March is National Nutrition Month!

As we move out of those cozy winter months, the turning of the season is a perfect time to renew our commitment to eating right for our preventive or healing journey. There is no cookie-cutter diet that applies to all since we are all such unique individuals! However, there ARE some basic guidelines—and firm research to back them up—which we can ALL benefit from.

But first, the science…

New Research about Food and Genes Expression

Your gene expression…and healing…is affected by the food choices you make!

I speak a lot about “epigenetics,” especially as it pertains to cancer. In very basic terms, epigenetics is the study of how external factors affect our genetic expression. These factors can be environmental– like air pollution, contaminated water, hormones in meat, or pesticides in produce. Or they can be more “internal,” such as high stress reactions or negative emotional thoughts and patterns.

Ninety to 95% of cancers are not genetically inherited. Therefore, the science of epigenetics teaches us that specific biological and chemical mechanisms, however,  DO affect how your DNA expresses itself. For example, what you eat or how you handle stress can either turn on anti-cancer genes, or turn them off.

Currently, there are about 117 million Americans (that’s 47% of the population!) who suffer from chronic dis-ease, including cancer. The good news is that chronic illnesses aren’t the result of the “bad genes” you inherited from your mother. Most disease is epigenetic in nature.

That means there are MANY actions you can take right now to turn your condition around. Changing how you eat is probably one of the MOST IMPORTANT change of all.

In fact, new research from Cambridge University that focused on the metabolic system discovered the power that nutrition has in gene expression. The researchers found that how we eat alters how proteins are produced in “almost every gene in our body.”

Here are 5 Simple Steps to Jumpstart Your New Eating Habits:

• Cut the sugar. Sugar feeds cancer— need I say more? If you get a sugar craving, make green apples, blueberries or a little sprinkle of Stevia your go-to’s…and make sure you have plenty of them on hand to avoid slip-up’s! Lower your carb intake by avoiding as many grains as you can, 

• Eat more greens. Besides a plethora of vitamins and minerals, leafy greens such as kale contain chlorophyll, which scientists now believe directly prevents cancer and other chronic diseases. Commit to consuming one
  

  Commit to one green smoothie a day for your health!

  hearty, refreshing green smoothie a day! For new ideas about incorporating nutritious food in your diet, head to my Delectable Dishes. 

• Avoid any processed foods. I love the way nutritionist and Chiropractor, Jack Lalane put it – “If man made it, don’t eat it!” 

• Consider targeted food therapy. There are so many substances out there that can put you into “healing” mode. If I had to pick just one for turning on healthy genes, however, it would be Curcumin. Curcumin is the most widely studied food on the planet. It lowers inflammatory processes in the body and we know that inflammation is the foundation for all dis-ease. 

• Don’t eat when you are stressed. While we may think a lot about what we eat, we may not pay attention to how we eat. Taking a deep breath, being grateful for the plate of food before you, settling the mind and then sitting down to a meal can greatly improve how you absorb your food. Stress has been directly linked to gastro-intestinal disorders. Remember that 80% of your immune system cells reside in the gut!

All the steps above have to do with building immunity, detoxifying the body and lowering inflammation—and they can all lead to YOU turning on those “healing” genes inside of you. I know that change can be challenging because of the physical and emotional addictions we have to certain foods. But we all make a choice – “You can feed  your body or feed the cancer”. Which will you choose? 

March 8, 2017

© 2017 Dr. Veronique Desaulniers – All Rights Reserved

Submitted to for publication to Kettle Moraine Publications by the author, Dr. Veronique Desaulniers, better known as Dr. V, is the founder of The 7 Essentials System ™, a step-by-step guide that teaches you exactly how to prevent and heal Breast Cancer Naturally. To get your F.R.E.E. 7 day mini e-course, and to receive her weekly action steps and inspiring articles on the power of Natural Medicine, visit http://breastcancerconqueror.com/.