NOW TAKE THE TEST . . .

I’ve designed the DNA Restart Cracker Self-Test as a way to allow you finally to eat the amount of carbohydrates that’s in line with the number of AMY 1 genes you’ve inherited. The results will place you in one of the three Carb Consumption Categories.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

One cracker (must be unsalted) or, if you’re following a gluten-free diet, a 10p-sized piece of raw peeled potato A timer A pen The goal of the test is to find out which of the three carbohydrate consumption categories you fall into: full, moderate, or restricted.

You will get this information from the amount of time it takes for a change in taste from bland to sweet tooccur when you’re chewing.

The longer you chew, the more likely the taste will change. If you never detect a change in taste, that’s normal (and significant), too.

You’ll be running the experiment three times and averaging the results.

Before starting the test, collect some saliva in your mouth to ensure you have enough for the test.

Place a piece of the cracker in your mouth and start timing and chewing.

Make sure to really incorporate and mix your saliva with the cracker as you begin chewing, because this will help your amylase to start breaking the carbohydrates down and elicit the change in taste you’ll be looking for.

Pay really close attention, as the starch may already be starting to be digested by the amylase in your saliva. As soon as you detect a change in taste, or if you reach 30 seconds while timing, stop chewing, swallow, and note the time. Rerun the test two more times. And now, add up the times and divide

by three.

THE RESULTS

0-14 seconds: Carb Consumption Category: Full 15-30 seconds: Carb Consumption Category: Moderate More than 30 seconds: Carb Consumption Category: Restricted.

WHAT YOU SHOULD EAT

ASSUMINg your intake is about 2,000 calories a day:

FULL:

You can have 250g of carbs a day. (This is the equivalent of about four slices of wholewheat bread, but, of course, there are carbs in most foods. We suggest using a carb-counting app — you can get one free at carbscontrol.

com.) And about 50 per cent of your calories can come from carbs, 20 per cent from protein and 30 per cent from protein fats.

MODERATE:

You can have 175g of carbs a day (about three-and-ahalf slices of wholewheat bread), and about 35 per cent of your calories can come from carbs, 30per cent from protein and 35 per cent from protein fats.

RESTRICTED:

You can have 125g of carbs a day (about three slices of wholewheat bread), and about 25 per cent of your calories can come from carbs, 35per cent from protein and 40 per cent from protein fats.