It is a common misconception that if a particular disease runs in your family, then your genetic make-up would almost guarantee that you land up having that very same disease. People accept this and believe that nothing can be done as this disease has been inherited from their parents/grandparents etc.
What if that weren’t the case? What if we could change the course of our disease?
Even better…what if we live in such a way that we can prevent getting a chronic illness in the first place? Wouldn’t that change our lives forever?
Well, I am happy to say that it is possible. It has been proven to be more than possible by Dr. Bruce Lipton.
Bruce H. Lipton, PhD, a stem cell biologist, did multiple studies at Stanford University’s School of Medicine between 1987 and 1992. He revealed that “the environment, operating though the membrane, controlled the behavior and physiology of the cell, turning genes on and off.”
What this means is that you can “switch” off your genes by manipulating your environment. This is done by following a good diet, through exercise, supplements, positive thoughts, listening to music, laughing, being in a joyful state, minimizing stress, etc. This is a new and exciting field in medicine and is known as ‘epigenetics.’
The diabetes/insulin resistance that you have, doesn’t need to exist in your life any longer. The high blood pressure that you have, doesn’t need to be there too. This applies to many other chronic conditions as well.
Dr. B. Lipton proved that genetics account for less than 10% of all disease and that your environment accounts for more than 90%. He outlines this beautifully in his book, ‘ The biology of belief.’
Interestingly, what was noted was that if there was a family where diabetes was prevalent in three or four generations of the family members, then those individuals ate the same way, lived the same lifestyle and followed the same cultural habits. Hence, their diabetes resulted from replicating the lifestyle that they experienced growing up. Their diabetes was not due to their genes. You can easily see this in a family where some of the members have a certain illness whilst the other ‘healthier and happier’ members are free from disease.
Where to go from here?
A consultation with an integrative medical practitioner who looks at the whole of you: body, mind and spirit is essential when you embark on changing the course of your illness. Investigations with blood testing will be done and supplements that are prescribed are usually patient specific. If need be, specialized genetic testing can be done that show us the ‘snips’ or gaps in the gene pathways which can be switched off with a healthy diet, nutraceuticals, etc.
“I have illness X as it runs in my family.” This is a medical myth.
I believe that this study of epigenetics is the most important breakthrough for modern medicine. It allows an individual to take responsibility over their health and over their lives. There is no longer a need to be dependent on pharmaceutical drugs.
DISCLAIMER : The above article aims to educate the client and does not replace a consultation. Please contact your doctor should you wish to change or stop your medication. It is the responsible thing to do.