Personalized nutrition: As individual as you are!
People are different. Not only DNA makes us different, but also personal goals and more.
So why are there the same nutrition recommendations for everyone? We think that should be changed. Personalized nutrition makes it possible.
What is personalized nutrition?
From sneakers to coffee mugs to advertising, everything is personalized. But when it comes to food, your individual influence is limited to noodles or rice in the Asia Box. It is not adapted to your needs and the protection of your health. Individual nutrition is not a new invention. In principle, every individual nutrition consultation is a kind of personalized nutrition. But so far, such advice is mainly used by people with diseases, allergies, intolerances or for weight loss. For prevention or even for a more vital body, there are only a few professional offers. Therefore, the current understanding of personalized nutrition is associated with something else. By querying various factors or analyzing gene sections and blood values, an individual diet is put together. Artificial intelligence or other technical aids are increasingly being used in this process. The goals are the prevention of nutrition-related diseases, in some cases weight reduction or weight gain, and improved performance.
In a nutshell: Personalized nutrition is perfectly adapted to the needs of your body and your circumstances. A tailor-made concept designed to ensure your health.
What are the factors to be taken into account?
Various aspects play a role in the creation of your personalized diet. The more you know about yourself and your body, the more precisely the diet can be tailored to you.
Factor influencing personalized nutrition[1]
Genetics: Inherited predisposition, small functional differences in DNA are interesting.
Epigenetics: Link between genetics and environment, influences which genes are turned on and which are turned off.
Gut flora/ microbiome: All microorganisms that colonize the human intestine, mainly intestinal bacteria.
Physical activity: Exercise at work, everyday exercise, sports activity.
Dietary behavior: Number of meals, personal tastes and preferences, avoidance of certain foods.
Metabolism: Individual absorption and processing of food, different metabolic types can process carbohydrates, fats and proteins differently
Nutrigenomics: Functional interactions between food and genetic material
Why is personalized nutrition useful?
No two people are the same. Even in twins there are differences. For example, the goals they strive for or the eating habits they are trained to have may be different. One not-so-obvious difference between people is functional gene variants that influence metabolism.[2] So why should there be the same answer to the question 'What is the perfect diet?' for everyone? The fact that this doesn't necessarily work is shown by the multitude of diets that exist. Some get by with low carb, others with low fat, and for still others, interval fasting is the key to success. The problem: before you try such a diet, you don't know how your body will react to it. With personalized diets, this is different. You don't have to test yourself through different diets to possibly find the one that is right for you, but it is first analyzed and then implemented.
What are the benefits of personalized eating?
Failure on a diet or diet change can be quite frustrating and even harmful in the long run. Because with the constant reduction of calories you also take in less vitamins and minerals. This can lead to deficiencies. With personalized nutrition, you are spared this. But there are even more advantages:
-Increased mental performance
- more well-being
- reach athletic goals faster
it is easier to maintain this change, which is tailored to you, also in the long term
In a scientific study, researchers found that personalized nutrition was more likely to contribute to healthy eating behaviors compared to conventional nutrition counseling.[3] This is also an advantage, because it shows that the personalized diet is feasible and promising in the long term.
How do you find out what your body needs?
Unfortunately, the human body lacks the function to express specific hunger. Thus, your cells cannot communicate to you what vitamins, minerals or macros are currently lacking. The only signals your body can send are hunger and thirst. Only when there is a deficiency, other signals are visible, but it should not come to that. There are several methods available to analyze your nutritional situation:
1. surveyThe first questionnaire is a quiz: By asking selected questions about your lifestyle, goals, intolerances, individual preferences and body measurements, a personalized diet can be created. Although this method is simple, it provides detailed information about your diet. You want to know what such a test looks like? Then start our quiz for the calculation of a Complete Food mealthat is tailored to you.
2. blood testYour blood tells a lot about you and your diet. For example, there are blood tests that determine your metabolic type. Also the supply of vitamins and minerals can be concluded by a blood analysis. Other biomarkers provide information about your individual diet and can be used for a personalized nutrition plan.
3. genetic testHere, not your entire DNA is analyzed, but only small sections that can provide information about your metabolic type. For example, the so-called FTO locus is associated with the total energy intake.[4]
4. stool sample: A laboratory can analyze your microbiome this way. Also in this way a statement about your metabolism should be possible. A bacteria ratio between Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes in favor of Firmicutes bacteria, for example, is associated with a higher risk of obesity.[5]
The last two test options are still viewed critically. This is because it is not easy to infer personalized food directly from DNA or gut bacteria.[6]
What are typical symptoms of an unfavorable diet?
Indirectly, you can find out what your body needs or whether you should change something by looking at signs of a poor diet. These can be typical signs of a vitamin or mineral deficiency. These include symptoms such as:
- pale skin, dull hair and nails
- frequent infections
- rapid exhaustion
- increased fatigue
- difficulty concentrating
- torn corners of the mouth
If the nutritional composition is not right, this can contribute to the development of obesity. An unfavorable diet can also affect your sleep. For example, if you eat very fatty meals before bedtime, it will be harder for you to fall asleep. Other typical signs are ravenous appetite, intestinal complaints as well as flatulence and skin blemishes. Non-optimal nutrition is not the only cause of these symptoms. Intolerances, illnesses, stress and more can also be behind it. If your symptoms persist for a long time and don't get better even with personalized food, you should get a medical checkup.
How do you personalize your food?
Wondering how to personalize your food? We have put together a guide for you:
Step 1: Make a decision. Your fridge won't fill up with personalized food overnight; you have to actively decide to go that route. Clarify what your motivation is.
Step 2: Personalized nutrition test: Choose one or more of the testing options. A detailed survey is a simple but effective method that can be ideally combined with a blood analysis.
Step 3: Evaluation of the results. Look at your collected data. Some metabolic tests already contain recommendations for action, other results you can evaluate together in a nutrition consultation, with your doctor or alternative practitioner. In the end, you should be clear which foods suit your individual diet and which are less suitable.
Step 4: Now it's time for implementation. Re-sort your pantry. Test new recipes. Especially in the beginning, personalized nutrition plans can be useful. Later, you will know for yourself what your individual diet should look like.
Step 5: Check if something has changed. If you have already celebrated the first successes, then it is time to reconsider your self-analysis. Perhaps new or different goals have been added, living conditions have changed or you have compensated for a deficiency. This should come up in an individual nutrition consultation after a few weeks. Together you can now make small changes to your new eating habits.
How does personalized Complete Food help you with the implementation?
Of course, implementation is the most difficult part of the personalized nutrition program, especially in the beginning. But we have a support for you: Personalized Complete Food. Complete Food is a meal replacement that contains everything your body needs. In other words, a balanced ratio of protein, carbohydrates and fats, as well as all vitamins and minerals in appropriate quantities. Previously, the ingredients were optimized to the recommendations of professional societies to the average adult. We have changed that. With our quiz, we analyze your diet and goals and provide you with a Saturo product tailored to you..
With your personalized Complete Food, you'll always have a quick and healthy meal on hand that's perfect for you. It's a great combination of personalized supplement and complete meal that truly contains everything your body needs. The powder can be made into a delicious drink in no time and is ideal to take with you. For example, you can take it to work as a healthy lunch. So you still have enough time for a little exercise during your break.