Genes are part of our human makeup. There are some we feel happy about, such as those nice hand shapes from mum and passing them to the next generation. Grandchildren proudly show off the birthmarks they got from grandma.
Keep the Good Genes On and the Bad Off
It’s all good until you are reaching your mid-forties and notice your cholesterol is rising up and your GP advises you to start taking pills to control those ‘bad genes’ you inherited from mum or dad. That happened to me a few years back. My mum and older brother had cardiovascular issues and had heart surgery.
However, around that time I learnt that although we may receive (inherited) specific genes from our parents, we can control the activation of those genes through our behaviour and lifestyle.
“Wait a second”, I told my GP, “Give me 6 months and I will try to improve my condition with diet and exercise.” Yes, I had some improvement, but not enough. Very disappointed, I was still on the path to depending permanently on medication.
My mum had been taking medication since I remember. She’d started having one a day and ended up with 13 pills, three times a day. She spent her last two years in bed, taking a cocktail of pills for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Being number 10 in a family of 12, and all my siblings taking some medication, my odds did not look very promising.
“I cannot change my genes, but maybe I can control the triggering of those bad ones”, I said to myself. That was the beginning of my quest for Optimal Health, leading me to deepen my understanding of how much control I really have, and how to use it.
Ten years have passed and I don’t take any medication at all, and my medical records could not be better. Well, as the saying goes, ‘always there is room for improvement’. Optimal Health is a journey, not a destination.
How to prevent hereditary diseases?
Here is what I have implemented over the last 10 years:
- Positive mindset: getting everything in order above the neck by reading books, listening to audiobooks – podcasts, associating with like-minded people)
- Proper nutrition: low carb, quality protein, plenty of fruits and vegetables
- Quality supplementation to fill the nutritional gaps
- Move: walk 10,000 steps every day
- Clean air: room air purifier system
- Clean water: water purification system
- Emotional wellness
I agree that we inherit our ancestor’s genes (good and bad), and there isn’t much we can do to change those genes. We also inherit habits, emotions and lifestyles but the good news it is that we can change and control them.
I believe we can control the triggering of those genes carrying chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. This is working for me so far, and based on my family history I have the benefit of genes that will allow me to have a long life.
After all, what we want is to live long and well. Don’t we?
If you are on your journey to Optimal Health or want to start working in that direction, you are not alone.
Be grateful for the goodness you inherited from your ancestors and build a legacy for your children. And if you don’t come from a healthy family, make sure a healthy family comes from you.
Jorge Aristizabal
Begin your Optimal Health Journey
