09 May It’s All in Your Genes. Or Is It?
Will you get cancer? It’s in your genes. Will you get heart disease? It’s in your genes. What about dementia, or diabetes, or schizophrenia? Genes, of course. Look at your parents and you have a good idea of what you’re doomed to get. Like parent like child.
But maybe that’s not so. New research says no, it’s not only in your genes. Rather it’s your epigenetic expression.
Epigenetics means that your lifestyle can turn on or off your genes. We are all born with a certain set of genes, and DNA within them. But the DNA can get turned on or off, depending on things in your environment that trigger that.
For so long we have believed that we were born with a certain DNA, and our health was a matter of fate, or more specifically, whatever we were programmed for by our genes. But newer research on the human genome has shown that there is no disease-and-one-triggering-gene link. Groups of genes are turned off or on, and that results in health or disease.
Think about identical twins. They are born with the exact same genetics and DNA. But as they age, they begin to look slightly different. They contract different diseases, such as one may get cancer, and not the other twin. This is due to the different lifestyle choices, attitudes, and environments of each twin. When I was a teacher I taught 9 year old identical twins. If you looked in their faces, you could see a difference. And each had a slightly different personality.
With a very few exceptions, like Down’s, we have control over our genetic expression. That is, we have control over our health.
Somebody might have been born with genes for being fat. But how one lives determines whether those genes are turned on or not. And most obesity has very little to do with one’s genes, research has shown.
This is why I got into health coaching. My parents both had a difficult decline in their old age. I didn’t want the same fate. So I started reading to see if I could take any control of my health. And epigenetics says I can.
It’s sometimes said that genes load the gun, but environment pulls the trigger.
Epigenetics is a new field, so we are still learning the extent we can trigger genes on and off and the results. But there are some generalizations we can think about now.
Maximizing your genetic potential
Eat real, nutrient-dense food. Remember that food is information, not just calories, or a source of energy. For example, your body needs fats to make hormones. Complex carbs tend to help with serotonin and dopamine. Protein builds muscle.
Calm down. If you watched a movie about a car wreck, your body would start the adrenaline flowing, similar to seeing one in person. The same thing happens if you think about a car wreck–your body has a response to your emotions. So consider all the times you worried about something bad happening in the future. Your body probably reacted with stress hormones similar to actually witnessing something bad happening. So stop the negative thoughts. When they pop up, say something like “delete, delete, delete” and move on with your day. Stress affects every cell in the body, and therefore likely your epigenetics, so it’s worth your effort to stay calm and carry on.
Sleep deep, restorative sleep. This is when your body detoxes and regenerates. If you don’t sleep well throughout the night, you are setting yourself up for hormone imbalances and weight gain, regardless of your DNA. See here for how to get a good night’s sleep.
Move and exercise. Movement is essential for health and longevity. You can much better predict your health and longevity by amount of exercise than you can by looking at your DNA.
Community. People need people. The longest lived people in the world always belong to a supportive community. So time spent nurturing relationships is worth it.
Can I help you with your DNA?
I’m a National Board Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach. Together, we can look at all your lifestyle factors that can promote healthy epigenetics. You have control so let me help you seize that control. Call me for a free 15 minute phone call to see if we can work together. You can pay for the first session before committing to more, because I want to make it easy for you to give health coaching a try. Contact me.
In Comments, please tell us how you take control of your DNA.
Dr. Mercola on DNA Isn’t Your Destiny
Dr. Hyman on Big Fat Food Lies
This article is for information purposes only. See Disclaimer below.
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