What Determines Our Future

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What Determines Our Future

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The following factors determine our future health, how long we live and can even affect “non-biological” factors of our lives (relationships, fun, happiness and self respect)

Number one – Our Genes (DNA)

We get our genes (DNA) from our parents, every cell in our body has the same genetic code (red blood cells excepted). They’re our bodies computer program. Except for identical twins each person’s code is unique, no two are alike, we are truly individuals. To get an idea of our DNA’s complexity consider this.  About 10,000 human cells can fit on a pin head; they’re pretty small right.  If a chromosome (our gene or DNA string) held within the cell’s nucleus were unraveled it is about a metre long. If you joined the DNA of the cells that can fit on a pinhead they would stretch 10kms long. Amazing! Our genes are not modifiable, they stay the same throughout our lives; there is nothing we can do about that.

Number two – Our Epigenetics

My guess is most reading this have never heard of the word. They are more important to our future health than our genes. This is because the Epigenome largely controls which genes are switched on or off, and when. Our Epigenome is inherited but changes throughout our lives and is modifiable, we can change the way it operates without changing it!

Number Three – Our Environment

Our body and mind respond to our environment. The air we breath, the water we drink, the food we eat, the temperature we set our air conditioning, and in a modern western society, the stress and temptations it exposes us to. These factors affect our future health and well being. Most of us do not want to move from a modern western society to a cave, so our macro environment may not be modifiable, but our micro environment can be modified to extend our lives.

Number Four – Our lifestyle

What we eat, how much we eat, when we eat, stress management, exercise, sleep and so on have a major impact on our quality of life, how long we live and how well we live. Our lifestyle is modifiable.

Number Five – The Most Important of all – OUR PAST

Our past is the factor that most determines our future, it is our past that has programmed our subconscious, and our subconscious automates most of our decisions whether we know it or not. Our past is us!  Without understanding this and learning how to mentally overcome (or change?) our past it is difficult for us to modify or alter factors two through four above, and improve our future health and well being! THIS IS WHY MOST DIETS FAIL.

Boomers weight loss and healthy eating programs start at addressing point five first, then with a bit of basic food knowledge the rest can naturally fall into place.  This just cannot be emphasised too much, changing eating habits forever shouldn’t be hard.