjoyable to follow and also more likely that you will eat healthier for longer.
Unique diet plans are simpler to follow
A unique diet plan is a good bet to help promote healthier living as it takes out the guesswork.
With a normal diet, you do not know exactly what food your genetic make-up works with and what you should be buying.
This can lead to a random approach to healthy eating which is time-consuming, frustrating and may not even work. With a tailored plan, you know exactly what food your body reacts well to – this takes all the guesswork out of the equation and makes it much easier to follow.
It could lead to more personalized healthcare interventions
It is not just thinking about the effect of diet on your general lifestyle that a more unique approach could bring.
More personal healthcare interventions could also be a very welcome result in the future. This could see your doctor providing more personal, effective advice to you based on your genetic make-up.
If for example you were obese, he may be able to recommend a lower fat diet with certain foods as being the best way for you to lose weight as an individual. This would be a real breakthrough in healthcare and allow for much more effective treatment of patients.
Unique nutrigenomic plans could be the answer
Nutrigenomics is not new by any means but greater research in this area is starting to get people excited.
If we can use how our individual genes react to certain nutrients and then take this into a tailored eating plan, it could help us to feel better and avoid certain health conditions. This would be a real step forward for all.
