Frequently Asked Questions

Gene Smart is a diet and exercise program that is designed specifically to help you live healthier, reduce your risk for chronic inflammation, lose weight, and most importantly; live abundantly. Today's typical American diet is missing many important bioactives that signal our genes to keep us healthy. Simply put: we're ingesting a lot of what we don't need, and not enough of what we do need. Through five simple diet and exercise principles, the Gene Smart Program puts those bioactives back in your diet, and triggers our bodies' own survival systems to lose weight, increase energy, reduce risk of inflammatory diseases, and live healthier, more fulfilling lives.

How long does The Gene Smart Program take to work?

Based on our experience,  you may  begin to see positive changes in as little as seven to ten days. As with any diet, permanent weight loss takes time and patience.  The first two phases of the Gene Smart Program  are designed as a 35 day program.  If you have not met your weight loss goals, you are encouraged to continue in phase 2 as long as necessary..  Phase 2 is followed by an optimal maintenance phase that provides a healthy lifestyle program for life.

Can I take the supplements with my current medication?

As with any dietary supplement, consult with your health care professional, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, have an existing medical condition, are taking prescription medications, or are allergic to fish.   

It is important to take extra precaution taking the supplements if you are taking any medications to thin the blood, including aspirin. Individuals who are taking the supplements with blood thinners should talk to their doctor and make sure that they are carefully monitored.

While the supplements may help your chronic inflammatory disease, they should not be taken as a replacement for your medications. After completing the programs and taking the supplements, you may notice that your chronic inflammatory disease symptoms have lessened and feel as though you no longer need your medication. Please speak with your doctor before making any decisions to stop your medication. It is important to speak with your doctor before beginning any sort of diet and/or exercise regimen.

Do I need to follow the exact menu on the diet?

If you find that you do not like a certain meal or are allergic to one or more of the ingredients, you can substitute that meal with one from another day. For example, if you do not like breakfast on a certain day, you can choose a breakfast recipe from a different day. If you do not like dinner from a particular day, you can substitute it with dinner from a different day as well. It is recommended, however, that if you substitute out a meal with fish, that you make sure you take your supplements to ensure to get adequate Omegas.

The Gene Smart Diet lists calorie reduction as one of the first steps; how do I know how many calories I need?

The Gene Smart Diet book offers information to help you figure out how many calories you will need. You can also visit our website for a calorie calculator that offers your daily caloric needs, and also provides you with how much you will need at a 10%, 20%, and 30% reduction. View the Gene Smart Calorie Calculator here.

Can the diet be done if I'm a vegetarian?

Yes, the diet can be done vegetarian. However if you choose not to eat the fish, it is more difficult since there is not currently a good vegetarian alternative to fish or fish oil supplements to supply the proper amounts of EPA and DHA in the diet. We also recommend that you use a meat substitute (such as tofu) to make certain that you also get adequate protein in your diet.

Do I need to follow the exercise plan listed, or can I stick to what I already do?

The exercise plan in The Gene Smart Diet book recommends that you begin by reaching 50-75% of your max heart rate, increasing to 70-85% once you get into shape, and exercise 5 days per week. We recommend that you follow our guidelines, but you can choose to do different activities. For example, your aerobic activity doesn't need to be walking on a treadmill; you could take a dance class, go swimming, take kickboxing, or play basketball. The beauty of The Gene Smart program is that it was designed to work for your needs and interests. We offer examples for all three areas of exercise, and we want you to find an exercise routine that works for you. Most importantly, have fun being active. It is part of living abundantly, and one of those things that can take on a life of its own once you find out what you like to do.

What happens if I cheat during the diet?

It depends what you mean by cheating. If you're asking what happens if you eat a piece of birthday cake, the answer is "not much." If you eat a piece of cake every day, that's a different story. The same thing is true for the fatty acid balance. If you forget your supplements one day, will your inflammation return to pre-program levels? No. If you eat a bowl of ice cream, will you gain ten pounds? No. Your inflammatory messengers will return to pre-program levels fairly rapidly, though, if you fail to maintain the correct balance of fatty acids in your diet. In a recent study, Dr. Chilton's laboratory demonstrated that it took about two weeks of being "off" those critical fatty acids for the inflammatory messengers that cause asthma to return to their pre-program levels.

The short answer is: yes, you can cheat. That said, I would advise you to stick to the program as closely as possible. With every day that you're on the healthy balance of fatty acids in The Gene Smart program, your cells and tissues are replacing inappropriate fatty acids from your Western diet.

I don't like the taste of fish. Can I still take the Omega 3 capsules?

Yes.  The Gene Smart Omega 3 contains a hint of natural lemon and  is a very high quality, purified fish oil formulated so that you do not taste fish.   Furthermore, the supplements should be taken with a meal to ensure that they are properly absorbed by your body. You can also store the Gene Smart Omega 3  supplements in the refrigerator or freezer if you'd like; some customers believe that this helps to prevent any "fish burps".