This isn't just about resembling your great, great, great grandmother. It's about understanding how your genes will respond, and thus change, due to experiences and factors in your life. And understanding how it happened in your ancestors' lives that helped shape yours today...
Peering into epigenetics is a bit like taking agency in a realm where we previously assumed we had none (hello, DNA). While we can’t significantly change our genes in real time (like, we can’t go from brown eyes to blue), we can understand what factors will change certain genes and how they will respond to those stimuli. We tapped Registered Dietitian Brontë Grooms - otherwise known as The Gene Hacker - to explain this complex notion. "Genes tell us how well our body operates," Brontë explains, "whereas epigenetics tells us what our body loves and hates." In other words, epigenetics allows us to identify how our genes predictably respond to our environment and daily choices—chemically switching them on or off. So when we know which genes we have through genomic testing, we have the opportunity to modify their behavior with targeted nutrition and lifestyle changes - thus biohacking ourselves!
But also - hello, intergenerational awareness! After all, our genes come from a long lineage, and all those lines have experienced various things that impacted how our genes responded. This brings up the concept of intergenerational trauma - where social influences such as family dynamics, chronic stress, and trauma have an impact on subsequent generations' health trajectories like aging, chronic disease, behavior, and emotions. Our spiritual life—thoughts, feelings, and emotions—controls gene expression - good or bad.
Sponsored
But don't be discouraged by this! We can break out of patterns and take the power of change into our own hands with tools such as breathwork sessions for ongoing stress relief; nutrition focusing on whole foods that are organic wherever possible; moderate exercise for endorphin production; avoiding exposure to toxins like BPA and phthalates; plus prayer & chanting. These activities alter the nervous system by bringing oxygen to our tissues & balancing stress hormones, so it's easier for us to let go of attachments that define us through our past at a cellular level! Ultimately it's all about creating a personalized plan based on insights rather than fear & guilt - so use this knowledge wisely & enjoy life while you're at it.
