How we spend the last years of our lives can largely be determined by what lifestyle choices we made during our earlier years. Research indicates that although we may have a genetic family history of heart disease, cancer, etc., these conditions are largely preventable with diet and lifestyle measures. These lifestyle measures play a significant role in influencing the expression of these genes. Genetic weaknesses may be present, but nutritional choices have the ability to either turn-on, or turn-off the initiation and progression of disease. This is through the science of epigenetics.
The following video is very thought provoking and well produced. The ideas expressed are excellent. The most important point is for us to decide how we want to live our final years, and then make our best efforts towards those goals. Health is wealth. (The website they reference at the end of the video appears to no longer be active.)
Wisdom from Dr. McDougall
John McDougall, MD has written a wonderful article on epigenetics and nutrition entitled "Human Genes are Turned On and Off by Diet." This is a promising field full of extremely good news. The bottom line is that the decisions we make today have a tremendous impact on our genes...resulting in a better tomorrow. Likewise, the decisions we make today can have a devastating effect on our future health outcome. As Dr. McDougall points out, many people are suffering from "over consumption" and "diseases of excess."
We now live in a world where diseases caused by over-nutrition are far more common than diseases of under-nutrition (starvation).
This over-nutrition causes health damaging changes to our genes. Dr. McDougall is sure to point out that all is not lost.
Fortunately, modifications in gene expression now being caused by over-nutrition are reversible.
A Quote From Dr. Fuhrman
Dr. Fuhrman firmly believes that, "Nutrition is such a powerful regulator of disease incidence that when an optimal diet is consumed through much of life, genetics will have little effect on contributing to the appearance of the common causes of death we see in our society today. We all have different genetic weaknesses. We all have various susceptibilities to various diseases. Family history is almost meaningless when individuals utilize superior nutrition to avoid the nutritional causes of illness. What is not meaningless is risk factors and risk factor reduction. When we look at people living a lifetime on healthy, natural vegetable and fruit predominant diets, none of them get heart attacks, period. Family history only matters when you follow the same disease-causing diet-style that your family did."
These two plant based luminaries approach nutrition and health from different angles and have been known to disagree (understatement intentional). But, I believe you will see here they agree on the power of nutrition and diet to transform your health by transforming your genes. My wish is that you will make every effort to live in such a way that your golden years of life will be a blessing to yourself, your family and your friends.
For information regarding family history and gene expression, see:
(1) Colin Campbell Explains Cancer Growth
(2) Reverse Aging With a Plant-Based Diet