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Don’t Blame your Genes If You Don’t Fit Into Your Jeans

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July 19, 2010
	Dr. Gary Huber : Head Medical Ego

You may have the genes but if you keep them turned off then you will likely skate right past this destiny. 

The proteins that your genes code for may be healthy proteins and not the problematic proteins based on the vitamins, nutrients, and other elements that affect your DNA. 

Studies tell us that only 5% of all cancers are directly linked to gene content and 95% of your risk is due to environment. Isn’t this great news? We are in control.

We can direct the 95% risk with our own personal choices. We can choose to eat and drink and play in a healthy fashion and rest with the knowledge that the odds are greatly in our favor. We directly control 95% of our outcome. 

Now this runs counter to what I hear many people say.  “I’m fat because I have a fat gene in my family.”  “Everyone in my family has diabetes so I’m just waiting for mine to start.” No, no and no!!! 

Don’t turn those genes on. Eat low glycemic whole foods, eat organic, drink and eat green tea, drink lots of water and avoid soda, exercise every day, get good sleep, control stress.  You can do this and there are articles all over this website to guide you. 

Yes there are still some diseases like cystic fibrosis or Huntington’s chorea that are the direct result of ONE faulty gene but that affects less that 2% of the population. 

Many of us have this illusion that one gene determines an outcome when the reality is that it typically takes a hundred or more genes played as a cord rather than a single note to generate a given outcome. 

There are companies out there attempting to take advantage of your naivety by offering you “gene tests” and “personalized supplements” to impact these genes.  Be careful.  Unless you understand gene testing and its ramifications (and who really does?)then I recommend working with a knowledgeable physician or clinician that can properly guide you.  Ask to see the credentials of the individual offering you gene testing before you decide to spend money on tests that may offer you nothing more than fancy graphs and pictures. Genetic testing and management is not something you pick up at a weekend seminar.

In an upcoming post, I’ll share with you a really cool example of just how genes can be controlled with proper diet. I will explore a term called “Epigenetics” and discuss how our environment and lifestyle choices effect our gene expression. 

If you are interested in learning more about this then I recommend a very nice book written for the lay public but enjoyed by clinicians as well, called “The Biology Of Belief” by Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D.

Chose well and live strong!