Epigenetics is the study of lifestyle on genetic expression and its effect on cellular aging and health. The environment and our lifestyle exert a huge influence on how our genes express themselves. As a human being grows and develops, “pressure” from this interaction causes chemical reactions to activate and deactivate targeted locations on genes.
Anxiety and stress are excellent examples of how negative pressure can alter our biochemistry resulting in disease. I employ what I define as “preventive epigenetics” (essentially lifestyle modifications) in a prevention model to positively influence biological processes in my work as a Health Promotion Scholar-practitioner. It’s the secret weapon in achieving health and wellness goals.
~ You can’t change your genes, but you can influence how they express themselves.
A physical outcome via epigenetic expression can be negative or positive. An example of a negative epigenetic expression is a female smoker who dies of lung cancer at age 40 years. She probably had a genetic trait that predisposed her to lung cancer. If she chose to smoke, both genes and lifestyles were working against her. The choice of adding environmental tobacco smoke to the epigenetic mix may have caused her to die many years prematurely.
The lack of a genetic predisposition for lung cancer also explains, in part, why some individuals are known to smoke into their 90s and die of something else. Pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, nutrition, physical activity, supplement regimen, and sun exposure are examples of epigenetic influencers. This explains why chronic diseases are often described as diseases of lifestyle. Let me remind you that food is considered the most prominent epigenetic influencer. With expert assistance, you’ll have the power to influence your genes and improve your health through epigenetic manipulation.
Health is not valued till sickness comes.
~Thomas Fuller
