We had lots of interesting discussion recently at our Eat by Design workshop. At one point I mentioned the fact that we can’t use our genes as an excuse for our poor health. So many times I hear: “Well, heart disease is in my family.” or “My doctor said my hypertension is familial. There is nothing I can do about my high blood pressure.”
Science says otherwise.
It’s not that genes don’t matter; it’s that they don’t predetermine your life. Only a small percentage of disease is “purely” genetic. Bruce Lipton, a former Stanford cell biologist and author of The Biology of Belief, suggests less than 5% of our known diseases are genetic.
Genes play a role in all body function, as they are the blueprint for creating proteins, the basic building blocks for hormones and other important molecules. It is estimated one gene makes up to 30,000 different proteins. This means, for the vast majority, having a certain gene does not necessarily default them to having a particular disease condition.
How those genes are expressed are a result of our lifestyle choices and stressors. It is our environment that is the primary determinant in the way our genes are expressed. How we live, eat, move, think, the quality of our neurological function and the toxicity of the world around us form the basis of our quality and quantity of life.
It’s why twins with identical genetics can have different health levels, so much so that one can develop disease once thought purely genetic and the other live well and vital.
This should be both an eye opener for some and encouraging for others. In the same way that poor lifestyle choices will bring out negative genetic expression in the form of health problems, good lifestyle choices will bring about healing and better well being.
What can be controlled are your choices.
This is the foundation for care in our office. Identify what the body needs and then create a lifestyle around fulfilling all those requirements for a period of time, preferably a lifetime.
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