Your Genes Are Listening

How to eat and live for epigenetic health.

Have you ever felt like you were at war with your own body? Have you blamed your genes?

Or, have your genes haunted you because you didn't know if they were humming along nicely or if they were up to no good.

My father had heart disease – I was brought up thinking my siblings and I could be doomed. But along comes the study of epigenetics. It has changed how we look at health conditions and put the control of our bodies back in our hands.

Here's the basic science:

Gene expression—the process by which genetic instructions are used to synthesize proteins—was first recognized in the early 20th century. However, it wasn't until 1958 that Francis Crick formally described the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology, which outlined how genetic information flows from DNA to RNA to proteins. I know, what? Doesn’t matter.

Epigenetics was first coined in 1942 by developmental biologist Conrad Waddington. He used it to describe how environmental factors influence development beyond genetic inheritance. At the time, the molecular mechanisms of epigenetics were not yet known.

The modern study of epigenetic mechanisms—such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA—began in the 1970s and 1980s. What are those? Doesn’t matter.

By the 2000s, epigenetics had become a major field in biology and medicine. The Human Epigenome Project launched in 2003, and research has since linked epigenetic changes to aging, cancer, metabolic disorders, and even mental health.

Epigenetics proves that genes are not destiny—they respond to what we eat, live, and even what we think and feel. This matters.

Knowing the mechanisms that regulate epigenetics means we can understand what helps them do their job.

The Blueberry Effect: Turning on Brain-Boosting Genes

Picture this: A group of older adults, all experiencing mild memory loss, start eating a daily serving of blueberries. A few months later, their cognitive function improves. This isn't just coincidence—it's epigenetics in action.

Blueberries are rich in polyphenols, specifically anthocyanins, influencing histone modifications and DNA methylation in brain cells. Research shows they activate genes linked to neuronal growth and protection while suppressing genes that promote inflammation and cognitive decline.

Eating blueberries can turn on brain-boosting genes while dialing down the ones contributing to neurodegeneration.

That sounds good, right? If only it were that simple. No one food, supplement, or lifestyle change is all we need. For better epigenetic results, people need to consider what is suitable for balancing epigenetics and what is harmful.

We must examine everything we eat and do. By doing so, we can ask what message we send our genes today. And we must remember that gene expression, good or bad, happens daily.

Here's an interesting take on white sugar. We’re always told to avoid white sugar regardless of the health topic. Much misinformation lumps all sugar alternatives in the same category. Epigenetics allows us to understand the difference.

The reason white sugar is linked to health issues has nothing to do with the sugar itself. It's about what sugar doesn't do. In other words, it does nothing. It has nothing to offer to help regulate our gene expression.

White sugar does not provide epigenetic support. It lacks compounds that help turn on protective genes (like those regulating inflammation, metabolism, and DNA repair).

White sugar does not contain methyl donors. Foods like leafy greens and eggs provide do. The nutrients in these foods support DNA methylation, but refined sugar contributes nothing to this process.

White sugar does not help regulate histones. Polyphenol-rich foods (like berries and green tea) activate beneficial gene pathways, but refined sugar does not positively influence histone modifications. It does nothing.

White sugar has no microbiome benefits. Natural sweeteners like raw honey, maple syrup and coconut sugar contain prebiotics that positively impact gut bacteria, influencing gene expression through the gut-brain axis. White sugar does not support the microbiome.

When you eat white sugar, you are eating nothing – wasting your time, if you like.

What about sugar alternatives?

Honey: Rich in flavonoids and phenolic acids, honey promotes anti-inflammatory gene expression, enhances antioxidant pathways, and modulates histone acetylation, supporting metabolic health and reducing insulin resistance.

Maple Syrup: Containing bioactive compounds like quebecol and lignans, maple syrup inhibits HDACs to enhance tumor-suppressing gene activity, reduces inflammation, and supports BDNF expression for brain health.

For those who want to know, HDACs (histone deacetylases) are enzymes that remove acetyl groups from histones, tightening DNA structure and reducing gene expression. It's hard to reconcile this with tasty maple syrup, but this is how food can work in us.

Coconut Sugar: With inulin and prebiotic fibers, coconut sugar supports gut microbiome balance, influences DNA methylation in immune pathways, and helps regulate ncRNA activity for metabolic stability.

Unfortunately, you won't hear about these foods to help your epigenetic function.

Instead, you hear recommendations like this:

Morning: Start with a protein-rich breakfast (eggs, nuts, or yogurt) and green tea.

Midday: Get in some movement, whether it's strength training, a brisk walk, or yoga.

Lunch & Dinner: Fill your plate with colorful veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

Evening: Unplug, de-stress, and prioritize good sleep to keep those histones in check.

Nothing wrong with these suggestions, but when it comes to the food, it's boring.

Just once, I would like to read a recommendation for colorful vegetables that include drizzling maple syrup all over them.

But that's not the world we live in. Healthy food is still presented to us as if we have been bad and now must do penance.

Most of us don’t like to read discussions about foods like they are perpetually an element in a science experiment.

But we are a science experiment. That's who we are – with many factors and considerations influencing.

Any recipe can have multiple ingredients. Each ingredient contributes to our gene expression, whether for good or bad or is a waste of time. By knowing which foods, herbs, and spices will help us the most, we can create better-tasting foods. We have a lot of foods to choose from, it’s not a difficult task.

This is why it's essential to understand how epigenetics works and develop a style of eating that supports it. We are also responsible for making the food we eat delicious so that it brings us joy—yes, joy and happiness positively affect our gene expression.

You don't have to suffer to eat healthy. So, let's stop with the boring food suggestions and return to using foods in complex, tasty meals that make our bodies genetically sing.

PS: If you want to know more about eating for epigenetics and more, I'm hosting a workshop:

Strategic Living for Epigenetic Signals

Saturday, March 22: 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET / 9:00 am – 12:00 pm PT

Click here to register.

You will discover more of the science behind the foods that will help, the long list of foods you can choose from, and the lifestyle activities that will do the most for you. There will be a food demo and exercises. Plus, four great bonuses

Bonus 1: A DFY Recipe and Meal Ideas eBook

Bonus 2: Epigenetic Food & Lifestyle Guide for Optimal Gene Expression.

Bonus 3: Exercises & Breathing Techniques For Epigenetics handout

Bonus 4: Food, Herbs, and Spices List for epigenetic function.

Join me.