Can Diet Impact Your DNA?

One week on our Signature Nutrition Program floods the body with over 100+ disease-fighting, youth-promoting phytochemicals and antioxidants (not to mention the nutrients you need for radiant skin, improved moods, and energy).

What you eat influences everything from your energy levels to sleep quality and libido, but did you know that you can eat to rewrite your genes? Nourishing with bio-enhancing foods—like the plant proteins, leafy greens, healthy fats, and antioxidants found in our daily meals—target your body on the cellular level. 

Below, we break down how nutrition and dietary choices influence everything from the rate your body ages to how it produces the energy it needs to thrive.

NATURE VS. NURTURE: THE ROLE OF EPIGENETICS

In order to function and thrive at our optimal level, we first need to consider our social and physical environments. This is the premise of epigenetics, or how behavior, lifestyle, and environment affects the way your genes work.

To break it down: we each have a set of genes that are unique to us. That’s our DNA, which can potentially predispose us to a genetic disorder, like heart disease or obesity. But through nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, you can actually nurture your genes toward health and longevity—and prevent disease—by turning genes on and off based on lifestyle cues.

So, you hold control of your gene expression. The combination of nutrition, movement, sleep, and environment have a profound effect on how your genes operate. Exercising regularly, maintaining a positive state of mind, avoiding chemicals, and showering yourself in self-love can have immeasurable influence on mortality risk at a genetic level. At Sakara, nurturing is in our DNA—our nutrition is scientifically-designed to help people transform on a cellular level, and optimize the quality of how our bodies function in the short- and long-term. 

HOW TO NOURISH YOUR GENES

Simply put: what you eat determines how your genes are expressed. So you can actually optimize your gene expression to keep your metabolism happy and reduce your risk of chronic disease and early aging. This starts with making wiser choices about the foods you intake on a daily basis.

If you’re undernourished or don’t nourish with foods that help your body thrive, you are at increased risk for developing the chronic diseases associated with gene expression, like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, or Alzheimer's. Remove processed foods, sugars and refined carbohydrates. Instead, nourish with whole, nutritious foods—which work to reduce inflammation and regenerate our cells, organs, and tissues.

You can think of these favorable foods as bio-enhancing because they maximize the medicinal impact of plants and transform the body from the inside, out. Start with these tips to build a plant-rich meals that flood the body with nutrients and protect your DNA:

• Probiotics, like fermented coconut yogurt, kimchi, kombucha, or our Complete Probiotic 
• Healthy fats, like olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds, or coconut oil
• Antioxidant rich foods, which come from eating a colorful array of fruits & veggies, and sea plants
• Amino acids from plant-based proteins like quinoa, legumes, beans, chia seeds, hemp seeds and spirulina
• Leafy greens, including spinach, kale, microgreens, and swiss chard
• Detoxifying foods like cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, and spinach
• And remember: quality matters! Avoid toxins by always choosing to eat organic, unprocessed, non-GMO foods

You’ll be taking empowered steps toward building a body you love living in now—and one that’s primed for vibrant longevity.