Genetics or Environment. So which is it? Which one controls your destiny for health and long life? Let the battle between nature and nurture begin!
There is an age-old debate over whether health and longevity are due to genetics or environment, you know nature or nurture?
In other words, is it what we inherit or what we DO that matters most? That’s one of those impossible questions like “which blade of a pair of scissors is the most important?” Obviously, it is the interplay between the two that accounts for the results in both cases. Life's like that, the quality and quantity of our very existence is influenced by the overlap of what traits we inherit: from eye and hair color to height, and what we do with it: from diet to exercise.
The often used pun that says “if you want to know anything about you, just look in your genes,” is only partly true. If I were to rate the importance, based on my observations and clinical experience, I would generally say that health and longevity are a good part due to our genetics. Seriously, that’s the only way I can account for people like the comedian George Burns living to be 101 years old while being sedentary, drinking alcohol, and constantly puffing on a cigar; while a person like the ultimate fitness guru Jim Fixx dying of cardiovascular disease at 51 years of age.
To this point, two different people can DO the exact same things, yet, they will have a different health history and die at different times, demonstrating the power of genetics. Conversely, you can have two identical twins, virtually clones of each other, and if they DO different things, they will have a different health history and die at different times, showing the power of what we DO. Whatever the actual percentages are regarding which one holds more power over us, the fact is we can’t do much about our genetics. Therefore, the portion that we attribute to choices and environment becomes our 100% because it’s the only thing we can actually do anything about.
We need to do everything we can to maximize that over which we have control, such as diet, exercise, sleep, and our attitude. I saw a joke recently that showed a physician talking to his flabby, over-weight male patient, saying “Okay, I know you're busy, but what fits your busy schedule better, exercising 1 hour a day, or being dead 24 hours a day?” An obvious over-simplification, but I think we all get the message. In other words, genetics is not an excuse to give up the good fight.
Your food matters. Your movement matters. So, if you don’t know where to start, start slow. Take a walk instead of watch that sitcom. Eat something plant-based and healthy like a protein smoothie instead of sitting down to that bacon for breakfast. I truly cannot think of a more effective way to support your genetic pool of health and longevity than to be a Sunwarrior. You cannot DO any better than to fuel yourself with the finest raw, pure, organic, plant-based, bio-available proteins, natural mineral complex, and supergreens. So, if there is a trait you want your loved ones to inherit from you, make it a passion for doing and eating the right thing. Get the most out of nature and nurture, genetics and environment, and be the ultimate you with Sunwarrior.
