Discover the Power of Nutrition and Nutrigenic DNA Testing
Sponsored by Turó Park Clinics.
“We are what we eat” is a saying that highlights the inherent, direct link between health and diet. Quite literally, the nutritional content of what we eat determines the composition of the billions of cells that our body replaces every day.
Food is fuel for our bodies, playing a critical role in health and development notably in the immune system, influencing risk of disease, longevity and even mental health.
Cathy Morghese, Turó Park’s experienced nutritionist-dietician, shares with us the power of nutrition. She highlights how dietary changes can help you age well, aid in the prevention and management of pathologies and explains how nutrigenic DNA testing can reveal insights on your individual nutritional needs.
The Importance of Nutrition in Everyday Life
Nowadays it is becoming more common to prioritize diet when focusing on health and overall well being. While it makes sense intuitively, many people still often find it hard to comprehend the extent of the interrelation between what we eat and how we feel.
This is where a nutritionist comes in!
A nutritionist works with you to create balance in your diet and relationship with food. They will support you to adopt healthy habits, avoid micronutrient deficiencies and to focus on your long-term well being.
We are all unique and our bodies do not necessarily have the same needs. We each must adapt our diet to our own metabolism, lifestyle, age and genetic predisposition. The personalization of a diet program can make this process easy, efficient and fun.
Diet Does Not Mean Restriction, Limitation or Denying Cravings
The word “diet” has become synonymous with the idea of restricting our food intake and denying ourselves of all the foods we love. But that’s not the case at all!
In the field of nutrition, diet is simply defined as the sum of the food you consume. The goal is to create and preserve a balance of all the nutrients you need to maintain proper functioning of your mind and body through the foods you eat—your diet.
In general, a diet is said to be best when it is varied and includes the following ingredients every day:
- Greens, cruciferous vegetables and other vegetables.
- Berries and other fruits.
- Beans, lentils and other pulses.
- Flaxseed, nuts and seeds.
- Herbs and spices.
- Wholegrains.
This proves that diet is not the synonym of restriction. Many people follow the rule of “5 a day” or “eat a rainbow” which are all initiatives to encourage people to eat a variety of foods.
Nutrigenic DNA Testing: Revolutionizing Our Insights into Our Own Unique Metabolism
When it comes to eating well, there is no “one size fits all.” We must each find our own unique balance in nutrition. However, it can be challenging for us to do on our own.
Each person’s metabolism and genetic make-up affects their nutritional needs, but these individual needs are not intuitive. However, with developing technology and research, nutrigenic DNA testing and metabolic analysis is an effective guide.
Simple tests can be analyzed by a nutritionist to develop a comprehensive, personalized report. You are provided with recommendations based on your genetic make-up that take into account your daily nutrient requirements and guide you towards an appropriate lifestyle. The process is simple, can be done at home and once sent to the laboratory, the full results and a summary analysis will be presented to you within a month alongside a consultation with a nutritionist.
Importantly, the report is user-friendly containing important conclusions, key recommendations and key sections that allow you to quickly target the factors that are important to you.
Your personal DNA analysis contains eight sections that include key elements of your diet and lifestyle, as follows:
- The path to your ideal weight.
- How much your genes influence your metabolism and health.
- The vitamins and minerals that your body needs.
- Important influences on your eating habits.
- The efficiency of your metabolism.
- Your genes, detoxification and antioxidants.
- Sports and leisure in harmony with your genes.
- Genetically determined addictions and aging.
Depending on what you are looking for in your nutrition, whether it is in weight gain or loss, aging well, preventing pathologies or simply feeling good, a DNA test provides you with the perfect tools to start.
Age Well with a Focus on Nutrition
Aging is inevitable for everyone, but a focus on nutrition can help you anticipate and delay changes, slow down the harmful effects and even lengthen your life.
On average, people are living longer now and we face the challenge of living through all those years in good health. Nutrition can offer the perfect solution that tackles multiple challenges at the same time, such as:
- Slowing down skin aging.
- Preservation of intellect.
- Preservation of bone strength.
- Maintaining good general health for as long as possible.
It is not so much a question of following a diet, but rather of modifying daily eating habits in order to select anti-ageing nutrients designed to avoid age-related pathologies, specifically by adopting a balanced diet rich in antioxidants.
Micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, also play an important role in the fight against free radicals, which are aging factors. As a preventive measure, making sure you have the micronutrients you need helps your body fight degenerative diseases, helps prevent metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases as well as frailty and osteoporosis.
The Prevention and Management of Pathologies
Nutrition can be seen as a form of prevention as the risk of developing many diseases—particularly chronic diseases—can be reduced by following an appropriate diet. Moreover, certain pathologies such as diabetes, cancers or digestive diseases (Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, hemorrhagic rectocolitis, etc.) require special nutritional care.
Better nutrition is linked to improved infant, child and maternal health, stronger immune systems, safer pregnancy and childbirth, lower risk of non-communicable diseases (such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease) and increased longevity. The list goes on! Numerous studies have shown the impact of nutritional factors on the occurrence of certain cancers, obesity, osteoporosis, metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, as well as allergies, depression, sleep disorders, cognitive decline and many others.
Having a sufficient, balanced and diversified diet is essential to prevent the onset of certain diseases, but in sick people, nutrition is also of particular interest since it helps them maintain their health and avoid potential complications.
Support Your Mental Health by Eating Healthily!
Even less commonly known, but frequently felt by people everyday without realizing, is the effect of nutrition on our mental health and emotions. Our mental well being is just as linked to what we eat and drink as our physical health is.
Have you ever found that you have lost your appetite once feeling angry, stressed or an intense emotion? This is a consequence of the “brain-gut connection” that can also make us feel great. All of our body parts are connected to our emotions, but the gut sends the strongest signaling to our brain’s emotional centers. By paying attention to our mental state when eating, we can improve our digestion and even reduce our risk of chronic diseases in the long term.
Many people have adopted the practice of “mindful eating.” This is when someone intentionally extends their attentiveness to the influence the food has on mind and body. Practicing mindful eating has been found to change bad eating patterns, diminish depressive symptoms, help with weight loss and make it easier to maintain that weight loss for long periods of time.
The Role of the Nutritionist
Good eating habits can be difficult to form on our own. It can be a great help to consult a nutritionist who can provide expert advice, equip you with the right tools and help you focus on your overall well being.
A nutritionist can ensure that you are getting a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and water, all of which you need while also avoiding any deficiencies. Under the specialized care of a nutritionist, patients benefit from personalized support and monitoring at each stage of the dietary change process so that it will be long-lasting.
Nutrition as a medicine is for everyone, regardless of age or health status. Whatever your objective, choose a nutritionist for support to help you reach your health goals.
Top Tips to Stay Healthy
Focus on the natural. It may sound obvious, but to stay healthy longer, get rid of junk food and reduce processed foods, which usually contain a lot of chemical additives. Favor natural, organic and locally produced foods to ensure maximum intake of micronutrients.
Eat less, but better. Eat consciously, avoiding excess. Eating and chewing slowly will jointly improve the assimilation of nutrients, digestion and the balance of your intestinal flora.
Increase fruit and vegetable consumption. As the main pillars of good nutrition, they provide all the nutrients our bodies need, dietary fiber and antioxidants.
Good fat vs bad fats. Avoid saturated fatty acids in meat, cold cuts and animal fats, sunflower oil, peanuts and dairy products. Focus on unsaturated fats in vegetable oils, fatty fish and foods like avocado.
Fast vs. slow sugars. Avoid the fast sugars in sweets, industrial fruit juices, white bread, etc. in favor of slow sugars and in particular cereals like quinoa, buckwheat, small spelt, oats, wholemeal pasta, wholemeal rice and legumes such as chickpeas, beans, lentils and split peas.
Avoid tobacco and alcoholic drinks. A simple but important point that can't be repeated enough.
Contact Turó Park!
Turó Park’s highly qualified and experienced specialists warmly welcome you to the Medical Clinic to receive a personalized treatment plan in nutrition, DNA nutrigenic testing and follow-up treatment with a collaborating team of specialists!
- Cathy Morghese, nutritionist-dietitian.
- Dr. Elvira Herrería, psychiatrist.
- Neus Valencia, integrative relational therapist.
- David Chevalier, psychotherapist and Gestalt Therapist.
Receive your first nutrition consultation for free with an expert specialized in integrative nutrition. Cathy graduated in biology applied to the food industry and biotechnology from the University of Strasbourg and also in anti-aging medicine from the University of Paris-Est Créteil. Additionally, to support you through the psychological challenges of diet changes, the clinic’s mental health professionals are available to support you.
Turó Park’s doctors, dentists and specialists are all multilingual, speaking English, French, Spanish and Catalan among others.
The specialists at Turó Park Clinics focus on improving your well-being with their advice, treatments and professionalism in your native language.
You can book your appointment seven days a week, online or via WhatsApp: +34 651 130 683.
You can find out more about all the clinic’s services and book an appointment via the website at turoparkmedical.com and follow on Twitter: @park_turo, Facebook: @turoparkmedical, Instagram @turoparkmedical and LinkedIn.
Sponsored by Turó Park Clinics.
