“Everyone in my family…”

Have you heard someone say this?  Have you said it or some variation of it?  I have.  All the women in my family have blood sugar problems… Most of my grandparents had Alzheimers… And usually statements like this are said to explain why you or someone else are suffering some kind of health condition or are fated to suffer it at some point in the future much the way I assumed that I was likely going to suffer diabetes and Alzheimers.

Except that the science has shown that this isn’t the case.

There are two things to consider.  Let’s start with the more exciting one.  Science is showing that WHAT YOU EAT can actually change gene expression.  So effectively, even if you DID inherit the predisposition for Alzheimer’s, alcoholism or multiple sclerosis the science says that what you eat will determine whether the genes for these issues switch on or stay off and dormant.

How’s THAT for “you are what you eat”??

People don’t look at food as if it were information; but for our bodies–it is.  If you Google “nutritional genomics” or “nutrigenomics” you will find available degree programs from some of the nations top universities including Harvard, Cornell, Tufts, UCLA and others.  What can you do?  For now (before disease-specific nutrient regimens are discovered and available) you can start by giving your body the best possible information with fresh, healthy foods–something I can help you transition to with baby steps and lasting results.

And that dove-tails into the next point:  even without actual genetic predisposition, it is logical that disease and illness would run through multiple generations of a family.  After all, eating habits are things we absorb from our family–cooking styles, ingredients, eating patterns (how fast or slow we eat, how often during the day).  Likewise, how we cope with stress is often modeled for us by our families; and how much stress we endure in our life starts with life at home and usually follows us into adulthood (since people gravitate towards that which they are most familiar–it’s why children of domestic violence often wind up in domestic violence relationships.  Not always, but often).  A lifestyle is heavily influenced by what we grew up with in our own families.  Diet is part of lifestyle.  People don’t often see them as connected, but the time you devote to food is part of how you live your life.  It’s all connected.

All of this means that you CAN alter the course of your future health through diet and lifestyle changes.  If you need a game plan for taking it on, let me know.