The Real Food Coach: How can you improve your genes?

Ok, so I do not mean that you can grow a few inches overnight with a magic pill or suddenly turn your hair to that luscious shade of red you have been craving. Some of our genes are set in stone when we are born and they will always be that way unless we take unnatural measure to change them. We have a blue print in our DNA that decides how we will look and how our health will pan out and in some ways that is our fate at birth.

However, the good news is that we can change the way our genes are expressed overtime by taking care of our bodies and making sure they do not get out of balance. If we eat refined foods, don't drink enough water, sleep too little and party hard, then our genes are going to express themselves differently than if we take specific steps to protect our bodies.

So why do some people smoke and drink all their years and still live long lives?

This will come down to predisposed factors; some people will have what we call a strong constitution and will be inherently better at processing environmental toxins. A constitution of a person is dependent on their inherited characteristics and is influenced by many factors, particularly the environment. The weakest organ will react to a strong stimulus but the threshold at which it will cause disease varies from one individual to another.

So, some people can be really good all their lives and seem to do all the right things but still get sick, which seems terribly unfair.

So what do we do with this information? Here are my 3 top tips for keeping your genes working for you, instead of against you.

1. Eat good quality proteins. Amino acids are the building blocks of your entire system, if you choose good quality proteins (organic meat and fish in small amounts and nuts, pulses and dark leafy greens) then you are giving your body great tools to express your genes with. Low quality fatty meats and chemical laden produce will not give you the the quality protein genes need to create a healthy body.

2. Drink plenty of filtered water. When our body is dehydrated our whole system goes into a state of toxicity. Our cell membranes struggle to let calcium and sodium out of the cells and we become highly acidic. This is a perfect environment for disease and our genes will struggle to create healthy tissues. Drink plenty of water and your body will be able to detoxify through the kidneys and bowel, leaving you feeling great.

3. Supplementation. In the modern world it is almost impossible to get all the nutrients we need. Not only do we not have the time to eat all those vegetables, but we don't have fresh choices. The vitamin C in a piece of fruit is most potent at the point of ripeness on the tree. By the time it gets to your house? It rarely has much left! Our genes need a full nutritional toolbox to create the best version of you, so supplement your diet with high grade supplements.