Genetic testing is a hot topic these days. And it’s pretty scary stuff. Find out what’s going on with your genetic inheritance and get rid of the bad parts; otherwise, you’re doomed. Doomed, I tell you!
Well, dramatic statements aside, there’s a lot more we need to know before we start lopping off body parts.
For one thing, genes aren’t set in concrete. Researchers talk about “gene expression,” a term for the fact genes turn on and off, even change how they act, depending on what’s going on with your body.
This is called epigenetics, a study of external and environmental factors that turn genes on and off.
Are you tired? Are you chilly or too warm? Are you fighting a virus? Are you hungry? Did you eat something your body doesn’t like? Are you angry? Are you happy? And on, and on, and on.
Our genes change by the nanosecond, working to keep things in balance and moving ahead. How and why our genes go through all their gyrations remains a mystery, though.
Complicating everything–and who thought that was necessary–while your genes are changing all the time, your DNA remains the same, so the CSI forensics team can breathe easy.
And that’s where the fun starts. Some researchers are asking if this contradicts Darwin, a question not allowed in proper scientific circles. So true believers hold their breath until they turn blue, but that doesn’t get results, either.
But researchers who follow the facts, wherever they lead, are finding all sorts of answers.
And the biggest answer of all proves nutrition alters your genetic future. If you come from a family plagued with, say, cancer, you can stop that pattern in its tracks by giving your body the nutrition it needs. Same with the other diseases that seem to run in families.
With solid nutrition, then, you can change your genetic destiny.
They call this nutrigenomics, a word combining nutrition and genetics.
Nutrigenomics is gaining ground, but two 500-pound gorillas stand in the way of progress.
First, Big Pharma is selling their own version of what it means: Prescription drugs. Well, no. Our bodies are never deficient in prescription drugs, and prescription drugs are not nutrition.
Second, medicine refuses to acknowledge that that one-size-fits-all plans don’t actually fit all. Maybe fit nobody. Each body is unique, with unique gene expression and unique nutritional needs. Honoring our uniqueness moves us to health.
Sure, there are some basics, but the devil is in the details, as they say. For instance, diet gurus sing the praises of eating fermented foods, but nobody with a mold allergy should listen.
And some nutrition writers are stuck in the bad old days when no salt, no coffee, and no saturated fat led the parade of recommendations. Wrong, wrong and wrong.
You may ask how you can know what nutrition you need. Get to know your most faithful defender, your body.
To know what’s good for you, and what isn’t, listen to your body; it fights all day, every day for your health. To help you go the right way, your body tells you what it needs via symptoms. Flaky fingernails, for instance, speak volumes.
Learning to listen to your body is something like learning to ride a bicycle. Lots of confusion at first, with many things to pay attention to, but easy-peasey once you catch on.
When I realized that all my years of research boiled down to “listen to your body,” not just for a detail here and there, but for life itself, the simplicity of the solution stunned me. I think maybe angels started to sing when, at long last, the lightbulb finally turned on.
Bottom line: Don’t worry about the genes you inherited. Acknowledge them, certainly, then set out to nourish them to wholeness.
God is good,
Bette Dowdell
References:
“Epigenetics: DNA Isn’t Everything” – http://www.sciencedaily.com
“Neutrigemics and Nutrigenetics” – http://www.ncbi.nim.nih.gov
“All About Genetic Testing and Nutrition” – http://www.precisionnutrition.com
“Diet Alters Expression of Genetic Information” – http://nutrigenomics.ucdavis.edu
About the author: Bette Dowdell defines determination. In a really deep health ditch, with doctors who didn’t help, she got her Oh-Yeah! attitude in gear and researched her way out. She never intended to be a health expert, but sometimes a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. You can subscribe to Bette’s free e-mails on how to solve health problems at http://TooPoopedToParticipate.com
