Weight Loss Tip: It Ain’t Just About Genetics!
It’s a beautiful, sunny, fall-esque day here on Long Island, and I have something personal to share with you. After a nuclear stress test taken earlier in the week, my dad’s cardiologist recommended he check himself into the hospital on Thursday to have an angiogram. My dad’s had a couple of heart attacks in the past, and while his doctor didn’t think it was anything too too serious, he wanted to make sure.
The angiogram showed a 99% blockage in one of his arteries. Because of this, three stents were put in to open it up. An additional stent is being put in as we speak, and if all goes well, he should be out by tomorrow. My dad is in good spirits and looks pretty good, so I’m very optimistic that this will be the last we hear of this for a while.
That being said, something I heard his doctor tell him disturbed me quite a bit. Somehow, the topic of genetics came up in the conversation. My father was essentially told that this was all genetic, there was nothing he could do to improve his condition, and that once he gets out and he rests for about a week, he can resume all regular life activities.
The cardiac wing of the hospital was also feeding him garbage for his heart, like bread (derived from grains, which are inflammatory) and margarine (a trans fat, which is bad for the heart) but we won’t even get into that today…
While I know genetics can play a role in the acquisition of several diseases, there’s a new study called EPIGENETICS. The premise behind this field of study is that based upon your chosen environment and your personal lifestyle habits, you can manipulate your genetic code, and either keep a negative genetic trait like heart disease dormant, or you can completely REVERSE that gene’s expression, and thus, never develop a hereditary disease in the first place!
I’ve heard plenty of would-be clients over the years use genetics as an excuse for their being overweight. ‘My parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles were all fat, so this is just something I have to deal with!’
Often, when somebody is overweight, it’s due to poor diet. Plain and simple. There’s a small percentage of the population that has hormonal imbalances, and thus, there’s a bit more to it than that. That being said, most hormone issues can be regulated (and even corrected!) by certain dietary strategies that will get those levels back to normal, and then enable them to both function and lose weight normally.
When the folks who blame genetics review their nutrition with me, I’ll tell you one thing: It ain’t just genetics — If it’s even genetics, at all! Their diets tend to be comprised of excessive amounts of sugar, grains and processed foods, which, when ingested in large quantities as they were in these instances, are ALL linked to an increased risk of obesity, Type-2 Diabetes, heart disease, various forms of cancer, and even neurological diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s!!
Whether you’re dealing with weight issues, whether you’re diabetic, or whether you’re even suffering from a heart condition like my dad is, you’re rarely ‘too far gone!!!’ There are healthy dietary changes you can make that will not only help you in regulating these conditions, but also help in the REVERSAL of many of these conditions.
Moral of the Story: I was highly DISTURBED to hear this explanation given to my dad. It’s never too late to change and improve the quality of your life. The question is: What’re you going to do to change your circumstances?
Have a nice weekend!
Sincerely,
Pete Weintraub
pete@weightlossbypete.com
P.S. If you feel you need more help on the nutritional side, then you’re definitely going to want to invest in my Food Guide and Healthy Recipe Book!
The Food Guide lays out the three phases of nutrition I use with my Permanent Weight Loss clients. Phase 1 gets you in the habit of making healthier choices, while Phase 2 really cleans up the frequency with which you eat healthier. Phase 3 is a strict macronutrient breakdown that will help expedite the process of weight loss, all while improving your health and making your body a well-oiled machine!
My Healthy Recipe Book includes 72 recipes spanning breakfast,lunch, dinner, snacks, appetizers and desserts. I’m constantly adding to it, but these recipes are easy to make, simple and enable you to have your cake and eat it, too!
Normally, I sell each of these books for $10 a piece, but because I’m feeling generous today, you can get BOTH for just $13.99! :-)
To get your copies, please go to www.weightlossbypete.com/foodguiderecipes.