You Are What You Eat- Easy Diet Changes that Can Effect Your Genes

May 16, 2016

    When we think about our health and and family history we usually include the idea that our genes will ultimately determine what diseases we have or how long we live. I have always been a firm believer that a healthy diet and exercise can help to minimize diseases that certain people are bound to get just because of their genetic makeup. Epigenetic's or "control above genetics" is a recent study that is now proving this. What is Epigenetics?  It's the idea that environmental factors can change the health not only of the people who are exposed to them, but also the health of their descedents ... This theory indicates that DNA doesn't after all determine our fate. Diet and daily activity can influence how are genes are used to synthesize products in our bodies. Genes encode proteins and proteins dictate cell function. Therefore, the thousands of genes expressed in a particular cell determine what that cell can do.

    In the early 1800 and 1900's  fellow scientists Darwin, Watson and Cricket determined that our genes predicted the fate of living things. We now know that environmental signals can also trigger how genes perform. In the 1980's  the human "genome project" was created to identify and map out every gene. The idea was to create a blueprint expanding our understanding of what makes us human beings and hopefully with this information develop a genetic method to cure disease. What was discovered was that the human genome consists of under 25,000 genes. The same amount as rodents and only 1,000 more than worms. This proves that there is more to us than just our genes. Lifestyle choices, stress, emotions, thoughts and nutrition all determine whether genes become active or live dormant. By incorporating lifestyle choices like diet and exercise we can change how our genes react.

Genes and Nutrition 

    Phytonutrient are chemicals that help protect plants from germs, fungi, bugs, and other threats. Fruits and vegetables contain phytonutrients. These phytonutrients have protective healing qualities and are found in the plants pigment. The different colors of plants contain anti-inflamitories and antioxidants that promote your genes to assist your body with oxidative stress and immunity. This oxidative stress and uncontrolled free radical production can harm our bodies immunity and self healing abilities that's why the "Rainbow Diet" is so important.

Oxidative Stress

    Oxidative Stress occurs when our bodies use oxygen for our metabolism necessary for energy, physical activity, and breathing. This stress also results from exposure to external factors like pollution, radiation, chemicals in food and pesticide residue in foods. Photo nutrients can be an important defense for keeping stress in check. 

    Your diet is one of the easiest, fastest, and most effective ways to improve and optimize your microbiome. So the good news is that you have a great degree of control over your health destiny. Even your bone health appears to be intricately linked to your gut microbiome. Did you know that every cell regenerates itself making you physically a new person every 7-10 years. Every food choice you make is impacting that state of newness.

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine  be thy food" Hypocrites