Genetics: Why we do not offer Direct to Consumer Testing for Paternity & Relationship Tests

Paternity
When it comes to paternity and relationship testing we have a saying: TEST ONCE; TEST RIGHT.

After doing this testing for several years, working with both domestic and legal cases we made the decision to offer the end using consumer the ultimate gold standard for peace of mind. Here are some of the key reasons why, and we invite you to carefully consider them before you buy an online or over the counter test:

1. Controlled environment for sample taking. There are many, many things that can do wrong when conducting the test at home. Eliminate these by having it done by a professional. If this cannot be achieved – have the professional come to you;

2. Sample mix-up during swab procedure. Touching swabs with fingers. Saliva from sealing envelope, etc… This happens more often than not;

3. In your rush to get the test done you forget some of the key preparation and neglect to read what you should have done prior or the other party testing does;

4. You cannot control how the package is delivered to the lab – we do;

5. You are unprepared for the result and rush to do a second test – whereas, if you tested with a professional you would have been counselled and guided accordingly without fear or hesitation that the test was done wrong.

These are some of the more common issues.

Often what starts off as a private test, may need a chain of custody or some other verification steps for many legal reasons. Because we test following all protocols, these can be added (additional fees apply) and you do not have to start with a new test.

Spending a little more means peace of mind. Isn’t that why you are testing in the first place? And finally, you get what you pay for. This saying holds very true in genetic testing services.

We are often called to interpret test results in court cases, and from experience, we cannot stress the importance of having tested right the first time.

The fine print on all consumer testing kits is their disclaimer on some of what we stated above. Get peace of mind, knowing that your result is definitive.

If you have an International issue requiring a test, we can counsel you on the best way to achieve results, and have even organized to have tests administered in countries outside of Canada and the USA.

If you have any questions or would like to speak to our Genomic Health Practitioner please call or email.

We are happy to help you and can offer legal referrals if you need assistance as well.

Commentary: Why Detox and Diet are no longer in My Vocabulary…

point-of-view

By Cat Aulakh, Holistic Health Practitioner – Genetics & Nutrition

For the past 4 months, I have spent countless hours retooling the services and way I serve patients, work in collaborative research, and live my own life. Why? I started to fall into some habits and ideals that were not in-sync with my conscious self.

90 percent of female patients including professional athletes that seek our services ask for a detox and/or diet. As much as I do not like these terms and explain why, I agreed to adopt them for promotion purpose in private practise. I am writing this today to say that this practise stops immediately…

Both of these terms are toxic, incorrectly used, and in many cases in the health and wellness industry thin veils for selling something, nominally supplements or magic elixirs. It is a business model not a health model.

Clinics are businesses. Practitioners, too, are businesses and businesspersons. However, a sustainable model for a Practitioner and clinic in today’s economy comes far more from referral and word of mouth than pumping up sales on products and schemes – and then losing that patient permanently as their benefits and finances become exhausted.

Over my years of continued training, a lot of my teachers and mentors continue to evolve their practises and flourish. These are the ones I admire best. They are not afraid to take new scientific studies and say “I am no longer accurate on this, but now this is what I believe and will work on” or “At the time, I believed…but…” Others, though, have opted to stay the course and produce doctrine that compliments a profitable selling platform – be it through the written word, podcast, speaking tour, etc.
Are all these that bad you ask? No – but 80 percent should be questioned.

If I pay money to go to an event and listen to a speaker, especially if it is for continued education purposes – I want to learn and be educated. I do not want to be sold a cure-all for the gut biome, for example.

As a Practitioner, you may be shaking your head – saying how hard it is to make a living. But please remember… We all came to this calling to help fill a void in the medical system. Our first job is to listen to the patient. Establish a plan to help get their life and health back on track, and become a valuable part of their healthcare team. Most of the folks that I see come because they have had a lot of tests, are or have taken a lot of medication and simply do not know why, and are sick and tired of being sick and tired. And, most importantly their primary care physician has had no time to truly listen.

Our RX is not to simply prescribed magic in a bottle. Run tests where the outcome is also in a bottle or package. It is much more complex. It should be designed individually with each new patient we are privileged enough to get.

We are an obsessed society where food is the TV addiction of the past. We must belong to a tribe, suffer to fit in and prescribe to a life-style. This all makes others a boat load of cash. As Practitioners, we feel swept up and pushed to join and adapt these winds of change with each new “profitable” storm that approaches… However, if you are true to yourself and patients – and look behind you at history – these are just patterns that repeat – and come to the surface and take data, research and the like to support – make money and then burn out and fizzle.

A detox is really a reset when it comes to functional medicine and a way to get your body to rid itself of overloads, things out of alignment, and regenerate itself to be stronger and function better. Same for your mind. You simply shift your focus to other areas to nourish it and it regenerates itself. Diet is really eating better for you. It should not be about suffrage, the forbidden, and fighting sheer will. That is a recipe for failure. How about we reinvent how you eat, why you eat, and how this fits in overall with your social conscious, your overall goals, your ability to sleep and smile when you look in the mirror and/or your ability to stay awake past 8:00pm?

At a convention yesterday, I was asked by a medical professional: “Would you say you slant more Paleo?” I laughed inside. She was obviously looking to find a like mind and herself was “Paleo.”

How I eat is for me. How I help you eat is what is best for you.

Not everyone needs a genetic test. Not everyone needs to change how they are eating, but maybe realign another area of their life that is impacting their health and happiness, not allowing them to sleep, be a good partner, and have a child. We all have inner priorities that are affecting our decisions and our ability to be healthy – healthy on our levels.
So, I will stick to this course. I may prescribe a supplement to help you for a few weeks. But you are not locked into any plan and renewal system for it. In fact, most times I give patients a 1 or 2 week amount.

I will not detox or put you on a diet. I will realign your system, your relationship to food, how you eat and all the little intricacies that may be affecting your health outcomes.

As I work in the field of genetics and diagnostics, I will continue to help those who need testing, develop better testing options, and educate my patients along the way. I will be there to speak to your other physicians and champion your goals to them.

You will feel better because we are working as a team. And, I am listening… to quote Fraser Crane.