You Have More Control over Your Health Than You Realize - part 3
The Control Is in the Environment
Another empowering science with massive implications for healing is epigenetics. Until recently, we used to hear frequently that: there is nothing you can do because it is genetic. We know now that this is yet another outdated way of looking at disease and healing. Believe it or not, many doctors and patients are still playing the blame the genetics game. Those who like being victims love this narrative. That is OK. Some people are not ready to take responsibility, and we are not here to judge that. However, for anyone who wants to take control of their health, this science gives them that power because it clearly shows that we are not victims of our genes.
Epigenetics means the control is not in the genes but above the genes, which is what epi means. The bottom line is that if we optimize our mindset for healing and get all the dietary and lifestyle factors right, we have an incredible level of control over our health, which makes the relatively small genetic component much less significant. Studies on identical twins, such as the ones from Osaka University, demonstrate that it is not just genetics that dictate people’s health outcomes. According to this research, identical twins, who, of course, share the same DNA, do not tend to manifest the same health issues.
There are, of course, diseases that are the result of one faulty gene, like Huntington’s or cystic fibrosis. However, single-gene disorders affect less than 2 percent of the population, and even in these cases, optimizing the epigenetic factors, such as diet, lifestyle, and, of course, the mindset, will massively improve people’s prognosis. In reality, the vast majority of people are born with genes that enable them to live a happy, healthy life. The diseases plaguing the world today, like heart disease, diabetes, autoimmunity, and cancer are NOT the result of a single gene but of complex interactions among multiple genes and environmental factors.
Dr. Bruce Lipton will tell you that scientists have linked many genes to many diseases but they have rarely found that one gene causes a particular disease. That is extremely rare. It is one thing for a gene to be linked to disease and another to cause disease. Dr. Lipton gives the example of a car key. Just because you need the key to start the car does not mean the car key controls the car or makes it drive. Another scientist summarized it this way: When a gene product is needed, a signal from its environment, not an emergent property of the gene itself, activates expression of that gene. In other words, the control is in the environment (diet, lifestyle, state of mind, etc.).
Geneticists working on the Human Genome Project had a bit of a shock when they discovered that the entire human genome consists of only 25,000 genes and not 120,000 as they had expected. This means there are simply not enough genes to account for the complexity of human life or human disease. There is a roundworm out there (Caenorhabditis) that has 1,200 cells and around 24,000 genes. The human body with fifty trillion cells contains only 1,500 more genes than that worm. Even though we have lipids and polysaccharides in our cells that serve very important cell functions, our cells are in the main an assembly of protein building blocks, and it is the changing of the proteins’ electromagnetic charges that is responsible for their behavior, not DNA. Another reminder that we are electromagnetic beings!
So no, genes do not make us who we are and they do not ultimately control our health. DNA blueprints passed down through genes are not set in stone at birth. This is why the three pieces in the Triangle of Healing not only matter but make all the difference.
The Miracle of Neuroplasticity
Another field of study that I utilize in my method to a great extent is neuroscience. Apart from the understanding that neuroscience brings us with regards to why and how the techniques and exercise presented here work, we are utilizing neuroplasticity to remodel our neurology. Neuroplasticity is this amazing ability our brain possesses to adapt, change, and grow through reorganization as we learn new information. Neuroplasticity works by pruning (getting rid of neural connections) and sprouting (creating new neural connections). In a healthy brain these processes can take seconds.
As you are working through this book, you will have those “aha” moments, after which you will not be able to operate (think, feel, behave) in the same way as before. Those beautiful moments, when in an instant, the map of your world expands, are an example of neuroplasticity in action. What can also happen is that as new information comes into your awareness, suddenly what was appealing to you previously is not anymore. That can start the process of pruning some of the existing neural pathways.
Most of the time, however, the sort of transformations that most people are after when doing this work take time, awareness, and repetition. So just keep that in mind. Also, I want you to be aware that the initial moment of stepping out of your box is not always comfortable because we feel safer with familiarity, no matter how uncomfortable that is. If we persevere, we will be rewarded. That is why you need to be ready to change. If you are doing this because your mother or your partner thinks you should, you will likely step out of your box and pull right back. This is why it is so important that you are the one driving your process of change and you are positively motivated to achieve your goals.
Stem Cells – Embodiment of Pure Biological Potential
I would like to conclude this very brief review of sciences that show us how to take control over our health with mentioning the role of stem cells in healing. You can think of stem cells as the body’s raw materials. All other cells with specialized functions are generated from stem cells. Under the right conditions, stem cells divide to form more cells called daughter cells. These then either become new stem cells (self-renewal) or become specialized cells (differentiation). Specialized cells have specific functions, such as blood cells, muscle cells, brain cells, immune cells, or bone cells. No other cell in the body has this incredible ability to generate new specialized cells, so stem cells truly are our allies when it comes to healing.
What is interesting, however, is that studies on wound healing show that being in stress-promoting emotional states (e.g., fear, anger) causes an interference in this process of stem cells becoming useful cells that can be utilized for specific purposes. This is because those emotional states activate fight-or-flight, or perhaps even freeze, response, which direct the body’s resources to dealing with the threat, regardless of whether it is real or only perceived. In fact, this is the case every time we do not feel 100 percent safe and relaxed. In other words, at those times, the body is focused on surviving only, and any other processes, such as healing, are of secondary importance. Later in the book, we will talk more about optimizing your autonomic nervous system function for healing, but the above briefly explains why stress activation is not conducive to cellular regeneration and repair.
So, in summary, we can be in charge of our physical destiny if we choose to. There is enough scientific evidence to support this claim within these different scientific branches. In addition, we also have technology that can support our stem cell migration and differentiation. If you are interested to access this technology, email me and I will advise.
