Epigenetics - You're in charge!

Influences such as media (magazines, television, celeb diets), your social group and how you were taught to eat growing up can lead to a lot of confusion and frustration when it comes to eating healthily. This confusion was part of my motivation to try out so many different foodie lifestyle myself. The other part was that I wanted to heal my body after injuries and surgeries. I've tried all of these for atleast 60 days: vegan, raw vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, fruitiarian, paleo, paleo w/ out red meat or dairy, atkins and lastly I ate just way too much froyo for like 3 years in my early 20's when I quit smoking. I can report that I thoroughly enjoyed it despite gaining 30 pounds because it was tasty and I quit smoking. So it was still a win. I share that because there is NO SHAME in your journey, you do you.

When I became a Personal Trainer, then Nutritional Therapist I wanted to know more. Are there really hereditary aspects that my clients helpless to meet their fitness goals? I would like to answer no. I believe in miracles and would never crush any ones drive to grow and change:)

Here's what I found at the Health Sciences Academy I attended for my cerification. There is in fact a science behind how our bodies process food and how our cells respond to nutrients. We cannot change our DNA, but we can change, our gene expression, our mood, and our confidence, through what we eat. If you have not been motivated to listen to what your body needs to thrive, now may be the time to start.

Epigenetics is the science on how environmental signals (i.e. what you eat, drink, breath, touch, feel, do, believe; how you live; what you perceive) select, modify, and, regulate your gene activity! The activity of your genes is constantly changing in response to your unique environment, food, and exercise choices. 

Hippocrates, the most famous doctor in human history said,, said : “Let food be your medicine.”. Hippocrates was referring to the fact we need to nourish and heal our bodies with every vitamin, mineral, antioxidant and macronutrient possible. So we can thrive, move and live beautifully.


So, what does all this mean? It means that nutrition (whether it’s good or bad) switches your genes on and off. Research concludes that the main contributors to the causation of ageing and degenerative diseases are what you eat and how you live – not the genes you inherited! In fact, less than 10% (some scientists say less than 2%) of human disease is a result of genetic destiny. That means on average 95% of us are genetically healthy!

In the case you do have genes that predispose you to certain health problems, or you didn’t take care of your body for many years and now have serious side effects – there's great news; you can keep these side effects dormant and change your cell’s behavior by changing your nutritional habits, how you live, work and play.

So go fourth with your day, loving yourself with every move, breathe and bite you take!