Starting something new can be a bit scary, and for many people looking for answers - it's likely you’ve tried other ‘solutions’ many times before you’ve come across Viome. Whether those solutions were supposed to be related to your health, your diet, your plans for weight loss - or weight gain - to overcoming symptoms of fatigue, brain fog, digestive discomfort, or simply to just better understand your own unique biology - we’ve all experienced a little anxiety with the wait.
You know the one: the ‘I’m trying something new, again’ wait, the ‘I’ve submitted my sample’ wait, the ‘I just want to feel better’ wait.
And we get it. With fad diets and supplement companies invading your social media, your advertisements, and even your refrigerators, it’s hard enough taking a chance on a company that says the opposite. But then tack on the worst part of any test, diagnostic or otherwise: the anticipation of your results - and it can make any person feel like they’re just stuck in the mud, once again, with someone else behind the wheel.
But the one thing we don’t want our Viome customers to feel is powerless. Learning what foods and supplements you need to help you on your path to wellness is just as much about empowering you with the right tools for success.
The Power of You
You’ve taken a significant leap in faith by trying out Viome and you may feel like you’re stuck twiddling your thumbs while you wait. But even today, with no results in hand just yet, there are things you can do now to help motivate you and get you ready for your Viome recommendations.
The following tips extend past your traditional ‘get healthy’ tricks and actually help you see the power inside you to not only impact positive change on your life but the lives of others around you. One of the most unexpected consequences of creating a company like Viome has been the incredible community of our Viome tribe. This sense of community is an integral part of embracing holistic health. We are all unique, different, and frankly a little weird. But when you gather and identify the similarities between each and embrace the differences, the power of each individual to impact the world for good is undeniable.
We hope you see these tips on what you can do now while you wait as the first steps to ease yourself into a new healthy routine and a shift in perspective about how your positive choices can trickle down to your local community.
1. The Token ‘Clean Out Your Pantry and Fridge’ Advice
No preparatory list would be complete without first evaluating the foods in your home that we can all agree would probably be great to avoid. We’re talking about those highly processed, rich in chemical preservatives, extreme amounts of salt, sugar, and saturated fat rich foods. Though some are easy to spot - like frozen bagel bites, ice cream, and hot dogs - others can take a more secretive approach.
Many of the prepared pantry staples we use can have hidden ingredients that do us a disservice, like jarred spaghetti sauce, canned vegetables, and snackable crackers. If you’re looking for a quick way to help reduce low-nutritional value foods, start with nutritional fact labels and see which ingredients you don’t recognize. And if for whatever reason you’ve purchased an item and the first ingredient listed doesn’t make sense (like ‘tomato’ being the third or fourth ingredient in your favorite marinara sauce), you might not be eating the foods you think you’re eating. This is always a great first step that can help you immediately make better choices long before you get your personalized Viome recommendations.
2. Swapping Out Produce for ‘Non-GMO’
When you can, we always recommend choosing in-season, organic fruits and vegetables. If you’re used to hearing the term ‘GMO’ but don’t exactly know what that means, it simply refers to genetically modified organisms [like plants] that have been altered to reduce their palatability to pests, or survive many plant-based diseases. Though GMOs have helped improve the accessibility of food across hungry nations, scientists believe they still can’t match up in nutrient density to their organic, heirloom counterparts. Organic produce contain more vitamins and minerals and don’t contain DNA from other plants and compounds that might interact with our biology in a negative way. If you’d like to learn more about this topic, visit the Non-GMO Project website dedicated to educating the public about their global impacts.
And this extends to grain, proteins, and other options you bring into your home. Unfortunately, we know that many times these products cost more money - but the more frequently you can choose sustainable food options, the more you’re voting with your dollar and making the integration of organic, cage-free, sustainable, and ethically-raised foods more accessible (and cheaper) to all.
3. The ‘Trick’ to Eating Organic on a Budget
Like many companies, Viome has been able to consistently lower our prices over time because we took out the middleman and run every sample at our own laboratory. This allows us to continually optimize our process and keep costs down. This is something you too can benefit from when it comes to purchasing healthy, organic foods.
Rather than consistently relying on your local grocery store chains for much of your food needs, look local and visit the resources your own city has to offer. Visiting Farmers Markets, local Co-Ops, and even taking a look at any nearby farms can help you increase your access to fresh and in-season foods without your high-end grocery retail prices. This is one of the greatest ways you can help your local community. You’re not only supporting many of the small business farms and grocers that contribute to your area, but you're gaining ethically sourced foods and cutting out middleman-related costs. Just another example of how your actions can empower others for good, too.
4. Build Your Viome Support Group
You don’t have to feel alone when you start on your health journey. You have much in common with many of the people that are looking for answers to optimal health - many of which have found support in various Viome social media communities. For example, whether you’re looking for healthy recipes to try, want to explore how Viome has helped so many people just like you, or maybe you just want to feel like you’re part of a group - our Viome tribe is waiting for you.
If you’re looking for support and have questions to spare, you’ll find our Viome Facebook Group at your disposal to help you set the stage for success, long term. And once you’ve gained your footing and feel confident about the changes in your life - you can reverse the role and help new users find support, gaining precious insight from someone who’s been in their shoes.
Just remember, you’ve done the hardest part: beginning. Taking that first step is difficult, but now it’s all about building your momentum.
And though waiting for your results might feel nerve-wracking, it’s important to know that the physiological impulses that build up nervousness are the exact same ones used when we build up excitement. So get excited! You’re just around the corner from what could be one of the greatest, life-changing experiences you ever imagined. This could be the moment you finally feel empowered to turn your boat around and set sail toward the healthy life you always dreamed of living.
The information on the Viome website is provided for informational purposes only and with the understanding that Viome is not engaged in rendering medical advice or recommendations. Viome provides this educational information to share the exciting developments being reported in the scientific literature about the human microbiome and your health. Viome products are not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease.
