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The Mediterranean Diet – What is it, and is it good for me?

Mediterranean Diet - HealthCodes DNA™

The Mediterranean diet is a popular way to lose weight. While the Mediterranean diet is low in fat and calories, you don’t need to cut out all of your favorite foods. But you should keep in mind that there are some things you should avoid, including red meat, butter, and sweets. In addition to avoiding these foods, you will also be lowering your risk of some health problems, including heart disease and stroke. While we all need cholesterol to digest fat and carbohydrates, a Mediterranean diet will help keep your body’s levels low.

Mediterranean diet: What is it, and is it good for me?

The Mediterranean diet is healthy, centered on plant-based foods and lower animal products. This diet focuses on fish, olive oil, and whole grains. Studies have shown that this diet is beneficial for our health. Whether this diet is best for you depends on your situation. For many people, however, it is a perfect fit. To get started, follow these tips:

The Mediterranean diet is high in plant-based foods, and the added fat comes from olive oil. It also includes poultry, fish, and dairy, but in moderation. A wide variety of nuts and seeds provide healthy fats, including omega-3 and polyunsaturated fats. This diet is easy to follow for vegans and vegetarians alike. And because it is low in saturated fat, it falls within the guidelines set by the American Heart Association. The Mediterranean diet may be more effective than the popular low-fat diet. It may even be just as effective as commercial diets, even though it is more expensive.

However, it is best to consult your primary care provider before starting this diet plan, as supplements may be required. Also, it’s best to purchase fruit and vegetables from farmers’ markets to avoid overpaying for them. Luckily, the foods found in the Mediterranean diet are highly filling and won’t leave you feeling hungry throughout the day.

How do you stay full on a Mediterranean diet?

You may be wondering how to stay full on a Mediterranean diet. This diet is low in calories, but it is still rich in good fat, especially olive oil. Olive oil provides flavor and satiety to vegetables and makes them filling. Three tablespoons of olive oil a day have many health benefits. Here are a few of them. And don’t forget to include these in your daily meals.

A Mediterranean diet limits macros and calories and emphasizes healthy cooking methods and whole, fresh ingredients. While it does eliminate refined grains and processed foods, the diet still contains many delicious foods. 

It also has a high water content, which means you can stay full longer without feeling hungry all the time and it tastes great too! It’ll be a breeze if you can stick to the Mediterranean diet. To up your daily fiber intake, opt for a variety of whole grains and fruits. 

Aim for at least six servings of these grains a day, half of which should be whole grain. To up your fiber intake, choose various colors for your fruits and vegetables to get all the essential vitamins and nutrients your body needs. When shopping for your vegetables and fruit, try to buy them in season.

Atkins Diet or Mediterranean Diet For Weight Loss?

The Atkins and Mediterranean diets have many similarities. Both are low-carbohydrate diets with guidelines that are easy to follow.

The Atkins diet allows occasional red and processed meat but emphasizes natural foods. The Mediterranean diet allows a small amount of red and processed meat. The Mediterranean allows some starches and sugar, but most food must be fresh and whole. Both diets are great for weight loss and have different benefits.

How much weight can you lose in one week on the Mediterranean diet?

If you’re going to ask how much weight you can lose on the Mediterranean diet in one week. It’s essential first to understand the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet is a long-term eating style initially developed to help prevent heart disease and other health problems. The typical menu of this diet is filled with plenty of fresh produce, fish, beans, and healthy fats. It also incorporates whole grains, herbs, and nuts into its daily meals. One of the most significant benefits of this diet is that it helps control blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol levels. 

It also promotes proper digestion and promotes weight loss. As far as weight loss goes, it is suggested that you limit your calories to less than 1500 per day while following this diet. The key is to eat until you’re satisfied but not complete. If you follow this rule of thumb, then it’s very likely that you’ll lose weight after a week or two on the Mediterranean diet.

If you do not see results within two weeks, cut back on your calorie intake until you start seeing results again. For this diet to be successful for weight loss purposes, you must maintain a consistent eating plan that includes regular exercise and healthy meals. 

Can you lose weight fast on the Mediterranean diet?

Can you lose weight fast on the Mediterranean diet? Yes, if you do it right. The Mediterranean diet is not a diet in the sense of a severe eating regimen where you intentionally restrict your food intake to achieve some specific result. It’s more of a lifestyle that encourages healthier choices. It includes lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats like olive oil. 

The idea is to reduce refined carbs and sugars while increasing nutrient-rich foods to help you feel fuller longer and give you more energy. There is a reason this way of eating has become so popular: It works! 

Studies show that people who follow the Mediterranean diet are less likely to be overweight or obese and have a much lower risk for numerous chronic health conditions like diabetes and heart disease. They also tend to live longer than those who eat more processed foods like refined grains and sugar and following this diet has been shown to improve brain function, which can help prevent cognitive decline as we age. 

While there is no magic formula for losing weight quickly, this lifestyle can help you shed pounds steadily over time without going hungry or feeling deprived. You can even enjoy an occasional treat like dark chocolate or wine without negatively affecting your results! 

What is the fastest way to lose weight on the Mediterranean diet?

You’re probably wondering, “What is the fastest way to lose weight on the Mediterranean diet?” The answer is that don’t look for the fastest way to lose weight on this diet—in fact, it’s not even a good idea to try. 

Any time you drastically limit your caloric intake, your body will eventually adapt and begin to store fat in anticipation of a long-term lack of food. You may lose a lot of weight over a short period, but you’ll quickly gain it back once you start regularly eating again. Keep in mind that it can take up to 3 weeks for your body to adjust to any new eating patterns. A slower metabolism might sabotage any quick-fix attempt at weight loss. 

If you’re only trying it out for two weeks, how do you know if the Mediterranean diet is even working? Your body could have been delaying its adjustment process while still eating the kinds of foods it’s used to. So, if quick-fix diets aren’t the answer, what is? First off, don’t think of eating this way as a diet—that word alone will make you feel deprived and obsessed with losing weight. 

Instead, think of it as a lifestyle change that you need! But the only quick-fix solution for weight loss that I can guarantee is to perform a genetic test for your health, diet, nutrition, and fitness DNA test. These tests will provide you with valuable information that will eventually help you make informed choices about your health and give you access to personalized diet, wellness, exercise, nutrition, and fitness DNA tests.

With the technique mentioned above, you’ll be able to fashion out the best diets, exercise, nutrition, and fitness to help you achieve your weight loss goals in under 21 days or less. To understand more about this technique, click here!

Why am I gaining weight on the Mediterranean diet?

A common question people ask is, “Why am I gaining weight on the Mediterranean diet?” 

The Mediterranean diet promotes plant-based meals and a small number of fish or poultry twice a week. It also emphasizes portion control and doesn’t include red wine or exercise. However, this diet isn’t for everyone. If you’ve been trying it for several months and still haven’t lost any weight, read on for a few tips on losing weight. The main secret of a Mediterranean diet is getting enough exercise. The Seven Countries Study followed 12,763 men from four world regions. It found a link between a Mediterranean diet and overall well-being. 

The diet consists of a plant-based diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, nuts and legumes, whole-wheat grains, and low-fat dairy and butter. The Mediterranean diet is also low in trans fats, so you can still consume alcohol in moderation.

How often should you eat red meat on Mediterranean Diet?

According to the Mediterranean diet, you should eat no more than 7 to 18 ounces of lean red meat each week. This amount should come from lean meat and poultry. The Mediterranean diet also emphasizes fish and poultry. Fresh meat is also leaner, and the process doesn’t include chemical preservatives. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the occasional steak.

While it’s true that many people find red meat patty, it can be very nutritious. Protein is necessary for producing body chemicals and helps repair damaged cells. A Mediterranean diet encourages lean beef, fish, and poultry as its primary protein sources. Lean meat is also lower in saturated fat and sodium than red meat. 

In addition, you can cook with lean beef. For example, you can bake lean beef meatballs and serve them over quinoa with crushed walnuts and mixed greens or you can make your meat sauce and serve it over whole grain pasta or sauteed spinach.

What is the average weight loss in the Mediterranean Diet?

Because of its well-documented health benefits, the Mediterranean diet is one of the most popular diets in the world. If you’re looking to lose weight and improve your health, you may be wondering: what is the average weight loss on the Mediterranean Diet? While many studies show a reduction in body weight with a Mediterranean-style diet, there is no such thing as an “average” amount of weight loss on this diet.

A study conducted by researchers at Stanford University found that participants who followed a Mediterranean-style diet lost more weight than those who followed other popular diets like Weight Watchers or Atkins. The participants also reported feeling less hungry throughout the day and had lower harmful cholesterol levels in their blood after just one month! Research shows that women and men can lose anywhere from 5 to 10 pounds or even more in one year on a Mediterranean diet. 

This depends on how strictly you follow the eating plan and how much exercise you do. Many factors may contribute to this, like genetic history, body size, age, and other conditions, and that is where this program comes in for everyone’s benefit. When it comes to weight loss, it’s not about how much you eat. It’s about what you choose to eat. 

For example, if you were to eat 2,000 calories per day of just ice cream and chocolate bars. The chances are good that your body would still be starving for nutrients. You want to fill up on nutrient-rich foods like whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables instead. The more nutrient-dense your meals were the less food your body will need to feel satisfied.

What are the Best Foods on a Mediterranean diet?

The Mediterranean diet is often praised for its health benefits, but what makes it so great? It’s all about the balance of whole food. The diet emphasizes vegetables and fruits, whole grains and beans, fish and poultry, nuts, seeds, olives, and olive oil. It also encourages moderate alcohol consumption (though in moderation), emphasizing herbs and spices. When it comes to food variety, it’s important to note that this is not a vegetarian or vegan diet—the emphasis is on whole foods and moderation. You’re not meant to avoid meat or dairy altogether. So don’t feel pressured to eat meat or dairy regularly if you don’t want to. Instead, be sure to focus on eating a wide variety of whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, fiber-rich starches like potatoes, beans and peas, nuts, and seeds (especially those high in nutrients like nuts).

Sprinting through the grocery store is not the best way to eat a healthy diet. The key to enjoying all the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet is learning how to cook using fresh ingredients instead of buying pre-packaged foods. Meal planning can be beneficial when you’re new to cooking at home since most recipes call for similar ingredients.

What does the Mediterranean eat for Breakfast?

If you’re wondering, “What does the Mediterranean eat for breakfast?” you’re not alone. It’s possible to follow a Mediterranean diet and still enjoy breakfast as a delicious meal. Try this recipe for vegetarian fried rice! It uses red lentils and other classic Mediterranean spices to cook the rice. Then it’s pushed to one side of the pan, and eggs are scrambled in the center. Add some smoky paprika and fresh herbs, and you’ve got a healthy breakfast. While there are plenty of variations in the cuisines of the Mediterranean, most breakfast foods are simply samplings of the regular meals.


For instance, Turkish breakfasts might feature small bowls of savory soup. Likewise, Israeli breakfasts may feature flatbread dipped in olive oil and sprinkled with za’atar. Then again, a traditional Moroccan breakfast might include shakshuka. The breakfast table in Morocco may also include semolina cakes and a bowl of sweet mint tea.

Mediterranean diet food list

You may already be familiar with the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, but are you aware of its mouthwatering food list? This diet is not only rich in nutrients and essential fatty acids but also easy to follow. This diet can provide you with a healthy and delicious menu by emphasizing calorie quality over quantity. Typical foods on the Mediterranean diet list include whole grains, vegetables, fruit, lean proteins, extra virgin olive oil, and low-fat dairy.

The foods in the Mediterranean diet are mostly plant-based, which is beneficial to the heart. Fruit, especially fresh fruit, is packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. The diet suggests eating at least three servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Nuts and seeds contain heart-healthy fats, as well as vitamins and minerals. Nuts and seeds are best eaten raw or dry roasted. They also have high antioxidant content.

What is not allowed on the Mediterranean diet?

If you are on a Mediterranean diet, you probably wonder what you can and cannot eat. Unlike most other diets, this one focuses on fruits and vegetables. You can also eat nuts, avocados, and olive oil. Olive oil is much healthier than other oils.

And the diet does not allow you to consume hydrogenated oils, such as palm kernel oil. This means that you can eat dairy products in moderation.

The Mediterranean diet allows the consumption of dairy products, including milk and cheese, but the amount you eat depends on your individual preferences. Natural cheese contains milk, rennet, and cultures. Processed cheese contains many additives, emulsifiers, and food coloring. 

Some cheese is so artificial that it must be labeled “chee spread” instead of “cheese.”

Almonds are one of the few fruits and vegetables allowed in the Mediterranean diet. Almonds are an excellent source of fiber, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper. And their flavonoids may help to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. Many of the dishes on the Mediterranean diet include nuts. You can eat them in addition to dates or cheese. This way, you can satisfy your cravings without compromising your health. 

14 Foods to Avoid in the Mediterranean diet

While the Mediterranean diet can help you reach your health goals, there are a few foods that may not fit into your plan.

  1. Deli Meats: This is one of the most common lunch options at work and school, but processed meats like bologna, salami, pepperoni, and ham are loaded with sodium, preservatives, and artificial ingredients. They are also high in saturated fats and cholesterol.
  1. Cheeses: While we love our parmesan on pasta and mozzarella in salads and sandwiches, too much cheese can be bad for you. Be sure to avoid hard cheeses like cheddar, swiss, mozzarella sticks, string cheese, and ricotta as they all have high levels of saturated fat, which can cause plaque buildup in our arteries over time.
  1. White Bread: There’s nothing better than a warm baguette or a delicious roll with dinner–except that one serving of white bread has 4 grams of sugar! That’s nearly 1 gram more than 2 tsp. Of sugar! When possible, stick to whole-wheat bread as they contain more B vitamins and fiber than their white counterparts.
  1. Don’t eat extra meat and cheese. The traditional Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, and olive oil. It has smaller amounts of fish and poultry than the typical Western diet does and less red meat.
  1. Don’t drink too much alcohol. You may enjoy a moderate amount of alcohol with meals. Men should limit their alcohol intake to two drinks per day, while women should have no more than one drink per day. A drink is 12 ounces (oz) of beer, 5 oz of wine, or 1½ oz of liquor.
  1. Don’t cut out healthy fats. The traditional Mediterranean diet includes healthy fats such as olive oil and avocado. The fats found in these foods help keep you full and satisfied after a meal. They also help provide essential nutrients needed for good health.
  1. Fruit Juice: Fruit juice contains a lot of sugar and calories with very few nutrients. Although it might seem like a healthy alternative to soda or other sugary beverages, it’s still processed food rather than whole food. It also lacks the fiber content of whole fruit, so you’re more likely to overeat it and absorb more calories than you would have otherwise. A glass or two per week is fine, but any more should be avoided if you want to see results from this diet plan.
  1. Bananas: Research indicates that bananas are among the highest-calorie fruits available. They offer some health benefits because they contain potassium and vitamin B6, but they’re best enjoyed in moderation. You can still enjoy bananas in small amounts, but reach for apples or berries instead

Others are:

  1. Soda and other sugary drinks
  2. Candy, cake, and ice cream
  3. French fries, potato chips, and other chips
  4. Chicken nuggets, chicken wings, and other fried chicken
  5. Skim milk and partially hydrogenated oils
  6. Artificial sweeteners

Conclusion:

It would be best to have a complete picture of your genetic blueprint when you want to know your optimum diet, fitness, and health. Using HealthCodes DNA test for your personalized diet and health and wellness genetics is the most brilliant move you can make for a healthier you.

You and your family are genetically programmed to have certain health traits and chances to fight diseases that can be inherited. We’ve developed the HealthCodes DNA test for your personalized genetic diet, health, wellness, nutrition, and fitness DNA test because we believe that you have the power to control your future by understanding what is already in your genes. Our tests are completed by testing a portion of your saliva DNA you sent to us from home and uncovering your real-life genetic makeup.

This will reveal risk factors and potential health benefits for over 80 diseases and offer nutritional guidance from certified health coaches specifically assigned to meet your needs.

For more details or to make an appointment for the HealthCodes DNA test, visit our home page here!

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  2. Genetic Information. Genetic Information refers to features of your DNA that distinguish you from other people (e.g. the As, Ts, Cs, and Gs at particular locations in your genome) and is generated when we analyze and process your saliva sample, or when you otherwise contribute or access your Genetic Information through our Services. Genetic Information includes the HealthCodes DNA Results information reported to you as part of our Services, and may be used for other purposes, as outlined in Section 4 below.

 

  1. Information collected through tracking technology (e.g. from cookies and similar technologies)

Web Behavior Information. We and our third-party partners use cookies and similar technologies (such as web beacons, tags, scripts and device identifiers) to help us recognize you, customize and improve your experience, provide security, analyze usage of our Services (such as to analyze your interactions with the results, reports, and other features of the Service), gather demographic information about our user base, to offer our products and services to you, to monitor the success of marketing programs, and to serve targeted advertising on our site and on other sites around the Internet. We and our third-party partners do not use your sensitive information, such as Genetic Information and Self-Reported Information for targeted advertising. We may receive reports based on the use of these technologies by these companies on an individual as well as aggregated basis. Users can control the use of cookies at the individual browser level. If you reject cookies, you may still use our site, but your ability to use some features or areas of our site may be limited.

As is true of most websites, we gather certain information automatically and store it in log files. This information may include internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, internet service provider (ISP), referring/exit pages, operating system, date/time stamp, and/or clickstream data. We may combine this automatically collected log information with other information we collect about you, such as your user profile ID or order number. We do this to improve services we offer you, and to improve marketing, analytics, and site functionality.

When you access our Service by or through a mobile device, we may receive or collect and store a unique identification numbers associated with your device or our mobile application (including, for example, a UDID, Unique ID for Advertisers (“IDFA”), Google Ad ID, or Windows Advertising ID), mobile carrier, device type, model and manufacturer, mobile device operating system brand and model, phone number, and, depending on your mobile device settings, your geographical location data, including GPS coordinates (e.g. latitude and/or longitude) or similar information regarding the location of your mobile device.

Because HealthCodes DNA relies on third-party ad networks who may track you across websites over time for advertising purposes, we are not able to respond to your selection of the “Do Not Track” option provided by your browser. We cannot advise on whether your selection of “Do Not Track” option will have any effect on the collection of cookie information by the third-parties who collect such cookie information on our site.

Third-parties with whom we partner to provide certain features on our site or to display advertising based upon your Web browsing activity use Flash Cookies (Local Shared Objects) to collect and store information. To learn how to manage privacy and storage settings for Flash cookies click here.

Google Analytics. Google Analytics is used to perform some of the tasks listed above. We use the User-ID feature of Google Analytics to combine behavioral information across devices and sessions (including authenticated and unauthenticated sessions). We have enabled the following Google Analytics Advertising features: Remarketing, Google Display Network Impression Reporting, Google Analytics Demographics and Interest Reporting, and DoubleClick Campaign Manager integration. We do not merge information collected through any Google advertising product with individual-level information collected elsewhere by our service. Learn more about how Google collects and uses data here. To opt out of Google Analytics Advertising Features please use Google Ad Settings or the links provided in section 2.b.c.ii (“Targeted advertising” service providers). To opt out of Google Analytics entirely please use this link.

  1. Other Types of Information.

We are always working to enhance our Services with new products, applications and features that may result in the collection of new and different types of information. We will update our privacy statement, as needed.

  1. How we use and share information

HealthCodes DNA will use and share your personal information with third-parties only in the ways that are described in this privacy statement.

  1. Using information to provide, analyze and improve our Services

We use the information described above in Section 3 to operate, provide, analyze and improve our Services. These activities may include, among other things, using your information in a manner consistent with other commitments in this privacy statement, to:

  1. open your account, enable purchases and process payments, communicate with you, and implement your requests (e.g., referrals);
  2. host our website, run our mobile application(s), authenticate your visits, provide custom, personalized content and information, and track your usage of our Services;
  • conduct analytics to improve and enhance our Services;
  1. offer new products or services to you, including through emails, promotions or contests;
  2. implement online marketing campaigns and targeted advertising, including by utilizing third-party ads (subject to your cookie settings and preferences), and to measure the effectiveness of our marketing and targeted advertising;
  3. conduct surveys or polls, and obtain testimonials;
  • process and deliver your genetic testing results;
  • perform research & development activities, which may include, for example, conducting data analysis and research in order to develop new or improve existing products and services, and performing quality control activities.

You may be able to opt-in, opt-out or otherwise adjust your preferences of having your information used for certain of these activities. Please see below to learn more.

We use mobile analytics software to allow us to better understand the functionality of our Mobile Software on your phone. This software may record information such as how often you use the application, the events that occur within the application, aggregated usage, performance data, and where the application was downloaded from. We do not link the information we store within the analytics software to any personally identifiable information you submit within the mobile application.

  1. Using information with your consent

You have the choice to participate in HealthCodes DNA Research by providing your consent. “HealthCodes DNA Research” refers to research aimed at publication in peer-reviewed journals and other research funded by the federal government (such as the National Institutes of Health – NIH) conducted by HealthCodes DNA. HealthCodes DNA Research may be sponsored by, conducted on behalf of, or in collaboration with third-parties, such as non-profit foundations, academic institutions or pharmaceutical companies.  HealthCodes DNA Research may study a specific group or population, identify potential areas or targets for therapeutics development, conduct or support the development of drugs, diagnostics or devices to diagnose, predict or treat medical or other health conditions, work with public, private and/or non-profit entities on genetic research initiatives, or otherwise create, commercialize, and apply this new knowledge to improve health care. HealthCodes DNA Research uses your aggregate or individual-level Genetic Information and Self-Reported Information as specified in the Terms of Service.

Consent process for research. Your Genetic Information and Self-Reported Information may be used for HealthCodes DNA Research only if you have consented to this use by completing a Research Initiatives Consent Document. If you have completed a Research Initiatives Consent Document:

  1. Your aggregated, de-identified Genetic Information may be used for either philanthropic or commercial research purposes as set forth more fully the Research Initiatives Consent Document.
  2. When your Genetic Information and Self-Reported Informationis being used for research purposes, it will not be linked to your Registration Information.
  1. Withdrawing your Consent.You may withdraw your consent to participate in HealthCodes DNA Research Initiatives at any time by emailing us at support@healthcodesdna.com. HealthCodes DNA will not include your Genetic Information or Self-Reported Information in new research occurring after 30 days from the receipt of your request. Any research involving your data that has already been performed or published prior to our receipt of your request will not be reversed, undone, or withdrawn. If you withdraw your consent for research your Genetic Information and Self-Reported Information may still be used by us and shared with our third-party service providers to provide and improve our Services (as described in Section 4.a), and shared as Aggregate Information that does not identify you as an individual (as described in Section 4.d).
  2. What happens if you do NOT consent to HealthCodes DNA Research?If you do not complete a Research Initiatives Consent Document or any additional consent agreement with HealthCodes DNA, your information will not be used for HealthCodes DNA Research Initiatives and you will not be able to use HealthCodes DNA Services.
  1. Recruiting for external research

Academic institutions, healthcare organizations, and other groups are always conducting interesting new research projects. We want to make you aware of these opportunities. While we do not share individual-level Genetic Information or Self-Reported Information with third-parties without your consent, from time to time we may inform you of third-party research opportunities for which you may be eligible. For example, if a university tells us about a new cancer research project, we may send an email to HealthCodes DNA members who potentially fit the relevant eligibility criteria based on their Self-Reported Information to make them aware of the research project and provide a link to participate with the research organization conducting the study.

  1. Information we share with third-parties
  • . General service providers.We share the information described above in Section 3 with our service providers, as necessary to provide their services to us. Service providers are third-parties (other companies or individuals) that help us to provide, analyze and improve our Services. For example, we work with third-party laboratories and contractors to process and analyze your saliva sample for purposes of generating your Genetic Information

NOTE: Our service providers act on HealthCodes DNA’s behalf. While we implement procedures and contractual terms to protect the confidentiality and security of your information, we cannot guarantee the confidentiality and security of your information due to the inherent risks associated with storing and transmitting data electronically.

When you purchase a testing kit and report from HealthCodes DNA, you are instructed to send a saliva sample to our third-party laboratory with a unique barcode label. The unique barcode identifies you to us but not to the laboratory. We may also be required to provide to the laboratory, your sex and date of birth or age pursuant to clinical laboratory requirements such as the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA). No other Registration Information such as your name, address, email, phone number or other contact information) is required or provided to the laboratory. The receiving personnel at the laboratory will remove and discard your “sender information” from the packaging (e.g., name, address) before testing personnel receive the samples for processing. Receiving personnel do not perform testing, and testing personnel handle saliva samples that are labeled only with the unique barcode. DNA and saliva samples are destroyed after the laboratory completes its work, provided that laboratory legal and regulatory requirements no longer require the actual samples to be maintained. A de-identified copy of genotyping data may be kept in accordance with CLIA. The laboratory securely sends the resulting Genetic Information to our third party reporting company along with your unique barcode. Genetic Information is stored securely on our servers; the laboratory also stores your Genetic Information, but again, labeled only with the barcode.

  • “Targeted advertising” service providers.We may permit third-party advertising networks and providers to collect Web Behavior Information on our Service to help us to deliver targeted online advertisements (“ads”) to you. They use cookies and similar technologies (such as JavaScript, beacons, device identifiers, location data, and clear gifs) to compile information about your browser’s or device’s visits and usage patterns on our Services and on other websites over time, which helps to better personalize ads to match your interests, and to measure the effectiveness of ad campaigns.

If you wish to not have this information used for the purpose of serving you targeted ads, you may be able to opt-out of many advertising networks by visiting here and here (if you are located in Canada, click here; or if you are located in the European Union click here). Please note this does not mean that you have opted-out of being served advertising. You will continue to receive generic ads.

  • Aggregate information.We may share aggregate information with third-parties, which is any information that has been stripped of your Registration (e.g., your name and contact information) and aggregated with information of others so that you cannot reasonably be identified as an individual (“Aggregate Information”). This Aggregate Information is different from “individual-level” information. Individual-level Genetic Information or Self-Reported Information of data about a single individual’s genotypes, diseases or other traits/characteristics information. For example, Aggregate Information may include a statement that “30% of our female users share a particular genetic trait,” without providing any data or testing results specific to any individual user. We may provide such Aggregate Information in commercial arrangements with our business partners. In contrast, individual-level Genetic Information could reveal whether a specific user has a particular genetic trait, or all of the Genetic Information about that user. HealthCodes DNA will ask for your consent to share individual-level Genetic Information or Self-Reported Information with any third-party, other than our service providers as necessary for us to provide the Services to you.
  • Information we share with commonly owned entities.We may share some or all of your information with other companies under common ownership or control of HealthCodes DNA, which may include our subsidiaries, our corporate parent, or any other subsidiaries owned by our corporate parent in order to provide you better service and improve user experience. We may provide additional notice and ask for your consent if we wish to share your information with our commonly owned entities in a materially different way than discussed in this Privacy Statement.
  1. Disclosures required by law

Under certain circumstances your information may be subject to disclosure pursuant to judicial or other government subpoenas, warrants, or orders, or in coordination with regulatory authorities, we may be required to disclose personal data in response to lawful requests by public authorities, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements. HealthCodes DNA will preserve and disclose any and all information to law enforcement agencies or others if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such preservation or disclosure is reasonably necessary to: (a) comply with legal or regulatory process (such as a judicial proceeding, court order, or government inquiry) or obligations that HealthCodes DNA may owe pursuant to ethical and other professional rules, laws, and regulations; (b) enforce the HealthCodes DNA Terms of Service and other policies; (c) respond to claims that any content violates the rights of third-parties; or (d) protect the rights, property, or personal safety of HealthCodes DNA, its employees, its users, its clients, and the public.

NOTE: If you are participating in HealthCodes DNA Research, HealthCodes DNA will withhold disclosure of your personal information involved in such research in response to judicial or other government subpoenas, warrants or orders in accordance with any applicable Certificate of Confidentiality that HealthCodes DNA and/or any of its third party providers has obtained from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). There are limits to what the Certificate of Confidentiality covers so please visit the Certificates of Confidentiality Kiosk ( https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/coc/index.htm).

  1. Your choices
  2. Access to your account

If your Registration Information changes, you may access, correct or update most of it from your Account page. You may also modify and delete certain of your information. Please note that you may not be able to delete User Content that has been shared with others through the Service and that you may not be able to delete information that has been shared with third-parties, though we can work with you to prohibit your data from being shared with third-parties in the future. We will respond to your request to access within 30 days.

  1. Marketing communications

By registering for an account, you are agreeing that we may send you promotional emails about our Services. You can opt-out of such emails by clicking the “unsubscribe” button at the bottom of any of our or third-party promotional email communications. Please note that you may not opt-out of receiving non-promotional messages regarding your account, such as technical notices, purchase confirmations, or Service-related emails.

  1. Information you choose to share with others

You may decide to disclose your personal information to friends and/or family members, doctors or other health care professionals, and/or other individuals outside of our Services, including through third-party services such as social networks and third-party apps that connect to our website and mobile apps through our application programming interface (“API”). These third-parties may use your personal information differently than we do under this Privacy Statement. Please make such choices carefully and review the privacy policies of all other third-parties involved in the transaction. For example, if you have enabled a HealthCodes DNA sharing feature with another person who downloads a third-party app that uses our API, your information may also be obtained by that third-party app developer and, potentially, by other users of that third-party app.

In general, personal information, once shared or disclosed, can be difficult to contain or retrieve. HealthCodes DNA will have no responsibility or liability for any consequences that may result because you have released or shared personal information with others.

  1. Account closure

If you no longer wish to participate in our Services or no longer wish to have your personal information be used, you may close your account by sending a request to support@healthcodesdna.com. When closing an account, we remove all Genetic Information within your account (or profile) within thirty (30) days of our receipt of your request. As stated in any applicable Consent Document, however, Genetic Information and/or Self-Reported Information that you have previously provided and for which you have given consent to use in HealthCodes DNA Research cannot be removed from ongoing or completed studies that use the information. Our contracted genotyping laboratory may also retain your Genetic Information as required by local law and we may retain backup copies for a limited period of time pursuant to our data protection policies. In addition, we retain limited Registration Information related to your order history (e.g., name, contact, and transaction data) as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you services, as well as for accounting, audit and compliance purposes.

  1. Important Information
  2. Security measures

HealthCodes DNA takes seriously the trust you place in us. To prevent unauthorized access or disclosure, to maintain data accuracy, and to ensure the appropriate use of information, HealthCodes DNA uses a range of physical, technical, and administrative measures to safeguard your Personal Information. In particular, all connections to and from our website and mobile application are encrypted using Extended Validation Secure Socket Layer (EV SSL) technology.

Please recognize that protecting your Personal Information is also your responsibility. We ask you to be responsible for safeguarding your password, secret questions and answers, and other authentication information you use to access our Services. You should not disclose your authentication information to any third-party and should immediately notify HealthCodes DNA of any unauthorized use of your password. HealthCodes DNA cannot secure Personal Information that you release on your own or that you request us to release.

Your information collected through the Service may be stored and processed in the United States or any other country in which HealthCodes DNA or its subsidiaries, affiliates or service providers maintain facilities and, therefore, your information may be subject to the laws of those other jurisdictions which may be different from the laws of your country of residence.

  1. Business transactions

In the event that HealthCodes DNA goes through a business transition such as a merger, acquisition by another company, or sale of all or a portion of its assets, your information will likely be among the assets transferred. In such a case, your information would remain subject to the promises made in any pre-existing Privacy Statement.

  1. Linked websites

HealthCodes DNA provides links to third-party websites operated by organizations not affiliated with HealthCodes DNA. HealthCodes DNA does not disclose your information to organizations operating such linked third-party websites. HealthCodes DNA does not review or endorse, and is not responsible for, the privacy practices of these organizations. We encourage you to read the privacy statements of each and every website that you visit. This Privacy Statement applies solely to information collected by HealthCodes DNA.

  1. Children’s privacy

HealthCodes DNA is committed to protecting the privacy of children as well as adults. Neither HealthCodes DNA nor any of its Services are designed for, intended to attract, or directed toward children under the age of 18. A parent or guardian, however, may collect a saliva sample from, create an account for, and provide information related to, his or her child. The parent or guardian assumes full responsibility for ensuring that the information that he/she provides to HealthCodes DNA about his or her child is kept secure and that the information submitted is accurate.

  1. Changes to this Privacy Statement

Whenever this Privacy Statement is changed in a material way, a notice will be posted as part of this Privacy Statement and on our customers’ account login pages for 30 days. After 30 days the changes will become effective. In addition, all customers will receive an email with notification of the changes prior to the change becoming effective.

  1. Contact Information

If you have questions about this Privacy Statement, please email HealthCodes DNA at info@HealthCodesDNA.com.