Getting Started: Learning from your genes
There’s a ton of research on genetics that has been published in recent years. I’ll explain that research – and how to apply it to your life. My goal is to spread the word and educate people on how to use their genetic data…
Snips about SNPs: Quick bits about your genes
The Snips about SNPs series gives you a short, quick article about different genetic variants that you can look at in your 23andMe, Ancestry.com, or other genetic data. Jump in, read a little – and then check your genetic data. Want to know more?…
Genetic Lifehacks Cheat Sheet and Consultation
Ultimate Cheat Sheet: There are 170+ articles on this website! If you don’t have the time to read through everything, contact me via the form below. I can match up your 23andMe or AncestryDNA data file to all of my blog posts and give…
Wrinkles and Sun Spots
Time marches on, we all get older, and our skin shows the signs of aging. Some people age beautifully with great looking skin; others slather on creams and odd gunk in a futile battle to chase away wrinkles and age spots. Then there is…
Snips about SNPs: High Triglycerides and APOA5
The APOA5 gene codes for a lipoprotein that is important in triglyceride metabolism. A variant in the APOA5 gene is linked to higher triglyceride levels and also an increased risk of heart disease. [ref] Check your genetic data for rs662799 (23andMe v4, v5; AncestryDNA): A/A: normal…
Klotho Gene: Anti-aging superpowers?
I’ve been fascinated by the Klotho gene for a while now, partly because it has a cool name. It is named after one of the Three Fates in Greek mythology who spin the thread of Life. Klotho (or Clotho) was responsible for the thread…
Acne genes
Ever wonder why some teens and adults can do everything ‘right’ – eat great, wash their faces, etc. – and still have acne? While others can eat pizza three times a day, shower once a week — and end up with perfectly clear skin!…
Glucose Response: Caffeine and Carbs interact with Your Genes
An interesting study in Nature called Genetic Polymorphisms in ADORA2A and CYP1A2 Influence Caffeine’s Effect on Postprandial Glycaemia (open access!) caught my eye today. The study investigated how the genetic variants for caffeine metabolism interact with carbohydrate consumption. Spoiler alert: caffeine along with carbs…
Telomere Length: How your genes affect telomeres and aging
What are telomeres and why are they important? Telomeres are the region of repeated nucleotides (the A, G, and T’s) that are found on the ends of all of your chromosomes. They cap off the end of the chromosomes, protecting the nuclear DNA during…
Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome
Lyme disease affects 300,000 people a year in the US, mostly in the Northeast and upper Midwest but found in almost all states. It is also a disease that is controversial, causing heated online arguments, misunderstood patients, and sometimes wacky cures. [source] The interesting…
Snips about SNPs: Hangry Gene
Ever wonder how your friends can go all day without eating — or why they love intermittent fasting — when you get so irritable and grumpy? Perhaps you have the “Hangry Gene”. Or, more accurately, perhaps you carry a genetic variant in the GNB3…
Snips about SNPs: BCMO1 and beta-carotene
The BCMO1 gene is responsible for the enzyme that converts beta-carotene into the active form of vitamin A that your body needs. SNPs in this gene cause it to not function as well, possibly leaving you deficient in vitamin A. These two SNPs add…
Hacking your migraines: solutions personalized for you
Migraine plague more than a billion people worldwide; women are affected three times more often than men. [ref] That is a lot of people who know the pain, mental fogginess, sensitivity to light, and overwhelming desire to crawl into a dark hole and hide…