Are you a sitting duck? Why understanding your genetics is powerful!

Earlier this spring, I received news that someone very close to me had cancer.  I was worried, but also shocked as this person has an active lifestyle,  eats his fruits and veggies, and is at a healthy body weight.   Luckily it was caught early and after surgery to remove the cancer, no further treatment was required.

These are the stories we hear that make us wonder why some of us are sitting ducks for things like cancer and others seem to go through life ignoring all the prevention advice and live to a ripe old age with very few health complications.  The explanation is simply epigenetics: changes in people caused by gene expression that is influenced by their environment, rather than the alteration of the genetic code itself.  I like to think of genetics as a gun and environment as the trigger.  The gun is harmless until the trigger is pulled. Knowing this, I immediately wanted to help my loved one understand what their genetic risk factors were, what genetics were actively expressing, and how we could use that information as prevention to fight cancer from returning!

The two tests we utilized and that I recommend for anyone with a history of cancer are the NutrEval and 3x4 Genetics. You can learn more about them with the links below.

Nutritional Test | NutrEval FMV® (gdx.net)

At-Home DNA Analysis and Genetic Testing - 3X4 Genetics

So what did we find?    Impaired methylation!  This process helps to repair and direct behavior of genes.  When one has an impaired ability to do this, they can become more vulnerable to the daily environmental assaults from harmful chemicals in food, cookware, water, and air.  Daily intake of B vitamin rich foods, foods rich in choline, and foods rich in folate become essential.  Food intake alone may not be enough and this is when correct supplementation is also vital.  When we investigated what was expressing via NutrEval testing, we found a great need for supplementation!  Even with daily intake eggs, fruits, and veggies, B vitamin levels were very low!  

Thomas Edison, American inventor and businessman once said, “The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will instruct his patient in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.“   The future is here. What is your personalized path to preventing disease?