Nutritional myths
Which is really healthy
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Whole grain rye bread is healthier than baguette and juice better than soda? Not necessarily – because everyone ticks differently. The gut, genes and metabolism help determine which food suits us. Our editors Daniela Stohn and Andrea Hacke took the test.
I want more energy!
Nutrition editor Daniela Stohn tested her intestinal bacteria and metabolic reactions with the "Millionfriends" app.
That's what it's all about: The "Millionfriends" app was developed by doctors at the Institute for Nutritional Medicine at the University of Lübeck. The idea behind this is to analyze the intestinal bacteria and measure the blood sugar level to find out how the body reacts to which foods and what keeps the energy level constant. The promise: to identify the meals that are not good for me and then to eat healthier or lose weight depending on the goal. My goal is clear: I want more energy, without lunchtime holes and lack of concentration. On the website www.millionfriends.de I buy the test kit for 349 euros and get a package with food scales, blood sugar sensor plus measuring device and tubes for the stool sample. The sample goes straight to a laboratory for microbiome analysis. That's how it was: pretty exhausting for two weeks!
I have to be very careful that I take breaks of at least two hours between meals and between exercise and eating so that the results are not falsified. Great: I can eat what I want. What annoys: I weigh every meal and enter it in the app, I have to keep the measuring device up to the sensor. There are also various challenges that I have to complete, such as eating potatoes or bread straight or drinking a glucose solution – I almost vomit from them. After the two weeks of testing, I send in the sensor and four weeks later I get my evaluation directly in the app. There my top and my flop meals are listed – great that my favorite breakfast with Bircher muesli and yoghurt appears on the top list! Also good: my blood sugar likes chocolate better than gummy bears, pasta better than potatoes – just like me. Not so great: drink yeast wheat and eat wholegrain rolls in the morning. Hmmm.
The diversity of my intestinal bacteria is great, a little more fiber can be used. A week later, I call Annabelle, my nutritionist, for the final meeting. She advises me to always combine carbohydrates with fats and proteins, i.e. muesli with nuts and yoghurt or bread with butter and cheese. Because I'm a fat-protein mixed guy. And in the morning a baguette is actually better for me than a whole grain roll. Really now? At least in terms of my blood sugar reaction, explains Annabelle. Means: I stay full longer. But then I have to get fiber from other sources. And now? I pay more attention to what I combine my carbohydrates with and sometimes eat a ciabatta roll for breakfast. I now regularly feed my intestinal bacteria with yogurt, nuts and legumes so that they can multiply. And crazy: I have the impression that I know my body better than before. Feels kind of good.
I want to eat healthier!
BRIGITTE editor Andrea Hacke had her genetic makeup analyzed and tried out gene-based nutrition tips.
That's what it's all about: "Nutrilite MyBody.ID" is a personalized program for losing weight or promoting a healthy lifestyle. A DNA saliva test serves as the basis. According to the manufacturer, it shows which nutrients I can best metabolize and how many proteins, carbohydrates, sugar, fats and fiber I should eat per day. The program was developed by the US company Amway. That's how it was: The test kit for 590 euros contains the tube for the saliva sample, which I will send to the laboratory for analysis. Via a questionnaire on the online portal https://nutrilitemybodyid.de/start-today do I have to provide information about my weight, my preferences, my exercise behavior, sleep. After about two weeks, the DNA evaluation will be sent by email, and you can finally start.
What I enter first: my goal, namely to eat more healthily. The first surprise: I can eat a lot more than before! Instead of my usual two meals in the form of breakfast and dinner, it should now be three meals plus snacks. Christ, what will the scales say after three weeks? The app tells me how many nutrients I still need for the day. In order to adhere to this, I start by weighing and entering every butter crumb – like everything else. Typing in all the time is annoying, but it brings surprising insights. Even after three slices of wholemeal bread in the morning, fruit salad at noon and pasta later, I still have carbohydrates for the day. So what's the problem? According to the app, I need significantly more protein and fiber to get my metabolism going. So I'm looking for high-protein recipes, and I get extra fiber in the form of legumes and nuts.
Then: stomach ache! Irritated, I call the responsible advisor, who explains to me that I don't suddenly suffer from a protein allergy, but that my intestines are finally functioning properly and the body has to get used to it. I stay tuned and eat until my app shows the green light every day. The program itself should push my energy, but on week three I'm always tired at ten p.m. instead of midnight. On the other hand: sleep is healthy. And the scales? It actually shows three kilos less. And now? My learning: I don't have to reduce the amount of my food for a healthier lifestyle, I just eat differently. I continue to do this, so I am never hungry and feel more comfortable in my body. Would I have needed a genetic test? Yes, because I only now know exactly how my food should be composed. I stay tuned.
Would you like to read more about the topic and exchange ideas with other women? Then have a look at the "Healthy Eating Forum" BRIGITTE community past!