Genetically Predisposed: Our Family Health History Doesn't Have to Determine Our Destiny

When it comes to our family histories, did you know we have way more control over our genes than we might think? In this eye-opening episode, we challenge the notion that our genes must dictate our health destiny. We discover how our lifestyle choices can influence up to 95% of our health outcomes, even with genetic predispositions! We learn about epigenetics, the power of diet, exercise, stress management, and more when it comes to shaping our present and future health.

Dive deep with Kelly as she blends personal experiences with evidence-based science. Learn how she has successfully managed her strong genetic predisposition to Ulcerative Colitis for over a decade, and how we can "flip the switch" on disease-causing genes. 

Whether we're battling chronic conditions or aiming for optimal wellness, this episode empowers us with actionable tools to rewrite our health stories.

Website: www.kellybhaney.com
Email: [e-mail]
Instagram: @kellybhaney
Facebook: Kelly B Haney Wellness

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
Welcome to the Heal and Stay Healed podcast, where
we talk about healing and, moreimportantly, staying healed from
chronic disease and otherailments and issues.
We'll cover all the crazythings about health and life the
good, the bad, the ugly and thehilarious.
My name is Kelly and I'm asurvivor and overcomer of severe

(00:31):
autoimmune disease, and I can'twait to share with you what
I've learned so that you canheal and stay healed too.
Thanks for listening and enjoythe show.
Welcome back to another episodeof Heal and Stay Healed with

(00:55):
Kelly Behaney.
Today we are diving into afascinating topic that's crucial
for better understanding ourhealth and our healing, and that
is our genes G-E-N-E-S, notJ-E-A-N-S, in case you were
wondering.
We are about to unpack theage-old nature versus nurture

(01:21):
debate by exploring thefascinating interplay between
what's written in our DNA andthe daily choices we make that
ultimately shape our health.
We've all heard, or maybe evensaid ourselves, phrases like it
runs in the family or it's in mygenes.
These statements often carry asense of inevitability, as if

(01:44):
our genetic code is aset-in-stone blueprint for our
destiny.
However, recent research andreal-world experiences are
challenging this view.
Let's start with someeye-opening key information
Recent studies, including a 2019one from the University of

(02:04):
Alberta, have shown that formany common chronic diseases
genetic factors often onlyaccount, and Alzheimer's were on
the low end of that spectrumand others, such as autoimmune

(02:29):
diseases, were the higher ones,more in the 40% range.
Of course there are outliers, asis the case in my own family.
In my family of origin I havemy mom, my dad, my older brother
and myself.
Three out of four of us havebeen diagnosed with ulcerative

(02:49):
colitis.
I was the first one to bediagnosed back in 1999.
My brother followed a few yearslater and then, in what was a
shock to all of us just a fewyears ago, my mom was diagnosed
in her late 60s.
Now we finally know which sideof the family is to blame.
Now getting back to thosestatistics, if in most cases

(03:15):
genes only account for 5 to 40percent of common diseases, then
that means the influencingfactors for the other 60 to 95%
can be found in our lifestylebehaviors, modifiable and
controllable behaviors such asour nutrition, physical activity

(03:39):
, stress management, sleep andother environmental factors.
So for those of us who alreadyhave an autoimmune disease or
other chronic illness diagnosis,this raises a very important
and maybe not so popularquestion If we can only blame

(04:02):
our genes.
So much then.
What if our disease, at leastin part, is our fault?
Now, this isn't meant to be anoffensive suggestion.
It's meant to be an empoweringone, because if we are

(04:25):
responsible for gettingourselves sick, that means we
can be responsible for gettingourselves well.
If we got ourselves into this,we can get ourselves out.
That is a powerful mindsetshift From victim to warrior,

(04:48):
from hopelessness to hope.
It puts the power back in ourhands.
Whether our geneticpredisposition is big or small,
that mindset shift can make allthe difference.
It's not unreasonable to thinkthat, with my crazy genes, I'd

(05:09):
be especially condemned tohaving to deal with my disease
forever and ever.
Yet I've managed to staycompletely free of my disease
without medications for wellover a decade.
At this point how?
By taking my power back throughthis victim to warrior mindset

(05:30):
shift.
That was step one, followed bya steadfast commitment to making
conscious, nature-aligninglifestyle choices every single
day that have supported myhealing and staying healed.
We'll talk more about thosechoices in a few minutes.
Our genes may increase ourvulnerability to certain

(05:53):
diseases, yes, but we don't haveto be held hostage by them.
I've heard it best put this way.
My personal story is a greatexample of what the research is
telling us.

(06:14):
In my case, despite my geneticsituation, lifestyle changes
have brought me to a place wheremy genes no longer have the
winning hand.
This shows that, even after adisease manifests, your daily
choices can make a dramaticdifference, potentially turning
a full-blown health crisis intomild or even non-existent

(06:36):
symptoms.
Furthermore, if you have a highgenetic risk for a disease that
hasn't yet appeared, yourlifestyle can significantly
reduce the chances of thatdisease ever manifesting.
The power of our daily choicesin shaping our health is truly
remarkable.
I've seen this play out, ofcourse, not just in my own life,

(06:58):
but in the lives of so manyothers.
People with family histories ofeverything from autoimmune
diseases to cancer who've beenable to stay healthy or, if
they've already received adiagnosis, have been able to
reclaim their health throughliving a lifestyle that supports
their true healing.
Now, I'm not saying thatgenetics don't matter at all of

(07:21):
course they do but what I wantyou to take away from this is no
matter what hand you've beendealt genetically, you don't
have to let your genes determineyour destiny.
Let's start digging into thismore by looking at the science
that goes beyond the geneticcode, and that is epigenetics.

(07:48):
Simply put, epigenetics is thestudy of how our behaviors and
environment can cause changesthat affect the way our genes
work.
It's like having a light switchfor your genes your DNA stays
the same, but epigeneticmechanisms determine whether
that genetic switch is turned onor turned off.

(08:11):
We can also look at it this wayOur genes are like a recipe
book for our bodies.
If you're like me, you addnotes to the recipes in your
recipe books.
In this analogy, epigeneticfactors are represented by the
sticky notes or highlightermarks added to the recipes.
These notes don't change theoriginal recipes, our DNA, but

(08:35):
they can affect if and how oftena recipe is used or how it's
interpreted.
Our lifestyle choices can add,remove or change these sticky
notes, thus influencing how ourgenetic recipes are read and
used by our body, how ourgenetic recipes are read and
used by our body.

(08:55):
Various studies on identicaltwins have shown that, despite
having the same DNA, they candevelop different health
outcomes as they age.
These differences are likelydue to epigenetic changes
influenced by lifestyle andenvironmental factors affecting

(09:16):
their gene expression.
In adulthood, one identicaltwin might develop a disease
that the other twin doesn't.
In my own journey, even beforeI knew it by name.
Epigenetics was a game changer.
Its concepts helped me to seethat, despite my strong genes, I
had the power to influence myhealth through my daily choices,
and that's exactly what I'vedone for over 13 years now.

(09:38):
I am so grateful to haveflipped that genetic ulcerative
colitis switch from on to offand to be keeping it off.
So what do we need to do tooverride our genetic
predispositions and get or keepourselves healthy?

(09:58):
What do we need to do to keepthose genes turned off or to get
them turned off?
Let's talk about the six areasthat can have a major impact.
Number one diet.
Number one diet Diet andnutrition is always number one.

(10:22):
The food we consistently eatcan make all the difference.
What's worked for me, and whatI believe in wholeheartedly, is
that eating a diet of real foodvegetables, fruits, legumes,
whole grains, nuts and seeds,highest quality meat, eggs and
dairy all organic as much aspossible.
These foods can help suppressthe genes associated with

(10:46):
inflammation and many diseasesand can help get or keep those
switches turned off.
In contrast, the chemical,pesticide and artificial
ingredient-laden, highly andultra-processed junk food that

(11:11):
is insanely prevalent in thestandard American daily diet
will help trigger those genes toturn on.
So let's get rid of theprocessed junk that is harming
us and stick with the real,nutrient-dense food that heals
us.
This is the best thing we cando for our present and future
health.

(11:31):
Number two is exercise Anotherthing that benefits everything.
Regular physical activity hasbeen shown to positively
influence the epigenetic markersassociated with inflammation
and metabolism.
Of course it has Consistently.
Moving our bodies is good forall areas of our health.

(11:51):
We were not made to besedentary, we were made to move.
Exercise like walking, yoga andstrength training are of
massive benefit for keepingdisease genes turned off.
Even if you've been mostlysedentary for a long time, you
can start where you are and tryto build a little more movement

(12:14):
and fitness-promoting exercisesinto your day every day.
The payoff is priceless.
Number three is stressmanagement.
Chronic stress can, for sure,lead to epigenetic changes that
affect our immune system and ouroverall health.
That affect our immune systemand our overall health,

(12:36):
especially in the case ofautoimmune diseases.
There is a ton of evidenceshowing that stress is a common
culprit for turning on thosegenes.
Combating stress is easier saidthan done, so that's where
things like therapy andpractices like meditation, as
well as many forms of exercise,yoga being one, are effective in
combating and managing stress.

(12:57):
A great way to start is byincreasing your mindfulness,
especially when you're in themidst of feeling stressed.
Pause and just take severaldeep breaths in and out, end out

(13:20):
.
Number four is sleep Quality.
Sleep patterns can lead toepigenetic changes that support
our metabolism and immunefunction.
Our body needs enough sleep.
A little louder for theresistors in the back you yes,
you need to get enough sleep,quality and quantity.
Our bodies go through theprocesses of repairing,
regenerating and regulating oursystems while we are sleeping.

(13:44):
If we chronically aren'tgetting enough sleep, that's
where trouble can arise,especially if we aren't sleeping
enough in combination witheating, a poor diet and not
moving much.
We've got to prioritize sleep.
Number five environmentalexposures.

(14:04):
These are things like pollution, smoking and many of the
chemicals that flood our dailylives.
These can also influence ourepigenetics and they are not
always easy to avoid, since theyare everywhere.
So, of course, don't smoke anddo your best to avoid pollution.

(14:26):
Depending on where you live,this may be challenging.
In our own homes is where wereally have some power here,
taking a look at things likemakeup, personal care products,
cleaning products, airfresheners all of these kinds of
things may contain a chemicalcocktail that is giving our body

(14:49):
a beating on a daily basis.
Generally, there's anunderstandable tendency to think
that if a product is on themarket, it must be safe, but
sadly, that is often not true.
The good news here is thatthere are many products out
there, and a lot of DIY products, that reduce or eliminate the

(15:13):
nefarious chemicals.
The Environmental Working Groupat EWGorg provides outstanding
information for helping usbecome way more aware of the
dangerous chemicals in everydayproducts.
I've used them as a trustedresource for many years.
What's really awesome is thatthey have a free app, ewg

(15:36):
Healthy Living, that has asearch function where you can
find out what's in your productsand find their verified
products.
These are the products that arefree from EWG's chemicals of
concern and that meet theirhighest standards for health and
transparency.
And, by the way, this app isfree a free resource that's

(15:57):
super helpful, so definitelycheck it out.
The more we can reduce ourchemical burden, the better.
Now, beyond these five areas wejust talked about diet, exercise
, stress, sleep andenvironmental exposures, I am a
fervent believer that looking atour health and healing

(16:18):
holistically, with a body, mindand spirit approach, is
extraordinarily helpful forbeating our genetic disease
predispositions.
Beyond just having it be partof the stress management
conversation, paying attentionto our mental health whether we
struggle with depression,anxiety, past traumas or any

(16:41):
other mental health concern isvital.
Our emotional health is vital,too.
Are we taking care of ourselves?
Beyond just our physical health?
Making time for rest andrelaxation should not be seen as
a luxury or something that wehave to withhold from ourselves.

(17:01):
If we're going to be wellourselves, if we're going to be
well, it's necessary.
Other things, such as spendingtime with caring loved ones,
regularly connecting with ourhigher power, being in nature,
simplifying our schedules andpossessions, giving back to
others however we can, andspending time doing things that

(17:23):
bring us joy and life these areall the kind of things that
contribute to our overall healthand healing.
Before we wrap up, let's circleback to that nature versus
nurture concept we touched onearlier.
There's a key point in herethat I don't want us to miss.
The nurture part of thisequation is crucial to emphasize

(17:46):
, especially when we think abouthow we grew up as children.
We inherit the nature part fromour families through our genes,
and we also receive the nurturepart, especially as young
children what we eat, how muchwe move, our sleep patterns and
even our thought patterns.
These are greatly influenced byour parents and caregivers.

(18:10):
Essentially, through ournurturing, we pick up habits
that are the same or similar toother members of our family.
So this is another way ofexplaining why maybe diseases or
health issues that quote run inthe family aren't solely the
fault of our genes, but couldalso be the result of similar

(18:33):
habits passed down through thegenerations.
This realization gives us yetanother reason why it's so
important to examine ourlifestyles and to look for areas
where we can break away fromlearned behaviors, habits or
thought patterns that aren'tserving our grown-up health.

(18:55):
By understanding this more andby taking responsibility and
ownership, we empower ourselvesto make conscious choices that
can override both geneticpredispositions and ingrained
habits, ultimately stacking thedeck in favor of our good and

(19:18):
lasting health.
Remember, as grown-up adults,we are responsible for making
and keeping ourselves healthy.
When we acknowledge this withkindness and compassion for
ourselves, we unlock the powerfor real and lasting change.
This mindset shift from victimto warrior not only empowers us,

(19:41):
but it also motivates us totruly commit to the lifestyle
practices that will keep ourgenetics in check by embracing a
health-promoting, holisticallynourishing lifestyle.
We're not just makingsurface-level changes, we're
directly influencing our genesat a molecular level and level,

(20:02):
and we'll feel better, lookbetter and think more clearly
too.
How awesome is that, friends,walking a path of natural health
and natural healing is notalways easy, but it is so worth

(20:23):
it, and I'm here to help.
Reach out to me anytime throughmy website, kellybhaneycom.
Thank you so much for joiningme today.
I hope you got a lot out ofthis and that you find
yourselves feeling inspired.
If you received value from thisepisode, I would be so grateful

(20:43):
if you would take a moment tosupport my ability to produce
this podcast by subscribing tothe show, downloading the
episodes, rating and reviewing,and please share it with anyone
who you think may receive valuefrom it as well.
I am truly honored to walkalongside of you as we heal and

(21:06):
stay healed together.