Taking Back Your Power: Self-Quantification and DNA Testing

Many people have been raised to think of their health as bestowed upon them by a physician. We go to the doctor’s office to find out what’s going on inside, and if anything is wrong, we rely on them to ‘fix’ us. Thanks to modern technology and a shift in self-awareness, there are various ways to self-quantify our health and reclaim our power. Today we will explore how DNA testing with companies like SelfDecode can help you understand your body and make empowered decisions to encourage your health and longevity.

DNA Testing: A Multi-Faceted Approach to Health

The cornerstone of the modern medical system is the specialization of practitioners. Heart specialists analyze the heart; podiatrists treat the feet, optometrists examine the eyes. Although these specialists have their place, the field itself relies on disconnecting the human into various parts, under the assumption that to fix a part, we only need to examine it individually.

Functional medicine is on the rise because this disconnected way of healing the body often does not cut it. Not only is the body a whole, but to treat the body, we must also address the mind. Human beings are multi-faceted creatures that require unique treatment plans depending on the person. Functional medicine honors that multi-faceted people need a multi-therapeutic approach to healing.

Although functional medicine practitioners tend to see the whole person, it’s important not to negate our power as a patient or the role we have in generating our healing. Whether your healthcare team is comprised of conventional allopathic medicine, functional medicine, or a combination of both—you are ultimately the one in charge. All these practitioners are but tools in your tool belt, and so harnessing self-awareness of your body through modern self-quantification can enable you to direct your team of practitioners better to support your health and longevity.

Taking Back Your Power With Self-Quantification

Although we have relied on doctors, both conventional and alternative, to tell us how healthy we are– those days are long gone. Today there are many ways to self-quantify and test our body’s to learn more about our health without the need for any practitioner. From blood, stool, and hair mineral analysis tests to the microbiome and genome testing, there is a wide range of tests available without the need for a practitioner referral or request. As the demand grows, so does the supply, and these tests are becoming more accessible and affordable than ever.

One of the most powerful and easy ways to self-quantify is with DNA testing. By getting your genome sequenced, you can start to tailor your lifestyle to the specifics needs of your actual body.

Epigenetics and DNA Testing

The studies supporting epigenetics have thoroughly debunked that our fate hinges on our ancestry. The field of epigenetics explores our environment triggers, our genes, and the importance our lifestyle has in creating our wellbeing. Our DNA is not for nothing, for it acts as the blueprint of our health. Through self-quantification, we can make decisions to optimize the needs of our body specifically and support our DNA’s strengths are weaknesses.

The data provided for you by genome sequencing companies is at its core raw genetic information. This information is unique to you and includes genetic variants that may increase your risk of developing certain health conditions. These variations are called Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (or SNPs), and by understanding your bio-individual SNPs, you can tailor your lifestyle decisions to help mitigate any pre-dispositions to diseases.

It can be useful to see DNA as the loaded gun, and the lifestyle as the act of pulling the trigger. By knowing what kind of card you were dealt with genetically, you can better decide how to live your life to promote the good and mitigate the potentially problematic genes. Some of the most common gene variants include MTHFR, ApoE, COMT, Vitamin D Receptor (VDR), and HLA variants.

SelfDecode DNA Testing

There are various DNA testing companies out there, but none offer the cutting edge technology and service found at SelfDecode. Not only does SelfDecode offer you DNA testing kits, but the results are then interpreted for you with a wide range of relevant reports. You receive the raw data with over 900,000 of the most clinically relevant SNPs, as well as DNA Wellness Reports that will allow you to understand how this information may apply to your life, health, and longevity.

Although some companies serve up only the raw data, and others only offer interpretations, SelfDecode is an all-in-one database tool. They allow you to explore your genetic associations with your phenotypes (traits), health risks, and what you can do about them to mitigate disease risks and also enhance your genetic strengths. SelfDecode also works with your current symptoms and connects you to a community of other bio-hackers in the same situation.

Their reports allow you to see trait interpretations in 74 different health categories within nine different packages, including:

• Lifestyle
• Diet
• Nutrition
• Response to toxins
• Methylation
• Aging
• Addiction potential
• Drug response
• Disease risks

SelfDecode DNA testing also offers an innovative membership option, whereby you will always be kept up to date with the latest science regarding genetic profiling. Although your DNA is fixed, this field is ever-changing and expanding every single day. By getting your genome sequenced once you can, then continue to learn more about yourself and how you can adapt your lifestyle to enhance your wellbeing.

Working With A Practitioner Who Sees You

Self-quantification and tools like DNA testing don’t, however, negate the value of health practitioners. There is an excellent value in harnessing the wisdom of studies, research, and clinical practice, and so working with a practitioner is indeed useful to heal and stay healthy. The key is to work with someone who sees you as a whole and equal.

Self-DNA testing with companies like SelfDecode gives you self-awareness and knowledge that you can bring to the table. A true healthcare-practitioner and patient relationship are like a dance, and the two work together to support your health. Although the practitioner can make suggestions, the patient is always in control of their path and needs to ultimately make the decisions regarding his or her body and health.

Self-quantification unlocks self-awareness about your body and helps you reclaim your health, and engage in meaningful conversations with your healthcare practitioner(s). It gives you back your voice, and a responsibility to be involved in your healthcare. Self-quantification with tools like genome testing encourages you to work with someone who values integrative medicine and a multi-therapeutic approach to healing.

Self-Hacked Secrets Book

Recently, we met Joe Cohen, and his fiance, Eliana. They run 3 innovative health companies together: Selfhacked, SelfDecode, and Lab Test Analyzer. We realized that they had a wealth of wisdom to share that couldn’t make it onto their site: tips for hacking your DNA… elevating your mood and brain… supplements that counter your genetic weaknesses… the list is endless. 

So what they did was create the Self-Hacked Secrets E-guide, which is chock-full of recommendations that you can use to optimize the way you feel… perform… look… and evolve. 

This e-guide has a 30-day satisfaction guarantee and eternal updates!

References

Aris-Brosou, Stéphane. “Ancient Human Genomes Show That Disease-Causing Mutations Have Increased in Frequency over the Past 40,000 Years.” bioRxiv. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, January 1, 2018. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/307058v2.abstract.

“Ecological Developmental Biology: Integrating Epigenetics, Medicine, and Evolution.” Choice Reviews Online 46, no. 10 (January 2009). https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.46-5590.

Hagen, Niclas, and Dick Kasperowski. “Self-Quantification of Body and Health – An Explorative Study of Epistemological Relations to Data Among Self-Tracking Individuals,” 2017. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/br3en.

Johnson, Amy R. “Epigenetics, Nutrition, and Cancer.” Nutrition in Epigenetics, 2011, 127–43. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470959824.ch7.

Krawczak, Michael. “Clinical Validity and Utility of Genetic Testing in Common Multifactorial Diseases.” Quality Issues in Clinical Genetic Services, 2010, 157–64. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3919-4_16.

“SelfDecode: Genome Analysis.” SelfDecode.com. Accessed October 14, 2019. https://www.selfdecode.com/page/how-it-works/.

Syvänen, Ann-Christine. “Accessing Genetic Variation: Genotyping Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms.” Nature Reviews Genetics 2, no. 12 (2001): 930–42. https://doi.org/10.1038/35103535.