By Jade Robins, ND
A preview from Chapter 3 “Genetics, Epigenetics, and Nutrigenomics: What You Inherit, What You Can Control” from Dr. Nasha Winters and Jess Higgins Kelley, MNT much anticipated book, “The Metabolic Approach to Cancer: Integrating Deep Nutrition, the Ketogenic Diet, and Nontoxic Bio-Individualized Therapies”.
Talk about feeling empowered! This chapter really drives home the message that when it comes to your health, there are SO many variables that are in our control, and that is truly exciting! These ladies do a phenomenal job of not only identifying numerous ways that we can reduce the stress we place on our genes on a daily basis, but even better, they outline in incredible detail how to make the changes necessary to optimize health and kick cancers butt!
For a deeper look at your genetic picture and the influence that diet, lifestyle, and environment have on your genes, Optimal Terrain offers expert Epigenetic Consultations. Recognizing that we are all unique and individual, we identify your genetic “hiccups” or susceptibilities and customize a plan to reduce exposures and better arm yourself against insult. Your consult will provide you with a personalized guide in determining the proper nutrition and supplement needs best suited to support your individual genetic expression.
Whether you are fighting cancer, chronic disease, or just looking to optimize your health, don’t forget to pre-order your copy of “The Metabolic Approach to Cancer” to help you further evaluate your terrain. With over 30 years of combined clinical and nutritional knowledge, you cannot go wrong! I am absolutely blown away with the level of expertise in this book…. one “aha” moment after another!
In health!
Dr. Jade
“Several genetic mutations caused by the dietary changes that attended the arrival of agriculture now increase our risk of developing cancer, especially those related to the increased consumption of sugar (glucose, fructose, and sucrose). The metabolism of glucose increases the creation of free radicals that can cause DNA mutations and subsequent inflammation.[1] Studies have also found that high glucose levels induce DNA damage and interfere with DNA repair capability.[2] Similarly, a study published in 2011 in the journal Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets entitled “Refined Fructose and Cancer” demonstrated that the more fructose a person consumes, the higher the amount of damage done to DNA.[3] Our genes are screaming at us to stop eating sugar. But the elimination of sugar is not only good for our genes, it is at the heart of the metabolic approach to cancer. Cancer is not a disease of our genes, it is a disease caused by what we are feeding them.
In addition to a reduction in nutritional diversity, agricultural diets are associated with a caloric availability that exceeds growth and energetic requirements. Enter diabetes. How on earth do we expect our ancient genome to adapt to the changes of the past hundred years: high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), processed grains, refined oils, artificial and synthetic ingredients, and Krispy Cremes! Grains, legumes, processed dairy products, and sugar were not part of the human diet until just a mere speck of time ago in the span of human existence, and since they have been introduced our health has declined. It is estimated that a third of today’s children will get diabetes in their lifetime, and almost half of all adults will get cancer. We must start looking at the effect our modern diet is having on our health—and change it. Our nutrition has a significant impact on the health of our genes, and new discoveries in the emerging fields of nutrigenetics, nutrigenomics, and nutritional epigenetics keep proving it.”
