I’ve heard it repeatedly over the past few years..
“It’s in my family.”
“It’s my genetics.”
I understand where these people come from because it’s ignorance. Almost everybody out of the womb today believes that your genetic heritage holds the most weight in regards to health outcomes.
Well, you had that excuse until now.
Cue epigenetics.
What is epigenetics?
Epigenetics is the study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work.
It’s a layer of instruction on top of your DNA which tells it:
A) What groups of genes to switch on
B) How said gene groups will perform
Think of it like an orchestra. Your DNA is the music. The epigenome is the conductor who’s commanding cells what to do and when to carry those actions.
Want to know what determines how your DNA is expressed?
Lifestyle choices.
This is a revolutionary idea because it gives people hope and a sense of autonomy over their health. From this perspective, you are no longer a leaf in the wind. Instead, you are the motherfucking wind.
That’s what I love most about epigenetics.
It blew my mind when I first learned about it.
Biochemical differences
As I mentioned in a previous article, we are all different on a biochemical level.
Even the genes of identical twins express themselves differently over a lifetime based on the environment, food choices, stress levels, sleep, so forth.
Read more about biochemical individuality below.
Knowing we’re all different and that epigenetics holds most of the weight, the only task we must focus on is knowing ourselves (and our genetic predispositions).
I suggest getting a 23andme test, downloading your raw data from their website, and then plugging the raw data into Dr. Rhonda Patrick’s gene analysis tool which I’ve linked below.
From there, you’ll be given a list of the most important gene snips based on your personal mutations. This information is gold because it informs your level of risk and how you can best act to make sure no future harmful outcomes arises.
Lifestyle remains king
People reflexively blame their genetics for psoriasis, heart disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative disease.
While genetics do play a role, epigenetics remains king.
In other words, your lifestyle choices determine which genes get expressed over time and which ones do not.
This is why I place an emphasis on abiding by holistic lifestyle principles from proper sleep hygiene to a diet centered around fighting chronic inflammation.
What you do, day in and day out, is where the rubber meets the road.
There’s a beautiful saying:
“Genes load the gun while epigenetics pulls the trigger.”
You can have a family history of psoriasis or heart disease, but that doesn’t mean you’ll develop those chronic conditions because it’s within your power to make the correct lifestyle changes.
You have the power of choice.
Playing the genetic card outside of rare diseases you’re born with doesn’t hold weight anymore. It all comes down to how well you manage your lifestyle from an early age.
By no means do I discount genetics
Your genetic heritage is important.
It’s a part of what makes you who you are and should be a part of the health discussion when assessing future risk.
But the new research is in now.
Epigenetics is an emerging field with incredible possibilities. The world’s most prominent experts in this field are diving deep and stand by this concept.
I can’t remember where I heard this from..
But epigenetics account for 95% of health outcomes while genetics account for only about 4-5%. This doesn’t surprise me because why else are we in this mess of chronic disease today?
It comes down to lifestyle choices.
They have changed drastically over the past hundred years compared to how we evolved and why we thrived.
What you do in youth matters
A lot of young people like to think they’re current health decisions don’t matter in the grand scheme of things, yet that’s a naive philosophy.
Your ability to function as you age is directly tied to how well you take care of yourself when you’re relatively young.
With this framework, you have more reason to do things right when you’re young.
You’re laying the epigenetic foundation for:
Risk of future chronic disease
How well you move into old age
How well you think into old age
How long you’ll be alive
It’s forward thinking.
The wise at heart change their strategy around this truth.
Guess what helps gentlemen dial in their lifestyle for optimal epigenetic expression?
The 8 Week Energy Accelerator For Men
Sleep
Hydration
Nutrition
Movement
Supplementation
Blood & genetic testing
A comprehensive approach to solving all of your health issues (fatigue, excess body fat, shitty sleep, confusion around what to eat, aching joints, you name it).
I’m looking for three well established men who are seriously interested in joining.
I’ll see you on the other side.
Much love,
Zaid