Personalized Nutrition
Having additional information that these lab-biomarkers provide, allows an individual dietary treatment plan that can significantly reduce a person’s risk. guiding you towards a harmonious relationship with food.
MNT Explained
What is Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT)?
Medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is a specialized treatment plan that uses nutrition to help manage or treat health conditions. A registered dietitian (RD) creates a personalized nutrition plan for each patient, which may include: Assessment, Goal setting, Education, Plan development, Counseling, Follow-up.
MNT can be used to treat a variety of conditions, including: Diabetes, Heart disease, Kidney disease, Digestive issues, Cancer, Overweight and obesity, and Malnutrition.
MNT can help support other treatments, like meal planning with medications, or it may help the patient avoid/eliminate medications; It can also be vital for people who have difficulty digesting food.
Studies support Maintaining an ideal body weight on the right diet program can reverse approx 75% of most metabolic diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers, while improving autoimmunity and overall immunity.
Certain gene variations, medications, medical conditions and current and previous lifestyle factors can require a more individualized approach that involves meal plans and supplementations that reduce risk factors.
The Myrna Method focuses on laboratory tests that provide additional information in evaluating risk factors for obesity related metabolic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and dementia that can be improved with diet. information about Testing can be found below
Work with Myrna Haag RD,LD/N 1 on 1
Myrna Haag is a Registered Dietitian, not a Medical Doctor and frequently refers patients for further diagnosis and treatment for abnormal biomarkers.
Myrna provides education regarding the patient’s medical condition and how this relates to their individualized preventive lifestyle strategy which is why healthcare providers include the Myrna Method as part of their patients medical team through our physician referral program. (attach-physician referral)
Specialty Gene Test for MNT
Diet and lifestyle can prevent and sometimes reverse heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Having additional information that these lab-biomarkers provide, allows an individual dietary treatment plan that can significantly reduce a person’s risk.
APOE
APOE is the principal fat carrier for the brain and if a person has the APOE-4 gene variant they have a greater risk for Cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
APOE-4 Increases risk for Alzheimer disease. Research speculates this gene variation is associated with an increase in brain protein clumps called amyloid plague that causes death in brain neurons which contributes to the progression of the disease resulting in impaired cognitive function. Having both alleles puts you at greater risk, APO 4-4. Not all people with the APOE4 allele develop Alzheimer’s disease, it is an associated risk, Also not all people with Alzheimer’s have the APO4 gene.
APO4 alleles are at an increase risk for cardiovascular disease, due to increased chance of accumulation of fatty deposits. It is also associated with age related macular degeneration and an increase of lewy bodies in the brain (dementia),
APOE gene types are at greater risk with excess fatty acids and a certain diet is advised to reduce the risk, also insulin resistance and diabetes type 2 puts theses gene carriers at greater risk for the gene expression for dementia.
Average cost for test: $25
APOB - Lipoprotein B
The APOB is the lipid protein carrier for all the fats that are consider bad cholesterols include: VLDL,LDL, sdLDL, Lp(a)
Fats attached to the APOB cause damage 2 ways,
1.) They create plaque inside the arteries wall.
2.) They cause lesions in the artery wall when they cross through to the lumen, that can weaken the wall increasing the risk for rupture (heart attack) Studies support this is the single most important laboratory marker for cardiovascular disease risk.
The standard cholesterol panel only measures LDL and does not measure the additional bad cholesterols (VLDL, sdLDL, Lp(a)) which means a person may not be aware of their additional risk for heart disease.
Lp(a) - Lipoprotein a
The Lp(a) is a protein-gene that carries a small dense form of the HDL through the blood, not everyone carries this lipoprotein gene. The reason why it is a risky gene variant is because unlike the HDL-good cholesterol the Lp(a) small dense particles make them more sticky in vessel walls increasing risk for heart disease.
The Lp(a) is called the widow maker because people do not know they are a carrier and it is responsible and can be the reason for unexplained early-age heart attacks. It also puts Lp(a) carriers at an increased risk for thrombosis, (blood clotting), and associated with calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) in which carries are at increased risk for pro-inflammatory and pro-calcific oxidized phospholipids.
Individuals can have a normal cholesterol range and not know they are at increased risk.
Average cost for test: $11
MTHFR
The MTHFR gene gives instructions to make an enzyme to process folate (vitamin B9) for proper cellular function. Knowing you have this gene allows for proper supplementation that allows the cells to properly metabolize Vitamin 9.
Patients with MTHFR gene lack the Vitamin B 9 enzyme to properly detoxify the body from free radical tissue damage which leads to a greater risk for cancer, heart diseases and autoimmunity.
Average cost for test: $25
Haptoglobin -2
Haptoglobin is gene hp-1, hpt-2, with variations hp1-1, hp1-2, hp2-2.
Not to be confused with the Haptoglobin test that is used for anemia diagnosis.
The haptoglobin Gene type 2 has a week affinity to remove the iron from red blood cells which causes vascular damage. Haptoglobin gene type 2 does not recirculate iron as well as gene type 1, the inhibitory ability to eliminate hemoglobin release from lysed red blood cells, causes tissue damage due to iron’s strong oxidative pro-inflammatory affect. Iron plays a role in generating oxygen free radicals – iron promotes the damage that occurs during a heart attack even in the absence of iron overload from the diet or genetic conditions. Studies reflect this also increases the oxidative affect of LDL and omega 6 fats in vascular tissue which is the culprit for atherosclerosis (plaque inflammation in arteries)
Haptoglobin type 2 diabetics are 500-1000% greater risk for heart disease. It is important to measure HbA1c – (the glycosylated glucose in the blood). Also a 2 hour glucose test if insulin resistance is suspected. Advanced stage insulin resistance is not reflected in an HbA1c, which is important information for a gene type 2, due to the elevated risk for glucose metabolic disorders. Vitamin E therapy is advised for hp-2 but not hp-1.
The hp-2 have a predisposition for gut dysbiosis (bad gut bacteria imbalances), Gut bacteria balance in the gut is from the diet, and when certain bacteria (vibrio cholera, campylobacter, & other gram negative bacteria LPS) are present in the gut causes an immune reaction which causes a misguided regulatory affect that can cause gut permeability, which is worsened with the protein gluten found in wheat foods. Gut permeability has shown in studies to contribute to other diseases (autoimmune, cancer, diabetes, heart disease) that are seldom identified as coming from a gut origin. Hp-2 gene types need diets specifically designed to reduce inflammation and protect against gut dysbiosis.
Average cost for test: $11
LDL - P / smLDL
The standard lipid (cholesterol) lab panel only measures the concentration of LDL and not the particle size and number, which may not indicate the true risk for elevated LDL. because the greater the particle numbers the more “sticky” in the artery wall and increased risk for atherosclerosis.
The clinical findings reflect the LDL-C test is NOT enough information to asses patient’s risk for heart disease, due to genetic variations that can occur that unknowingly increase patients risk.
Average cost for test: $56
Basic Tests Taken
CBC
Measures health markers specifically for anemia, b12 and folate deficiencies
Average cost for test: $6
CMP
Measures chemical balance, glucose, liver, kidney function
Average Cost For Test: $9
Lipid panel - cholesterol
Cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides
Average cost for test: $9
Hemoglobin A1C or HbA1c
Measures the average amount of glucose in your blood over a 2-3 month period
Average cost for test: $25
Vitamin D
Average cost for test: $25