How Do I Get Started with Genetic Testing?
1. Complete a 23andMe or Ancestry.ca genetic testing kit. They can be ordered online from either company.
2. Set up your Nutrigenomics Account. You will receive an email with instructions to set up your username and password, as well as how to transfer your raw DNA data from 23andMe or ancestry.ca to Pure Genomics. If you have any trouble with this we can help you do it.
3. Set up your appointment with Dr. Lise Maltais to review your results and decide what actions to take. It’s that easy!
Sample Report
Check out this sample report which will give you an idea of what your genetic report might look like, and what kind of information you can expect to receive. Just click on the image below.
What Do I Do With This Information?
Genetics are a bit complicated so there are a few things you should understand. Not all of the traits that show up on this report are active or expressed. You can have the gene, but it’s not on at the moment. It may never turn on or it may not turn on until you’re older. For example, you could carry the gene for diabetes but you’re not experiencing the symptoms of diabetes. Its possible you will never actually develop diabetes or it’s possible that you have early indicator symptoms and it’s a great time to make some lifestyle changes to prevent onset of diabetes.
Or, the gene is on and we can determine that based on symptoms you are experiencing, bloodwork or other lab tests or previous diagnosis. Either way, you really should have some guidance from an expert in nutrition, such as our Naturopathic Physician. Dr. Lise Maltais has 30 years of experience working with a huge range of conditions. Nutrition is one of her major focuses in her practice, as well as homeopathy, supplements, women’s health, chronic pain, weight loss, neural therapy and more.
Dr. Lise Maltais offers appointment online so you don’t even need to leave the comfort of your home to get started. With your permission she will review the results of your report as well as your health history, concerns and goals. From there you will build a plan together.
How Reliable Is This Testing?
Genetic Testing is the most accurate testing option currently available. Other methods such as blood tests and hair analysis for things like food sensitivities, have been disproven. Studies show that the results for genetic testing are promising, but there isn’t enough data to definitively say that it’s 100% accurate.
How Do These Company’s Use My Data?
This is also an important consideration because all of these companies are based out of the USA. We tried to find a Canadian company, but unfortunately it just isn’t available yet. So, you need to decide what you’re comfortable sharing with your neighbor. Both the ancestry.ca and 23andme.com tests are saliva test kits that you mail back to the company. You don’t have to provide any identifying information. Just an email address so you can create your account online and view your results.
At Remedy Wellness Centre, the only person who has access to your information is you, until you give the Naturopathic Physician written permission to view it. Nobody else has access to it. Any information you provide us with is protected by the Health Professions Act and all practitioners and administrative staff are ethically and legally bound to follow these policies.
You can see each company’s privacy policy below:
https://www.puregenomics.com/privacy
https://www.23andme.com/en-ca/about/privacy/
https://www.ancestry.ca/cs/legal/privacystatement
Testimonial from the Clinic Owner – July 2021
A friend and colleague told me about this testing in the fall of 2020. I was intrigued and decided to give it a go. I’d already done a 23andme kit in 2019 to find out where my family ancestry originated. It gave me some very basic health indicators, but not much. I was curious so I downloaded my DNA data, which was very easy, and uploaded it to the Pure Genomics Program, also very easy. My results were very interesting.
I’ve had digestive issues for most of my life and had been to see a Gastroenterologist in 2018 to make sure some of my symptoms weren’t something more serious. Fortunately they aren’t and he suggested that I should fully commit to being gluten free. I was experiencing frequent lower abdominal pain, pelvic floor pain, fatigue, inflammation, anxiety, headaches, back pain and almost constant heart burn/acid reflux. So I went hard core gluten free, and it helped a bit more, but didn’t resolve things. About a year later is when I learned about this testing.
One of my markers is for Glucose Metabolism . This is what the report told me:
– IMPLICATIONS: This genetic factor may affect how your body uses glucose. Glucose is a sugar in food that your body uses for energy.
– DIET & LIFESTYLE RECOMMENDATIONS: Consider the ‘Mediterranean diet’ or another type of plant-based diet. Make sure you get regular exercise and manage your weight in a healthy way.
My ND, knowing way more than me about nutrition, suggested that I might be sensitive to more than gluten, and should consider doing an Autoimmune Paleo Diet for a month to clear all of the most common inflammatory foods out of my system. Then we gradually reintroduced things, one at a time, to see if it affected how I feel. And OH did it affect how I feel! Turns out, I was currently sensitive to all carbs which includes gluten, rice, potatoes, sugar and anything that breaks down into sugar aka glucose. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I’m fine with dairy and night shades, which I wasn’t expecting.
She gave me a bunch of resources including recommended recipe books so I could rebuild a cookbook for myself with delicious recipes that I still enjoy eating. We also started to work on improving my gut microbiome with a different type of probiotic than I’d been taking, followed by a candida cleansing protocol a few weeks later, and adding foods like Kombucha, Sauerkraut, Bone Broth on a regular basis. Based on other indicators and blood work, she also gave me some supplements for thyroid support, adrenal support, Vitamin D (which I now know I have a genetic pre-disposition to having a hard time converting).
I stuck to the AIP diet from Jan 2021 to May 2021, then I started testing by essentially cheating here and there. I’m now able to tolerate small amounts of “glucose foods” on occasion, without having a big reaction. For me, a reaction could be any combination of fatigue, headaches, body pain, digestive upset, anxiety, generalized inflammation and overall really gross feeling. I can only assume that the healing of my gut-microbiome in combination with the supplements is what’s caused such a huge improvement in how I feel.
There are things I didn’t even realize were symptoms until they stopped. For example, I thought I’ve just hated getting out of bed in the morning my whole life. I’ve always woken up feeling like I could go back to sleep for another 4 hours. Always. Now, I wake up earlier than I used to and am just AWAKE and ready to get up. Its weird. I’ve also always been hot and overheat easily. Everyone else can be in a winter parka and I’m walking around in a T-shirt with people looking at me funny. My body temperature has now regulated and I’m now often in need of jackets and sweaters lol.
I became a healthcare profession and founded Remedy Wellness Centre because I think the way our bodies work is so fascinating and I sincerely love helping people feel better. This made me feel WAY better, so I’ve added it as a service the clinic now offers. I hope it can help you feel better too.
Sincerely,
Kasey Thompson, RMT, Clinic Owner
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