GeneRx allows your health care practitioner to use your raw SNP data from Ultimate Genomics by DNA Allure or Health and Ancestry by 23andMe to create a personalized health analysis and treatment protocol.
Unlike other genetic platforms, which only provide interpretation of single gene SNPs, GeneRx uses algorithms clinically developed by Dr. Penny Kendall-Reed ND. These algorithms analyze combinations of genes to provide a more detailed analysis and individualized treatment protocols. Only by considering the complex interactions between multiple genes can a truly personalized and effective profile be presented.
Genetic factors account for up to 70% of variations in our body weight and metabolism. Fix Your Genes to Fit Your Jeans, the newest book by Dr. Penny Kendall-Reed and her husband Dr. Stephen Reed, is designed to guide you through the details of this exciting subject. It is a practical book that explains in detail the value of genetic analysis in understanding your individual nutritional, metabolic and hormonal strengths and weaknesses. It provides insight into why there is not one diet that works for everyone and how you can best manage your macronutrient intake for optimal health and weight management. It includes easy-to-follow personalized diet, lifestyle and natural supplement guidelines. Designed to be useful to everyone from health care practitioners to individuals interested in optimizing their health, our aim is to provide practical and useable information with comprehensive and easy-to-follow treatment options that make sense according to your genetic data.
GeneRx differs from other reports. For example, consider the 3 major genes controlling carbohydrate response, TCF7L2, IRS1 and GIPR:
What a Standard Report offers:
TCF7L2 – Variant or red – you do not respond well to carbohydrates, and need to restrict them.
IRS1 – Normal or green – you do respond well to carbohydrates, you do not need to restrict them.
GIPR – Heterozygote or yellow – you respond less well to carbohydrates, you need to moderate your carbohydrate consumption.
Editable and Customizable
- The GeneRx report can be customized with your clinic name and logo.
- The treatment sections can all be edited to include your preferred supplements.
What GeneRx offers:
Looks at all 3 genes together; clearly explains what it means to respond well or poorly; provides an individualized carbohydrate count and dietary protocol based on the integration of the 3 genes.
TCF7L2 – T/T = Variant
IRS1 – T/T = Normal
GIPR – C/T – Heterozygote
You are extremely sensitive to carbohydrates. You make significantly more insulin and inflammatory substrates to carbohydrates, destabilizing blood sugars with greater ease, increasing inflammation particularly in the bowel and stomach, and significantly increasing weight gain upon carbohydrate consumption.
Keep grains, starches, fruits or alcohol (see list of these carbohydrates in report) to a maximum of 1 meal per day, where the physical size of the carbohydrate is half the physical size of the protein for 8 weeks. After the 8-week period, this can increase to 2 meals per day. Do not use sweets as your carbohydrate on a regular basis, save that as a treat.
Keep healthy vegetables such as broccoli, zucchini, peppers and cauliflower, as your main carbohydrate source. You can consume unlimited quantities of these vegetables and salads, avoiding the starchy ones below.
Plus supplement recommendations to stabilize blood sugars and maximize metabolic function.
What’s in the GeneRx.ca Report:
What’s in the GeneRx.ca Report:
Metabolic
This section looks at the production of and sensitivity to the 3 main hormones, adiponectin, leptin and ghrelin, which control the rate of metabolism, satiety, hunger and food cravings. It also looks at how the central nervous system impacts lipogenesis, the formation of fat from food, as well as examining the genetic influence on thermogenesis. Finally it identifies which individuals have a metabolism that functions best with intermittent fasting or 3 meals a day. It creates an individualized protocol to maximize metabolic function helping to prevent and treat weight gain and obesity, diabetes and unstable blood sugar levels.
Carbohydrates
This section looks at how the body responds to carbohydrates in several ways. Through various genes we can discover who produces more than the normal amount of insulin in response to carbohydrate intake, or who has impaired beta-cell activity in the pancreas. It shows who has impaired glucose transport and uptake leading to destabilized blood sugar levels following carbohydrate consumption. The report identifies those who have altered cellular growth and differentiation pathways in response to carbohydrates and those that have a greater inflammatory reaction to carbohydrates. This section will provide the suggested level of carbohydrate consumption, meal frequency and timing to minimize the negative effects of carbohydrates.
Fats
This section looks at how saturated fats can affect the production and response to the 3 metabolic hormones leptin, adiponectin and ghrelin. It explains how fats can not only influence weight gain but can alter satiety and food-seeking behavior. It shows who has a decreased ability to break down stored fat on the body, who increases LDL production and who produces more inflammatory substrates when consuming saturated fats. This section will then provide the exact gram content of recommended saturated fats per day to help prevent high cholesterol and obesity. A table of saturated fat content in foods to help guide better dietary choices will also be provided.
Protein
This section will show the exact gram content of protein per meal that is ideal for each person by considering how protein affects the production of their metabolic hormones, their ability to use fatty acids readily as a fuel source, and the level at which protein will increase general inflammation in the body. Finally it identifies which individuals have a metabolism that functions best with intermittent fasting or 3 meals a day to maximize metabolic function and prevent acidosis and inflammation.
Dairy-lactose
This section looks at one’s response to the sugar lactose found in dairy products. It will determine the ability of the small intestines to breakdown dairy via the production of the enzyme lactase regulating symptoms such as gas and bloating.
Serotonin & Dopamine
These 2 sections look at the production, transportation, binding and clearance of serotonin and dopamine through a combination of several genes. It generates treatment protocols that optimize these hormone levels and function to moderate depression, motivation, low mood, learning and memory, addictive behaviours. bowel irregularities sleep and response to stress.
Short Term Stress and Long Term Stress
These two sections look at the production of hypothalamic and adrenal stress hormones and the strength with which they bind to receptors. The overall function and feedback within the HPA axis is evaluated along with its response and ability to exaggerate the stress reaction emotionally and physically. The impact of dysfunction within the HPA axis is reported along with an analysis of its impact on anxiety, sleep disorders, depression, hyperactivity, panic attacks, ADD, ADHD ad PTSD.
Cardiovascular Exercise
This section analyses muscle fibre type, which dictates whether an individual is more suited to high intensity (e.g. sprinting) or endurance (e.g. distance running) type exercise. It examines blood perfusion and electrolyte delivery to muscles, blood vessel reactivity, muscle injury and healing response following exercise. It also considers the ability of the lung bronchi to dilate during specific types of exercise and thus optimally oxygenate of tissues. Variables are combined to produce specific exercise recommendations.
Resistance Training
This section looks at how an individual responds to resistance training such as weight lifting. SNP analysis will identify those that tend to accumulate subcutaneous fat with the wrong type of exercise. It also looks at the production of inflammatory mediators, the degree of muscle breakdown and the flow of blood within muscles during weight training. Variables are combined to produce specific exercise recommendations.
Injury Susceptibility and Prevention
This section looks at the production of enzymes that break down collagen in tendons, ligaments and joints as well as the ability of the body to increase production of collagen in order to repair and strengthen those tissues. It also examines the production of inflammatory cytokines that further breakdown and degrade joints and collagenous tissue. Treatment recommendations are aimed at boosting collagen production, inhibiting damaging enzymes and reducing inflammation.
Immunity
This section looks at SNPs that affect cytokine production, virally-mediated activation of interferon, macrophage function and the major histocompatibility complex. These genes have a significant influence over immunity-related conditions such as allergies, asthma, eczema, auto-immune disorders and infection. They also affect the incidence and severity of inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. As inflammation and immunity are so closely intertwined, analyzing the combination of these genes is extremely important in order to balance the immune response.
Inflammation
This section looks at the production of two of the most important and potent inflammatory cytokines, IL6 and TNF. Individuals with certain genotypes produce far more than the normal amount of these cytokines in response to injury or infection. This has a direct effect on inflammation and causes excessive stimulation of the inflammatory cascade. Increased inflammation has a profoundly deleterious effect on disease risk and leads to the adverse expression of many genes. Treatment is directed at reducing inflammatory cytokine production and stabilizing the inflammatory response.
Phase 1 and 2 detoxification
These 2 sections look at a series of genes involved in the molecular alteration of toxins (Phase 1) and their chemical binding and elimination from the body (phase 2). Such toxins include caffeine, several herbs, medications such acetaminophen and ciprofloxin, cigarette smoke and steroid hormones. Balancing these two pathways plays key roles in the prevention of inflammation, cellular toxicity and the harmful effects these have on gene expression.
Vitamins, minerals and methylation
This section looks at the absorption, transportation and binding of several vitamins including A, C, D and those involved in methylation, B12, folic acid and B6. It also examines transportation of the mineral Zinc, which plays a vital role as a co-factor in numerous metabolic processes and gene expression. Treatment combines single nutrients or a combination of vitamin products to maximize vitamin and mineral activity with the fewest supplements possible.
Reproductive Hormone: Estrogen
This section initially looks at baseline levels of estrogen production from the adrenals and gonads. It then further considers conversion rates of estrogen into 2-hydroxy-estrogen or 4-hydroxy-estrogen, which has a profound affect on the activity and safety of estrogen itself. This impacts PMS, menopause, PCOS and estrogen-receptored tissues. Treatment is aimed at increasing the 2-OH from while reducing the 4-OH form creating a healthy estrogen profile.
Reproductive Hormone: Testosterone
This section looks at the degree to which an individual converts inactive testosterone into its active form, dihydro-testosterone and how quickly that hormone is cleared from the body. The balance between these two factors affects prostate health, libido, PCOS and bone health. Treatment is aimed at creating an optimum balance that promotes the beneficial effects of testosterone over its harmful ones.
Sleep
A look at circadian rhythms, the ability to transition from one stage of sleep to the next, the time spent in deep stage 4 sleep and the strength of the wake/sleep cycle.
Thyroid
A look at the production and regulation of TSH and the conversion of T4 into T3 to help determine the strength and functioning of the thyroid and ability to utilize medications.
Turn your GeneRx report into a personalized meal plan
Health Care Practitioners
Opening an account will allow you to upload your patients’ raw data from Ultimate Genomics by DNA Allure or Health and Ancestry by 23andMe securely.
You will then receive a comprehensive report covering the following health sections:
Metabolics:
This section looks at the production of and sensitivity to the 3 main hormones adiponectin, leptin and ghrelin, which control the rate of the metabolism, food cravings and hunger. It also looks at how the central nervous system impacts lipogenesis, the formation of fat from food, as well as examining the genetic influence on thermogenesis. Finally it helps discover whose metabolism is best with intermittent fasting and whose requires 3 meals a day and creates an individualized dietary and supplemental protocol to maximize metabolic function.
Carbohydrates:
Response and handling of carbohydrates with specific carbohydrate allowances per meal and supplemental protocols to improve handling of carbohydrates.
Fats:
Response and handling of fats with specific grams of allowed fats per meal and supplemental protocols to improve handling of saturated fats.
Protein:
Response and handling of protein with specific grams of protein allowed per meal, along with timing and number of meals per day.
Dairy/Lactose:
Response and handling of dairy products with specific suggestions on how much dairy may be allowed.
Dopamine:
Dopamine production, transportation and breakdown and supplemental protocols to optimize dopamine function.
Serotonin:
Serotonin production, transportation and breakdown and supplemental protocols to optimize serotonin function.
Short Term Stress Response:
HPA axis function and stability, production and degradation of stress hormones and supplemental protocols to regulate stress hormone production and function.
Long Term Stress Response:
Chronic HPA axis function and stability, production and degradation of stress hormones and supplemental protocols to regulate stress hormone production and function.
Sleep:
A look at circadian rhythms, the ability to transition from one stage of sleep to the next, the time spent in deep stage 4 sleep and the strength of the wake/sleep cycle.
Thyroid:
A look at the production and regulation of TSH and the conversion of T4 into T3 to help determine the strength and functioning of the thyroid and ability to utilize medications.
Cardiovascular Exercise:
What type of cardiovascular exercise is beneficial or harmful in terms of oxygenation, weight loss, inflammation and recovery and supplemental protocols to maximize workouts.
Resistance Training:
What type of resistance exercise is beneficial or harmful in terms of oxygenation, weight loss, inflammation and recovery and supplemental protocols to maximize resistance training.
Injury Susceptibility and Prevention:
Analyzes tissue degradation and repair to minimize injury risk and improve recovery. Supplemental protocols to maximize healing and inhibit tissue breakdown included.
Immunity:
Analyzes immune response to better manage allergies, infections, auto-immune disorders and inflammatory disease and supplemental protocols to support and moderate the immune response.
Inflammation:
Examines the production of inflammatory mediators contributing to disease risk and supplemental protocols to moderate the inflammatory response.
Phase 1 and 2 detoxification:
These 2 sections look at the body’s ability to identify, modify and clear toxins, hormones and medications from the body. Supplemental protocols to regulate both phases of detoxification included.
Vitamins, minerals and methylation:
Absorption, transportation and utilization of important vitamins and minerals including methylation factors and the corresponding supplemental protocols included.
Reproduction Hormones:
Analyzes the body’s production, conversion and utilization of estrogen and testosterone and supplemental protocols to balance these hormones.
Longevity/Neurological:
Key components and pathways involved in autophagy, telomere shortening, apoptosis, DNA repair and neural functioning plus their association with disease.
Cholesterol:
Analyzes the metabolism and breakdown of cholesterol plus the rate of LDL degradation through LDL receptor number and activity.
Personal Trainers
Opening an account will allow you to upload your patients’ raw data from Ultimate Genomics by DNA Allure or Health and Ancestry by 23andMe securely.
You will then receive a comprehensive report covering the following health sections:
Metabolics:
This section looks at the production of the 3 main hormones adiponectin, leptin and ghrelin, which control the rate of the metabolism, food cravings and hunger. It also looks at how the central nervous system impacts lipogenesis, the formation of fat from food, as well as examining the genetic influence on thermogenesis. Finally it helps discover whose metabolism is best with intermittent fasting and whose requires 3 meals a day and creates an individualized dietary and supplemental protocol to maximize metabolic function.
Carbohydrates:
Response and handling of carbohydrates with specific carbohydrate allowances per meal and supplemental protocols to improve handling of carbohydrates.
Fats:
Response and handling of fats with specific grams of allowed fats per meal and supplemental protocols to improve handling of saturated fats.
Protein:
Response and handling of protein with specific grams of protein allowed per meal, along with timing and number of meals per day.
Short Term Stress Response:
HPA axis function and stability, production and degradation of stress hormones and supplemental protocols to regulate stress hormone production and function.
Long Term Stress Response:
Chronic HPA axis function and stability, production and degradation of stress hormones and supplemental protocols to regulate stress hormone production and function.
Cardiovascular Exercise:
What type of cardiovascular exercise is beneficial or harmful in terms of oxygenation, weight loss, inflammation and recovery and supplemental protocols to maximize workouts.
Resistance Training:
What type of resistance exercise is beneficial or harmful in terms of oxygenation, weight loss, inflammation and recovery and supplemental protocols to maximize resistance training.
About Dr. Penny Kendall-Reed, BSc, ND
Penny Kendall-Reed is a Naturopathic Doctor in Toronto. After graduating from McGill University in Neurobiology, she earned a degree in Naturopathic Medicine from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine; here she received the Dr. Allen Tyler Award for Most Outstanding Clinician. Penny Kendall Reed is the author or 5 national bestselling books including The New Naturopathic Diet , Healing Arthritis, The No Crave Diet, The Complete Doctors Stress Solution and The Complete Doctor’s Back Bible. In 2013 she was voted Naturopath of the Year by her peers and colleagues, and in 2018 was the recipient of the top Naturopathic Doctor Award in Canada.
Dr. Kendall-Reed travels world wide lecturing on the following topics: genetics – how to interpret and treat single nucleotide polymorphisms, neuro-endocrine disorders and metabolic related diseases. She appears regularly on television, magazine and radio across Canada and the United States addressing various health issues. Dr. Kendall-Reed analyzes and interprets genetic profiles and uses them to design personalized health programs for patients world-wide.
She is an international medical consultant for Douglas Laboratories and Pure Encapsulation creating product formulations and overseeing the neuro-metabolic department. Dr. Kendall-Reed is a member of the scientific board for Pure genomics and presently is the director of natural therapies at the Urban Wellness Clinic in Toronto.
When I started clinical practise in 1996, I rapidly realized that although the knowledge and training gained from my years as a student was comprehensive it did not explain the idiosyncrasies of individual patients. Diagnosis and patterns of treatment were useful in many cases but as I delved deeper into the complexities of metabolic health, I found I needed to expand my spectrum of management. My research took me through numerous dietary trends, supplement regimens and lifestyle modifications. I explored the impact of exercise, the environment and chronic stress and tried my best to fit patents into diagnostic and therapeutic “boxes” within which I could expect them to improve their health, lose weight and reverse or prevent metabolic parameters such as high blood sugar or cholesterol. It worked well but I found I had to continually expand the number of “boxes” to accommodate everyone. Certain patients did well with some aspects of their treatment but not others, while other patients seemed to require the interaction of two or more boxes.
In 2011, I noticed an increasing number of articles referencing SNP’s, single nucleotide polymorphisms, and their association with metabolic function, weight management and risk of disease, particularly diabetes. Numerous genome-wide association studies examining the correlation of SNP variants with disease risk made them relevant to my practise. So I began to build my own database of research, focussed on SNP’s that were both relevant to my patient population and available on different genetic platforms. At this point I ran myself through a number of commercially available genetic tests to see what genes were analysed and how well the results correlated with what I knew about my personal health. I found that while some of the information was both useful and accurate, many of the genes I knew to be important from my research were either not sequenced or were documented but not analysed. As my research base developed in concert with the ever-expanding literature, I was able to start formulating programs based on individual SNP patterns. I began to realize why certain patients did not fit into some of the therapeutic “boxes” I had assigned them to and why treatment options that worked for some individuals failed in others that on the surface appeared clinically similar. I recognized that patients were unique and did not fit into pre-designed boxes.
As I went over their results, explaining why they felt a certain way after different foods, with varying types of exercise and when stressed or losing sleep, their eyes lit up with a recognition that I truly understood them and their individual issues. “Yes, that’s me” would be a common expression at the end of our discussion. I would receive emails a few weeks later from patients seeing improvements in their health, their energy, their sleep and their weight, problems they had struggled with for years without an answer. Patients for whom I had scratched my head trying to figure out why my protocols were not working were suddenly doing amazingly well with simple SNP-based tweaks to their treatment.
As I learned more I felt that assigning treatment based on one SNP seemed oversimplified, particularly considering the tremendous number of SNP’s influencing certain aspects of health and metabolism. There were well- documented interactions between SNP’s and as my database grew, I recognized that patients with a certain SNP genotype responded differently dependant on their coding for other complementary SNP’s. These algorithms, which I have termed “SNP integration” are one of the unique features of my protocols and are based on a combination of research and clinical evaluation with my patients.
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