Key Concept #1: Yes, You Really Can Reprogram Your Genes

Hey all.

Did you know?

The popular conception of a gene is “a weird collection of DNA and chromosomes and other stuff that determines whether or not you’re going to get this type of cancer, how long you’ll live, and if you’ll get a coronary bypass at some point in your life.”

There’s this idea that genes are immutable, that they represent a sort of cosmic destiny for an individual. But, aside from some heritable traits like eye and hair color or the number of fingers on your hands and feet, genes are actually programmable.

They “express” themselves in different ways according to information gathered from our environment, our food, and our behaviours. They “turn on” or “turn off” in response to these environmental signals.

Thus, though you might have “the gene for type 2 diabetes” – which is really just a genetic proclivity towards the disease, not a sentence – providing the right environmental signals will prevent the gene from ever turning on.

How we eat, exercise, sleep, interact with our social circles, stress, and spend time outdoors (plus tons of other environmental signals) determines how our genes express themselves; how our genes express themselves, in turn, determines our level of health. Genetic predisposition is not your destiny.

Mark Sisson