Your DNA is Not Your Destiny

Good morning and happy Friday.

Welcome back to the newsletter - I hope your November is off to a great start.

Last week, I introduced you to the Regenerative Healthcare Movement and shared some of my big takeaways from the first-ever Regenerative Healthcare Conference, hosted by Rodale Institute.

Today, we’re going to dive into why this concept is actually important.

Why it’s relevant to you and everyone you know.

In short, the food system directly impacts the food that we eat, and that food is one of the biggest drivers of our health and the health of future generations.

Let’s jump in.

What are Epigenetics?

Have you ever heard the saying “our DNA is destiny?” Or perhaps something similar?

Just last week, I heard a friend observe, “she looks so healthy… must be great genes.”

Sometimes, yes… but most times, it’s something else…

While our DNA plays a crucial role in our development, there is an emerging field of science known as Epigenetics - that studies how external or environmental factors can turn our genes on and off.

In turn, our environment can actually define how our cells read and express those genes. The video linked below explains this quite well, in < 5 minutes.

The term “Epigenetics” was first coined in 1942 by Dr. Conrad Waddington, a British developmental biologist, to describe behavior that he observed in his studies of cellular development. The word translated as “above the genome.”

Surprisingly though, many scientists were aware of this phenomenon well before Waddington coined it in 1942.

For instance, in 1903, Dr. Francis Marion Pottenger set out to determine the cause of tuberculosis and started a scientific experiment on cats to do so— feeding one group cooked food and one group raw food for 10 years.

Across four generations, he observed sizable differences between groups– the cats that were fed raw food maintained great health, while the other group experienced significant health declines.

Here’s where it gets interesting: The physical degeneration or regeneration could be "inherited by offspring and, in a way, remembered by the genes through multiple generations.”

Pottenger’s experiments illustrated the profound impact that environmental factors have on our health & the health of our descendants, and, in a way, was one of the first studies on epigenetics, before the term was even invented.

If you’re curious, I’d encourage you to check out the full write up from the Price Pottenger Foundation, a fascinating non-profit committed to advancing universal access to nourishment and healing.

The field of epigenetics has become increasingly popular, thanks to the work of Dr. Bruce Lipton, a stem cell biologist, who is widely considered to be a pioneer for the subject.

From 1987 to 1992, he studied cell behavior and discovered that the outside environment would operate through the cell membrane, and control the cell’s behavior & physiology.

He observed that the external would turn genes on and off, further solidifying the scientific understanding of epigenetics.

Since, there have been numerous studies and write-ups from top institutions including Harvard, which I’d encourage diving into if you feel called.

So What Does Epigenetics Have to Do with Food?

Simply put, the food we eat is one of the most significant epigenetic inputs that we have.

Think about how many meals you eat every day.

When you eat, your body is listening to the signals that the food provides— nutritional signals, chemical messages, and epigenetic indicators, i.e FAR more than just macronutrients (a lesson I was resistant to for years.)

For example, blueberries provide far more than healthy calories and delicious taste. They also include compounds known as polyphenols, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

A study from 2010 shows that just 12 weeks of blueberry supplementation improved memory function and mood, as well as decreased fasting blood sugar in older adults.

I could list 1000s of other studies that further indicate the power of food, but I value your attention way too much for that. Instead, I’ll keep it short.

The food we eat impacts our health at every level.

You’ve probably heard the saying “you are what you eat.”

Today, let’s take it a step further: You are what you eat, ate.

So What Can We Do?

Epigenetic changes may be caused by a wide range of health-related factors, such as diet, exercise, lifestyle, smoking, and/or stress.

So here is a list of small, easily-implementable, actions that have made a huge difference in my life, health, and likely, gene expression.

Practicing Gratitude: Just a few minutes of gratitude per day can lead to numerous mental & physical health benefits, including & not limited to: boost in immune system, improvement in mental health, increase in optimism, and reduced risks with heart failure.

Avoiding Seed Oils: Here’s a graph explaining why seed oils are bad news all around. Did you know that the fats we consume are the building blocks of our cells? Like anything, better inputs create better outputs. Considering this, cutting out seed oils, especially Canola oil, is one of the biggest bang-for-your-buck nutrition moves you can make.

Eat More Plants: More biodiversity of fiber within our body's gut microbiome plays a crucial role in the development or avoidance of inflammation-based (chronic) diseases. The best way to get more fiber? Plants. Even if you still want to still eat meat, as I do, adding more plants into your diet is an excellent way to access health improvements & better tasting food.

Limiting Exposure to Toxic Chemicals: I don’t mean to sound alarmist, but endocrine disruptors are literally everywhere. Dish soap, deodorant, plastics, and store receipts are a few of the many examples of these chemicals that interfere with our hormone systems. Moreover, non-organic produce these days is nearly always sprayed with RoundUp, a weed killer that contains Glyphosate - a herbicide that is outlawed in Europe and has been linked to a number of health issues, listed below.

Next week, I’ll dive into a bit of the science behind soil, the ultimate input of our food system that directly impacts the health of our culture, descendents, and planet.

Below, you can find a few podcasts that dive deeper into some of the topics above.

Questions? Feel free to reach out - I always love hearing from you.

I appreciate you reading and hope you have a great week.

With Gratitude,

Aidan

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