How much control do you feel you have over your life in general, and your health in particular? The current pandemic has left many of us feeling out of control – causing feelings of disbelief, fear, anger and a lot of uncertainty. We have all become victims of the pandemic as we scramble to do the things we hope will restore some semblance of control over the outcome: social distancing, wearing face masks, and emphasizing increased hygiene to try to flatten the curve.
These are all important actions to take, and we must all do our part to follow them. But unfortunately, these defensive reactions can also create more fear, more uncertainty, and a greater sense of victimhood in our current lives. So what else, as individuals, can we do to feel empowered?
This is a time to reflect upon the state of your health. As the pandemic unfolds, it has become clear that our health status can make us more more susceptible to the effects of not just COVID-19, but any virus. The pandemic has reminded us of one simple truth: the metabolic health of an individual has a significant impact on how they respond to infection. Metabolic health is achieved when a person has ideal levels of blood sugar, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, and waist circumference without the use of medications. It is estimated that only 12% of Americans are metabolically healthy.
This is a time to reflect upon whether you are giving your body the best possible chance at fighting infection and staying healthy. Are you one of the 12%? Or are you one of the 70% of Americans who are obese or overweight? Is your blood sugar well controlled without medication? What about aging? It is not your biological age that matters, but your immune and metabolic age.
As we move through these uncertain times, the science of epigenetics can be a beacon of hope for our future. Epigenetics studies how our day-to-day environment controls the expression of our genes, and thus how our bodies respond to viruses. According to Bruce Lipton, PhD, genes are the blueprints used in the construction of cells, tissues and organs, and the environment serves as a “contractor” who reads and engages the blueprints. We can influence the contractor.
It has become a cultural norm to believe that we are powerless to whatever is hereditary, that our genes come from our parents and we have no control over them. We now know that it is actually much more nuanced; the expression of these genes is greatly influenced by the health of our lifestyle. For example, even marginal deficiencies of certain vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, D, selenium and zinc can cause a significant decline in our immune function genes. If we can influence our genes, then we have so much more control over our health than most of us have been led to believe.
As Americans, we live in a drive thru world of big gulps and inexpensive, processed food engineered to satisfy the pleasure centers of our brain. We sit for eight hours a day at work, watch four hours of TV, and then maybe slog on the treadmill. This lifestyle robs us of our sense of autonomy and control.
Epigenetics gives us back that control, and in order to move toward optimism for the future, we must capitalize on that. Every choice we make in our day to day activities determines the expression of our genes. So which expression of yourself will you choose?
Even when the pandemic is over, seasonal flu and other challenges will occur. It is up to each of us to make lifestyle choices that will strengthen our genetic expression and lead us away from disease and illness and toward longevity, wellness, and vitality.
Dr. Kerwin is a chiropractor and nutritionist who has been practicing and living in Gorham with his wife for 29 years. They have three grown daughters.