How To Take Charge of Your Health Based on Your Genes with Yael Joffe

In this episode, host, coach and dietitian Chris Newport meets with the founder of 3×4 Genetics, Dr. Yael Joffe RD PhD FACN. She began as a dietitian in South Africa, then discovered genetics and how the power of food and lifestyle can affect our genes.

She defines the difference between nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics, or what she talks about being “insight” and “action.” In other words, by studying our genetic variability,  we can identify how we respond to the world around us. She calls this insight, or self-knowledge. With this knowledge, which she describes as her most exciting recent discovery, we can use the power of food, lifestyle, and supplements to affect our gene expression, or how we “switch on or off” genes to drive meaningful changes in our health and performance.

Yael discusses how “health” is determined by every decision we make on a daily basis and how it happens IN REAL TIME. They don’t have to be “perfect” all the time, but it all depends on how our genes are affected by those decisions.

Yael describes:
—>how eating cauliflower or broccoli can switch on NRF2 and the affect it has on the rest of our bodies.
—>the “real” superfood for anyone who may not be able to digest raw crucifers.
—>why “targeted supplementation” is a better than just taking supplements to fill a hypothetical gap. Their genetic report makes suggestions based on your genes that will be helpful in conjunction with your healthcare provider’s counseling.
—>why responding to training and recovery is based on genes
—>how our ability to gain or lose weight is heavily dependent on our genes rather than the latest diet trend or caloric restriction.
—>how our healthcare system, media and cultural “norms” have set us up for failure and why our genes have the answers for personalized nutrition and lifestyle. (~28:00)
—>how putting genetics into context is important, why they work with healthcare practitioners to drive meaningful change, and why they don’t sell tests to the end user.
—>why they are called 3×4 Genetics, using 3 of the highest priority changes in 4 different areas to make the greatest impact and avoid overwhelm.
—>how their report has driven changes in professional sports teams based on athletes’ ability to recover or propensity for endurance and power.
—>how exercise can become unhealthy, especially athletes in the year after training for Ironman and how that can be equated to working overtime in a smog-filled factory.
—>how it’s possible to find the right amount of training and recovery and proper nutrition to have the ideal amount of inflammation, oxidative stress and performance.
—>how performance enhancing drugs affect over natural systems.
—>how NSAIDs (like ibuprofen) and athletes don’t mix well and why everything you put into your body has an impact.
—>how detoxification is one of the most important biochemical processes in your body and how it’s been “hijacked” by the media and popular detox diets.

Her 3 takeaways for health and performance are:
1) Eat your broccoli sprouts!
2) Try cold water immersion (via lake, river, shower, bath, etc)
3) Every time we make a decision we can “start over” again

Ready to get your 3×4 Genetics testing done? 

Learn more here and book your free consult.  We look forward to helping you make the best decisions for your health and performance!

Read & listen to another podcast episode with Yael on Genetics of Training & Performance here.

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