Empowered by DNA: Tailoring Your Health for Optimal Wellness
Welcome to another insightful episode of Healthy Mama Simply, hosted by Michelle Hills! In this episode, "Empowered by DNA: Tailoring Your Health for Optimal Wellness," Michelle shares more about what it looks like to apply her DNA results to everyday life. She explains how she tailors her lifestyle through what she eats, how she exercises, and the supplements she takes to improve her overall well-being and feel great.
This episode is not about following a one-size-fits-all diet but about empowering listeners with the knowledge to make the best choices for their unique bodies. Tune in to discover how DNA reports can transform approaches to wellness and inspire personalized health journeys.
Join us as we uncover the powerful ways genetics can guide towards optimal wellness and personalized health strategies!
Disclaimer: This transcript has been automatically generated and may contain errors. We apologize for any inaccuracies.
Welcome to the Healthy Mama Simply podcast. This is Michelle Hills, empowered by DNA, tailoring my health for optimal wellness. On episode one, I shared my DNA-driven health journey, from struggle to strength. I shared how I struggled and found strength through having my DNA results. My DNA results have empowered me. I was able to incorporate those results, apply them into my life, and my life was changed. I am now healthier and able to live a simpler and more fulfilling life. Stick with me today to find out more about how I was empowered by my DNA and how I've tailored my life so that I can feel great and no longer live in a world of restriction.
The DNA results that I received were a 43-page report. If you didn't get a chance to listen to that episode, I highly encourage you to. This episode may make more sense because I did share that I have the MTHFR gene mutation. I did not elaborate on what that is, but I do have resources that I can point you to if that is something that you're interested in learning more about. In short, it's a gene mutation that affects how my body metabolizes particular vitamins, how my body naturally detoxifies itself, and how it can have a huge impact on your life as it did for me. So I'll start with the MTHFR gene mutation.
There are two SNPs, as they call them, that you can have this gene mutation. I have it on the C677T SNP, for those of you who may know a little bit more about the MTHFR gene mutation. Mine is a single mutation, so you can have a double mutation. I just have the single mutation, but that is enough to wreak havoc on my life. But now that I have the information and know what I need to do, that's no longer an issue.
So, what did that mean for me? It meant decades of digestive issues, brain fog, deep pains in my joints and muscles. I was on medication to keep me awake during the day in my 30s. I was just exhausted. I had low immunity and also had a battle with cancer. Of course, we can't say for sure, like, "Oh, because she had the MTHFR gene mutation, she had cancer." But there is some correlation as far as increased chronic inflammation playing into pretty much every disease. And cancer, of course, is a disease. I don't know if I mentioned this, but I had low immunity and big issues with that as well.
When I learned about my MTHFR gene mutation and what I needed to do, one of the big things I learned was that I needed to avoid folic acid. Folate is a naturally occurring vitamin that we need and is found in certain foods, but folic acid is a synthetic form that can be added to foods and is generally packaged with a label that says it is fortified or enriched. You're going to see that in more processed foods, such as breads and cereals. So, if you're looking to avoid folic acid, look at the ingredients. If it's enriched wheat or something enriched in any way or fortified, avoid it if you have the MTHFR gene mutation as I do.
That was a big thing for me, and I did not know. Also, if you supplement with vitamin B, you need to have a methylated form so that your body can better metabolize it and use it for energy and absorption. If it is not methylated, then again, it's the folic acid. That is toxic to my body. It will just sit in my bloodstream and cause me to be toxic. I have a perfect example of that.
Before I was aware of what I needed to do for the MTHFR gene mutation, I was exhausted. A friend shared with me that she had been taking these little vitamin B shots—not syringe shots, but little drinks you can find in the grocery store. She had bought them from a company known to be healthy. This was about six years ago. She said, "Oh, I love these things. They give me so much energy, but I only drink half because otherwise it is just too much." I was exhausted and decided to try it. I drank half and felt nothing, so I drank a whole one. Of course, like everything else, nothing seemed to work for me. I think I must've bought a six-pack because the next day I drank another one, hoping it would work. But it didn't. I continued throughout the week to drink them, and if anything, I was just more exhausted. It made no sense to me, but that was my life.
I happened to have a doctor's appointment that week for an annual checkup, and we talked about my exhaustion. She checked my vitamin B levels. A week later, the doctor reached out to me and asked if I was taking supplements for vitamin B. I told her about the B shots, and she said I needed to back off from those because my levels were really high. I got on the portal to take a look. I don't remember exactly what the range should be, but let's say it was supposed to be between 100 and 1000. I was over 2000. It just said "greater than 2000." I was extremely toxic, but I didn't understand why until I had my DNA tested. Once I knew what I needed to do, it all made sense.
Blood tests just test what's in your bloodstream, and I was toxic. So, I avoid folic acid in foods as well. When I supplement for vitamin B, it is in a methylated form. Once I started doing that and got educated on my DNA about five years ago, I started to feel great after about 60 days and was doing very well. Then I started to feel tired again, and it was really discouraging. I remember praying, asking why this was happening. I had gotten a taste of what it was like to not be sick and exhausted all the time, and I couldn't go backwards.
Then it hit me: I had been pouring nutritional yeast on my potato soup, and I needed to check it. I went to the cabinet, pulled out the nutritional yeast, and found that it was fortified. I had become toxic again. This showed me how much it matters that I avoid folic acid because it is toxic to me. When I was living that way every day, I couldn't pinpoint what was making me tired. It could have been anything. But because I had removed it from my diet and was doing well, it was obvious that something was wrong when I reintroduced it.
Living with constant exhaustion and searching for answers for years with no help from doctors was a big deal. I have friends with even more severe issues. One friend was pregnant and taking folic acid, not knowing she had the MTHFR gene mutation. She didn't find out for many years. She ended up with her lungs 90 percent full of blood clots and almost lost her life and her child's life. There are many other stories like this. So, if you don't know if you have the MTHFR gene mutation, I encourage you to look into it.
Moving on from the MTHFR gene mutation, I was able to find out my sensitivities to fats and carbs. I also found that I have an increased risk for inflammation. Knowing this, I realized that it is important for me to watch my fat intake, both overall and the types of fats. Omega-3 and Omega-6 are important. Our bodies need Omega-3 to fight inflammation, but we get too much Omega-6 in the American diet. They compete, so it's important to increase Omega-3 and watch out for Omega-6, which is found in vegetable oils, sunflower oil, soybean oil, and processed foods.
For me, the keto diet is not good because it's high in fats, which I need to watch. I also need good quality, high-quality complex carbs. I did well with the keto diet for about six weeks, but then I felt the effects of inflammation. Knowing my DNA results, I call it my Owner's Manual. It's not about being on a diet or restriction; it's about empowerment. Knowing what is best for me means I can make informed decisions about what I eat and how it affects my health.
Another thing I learned from my DNA report is that I am a slow recoverer, and I had to cut back on workouts initially. I was working out seven to eight hours a week, but my body wasn't getting enough time to heal. Now, I can add things into my routine to help my body heal efficiently. This affects body composition changes and fat loss because high inflammation makes it hard to lose weight. I have a friend who lost 30 pounds of inflammation after applying her DNA information. Another friend lost a pants size in the first month.
Your body needs to be healthy to achieve your goals. Knowing this helped me adjust my workouts and see body composition changes quickly. I also learned about vitamins I have an increased need for, particularly B vitamins like B9 (folate), B12, and B6. These vitamins affect energy, brain function, neurological functioning, DNA and cell repair, anemia, and immunity. All the testing and doctors couldn't give me answers, but my DNA did.
We've had our children tested as well. My three daughters had things that were blocked through that assessment. I was able to see that their medication was causing issues, and I was able to personalize their supplementation safely. Having this DNA information is empowering because it doesn't change, though your lifestyle can turn genes on and off.
I hope this gives you more information about what you can expect from having your DNA results. I have more resources on my website, HealthyMamaSimply.com. I hope you'll stop by, check it out, and reach out if you have questions. I'm always happy to get on a call and talk to you personally about your goals and struggles. If you want to get the DNA test or learn more about the assessment or other health solutions, you'll find helpful.
