We now know that because of our daily food and lifestyle choices we are not necessarily doomed to suffer the same diseases our grandparents and parents may have had. We have the freedom to choose to live healthier and reduce our risk of those unfortunate outcomes, and perhaps live longer and remain more active and fit than our ancestors. 
Our diet and environment will affect the gene expression, which traits are expressed or not. One can choose to live in a healthy environment and take personal responsibility for staying fit and well by eating right and exercising regularly. Avoiding unhealthy habits, sedentary lifestyle and eating chemical-laden processed foods is a great beginning to protecting your health, youth and vitality. All these habits negatively affect our genes and predispose us to disease.
The “epigenome” makes this possible. The epigenome is a complex network of chemical switches that sit on top of the genes. These switches surround our DNA and turn genes “on” and “off.” The epigenome interacts with our environment. Everything we come into contact with and everything we put into our body has the power to turn genes on or off via different chemical pathways. The end result is the ability to change the way our body expresses our genetic coding and which traits will be realized in our lifetime. This expression of traits will vary during our life, depending on stress, environment and primarily diet. Don’t play the victim, take control of your life and your health.
