Our Genes Do Not Determine Our Destiny. We Do.
The domino effect of our choices
As originally published in In Fitness And In Health on Medium.com.
Image: francescoch on iStock
How many times have you heard someone say, or even said yourself: “I have bad genes” as a way of explaining a given physical condition? But to what extent are our genes actually responsible for our physical well-being? This article explores how much influence our genes have over the fate of our health versus how much of our well-being is within our control.
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This article is also an expansion on insight #7 of my recent article “Quite Possibly the Only Knowledge You Need To Change Your Life” after multiple requests to expand on the insights with ways to implement the lessons learned.
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I need to preface this piece by stating that I am not a doctor and that nothing in this article should be considered medical advice. I am an integrative health coach and an RTT hypnotherapist. In this article, I am sharing my learnings based on my life experience, my training, my observations from working with clients, and the many additional courses, seminars, and lectures I have attended over the past four years. The information has helped transform my life for the better. I hope it can do the same for others.
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The Commonly Accepted Culprit
Genes are so often blamed for physical shortcomings, ailments and conditions.
I’ve heard it countless times when things go wrong: “I have bad genes.”
This mindset and understanding often extend to beliefs such as: “My Mom died of breast cancer, so there’s a good chance I will too.”
And sometimes even further to predictions: “Your Grandmother and your Mom have Multiple Sclerosis (MS), so you should prepare yourself for when you get it too. It’s genetic.”
The latter was what I was told when I was 13 years old — and it had a profoundly negative impact on my life for many years to come. Not only did the notion that I had no control over my fate overwhelm and irritate me, but it also perplexed me that my brother, who was standing right next to me, was not given the same message. Why me?
All the statistics at the time pointed towards their prediction.
MS was considered hereditary.
Women have a 50% higher chance than men of being diagnosed with MS.
Spending the developmental years of childhood in a cold climate increased the chances of the disease developing (I grew up in Switzerland).
And so I believed my fate was sealed — as so many others do. Every time anything went wrong with me physically, I panicked, thinking it was MS.
Fear can have one of two effects on people:
It can motivate us to change.
It can paralyse us into victimhood.
Sadly, for most people, the second option transpires. And as such, “I have bad genes” has become a widely accepted excuse for dodging responsibility for one's health.
But according to Dr. Joe Dispenza, 9/10 people in the Western world who walk into a healthcare facility walk in because of a stress-related disorder. Only 2–5% are born with a true genetic disorder.
In other words, it’s not that we have bad genes, it’s that our way of life is signalling our genes to express themselves in ways that are harmful to us.
We make choices. Every day. And they all affect our health.
A Look at Our Composition
The human body is composed of trillions of cells. These cells carry DNA, and genes are segments of our DNA.
However, there are 10 times more bacterial cells on and in us, the human microbiome, than human cells, and 100 times more types of bacterial genes than human genes.¹
This is because bacteria and other microbes including archaea, fungi, and arguably, viruses, are extremely diverse. A rough estimate of 1'000 bacterial species in the gut with 2'000 genes per species yields an estimate of 2'000'000 genes. This is 100 times greater than the approximately 20'000 human genes.²
Image: Revival Health GmbH
Why does this matter? For me, two important insights came from this:
We are less human than we think. One could argue we are bacteria hosting some human genes, versus the other way around. This notion allowed me to take my human ego out of the equation and look at my situation more objectively.
As research into the microbiome ever increases, it has been shown that the mind-gut connection is real. Our gut microbiome influences our behaviour, and vice versa. And this means epigenetics applies.
This knowledge and perspective are empowering.
I stopped believing that my fate was MS a long time ago, for unrelated reasons. Yet I remained trapped in victimhood for most of my life which led to a slew of other emotional and physical problems. Ironically, however, this entrapment could have also easily led back to MS given its psychosomatic links to fear, inflexibility, mental hardness and an inability to let go.
I wrote more about “letting go” in the following article.
So how can we move out of victimhood and into positive change to effectively influence our health?
Genes Don’t Change. Gene Expression Does.
The body is a protein-making machine. Except for certain cells (for example, sperm and egg cells and red blood cells), the gene in every cell in our body can make a protein.³ And protein is an expression of life.
But for the cell to make a protein, the gene needs to be regulated or signalled. This is where epigenetics comes in. Our behaviour and environment are what signal genes, or don’t, and the response is what selects expression.
Gene expression refers to how often or when proteins are created from the instructions within your genes. While genetic changes can alter which protein is made, epigenetic changes affect gene expression to turn genes “on” and “off.”
Epigenetics is the study of how your behaviours and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work.
— CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention)
The environment outside the cell is instructing and selecting the gene.
Protein is an antibody. The poorer our state of being, the more we downregulate our genes, and the poorer the protein that is produced. And vice versa.
In other words, if we can switch our genes “on,” then we can switch them “off” too.
We can change our genetic destiny by changing our mind and body from one state to another.
In this article, I will focus on the body, but let’s look at how the two are connected.
The Communication Between Our Gut and Brain
Our brain and gut are connected by an extensive network of neurons and a highway of chemicals and hormones that constantly provide feedback about how hungry we are, whether or not we’re experiencing stress, or if we’ve ingested a disease-causing microbe.
This information superhighway is called the brain-gut axis and provides constant updates on the state of affairs at our two ends. That sinking feeling in the pit of our stomach after looking at our post-holiday credit card bill is a vivid example of the brain-gut connection at work. Or when we decide to take a walk down that dark alleyway, alone. We’re stressed and our gut knows it — immediately.⁴
What’s more, studies have shown that not only does our brain affect our gut health, but that our gut may well affect our brain health.
The network of neurons in the gut is as complex as that in our spinal cord. But why is our gut the only organ in our body that needs its own “brain?”
As well as managing the process of digestion, it might just be that another job of our second brain is to listen to the trillions of microbes residing in the gut and feedback information to our brain.
Image: Revival Health GmbH adapted from VectorStock image
For decades, researchers and doctors thought that anxiety and depression contributed to problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, pain, upset stomach, and the like. But more recent studies have now shown that it may also be the other way around. Researchers are finding evidence that irritation in the gastrointestinal system may send signals to the central nervous system (CNS) that trigger mood changes.⁵
In fact, a change in the composition of our gut microbes has been shown to significantly affect: ⁶ ⁷
Our mood
Our pain tolerance
Our cognitive performance
Our behaviour
Our mental health
In other words, if we’re living on junk food, we may, over time, feel a lot more negative emotions creeping into our day-to-day lives.
So how can we use this information to positively affect our well-being?
Nutrition
Movement
When I hit rock bottom in life these were the first two changes I made — because they were the proverbial low-hanging fruit. I knew addressing my emotions and mental health was going to take a long time. And I needed ways to at least begin feeling better in the short term. This was how.
Nutrition
We are all bio-individuals. This means what works for me may not work for you.
There is so much information out there on diets and superfoods, yet very little about bio-individuality. Each person has an entirely unique network of microbiota which means the key is finding out what works for you.
A simple and cheap way to do this is through an elimination diet. More than anything, this will help identify the foods that don’t serve us.
The elimination diet removes common foods that may be causing physical symptoms and, with reintroduction, helps us identify the foods that may be triggering our symptoms. There are multiple variations on the diet in terms of length and exact foods, but the following is what worked for me.
It takes a minimum of three weeks for our body to clear its reactivity to foods ‘it doesn’t like.’ So, for at least three weeks, it means cutting out the foods best known to cause negative physical reactions and focusing on nourishing ourselves with healthy alternatives. Here’s what that means:
Image: Revival Health GmbH
Once the three weeks are up, begin reintroducing one food (group) at a time per week and monitor your body’s response to it. Here’s a weekly food diary to help with that.
This may seem daunting at first, and it certainly does take commitment, but remember it is temporary, and your body will thank you in the long run!
If we can identify what foods nourish our body vs. those that harm it, our energy levels, skin, digestion, and so much more will improve, automatically leading to a much higher quality of life.
This process takes a few months in total, but its benefits will serve us for the rest of our lives. In my opinion, this is time and effort well spent!
Here are seven small tips that can help make this process a success:
Focus on inclusion, not elimination — admittedly, the name doesn’t help here. Still, it’s far too easy to get stuck in the “I can’t eat anything then” mindset (or excuse!), so shift your focus to all the things you can eat, many of which might be new to you, and therefore can be an exciting new experience.
Meal prepping — preparing foods in advance for the week will allow you to properly plan the right foods, and help you avoid snacking or ‘falling off the wagon’.
Drink enough water — this will keep you hydrated and also help you feel full.
Eat your meals at the same time each day — this helps your body adjust to change and also helps you avoid snacking.
Eat enough food — this is not a calorie-restricted diet, so make sure you eat enough calories for energy as well as adequate nutrient intake.
Get enough sleep — your body will go through some (tough) changes, so be sure to help it rejuvenate.
Look beyond food — focus your mind on all the health benefits that may come from this. How will this positively affect your life, and how will you show up for those around you?
The first few days can be tough, as you’re likely to experience some withdrawal symptoms from foods you’re used to eating several times a day (breads, desserts, milk products, processed and sweetened fast foods, pasta, etc.).
I experienced this when I stopped drinking caffeine. I was never a big coffee drinker, but definitely enjoyed a cup every morning, and very occasionally, a second one in the afternoon. Even with that low level of consumption, I had splitting headaches for two weeks when I stopped.
I was shocked at how my body was affected, and it highlighted the power of caffeine. Now, I get headaches if I drink caffeine by mistake. It’s my body telling me to stay away from it!
So, if you experience some unpleasantness such as changes in sleep patterns, fatigue, lightheadedness, headaches, joint or muscle stiffness, and gastrointestinal complaints, don’t be alarmed. If the symptoms are unbearable or persist beyond a week or two, seek professional medical help.
After the initial period of eliminating foods, many chronic symptoms should improve. When the burden on the immune system is decreased, our body has an opportunity to heal.
A faster but more costly way to identify what foods to avoid is through Viome Intelligence tests. The biggest advantage here is that these tests also identify our specific superfoods. Additionally, Viome offers the option of customised supplements based on our unique results — something I have not seen elsewhere (customised supplements are, however, only available in the United States).
I did the full-body intelligence test which gave me 50+ integrative health scores including gut health, cellular & energy efficiency, inflammation response, immune system health, oral health, brain & cognitive health, heart & cardiometabolic health, and biological age.
My test results only highlighted a few adjustments in terms of foods to avoid (I was well on track as I had already done the elimination diet). However, since learning about and consuming many of my superfoods daily, I have noticed an improvement in my energy levels, stronger nails, and more regular periods.
In full disclosure, having had such a positive experience with the products, I am now a Viome affiliate, so I receive a small percentage of the proceeds if you use the link above.
Movement
There’s no substitute for moving our bodies — every day.
The list of benefits regular exercise gives us is long, but to name just a few, it helps to:
improve our mood
support our digestion
boost our energy
promote better sleep
spark up our sex life
manage our weight
combat health conditions and diseases
But here again, the key is finding what works for you. No two bodies are built the same, just like no two personalities are the same.
I’ve written about this topic in a previous article so I won’t repeat it here, but if you don’t already have a sport or exercise that you love, then read “How To Find a Workout That Will Work for You” to help you find your jam.
Knowledge Is Power. Knowledge of the Self Is Self-Empowerment.
The better we know our bodies — the more we listen to them — the healthier and happier we can be.
My mind and body have been through a lot of trauma since that day when I was 13 years old and told that MS was my destiny. But I’ve done the work. I’ve learned. I’ve listened. I’ve changed. And 30 years later I remain MS-free.
Our genes do not determine our destiny. We do.
I believe that our autonomic nervous system is the most powerful pharmacy in the world and that our bodies can heal themselves in extraordinary ways.
And so I continue to learn about my mind and my body. And I continue to change. For the better. Striving to always become a healthier, happier version of myself as I continue to move through this journey called life.
Next, I’ll be writing about how “Our Emotions Affect Our Gene Expression” so stay tuned if this topic has piqued your interest!
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[2]: Genes and Chromosomes by Quasar S. Padiath, MBBS, PhD, University of Pittsburgh
[5]: The Brain-Gut Connection by Dr. Atsushi Kamiya
[6]: Borre, Y. et al. (2014). Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. PubMed.gov.
[7]: Foster, J. et al. (2016). International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology. PubMed Central.