Better Diets Impact Public Health at Lower Cost

Researcher Bruce Ames Ph.D., in Cancer Prevention and Diet: Help from Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, wrote:
"Optimizing micronutrient intake (through better diets, fortification of foods, or multivitamin-mineral pills) can have a major impact on public health at low cost.  Other micronutrients are likey to be added to the list of those whose deficiency causes DNA damage in the coming years.  Tuning-up human metabolism, which varies with genetic constitution and changes with age, is likely to be a major way to minimuze DNA damage, improve health, and prolong healthy lifespan, and a drop of blood (a cheek swab) or a gene chip could be part of the way to accomplish this."
Further:
"It is already apparent that there are many polymorphisms that influence risk in heart disease.  Single nucleotide polymorphisms provide a powerful molecular tool for investigating the role of nutrition in human health and disease, and their integration into clinical, metabolic, and epidemiologic studies can contribute enormously to the definition of optimal diets."

This means that now you can use a more scientific approach to being proactive in doing your best to prevent health problems that might otherwise occur later in life.  We all know that good nutritional care is important in preventing cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis and in defending against other diseases.

Yours in health,
Rhonda

Are you a Caterpillar or a Butterfly?

For a great article on optimal health click here!

Nutragenetics and Dermagenetics

Nutragenetics and Dermagenetics are a combinatin of the sciences of genetics and nutrition and skin care that reveals personalized information regarding an individual's status and provides the basis for selecting a dietary, nutritional and skin care program best suited to achieving the healthieest and longest life possible.

• Nutragenetics and Dermagenetics use SNP testing to identify areas of an individual's genetic make-up that may be functioning less than optimally.
• Nutragenetics and Dermagenetics will help guide individuals in choosing the optimal combination of nutrients and vitamins and topical active ingredients matched to their unique genetic make-up.

For the first time, this revolutionary SNP science is making it possible to personalize and tailor health and skin care products.  How is this done?

GENETICALLY GUIDED PERSONALIZATION OF NUTRIENT AND SKIN CARE FORMULATIONS.The SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) profile tests examine a variety of genes which are responsible for making proteins that play a very important role in our overall skin and body's health.  These include oxidative stress, heart and circulatory health, immune health, bone health, pulmary health, eye/vision health, defence against environmental pollutants, collagen breakdown, photoaging, skin slacking & wrinkling and mild irritation. 
People don't have enough time for 6 servings of fruits and vegetables due to our busy lifestyles.  It is logical then that most everyone should use a basic multivitamin and mineral formulation to cover the major areas of general nutrition, and only take additional ingredients based upon your personal genetic SNP test results.
Yours in health,
Rhonda
Information found in "Your Genetic Compass" by Genewize

My Daily Dozen - inspired by John Maxwell

1.  Be productive
2.  Move swiftly for 30 minutes
3.  Make at least one person smile
4.  Enjoy being in the moment
5.  Stay positive
6.  Find innter peace
7.  Let my family know I love them
8.  Eat chocolate
9.  Try to understand those I don't understand
10.  Be organized
11.  Appreciate everything around me
12.  Learn something new

Yours in health,

Rhonda

How the Knowledge of SNPs Can Be Used to Improve Our Lives

The awesome feat of compiling the Book of Life was accomplished by technologies that spelled out the entire human DNA genome (made up of the chemical base pairs symbolized by the letters A,G,C and T). Simply, we can think of DNA as a string of 3 billion of these letters, in which the sequence of letters follows a precise order. If we compare the DNA sequence of any two people, we sometimes see variation in a letter. This letter variation is a SNP. For example, at a specific position along the string of DNA, one person may have the letter "A" whereas another person may have the letter "T". These variations (SNPs) occur, on average, once in every 2,000 letters of the DNA.

More to come ....

Yours in health,

Rhonda

Pharmacogenetics

SNPs seem to explain why people react differently to different types or amounts of medicines. For example, patients can react differently to the same heart medication, such as a "beta-blocker". Since SNPs can affect the structure and function of proteins and enzymes, they can influence how efficiently a medicine is absorbed and metabolized. A major goal of the pharmacogenetics industry is to use the science of SNPs to determine which drugs are most suitable for any given patient.

Yours in health,

Rhonda

Your Genetic Compass by Genewize

From the Heart....

Today I will be writing from my heart. Last week I enjoyed meeting two new business affiliates. Both of these people come from different backgrounds, different lifestyles, different purposes in life ... yet both are passionate about health and want the same for themselves ... a stronger foundation.

Gladly, we shared all the benefits of DNA guided health. I say "we" because even as new affiliates they could feed off of my passion and truly see the advantages of knowing more about your "future health". While one enjoyed knowing the excitement of what the future has to hold regarding nutrigenomics the other was comprehensive of strengthening her foundation (DNA) prior to her metabolics.

Genomics is cutting edge and making it readily available to the public and at a price point that's affordable makes testing your DNA (with a bucal swab of your cheek) something EVERYONE owes to themselves.

Please learn more about Genewize and the doctors and scientists behind it by visiting http://www.dnaandyourgenes.com/

Yours in health,
Rhonda

Our Physical Uniqueness is Largely Due to SNPs

The DNA between any two humans is about 99.9% identical. Except for the identical twins, variations in just a small fraction of our DNA account for the major ways in which one human is different from another. These small variations in DNA are called SNPs, which stands for 'single nucleotide polymorphisms' (SNPs is pronounced 'snips'). Scientists have identified about 1.4 million locations where single-base DNA difference occur in humans. This information promises to revolutionize the process of finding chromosomal locations for disease-associated sequences.
Yours in health,
Rhonda
... info from 'Your Genetic Compass' by Genewize

Genomics: The Human Book of Life

Genome science began formally in 1990 with the establishment of the Human Genome Project. This enormous project is the combined effort between the United States Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health. The project was based on the mission of pursuing a greater understanding of individual health risks. The Human Genome Project goals were to general a high-quality reference sequence and identify all human genes, as well as enhance computational resources to support future research and commercial applications.
There are approximately 35,000 genes in the Human Genome, however, functions for more that half of discovered genes are unknown. Genes are made up of DNA base pairs arranged in a double-helix formation. Our individual uniqueness lies in the small differences of bases that can exist where single base DNA differences (SNPs) occur in humans. The SNP information promises to revolutionize the process of finding gene locations for disease-associated sequences. Finding the DNA sequences underlying such common diseases as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis and cancer is being aided by the human SNP maps. These genes and SNPs provide focused targets for the development of effective new therapies.
Provided by "Your Genetic Compass" by Genewize
Yours in health,
Rhonda

Genomics as a Tool for Wellness

Genomics, as a segment of the health care industry, can potentially illuminate the path to avoiding serious illness. With rising health care costs and the cost of pharmaceutical medications soaring, more people are taking health into their own hands. Not only are they seeking alternative therapies for their ailments, but they are thinking more about prevention. However, the messages about how to stay and feel healthy have been overwhelming and quite mixed. There is no clear-cut answer as to how to stay and feel healthy.
We now have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of our unique risk of developing certain conditions through DNA testing. Not only will we be able to determine which areas of our own health we should focus on, but some direction as to which nutritional and skin care products will best serve our individual needs in the area of preventive health and aging.
"By examining a person's DNA, which can be taken from the mouth with just a small swab or scraping device. It is already possible to predict the probability that a person will develop certain diseases. And soon, based on the recently completed mapping of the human genome, it should be possible to predict every forthcoming disease or condition not caused by external (i.e. diet and exercise) factors." Best-selling author, economist and futurist Paul Zane Pilzer, in his book The Next Trillion
"Inadequate intake of subtle deficiencies in several vitamins are risk factors for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and osteoporosis" Kathleen M. Fairfield, MD, Dr.PH & Robert Fletcher MD MS (Published in the Journal of American Medical Association, June 19, 2002)

Your Unique Chemical Makeup

In a book published in the 1950's entitled Biochemical Individuality, University of Texas biochemist, Roger Williams argued:
"Each of us has a unique chemical makeup that induces various responses to foods, drugs and the environment. The reason we are unique is that our genes are different."
This unique chemical makeup has sparked the interest of several areas of health and has created the fields of Pharmacogenetics, Nutragenetics and Dermagenetics. Pharmacogenetics is the prospect of combining pharmacology and genomic capabilities. This science would be a breakthrough because more than 100,000 people die each year as a result of adverse responses to medications that are beneficial to thousands of other individuals. 2.2 million people experience serious reactions and others don't respond at all. In combination with with genetics each individual's genetic makeup can be assessed before prescribing a generic product. Nutragenetics and Dermagenetics would also examine the individual's unique make-up and determine which vitamins, minerals, nutrients and active ingredients necessary for optimal health inside and outside.
We have mapped our genetic structure and we are unraveling the working of human biology. This has enormous implications including a new understanding of what specific nutrients best serve our unique genetic, physical and bio-chemical makeup. Nutrients along with certain lifestyle modifications, can support our strengths and balance our weaknesses.
Our genes hold the answer to determining our lifestyle and nutrient well being.

Yours in health,
Rhonda

Information retrieved from "Your Genetic Compass" Genewize

How Do We Choose?

Millions of Americans are taking food supplements and applying skin care products in a never ending battle to stay & look younger, feel better, and treat their ills. They take these based on what they read, see and hear with a small percentage actually getting advice from their health care practitioners. For most, this guessing game leaves people uncertain, confused and often ingesting supplements and applying topical creams that are not specific to their individual needs.

How is one to choose from the hundreds of nutritional supplements and skin care products?

With over half of the population of the United States taking nutritional supplements and using topical skin care products the vast majority are uncertain as to what they're using and shy. Many times this shot-gun approach leads to the over (or under) consumption of vitamins and minerals and active ingredients. For the most part, the very nutrients the body and skin craves never make it into the shopping cart.

In the last sixty years, the nutritional and dermatological science ha pushed forward and made tremendous breakthroughs in this area. The era of "'one size fits all' is coming to an end.

More to come....

Yours in health,

Rhonda

Can't I Just Take Handfuls of Multi-Vitamins?

Why don't I just pop multi-vitamins and apply many topical ingredients to cover everything my body and skin need?

Although it's possible to "just take handfuls" of multi-vitamins and apply multiple topical ingredients, most health professionals would agree it certainly isn't practical; the average person simply can't afford nor would they be able to easily swallow or apply all of the ingredients required to "cover all their bases." Also, there is increasing evidence that taking or applying too much of certain nutrients and active ingredients may even be harmful.

For example, you can get too much antioxidant protection. Damping down your metabolic system by excessive, unbalanced antioxidant intake can cause as many problems as not getting enough. Different free radicals require specific antioxidants - and there is no single antioxidant that addresses all the types of free radicals.

Some manufacturers and distributors would have us believe that a "cookie cutter" or "one-size-fits-all" approach is good enough. Don't believe it!

When your long-term health and performance is at stake, a personalized scientific approach is best!!

Take care of yourself!

Yours in health,

Rhonda