When science first began to identify and decode genes, the medical field got really excited and thought we understood the underlying determinants of health.

More recently, however, epigenetics – the science that looks at how our environment controls our gene expression – has made discoveries that have overridden the idea that our genes determine our health or disease.

It isn’t whether you carry a gene or not that determines your likelihood to develop disease, but whether the chemical environment in your body is one that stimulates your cells to express those genes and become diseased.

Since the science of epigenetics is new and has not been incorporated into the foundation of clinical medicine at this time, most doctors are still operating under the belief that your genes dictate your health.

What controls your biochemical environment?

Your diet and lifestyle play a huge role in determining your biochemistry. However, one the largest determinants of your internal state is the impact of your thoughts.  When you have thoughts of fear and stress on a regular basis, you generate harmful biochemicals that stimulate your cells to become diseased.  When you have healthy thoughts of joy and appreciation, you generate healthy biochemicals that keep your cells nurtured and healthy and turn off disease genes.   Even if you do not think you’re stressed…

If you feel overwhelmed, overworked, worried about money, disconnected, like you are on a hamster wheel, or feel like you’re just waiting for the weekend to come…  These are stressors that generate harmful chemicals in your body.

How do your thoughts control your gene expression?

A multitude of research studies has made it evident that our biochemical environment (our hormones, neurotransmitters, peptides and immune cells) alters our cells genetic expression.  Stress chemicals like cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine, as well as inflammatory mediators that increase when we are stressed, create a biochemical environment that activates the genes for disease to be expressed in the body.  This means that genes get turned on or turned off depending on how we think, feel and behave.

When you listen to your body and live in harmony with what it needs, disease genes are unexpressed.  By listening to the body and honoring its needs, studies show that even patients who carry genes for cancer remain disease free.

-Dr. Kim