Genetic History
Family history has a bearing on your health and will enable your practitioner to
identify potential areas for concern. You may be more susceptible to certain diseases
and it is helpful to identify the risks. However, although you may inherit a risk
for, say, heart disease, diabetes, or some other disorder, this is not to say it
is an inevitable outcome. Your genetic inheritance (your genotype) is relevant, but
it is not the whole story. Of equal importance is the way your genes are expressed
(your phenotype). The way you live, i.e. the way you treat your genes, determines
your phenotype. Factors such as diet, lifestyle, exposure to toxic substances, stress,
injury, all work together in modifying phenotype - they alter the expression of your
genes and therefore play a big part in the state of your health.
You can use family medical history to your advantage by modifying your inherited
traits. With the help of nutritional therapy, you can help prevent ill health and
live a longer, healthier life.
