Overview
You might have heard the word “epigenetics” and wondered what the heck it means. Well to sum it up shorthand, epigenetics is how everything you’re exposed to throughout your life—your environment, your social relationships, your diet, etc.—impacts how your genes are expressed. Think of it like this: genes are our hardware and epigenetics are like software. Our software is something that can be changed and upgraded, it doesn’t have to be static. If you want to learn more about understanding, demystifying, and harnessing epigenetics, then this is the podcast episode for you.
Today’s guest on The Doctor’s Farmacy is my good friend, mentor, and the reason my health and career are where they are: Dr. Jeffrey Bland. We talk all about epigenetics and unpack what can be a complicated topic in terms you can actually understand. If you want to learn how to prevent disease and reverse aging, at any stage of life, then listen closely to this episode. Epigenetics is an incredible area of research that can help us do this and more. Using the Functional Medicine framework, we look at genetics as well as the various areas of our lives that are constantly modifying them.
Dr. Bland explains the nuances of the epigenome and how research has evolved our understanding that genetics aren’t set in stone, even if we’re already well into adulthood. Social connections, sleep, and exercise can all have epigenetic influences, along with the powerful influence of diet. Dr. Bland and I discuss the amazing benefits of plant phytochemicals for health and aging, beyond their antioxidant properties, and how to get more of these in your meals. Trauma and stress are two more epigenetic influences that we get into in this episode, including their impacts on future generations. We explore how we can lessen their impact, through things like meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy. This is a relatively new area of research that provides tremendous hope for changing the operating system of our biology. Listen in to learn how to upgrade your software, today.
Apple
