What is Epigenetics?

Epigenetics is a fascinating field of science! Most people tend to attribute far too much power to their genes. Epigenetics shows us that our behavior can influence which of our genes are turned on or turned off. This has been one of the biggest breakthroughs in medicine.

Epi- is a prefix in Ancient Greek that means “upon, at, by, near, over, on top of, toward, against or among.” Therefore epi-genetics are the factors that bathe our genes with information from their environment and cause them to express either positively or negatively (which contributes to all known dysfunctions).

Epigenetics are how we influence the genetic and cellular expressions that manifests as signs, symptoms and disease states by modifying factors like nutrition, lifestyle and biological function (how the body performs its many jobs throughout the day). Did you know that 90% of our current health is controlled by the environment in which we bathe our genes – the food we eat, our exercise regimen, our resilience in the face of stress and our exposure to environmental toxins?

Is Predisposition Pre-Destiny?
While your genes play some role, for the most part, they are not the main determinant of your health. Some genes can indeed predispose you to heart-disease, obesity, insuline resistance and diabetes type 2. But by changing your diet, lifestyle and consciousness, you can change the expression of your DNA. This means that what you eat, how you move, how you restore your body and mind, along with your feelings and thoughts and even how you relate to other people, are all factors that regulate your genes.

Your environment is constantly communicating the status of your world to your genes and your genes are responding. Those genes end up creating the expression of who you are and how you are. You can turn on genes that create health or disease, weight gain or weight loss.

Seven factors that affect your genetic destiny:

1. Nutrition. Are you eating a real, whole foods diet filled with plenty of plant foods, adequate protein and healthy fats? Or are you eating a diet high in processed carbs and refined sugars?

2. Moving your body. You can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet, but exercise is a crucial part of achieving optimal health.

3. Quality of sleep. Sleep deprivation has been shown to make you fat and leads to depression, hormone imbalances, insulin resistance, diabetes, pain and many other conditions. Optimizing your sleep is a very important factor.

4. How well you release stress. Stress wreaks havoc on your body, mind and spirit. How you learn to manage physical, emotional and chemical stress becomes key to living life to the fullest and experiencing vibrant health.

5. Supplements and Herbal Medicine. Following a personalized supplement protocol will help you to address your particular health needs and support your body. Your genetic blueprint might show us that certain supplements can help you to support and optimize your bodily functions and help you to thrive. Yet another reason to discover your genetic blueprint.

6. Medications. Many medications actually weaken your body and undermine its ability to function. However, sometimes you don’t have a choice. There are many ways to support your health and wellbeing through diet and lifestyle, which will help you to regain your balance.

7. Your emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing. How much love, connection, meaning, purpose, passion, and community you have in your life. Yes, your genes will respond almost instantly when you are experiencing elevated emotions like gratitude and the joy to be alive. Likewise they respond to anger, fear, stress and trauma in opposite ways.

By learning how to address these controllable health factors successfully, you will be able to experience a whole new level of health, balance, joy and wellbeing.

“The environment writes the story of our genes. Science is just beginning to catch up in its understanding of nature’s wisdom.” – Dr. Joe Dispenza