Your genetic behavior is more important than the genes themselves. How does your body deal with the carbohydrates you eat? Your ancestors may have developed the ability to thrive on a high-carb diet, while others may suffer with the same pattern of eating.
Try the cracker test. Chew on a saltine. How long does it take for the taste to change? If it tastes sweet quickly, you can have a diet of 50 percent carbs. If it takes a long time to taste sweet, your diet should be 25 percent carbs or less. The sweetness tells you if your body has the enzymes to break down the carbohydrates quickly.
Essential Pillars
- Eat for your genes. Base your diet on what your ancestors successfully ate.
- Reverse aging. Your DNA can be damaged over time. Exercise helps reverse the aging clock. It increases collagen and improves the health of your DNA.
- Eat umami: a deep, savory taste. Consuming foods rich in umami leads to satiety faster. You’ll eat less but feel full.
- Drink oolong tea. It’s easy on digestion.
- No mono-eating. Don’t eat the same kind of berries every day. You can have too much of a good thing. You don’t want to stress your body by accumulating certain nutrients.
- Live slow. We lead rushed lives. We don’t take the time to eat without distractions and away from a screen. Try eating at least one meal a day in peace.
Sharon Moalem MD, PhD, is an award winning scientist, physician, inventor and New York Times bestselling author. His work brings together evolution, genetics, biology, and medicine to revolutionize how we understand and treat disease.