Please enable Javascript to watch this video
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- There are countless things we can learn about ourselves from our DNA, but what about using it to find the perfect diet?
It's the latest tool in the battle of the bulge analyzing your genetic makeup to find out your 'Diet DNA.'
"Like a fingerprint, they're all individual," said Maria Stevenson, clinical laboratory scientist and CEO of Arc Point Labs of Memphis.
Scientists can now pinpoint not only what you should and shouldn't eat, but also how your body responds to certain exercises.
"I think everybody would like a clear-cut road map on how their body works specifically, instead of some cookie-cutter diet that may not work for them," Stevenson said.
Arc Point Labs uses this new genetic testing to help clients find the right diet and exercise plan.
"We think macronutrients and micronutrients and how we process those differently, so I might be able to process protein more efficiently than you would," Stevenson said. "So that might be able to curb how your diet can be tailored specifically for you."
Stevenson took the test herself last year, unhappy with what she saw in the mirror.
"I just kind of ate whatever I wanted and it showed," she said. "It was not cute."
All it takes is a cheek swab, and in about two weeks, your results are in.
"What we found out is that I had specific genes that were pre-dispositioned toward obesity," Stevenson said, "so I'm struggling against my own DNA."
Stevenson's personal trainer and nutritionist says her DNA results saved him about a months-worth of work when creating her plan, instead of having to figure out what her body needed the old fashioned way.
"We were able to go ahead and develop her diet based around that," said Ronald Poe.
Since getting her results, Stevenson and Poe have worked together to transform her body, while she trains to compete in her first bodybuilding competition this summer.
"Every week when she sends me pictures, we're noticing a tighter, leaner physique," Poe said.
Stevenson even dead-lifted a car at a competition on Beale Street recently.
Arc Point Labs doesn't create a diet plan for you. You can either take your results to a nutritionist or use the tips in your DNA report to make healthy changes.
Arc Point Labs charges about $400 for a DNA test, but Stevenson says those results are good for the rest of your life because ones DNA never changes.
35.149534 -90.048980
Read the original post:
Diet DNA: Can your genetic makeup help you find the best diet? - wreg.com
