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DAY 19 - DNA

A common belief in Western culture is that our likelihood of manifesting particular health issues is determined by our genetic makeup. With the discovery of DNA and its attributes, it has become standard to expect that if your mother had breast cancer, you would be more likely to contract the same breast cancer through genes inherited from your parents. As it turns out, this assumption benefits from clarification.

More than 98 percent of DNA does not appear to function in the conventional simplistic fashion of inheritance and is thus labeled “junk” DNA. We don’t  yet know the purpose of so-called junk DNA, although some of it is no doubt involved in the complex regulation of gene expression during embryo development as it transforms into a fetus, then into an infant.

Recent research reveals that only 5 percent (or less) of disease-related gene mutations are fully expressed (penetrant, or deterministic) and actually result in the disease. Thanks to environmental and behavioral influences, in the other 95 percent of such cases, the presence of the mutation does not result in the disease.

We are not so much slave to our genetics, after all. It turns out that we can make the choice to modify our DNA by shifting our thoughts, beliefs, and behavior. This is a complete reversal from the conventional view of the science formerly taught in medical school. This fact has the potential to overhaul our entire approach to health care when fully accepted and applied in clinical practice.

PRACTICE

Review your lifestyle in the areas of diet, exercise, sleep and stress levels and realize that every choice you make is affecting the expression of your genetic makeup. Take charge of how you care for your mind, body and spirit on a daily basis.