The food we eat not only feeds our bodies, but it can also affect how our genes work—in an interview with Dr. Amy Coopersmith on Energize and Revitalize, nutritional counselor Jill Shanahan explained the science of epigenetics. They explored how lifestyle and diet may “switch genes on or off,” influencing everything from inflammation to energy levels.
To learn more about how your daily diet choices shape your health at the genetic level, listen to this week’s episode of Energize and Revitalize with Dr. Amy.
Full Transcript
Genes and epigenetics 0:00
So we have genes, different predispositions we inherit. But then there are other things that turn those genes on or off, depending on some things we can control and some we can't. So I think that's fascinating. I've been doing a lot of reading about that. And what can we do to control how our genes are expressed?
Methylation and MTHFR 0:18
So what are some things, you mentioned nutrition, so what are some things that nutrition can do in terms of our epigenetics? Methylation is a, it's something that is like a cascade. And it starts with, I don't know if you've heard of the MTHFR. Oh, yeah. So what nutrition can do, in order for methylation to occur, you need methyl donors. And those are vitamins, minerals, and things that we need. And we can get them from our diets. We can get them from supplements. But with the MTHF, our gene, if one of those snips is not good, there's folic acid, which is a fake folate that's put into a lot of foods,
Nutrition, toxins, and produce choices 0:58
some supplements, and that form can actually be toxic to someone with the MTHFR gene. They think they're doing the right thing and they're actually causing harm to their bodies. Absolutely. getting your nutrition, getting your methyl donors from your diet, and then supplementation as well is step one. And then eating clean and making sure that you're not ingesting a lot of toxins from your food, which is a good argument for the organic produce. However, it's not important to eat completely organic.
You can, if you wish, but there's the Dirty Dozen Clean 15, which will kind of guide you as to which tend to be the most toxic.
Mindful eating and digestion 1:44
And washing all of your produce, whether it's organic or not, is important. But even as far as just who you are when you show up to the table, how you eat, do you eat slowly, are you relaxed, can have an impact on digestion to the point where you're either you're either absorbing and utilizing those nutrients from your food or you're not.
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