Discover what makes you uniquely YOU with an DNA test kit from our sponsor, 23andMe. I received a free test and lab results, but the experience and opinions are my own!
Have you ever wanted to learn more about your family, your ancestry, and what makes you uniquely YOU? Having lost many relatives on my father’s side in the Holocaust, and not knowing very much about my mother’s side of the family, I’ve always been interested in learning more. Not just about my ancestry, but also where many of my traits came from, as well as anything I might possibly pass on to my children.
You may remember back in November I shared that I had received a DNA test kit from 23andme as part of my BabbleBoxx. I couldn’t wait to take the test, send it in and receive my 65+ online reports about my genetics! Well guess what?
My results are in!
But before I share, let me tell you a little bit about 23andme and the DNA test kit.
The 23andMe DNA kits come with everything you need to easily collect your DNA sample and mail it back to them. Inside the kit is a vial that you fill with your saliva. While this wasn’t hard, it did take me a few minutes to fill it up to the line. Once it was filled, and before I mailed my test, I registered it kit by creating an account on the 23andme website and telling them the numbers on my box. From there all that was left to do was to mail the kit back (postage is prepaid) and wait for my 65+ reports.
Waiting didn’t take long. In just a few weeks I received an email letting me know my results were ready! When I logged in to see my reports, I was amazed! There are tons of personalized reports in four key areas: Ancestry Reports, Wellness Reports, Traits Reports and Carrier Reports. It is so much fun going through all of them and seeing how accurate they are and learning new things!
Originally I was most interested in learning about my ancestry composition. While I knew that my father’s parents came from Poland, I’ve never been very clear about my mother’s side. I know some of her family came from Ireland, but that’s about it. As it turns out I am 99.3% European including some Eastern European as well as British, Irish, French, German and a mix of other regions. The remaining tiny percentage is a smidgen Sub-Saharan African and a tad East Asian and Native American!
I was also very intrigued by my other reports. There were dozens of wellness and carrier reports, and it was neat to see how my DNA determines my unique traits such as taste and smell, facial features, hair and so much more. Here are some fun facts from my reports that were dead on!
- One report showed that I am more likely to have dark hair that is wavy or curly as opposed to straight. Yep!
- Another showed that I tend to be a light sleeper and I am! In fact, I am such a light sleeper that I have a hard time getting a full night’s sleep because the smallest noise will wake me up. It also said I’m likely not to move much when I am asleep, which is also true. My husband laughs at me because I rarely move from the position I am in once I fall asleep.
- I am also likely to consume more caffeine than average. Yep. One of my biggest weaknesses is the amount of Cokes I drink.
- I am more likely to prefer sweet snacks over salty. Again, this one is spot on. I have an incurable sweet tooth!
- I am likely tolerant of lactose. Love dairy!
- My DNA also says that I am more likely to have freckles. Yes, all over my arms and shoulders!
It was a such a fun and interesting experience to find out everything I learned from my DNA. Who knew that a little bit of spit could reveal so much!
In addition to the reports you receive, 23andme.com is also packed full of information, tutorials, forums and more. They even have a DNA Relatives section where you can find and connect with genetic relatives to learn about relationships, shared ancestors and family history! It was so neat to discover a list of possible relatives and their relationship to me! And 23andMe also offers a service where your family members can send in their DNA samples for testing and you can link them all together as a family. This can really help you get an even more complete picture of your family genetics!
I loved seeing the picture my DNA painted of me, and I would highly recommend doing it for yourself and even your family! Order your DNA test kit from 23andMe and find out what makes you uniquely you!
Jerry
Friday 30th of December 2016
Very interesting. I'm curious how they compile this information. My curiosity might lead me to trying this out.