Best Health – The Decree by our DNA
Best health habits are constantly debated and argued. However, I really believe in going back to the basics – what is decreed by our DNA?
Genetics: Yes you know – what we inherited from Mama and Papa……however, don’t try and blame your parents for everything. Because the truth is our epigenetic alterations dictate more of our health and lifespan.
Epigenetics: Literally means “above” or “on top of” genetics. Those external modifications to our DNA that turn genes on or off. These modifications do not change the DNA sequence, but instead, they affect how cells “read” our genes, the orders they take from the DNA sequence.
Best Health by Genes or Pharmaceutical Companies?
Please, let’s agree that the very best health is determined by those practices that nurture our DNA.
Yes, pharmaceuticals serve a purpose. What I do believe has happened is that people accept that inevitable degradation in health will happen, and there are pharmaceuticals to help us heal or manage an illness. That is the typically accepted circle of life. I do believe we are a sick care society, rather than promoting true proactive health, health that preserved proper functioning of the cells.
Along the same line, if you ask people about aging – they will usually answer with something out of pop marketing: fine lines and wrinkles, grey hair……But Iask you to look at aging from the cell.
One of the original hypotheses of longevity posits that aging is the natural result of entropy on the cells, tissues, and organs of the animal—a slow, inexorable slide into non-functionality caused by a break down of its parts. We now can see that aging is instead at least in part genetically regulated, epigenetically regulated.
The regulation and subsequent breakdown of cellular processes (our health) represent a programmatic decision by the cell to either continue or abandon maintenance procedures with age.
Many mutations have been discovered to extend lifespan in organisms of all complexities, from yeast to mammals.
Bottom line – we are discovering that aging – cellular breakdown is not a necessity or foregone conclusion. The question is:
What are we doing, or not doing – to encourage our cells to continue with the quest to continue with their maintenance procedures?
Best Health – Preventing Cellular Aging
David Sinclair, Harvard Professor, author of the book
“Lifespan – Why we Age and Don’t Have to”:
“As a scientific definition, I’m proposing that aging is a loss of information—the information that keeps our cells healthy, the information that tells the cells which genes to read throughout our lives. And aging is a manifestation of cells losing their ability to read the right genes at the right time, which leads to cells losing their identity and tissues failing.”………
And…..
“The regulatory definition, currently, is that aging is something different than a disease. The reason is that even though it satisfies the criteria of a disease—which is a decline in function over time leading to death—aging is separated because it happens to more than 50% of us. And I’d argue that just because aging happens to more than half of us, is no reason to not include it as a disease. In fact, I would say it’s even more important that we work on trying to combat it, because aging is the main cause of all major diseases in society now.”
We have all been programmed with the fact that aging is inevitable – the way our genes are programmed. We will get older, need medications until we die….sorry for the very blunt delivery.
Now, we have great scientific data – aging is not a “fait accomplis” a foregone conclusion.
If we can protect the functioning of the cell, can we prevent disease, delay aging? Worth a try?
“In an older cell, accumulated damage leads to a less healthy cell. ROS build up from damaged mitochondria and contribute to a greater fraction of the proteome consisting of damaged proteins and protein aggregates.”
Yes, if not nurtured, cells will age, and disease will set in. We frequently think our “healthy lifestyle choices” are preserving the cell – when in fact we could be contributing to the demise of the cell’s performance. Stay away from pop science. The facade may look great, but it does not necessarily infer the cells are doing as well.
Chronic inflammation is at the root of all disease, causing our cells to abandon those maintenance and repair procedures…….Inflammation and ROS (Reactive Oxygen species) oxidative stress, break down the proper functioning of the cell, and we age.
Is your health worth $40/month?
Happily explain.
In Health,
Shira Litwack
Shira has been in chronic care management and prevention for 30 years, researcher, specializing in lifestyle habits including holistic nutrition, medical fitness and oxidative stress reduction. She has created and provided oxidative stress assessments, to help clients identify potential health risks. Lowering chronic inflammation for disease prevention and management is the focal point of BICH.
She partners with companies that provide immediate, affordable, accessible, reliable solutions for populations: Affordable, accessible healthcare, chronic care management, home testing…..Remote Patient Monitoring, Virtual Health, EMR
She is frequently called upon by the media, has her own podcast bringing current research to the public.
Articles featured in: Corporate Wellness Association, European Registry of Exercise Professionals, The National Post, Investment Executive Magazine, Directory of Greater Toronto, Canadian Leukemia & Lymphoma Association, Prostate Cancer Canada, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, Anytime Fitness, Today’s Black Woman, Today’s Seniors, Medical Fitness Network, FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered), Willow (Breast & Hereditary Cancer Support),Myeloma Canada, Cancer Exercise Training Institute, Urban Poling for Breast Cancer, ROW – Recovery on Water for Breast Cancer, Sirius XM Doctor Radio, Medical Fitness Network
Access Hundreds of Self Tests, rapid diagnostics. Get Tested at Home! Stay at Home! Contact me for Covid-19 self testing with medical consultation Shira@BestInCorporateHealth.com
