As we continue to dive deeper into understanding “genomics” and the way that our preprogrammed DNA affects our #optimalhealth, so many new insights are coming forth as to how we can “retrain” and work WITH our own bodies genetic code versus struggling with it for a lifetime.
Dr. Life continues to work closely with Dr. Daniel Stickler, co-founder of The Apeiron Center for Human Potential and together they are opening up many new doors of opportunities for clients to achieve incredible health and potential for success in their own lives.
Recently, Dr. Stickler wrote an article on The Apeiron Center website which touched on this subject of how our DNA affects the way that we eat. Here is a quote that was especially thought provoking:
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Which has lead to an increased prevalence of chronic heath conditions associated with being overweight including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and sleep apnea. Additionally, having a high hip to waist ratio is associated with increased mortality rates. But, is this the fault of the overweight individual? Are they simply not trying hard enough to lose weight or purposefully cheating on their diet?
The answer is no. More is at play than willpower or desire when it comes to weight loss. Four measures that are examined in weight management research include restraint, disinhibition, hunger, and heredity or genetics. Restraint is related to times when an individual avoids eating foods because they associate this food with gaining weight or over consumes food on a regular basis. In people with anorexia, this thought pattern is taken to an unhealthy extreme. Disinhibition occurs when we continue to eat past the point of feeling full or eat foods we would not usually eat, due to the presence of others eating the same foods. This is why we often eat more at parties, social events, and during the holidays than we normally would at home. Hunger is simply the feeling of a need to eat, but it can be affected by genetics and become a faulty feedback pathway. Genetics and the brain serve key roles in the areas of taste sensitivity, food preferences, eating behaviors, and portion sizes.
Continue to read Dr. Stickler’s article here and find out more about your own eating habits in regards to your unique genetic code. Also, you can register for a free webinar to learn even more about this amazing part of genomics!