In This Issue:

• ​How I Went From Being A Student of Epigenetics To A Naturopathic Doctor, And The One Thing I Learned​
• ​Now What?​
• ​Quote of the issue​

How I Went From Being A Student of Epigenetics To A Naturopathic Doctor, And The One Thing I Learned

It was 2000 and I was part of the University of Ottawa's first cohort of students to be admitted to the Biopharmaceutical Science (BPS) program in its first year of inception. Biopharmaceutical Science combines basic studies in areas like biochemistry, molecular biology, and organic chemistry with a focus on genomics, a branch of molecular biology concerned with the function of genes and proteins in disease.

This was a quasi-strategic decision (I was 20 years old; what did I know about strategy, really??). The Human Genome Project (HGP), an international scientific project which began in 1990 and was completed in 2003, was well underway to sequencing the human genome. This was an exciting time in science and I was the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed student who wanted in on the action.

By 2000, The HGP estimated that there were 100,000 genes in the human genome. By the time I graduated in 2003, that number had been whittled down to a mere 30,000. By 2004, 20,000 protein-coding genes had been sequenced. Fivefold less than what we had originally believed.🤯

That wasn't the only news to shake the world over.

We discovered that all of the information for those 20,000 protein-coding genes is encoded by only 1.5% of the entire human genome. Meaning that the remaining 98.5% of the genome is non-coding DNA. 🤯 🤯

How is it possible that only 1.5% of the human genome can code for actual genes, but we humans are so complex, gosh darn it?? Because of something called alternative splicing, which essentially involves arranging and rearranging different combinations of genetic code to make different protein products. Here is an image of what splicing looks like.

If you're still with me here, and I hope you are, then it begs the question, what controls the rearranging of genetic code?

Epigenetics 👏 👏 👏

Epigenetics is the study of how our behaviours and environment cause changes that affect the way our genes work. Unlike genetic changes, epigenetic changes are reversible and do not change our actual DNA sequence. They can change how our body reads a DNA sequence. 

You see, genes are not making decisions for us and, therefore, are not a blueprint of our life.

You are, in fact, not a victim of heredity. In other words, your genes did not make you do it.

Epigenetics reveals that while external factors such as diet, lifestyle, and the environment influence gene expression, your Mind is the ultimate interpreter of these inputs. The thoughts, beliefs, and emotions you hold create a biochemical environment—a "culture medium" if you will—that nourishes or poisons your cells. In essence, your Mind is the greatest pharmacist, shaping the health of your body at the cellular level.

Understanding this power reveals that we are not victims of our biology but the creators of our health, with the ability to shape our well-being by consciously choosing the thoughts, emotions, and beliefs that nourish our cells. 🤩

Now What?

Now that we know we are not victims of heredity, it shifts how we understand health - from something predetermined to something we actively influence. Your thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and lifestyle choices shape the way your genes get expressed, meaning you have the power to create a vibrant and resilient body. This understanding puts you in the driver’s seat of your health, empowering you to make choices that nourish and transform at the cellular level.

What choices will you make today - mentally, emotionally, or physically - to create the healthiest version of yourself?

Quote Of the Issue

"The moment you change your perception is the moment you rewrite the chemistry of your body." - Dr. Bruce Lipton

As always, Yours In health,

Dr. Dominika Zarzeczny Naturopathic Doctor ​ 📧 hello@drdominika.com​ 🌐 www.drdominika.com​ ​​​

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