You’re not doomed to repeat your parent’s problems—yet
Have you experienced it yet?
It’s a landmark moment, and we all get there eventually.
No one sees it coming, until the moment you realize…
“I’m turning into my parents.”
Dun dun dun!
Okay, so it’s not always as bad as all that.
But what about when it comes to health?
How does the family tree shake out— and do you really not have a choice?
For generations, people believed that they were doomed to repeat what’s been programmed into their genes.
But health professionals are discovering something different.
Fated to be Fat?
Much of what we believe about our future is based on assumptions: What kind of job we’ll probably get. Where we think we will live. How well the stock market will do (Oops).
It’s how many of us think about our health, too. The whole “pathway of science”, Darwin, Newton, etc., has made us think we are predestined for things, or that they’re set in stone.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had young people in my clinic tell me that they’re not going to do anything about a potential disease because, “Well, Mom had diabetes, so I’ll probably have it too.”
Or, “Doc, why should I quit smoking and eat right? My dad had a heart attack at this age. I might too, so I’m just gonna enjoy myself.”
Unfortunately, these patients fulfill their own prophecies. They give in to genetic determinism.
You don’t have to live that way.
If you look at the studies, only five percent of cancers and heart disease are directly determined by genetics. Five percent.
So why aren’t we as caught up with the other 95 percent of factors? The ones YOU can control?
Answers from “Above”
There was an intriguing study once done with Agouti mice.
Scientists removed a particular gene and consequently made the mice fat with dark brown skin. Had scientists messed up the generation for good? Well, what these experiments showed was that even without the gene, if the mice were fed good meals with appropriate vitamins, the next generation would be the right color and lean.
These external factors are called epigenetics, which translates as “over” or “above” genetics.
Your height, your flowing waving hair, your eye color, the fact that you have freckles or not—those things have genetic determinants.
Health most often does not.
Did you know that there’s actually no gene for diabetes?
There is a link, however, between parents with diabetes and their children who develop diabetes. Can you guess what it is?
Learned behaviors.
These now adult children grew up in homes where they learned how to eat like their parents and inherited their exercise habits, their attitude towards health, their lifestyles, and choices.
That’s why they end up with diabetes. That’s epigenetics.
The way to understand these health factors is more like a light dimmer than a switch.
Now if Dad had heart attacks, your dimmer is on. But it will go up or down based on lifestyle. Mom may have this disease, Grandad may have this condition… Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, cancers, all of them.
But you’re not fated to follow in their footsteps. There’s not a gene locked in for any one of those. The power behind the punch comes from epigenetic influence.
Epigenetic health factors
Today we’re going to look past genetics into the parts of our lifestyles that are doing the most damage. All sorts of things are on this list, including stresses, toxins, biotoxins, nutrition, diet, food.
Rather than just treating a number on paper with a drug, let’s look at all the mediators around it and how they’re influencing the person, and how that influence can be optimized for a better quality life.
- Sedentary lifestyle: One of the best things you can do for long-term health, well-being, and longevity is move. There’s something about muscle movement that changes enzymes in your system that also changes genes and changes futures.
- Allergic reactions: Allergies reach farther than peanut butter and bee stings. You may have allergies due to an antibiotic you took as a child that set your gut off, and now all of a sudden you have allergies or asthma.
- Inflammation: Inflammation, we now know, is a root of most disease states, particularly vascular disease. This is not the inflammation we think of when you twist your ankle and it gets all red and swollen. It comes from your foods, from lack of movement, from stress, from toxins in the environment, and chemicals. It’s inflammation at the cellular level that you don’t necessarily have perception of until it manifests itself as a disease state.
- Infections: We know certain infections can cause all sorts of diseases. Epstein Barr Virus or Cytomegalovirus and Chronic Fatigue syndrome, even some neurocognitive changes, we can relate back to infectious processes. Almost every virus out there can cause some brain issues in the future. And that’s why it’s important to keep an eye on what’s ailing you.
- Hormones: Every day people come into my clinic racked by their hormones. The unbalance comes from influences that are easy to overlook because they’re just part of everyday life. Xenoestrogens like BPS and BPA in plastics come in and change people’s bodies. Thyroids get fried from the new plant down the street or the new fertilizer or any other toxic chemical. And once you change one hormone, you change them all. That can start a vicious cycle.
- Relationships: How many times have I seen a wonderful patient come in requesting all sorts of lab work because there are certain their hormones are off, or they have a disease or virus, or they never got over the flu from the winter or whatnot.
We run thousands and thousands of dollars worth of tests, knowing deep down inside that the results will probably come back normal— and they do. But after further discussion, they mention the bad relationship at home. If you do not take into account relationships and your inner-self, your emotions, the way you respond to the world, then you’re can miss the boat on health
This information isn’t meant to scare, but actually to encourage. You can nip the problems of your family tree in the bud—no pun intended—by taking action today: with diet, with movement, with mindset.
It’s why I’ve devoted my life to helping people realize their best selves and the lives they could have been enjoying all along. So, don’t give up! Don’t lose hope! You are in the driver’s seat of your health journey.
For more information talk to your doctor about epigenetic factors or Listen to my RecoverMe Podcast Episode 1 to learn more about my proven approach to naturally healthy living.
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