With a 50k trail race in less than 2 weeks, I feel great! Over the past several months, I have been on a journey using many different interventions to help rebuild my muscle, increase my detoxification, and improve my nutrition, sleep, and stress management.
First up today, I want to talk about the power of genetics. Recently, I became a 3x4 practitioner because I BELIEVE in the power of knowing how I respond to the world around me, especially when it comes to nutrition and exercise. Let me share some ways that I found my genes were impacting my health in a major way.
First, and probably one of the most significant findings was that I found I have the highest impact gene variation for Celiac Disease. This does not diagnose the condition, and I never would have imagined that this would be my lot, but at the beginning of the year, before I did the 3X4 genetic blueprint, I had done an elimination diet. I cut wheat, corn, soy, nuts, and nightshade vegetables out of my diet to see if there was any connection between my 40+ years of chronic pain and my diet. I was able to add back everything and at the end of about 8 weeks, I still had not added wheat back in, but what I did notice was that a patch of what the doctor had called "atopic dermatitis" had disappeared, and as of yet (6 months later) it has yet to come back. I now stay away from wheat as a permanent measure because with this specific gene, continued or prolonged exposure to gluten can promote celiac disease. In addition to the HLA gene for Celiac, I also had another very high impact gene for gluten sensitivity which is why I chose to alleviate it permanently. This TNFA gene also affects autoimmunity. Again, not a diagnosis, but the impact is such that I felt I would benefit from an anti-inflammatory lifestyle (diet, sleep, stress...). So why go through the testing for it, if it is working by staying away. As for the joint pain, it has become less and less, with somedays even being pain free. After years of controlling pain with high doses of Ibuprofen and Tylenol around the clock, I am now managing quite well with natural anti-inflammatory and pain relief supplements with much less side effects.
Second, I found that I have 2 different gene deletions that affect my ability to detox. This means that when you are exposed to toxins in your food or environment, or even in the process of getting rid of extra hormones and waste products, I lack some major assistance to remove those extra hormones and carcinogens, which can place me at a higher risk for developing cancers and hormone-related problems. These can affect energy, sleep, metabolism, and as I began finding ways to assist my body to detox properly, I found myself sleeping better, increasing my energy, and losing weight.
Finally, I think a significant find was the methylation genes. Both the COMT and the MTHFR can have an impact on your ability to methylate, which is a "must - must" for the read, transcription, and writing of genes, and the ability to use many of our enzymes and vitamins. They affect brain chemistry, inflammation, and many other aspects of health.
Following protocols for these issues allowed me to begin to assist my body to heal and find a level of health and wellness that I honestly did not know was possible. I give the credit to God for leading me in the direction of functional and integrative medicine to find the root causes to why I didn't feel "normal".
I cannot wait to run this 50k race which is equal to about 31 miles running from Pilot Mountain to Hanging Rock in North Carolina. Endurance running is challenging for me as the build-up of lactic acid and toxins from a 10 hour run will need to be dealt with, so I am already planning for some nutrition changes, infrared sauna, and rest that following week.
I am looking forward to doing something that I honestly did not think was possible again in life. I hope to share this experience in a few weeks. Next blog, I will talk about an Organic Acids test and how those results have shaped my nutrition and how I train. If you are interested in finding out what a 3X4 Genetics Blueprint can do for you, please reach out.
Comments