Book Review by Anja Middelzick: I Hear You by Michael S. Sorensen

 

If I told you that lasting relationships need validation 9 out of 10 times, would you be interested in hearing more?  The author Michael Sorensen gives the reader a better insight on why the above statement is true in his book titled: I hear You.

When I first heard about this book, my knee jerk reaction was “this is great, but I already know this, maybe my husband needs to read this”.

After reading this book, the realization sunk in; I thought I was better at validation than I truly am. Women often validate other women, and women often complain that they don’t receive that kind of validation from their partners. This book will appeal to both men and women. Feeling heard, understood, and appreciated, is a gift; and that feeling comes, in large part from validation.

The author quotes an article published in Business Insider titled: Science Says Lasting Relationships come Down to 2 Basic Traits:

1. Putting out a request for connection;
2. 9/10 times the response is positive

The article discussed studies conducted by psychologist John Gottman who, for the previous four decades, had studied thousands of couples in an effort to figure out what makes relationships work.

For example: say you are out on a date, and one person sees a beautiful car and comments to their partner. If the partner either says nothing, or “that’s nice”, or says “I think that car is ugly”. The first person will not feel validated at all. Lasting relationships require a positive acknowledgement, although it is ok not to agree.

Gottman (the researcher) can apparently predict with up to 94 percent certainty whether couples -rich or poor, gay or straight, young or mature will be broken up, together and unhappy, or together and happy, several years down the road by whether or not they follow the principles of validation.

Validation has the following benefits:

• Be able to add a boost to others experience;
• Be able to offer support
• Be able to show love
• Be able to make others feel safe
• Avoid arguments
• Be able to give advice that sticks
• Be a more likeable human being
• Have deeper relationships.

Behind the need to communicate is the need to share. Behind the need to share is the need to be understood (validated).

What is validation?

The act of recognizing & affirming the validity and worth of a person’s emotions. I hear you!

1. Identifies a specific emotion;
2. It offers justification for feeling that emotion.

Another study in 2011 showed that validation reduces the stress response

• Decreases the recipient’ s heart rate;
• Makes it easier to regulate emotions
• Makes it easier to get back on track.

Things to avoid saying: don’t worry, it could be worse, be happy, stop complaining, just enjoy the journey. Often we like to give advice, but identifying the other’s emotion, and offering justification for feeling that emotion, is much more valuable. Only offer advice when either asked or given permission, after you validate first!.

When you are tempted to give advice, remember that it is difficult to move through issues when you are blinded by strong emotions, and suppressed emotions only get stronger. Validation makes you able to see the emotions for what they are, neither good or bad, and it makes it easier to process and break free to find solutions on your own.

In order to identify the other person’s emotions you might ask:

Why do you say that? Why do you feel that way?

This uncovers the root cause and makes deeper validation possible.

There are several ways in  which we can misunderstand the process of validation:

• Only needed for negative emotions. When validating other’s good fortune, that helps to establish trust, connection, intimacy, and lowers daily conflict, increases commitment, etc.
• You can’t validate if you don’t agree: You don’t have to agree to get the benefits from validation. You might say “I get why you feeling the way you are”. Saying something like that can keep you from talking in circles. To acknowledge is to validate.
• Validating is simply repeating what the other person says: That would be called reflective listening, which can be useful, but also mechanical and inauthentic. Validations focuses on the emotion, not the words.

Without empathy, validation does not work. Who does not love to talk to someone who is curious about you? This probably requires that you have eye contact and are not distracted by phones, computers, etc.  The best way to develop empathy is to work on identifying your own emotions. Check in with yourself a few times a day. This builds a broader catalogue of experiences and feelings, so you can validate maybe by saying “I had a similar experience “.

In a nutshell, you could follow the four step method Sorenson lays out in his book

Four Step Method:

1. Listen empathetically;
2. Validate the emotion “Yes, that would upset me too”;
3. Offer advice or assurance (if needed/asked/ or given permission);
4. Validate again.

Of course, body language can help you a lot to try to figure out the emotion, as 70% of communication is non-verbal. Don’t forget to match their energy. Nothing worse when someone tried to validate you with a smile when you are sad.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of it all. In the book you will receive many more explanations and examples to help you understand how to implement true validation.

In conclusion, it is totally worth reading it. It might take some time to implement all the information, but I am super excited to work on giving great validation!

News from Healing Path September, 2019

Hello on this rainy early fall day!

Fall came early this year, and so come the sniffles, aches, maybe a gloomier outlook. When the days are shorter (less day light), and darker because of the rain, what can you do to continue to feel as good as you did in the summer?

1. Start taking your vitamin D again. Best form of vitamin D is in a liquid (fat), as vitamin A,D,E and K are absorbed best with a fat. Also, find a vitamin D3, a highly absorbable form of vitamin D. Lastly, I prefer to take D3 with K2, which both we need for our skeletal system (our bones), cardio vascular system, and immune system. Also vitamin D is important for our brain health, low vitamin D is associated with depression. We have 2 great brands at the clinic that we use: Biotics and Live Wise Naturals;
2. Continue to do things outdoors. In the summer we are more active, which releases endorphins in our brain (that’s one reason why you feel so good). Get your raincoat/boots out and take your dog for that walk anyway (your dog will be happy). Not only do you get the endorpins, but also a nice flush to your system which helps your entire well-being. There are plenty of fun things to do when it gets colder (x-country skiing, skiing, snow shoeing, hiking, biking, running, gardening, walking, etc.);
3. And if the weather really prevents you from going outside: join a gym, take an exercise class, do your stretches, yoga, (glo.com), or use an app on your phone (7 minute workout). Your head will thank you (for the endorphins) and your pains and aches will lessen. Then after your done, curl up with a book and a cup of tea!
4. Tune up with an acupuncture treatment and/or a massage. Keeping your body flushed before it starts hurting is a great way to prevent problems down the road. Traditionally, the Chinese do a seasonal tune-up (minimally). Massage keeps your lymph (where are the crud hangs out) moving too;
5. In the summer we tend eat more veggies and fruit, making our meals more colorful. Look what is in season (you can always get kale, apples, beets) and keep the colors in your diet. The colors in your veggies give us a lot of great nutrients. Plus your dinner plate should always have something green on it. Keep your immune system strong by treating your digestive system well. Your immune system is largely located in your intestines, so eat well and keep it moving. Digestion as key for health, and most of us think that having a bout of loose stool (or the opposite) is no big deal. Not true! See me for correcting any digestive issues you may have… my favorite topic and wealth of knowledge!
6. Boost your immune system with essential oils. When your coworker sniffles get out some immune boosting essential oils. At the clinic we love doTerra’s OnGuard. You can diffuse it, put it on your body, and if you are comfortable take it internally as well. If you do get a cold, doTERRA has delicious throat drops (Breath and OnGuard).

This is the short list of what you can do to keep your summer body going. Come see us and we will help you “on your Healing Path”.

Note: next Free Essential oil class is on October 21, 2019 at 5:30pm at the clinic. Each month we delve into an essential oil and get to know it deeply.

Namaste

Viruses trigger celiac disease and other autoimmunities

Autoimmune disease is a modern epidemic in which your body’s immune system, which normally helps defend you from pathogens, mistakenly attacks your own organs and tissues. Current research tells us multiple factors can play a role in causing autoimmunity, including viruses. More recently, a virus has been linked with celiac disease, an autoimmune disease in which symptoms are triggered by eating gluten.

Celiac disease linked with normally harmless virus in humans

Celiac disease affects one in 133 people in the United States, however only 17 percent have been diagnosed.

While former research has focused on genetic factors underlying celiac disease, a recent study found a link between celiac disease and reovirus, a normally harmless virus in humans.

The study found that mouse subjects with celiac-like disease have higher levels of reovirus antibodies than those without the disease. Those with reovirus antibodies also had high levels of a gene regulator that plays a role in loss of oral tolerance to gluten protein.

In the study, researchers took two different reovirus strains that infect humans (T1L and T3D), and tested them on mice. Both types triggered a protective immune response, but only the T1L caused the mice’s immune systems to act against gluten. This triggered a celiac-like condition in the mice.

The immune response triggered by the T1L virus was dependent on a molecule called interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1), which has been found in higher than normal levels in the small intestine of human children with celiac disease.

This suggests that early reovirus infection might raise the risk for developing gluten-related autoimmunity.

According to lead researcher author Bana Jabri, MD, PhD, director of research at the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, “During the first year of life, the immune system is still maturing, so for a child with a particular genetic background, getting a particular virus at that time can leave a kind of scar that then has long term consequences.”

Along with other researchers, Jabri is investigating the possibility that other viruses can play a similar role in autoimmunity.

Chronic viral infection makes the short list for autoimmune factors

Research increasingly indicates viruses and bacteria may play a role in the development of autoimmunity.

Viruses and bacteria trigger an immune response in the body. Some researchers suggest that the antibodies we produce in response may also attack our body’s cells. This may be because they resemble the virus or bacteria, confusing the immune system into the attack.

If you already experience lifestyle-induced chronic inflammation, this makes the immune system hyper zealous and thus more likely to erroneously attack self-tissue.

The viruses suspected in connection with autoimmunity are varied, and some are linked to multiple conditions:

• Hashimoto’s autoimmune thyroiditis is associated with Epstein Barr virus (EBV), herpes simplex 1 and 2, hepatitis C, and cytomegalovirus (CMV).
• Multiple Sclerosis is associated with EBV and measles virus.
• Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with EBV, hepatitis C, E-coli bacteria, and mycobacteria.
• Lupus is associated with EBV.
• Type 1 diabetes is associated with coxsackievirus B4, cytomegalovirus, mumps virus, and rubella virus.
• Guillain-Barré syndrome is associated with EBV, CMV, and campylobacter bacteria.

Know your viral exposure

Having a viral or bacterial infection is not a guarantee of developing autoimmunity, because other factors must come together for it to occur. However, it’s a good idea to take viral exposure into account when looking for the root causes and treatment of your autoimmune condition.

Some practitioners say regardless of other medical protocols, patients with autoimmunity do not go into remission unless they also address their chronic viral and bacterial infections.

Because viral infections usually occur well before any autoimmune symptoms develop, it can be difficult to make a definitive link between a specific infection and a your autoimmune disorder.

Therefore, if you are seeing your doctor about your autoimmune condition, remember to mention any infections you know you’ve had, even back in your childhood; some viruses such as Epstein Barr can persist in the body for decades without obvious symptoms. Lastly, if you don’t seem to be able to heal, ask about testing for hidden chronic viral infections as well as bacterial gut infections.

Other autoimmunity risk factors

Although there is a genetic component to autoimmunity, the following factors are linked to an increased risk of develop an autoimmune condition:

• Females. Women represent about 75 percent of autoimmune cases. Researchers speculate women’s hormones or their active immune systems make them more vulnerable to developing autoimmunity.
• Young to middle-aged. While the elderly can develop autoimmunity such as rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune conditions more frequently show up in youth or middle age.
• African American, Native American, or Latinx heritage. These ethic groups represent higher rates of autoimmunity than others.
• Family history of autoimmunity. If your family members have had autoimmunity, you are at higher risk.
• Environmental exposure to toxins or heavy metals. There is evidence relating toxic exposure to higher rates of autoimmunity.
• Intestinal hyper-permeability (leaky gut). Leaky gut is present not only in all autoimmune diseases, but in other chronic illnesses such as heart disease, depression, and more.

Don’t overlook the necessity of vitamin D cofactors

Sufficient vitamin D levels requires more than a healthy diet and taking supplements—good vitamin D levels need the right cofactors too. A shocking three-quarters of the US population has too little vitamin D, even in sunny locales. Vitamin D is necessary to dampen inflammation and tame autoimmune diseases. Some people with autoimmunity may even need extra vitamin D due to a genetic variation that affects the ability of their cells to absorb adequate vitamin D.

In addition to supplementing with fat-soluble vitamin D (cholecalciferol), make sure you are getting the right cofactors, or “helper molecules” that assist in the biochemical transformations required by vitamin D.

These include fat-soluble vitamin A, magnesium, and K2, which make vitamin D more bioavailable and help prevent D overload.

Vitamin A and vitamin D work together to make sure your genetic code functions appropriately. There are two main types of vitamin A:

• Beta-carotene, found in brightly colored fruits and vegetables, apricots, mango, and leafy greens.
• Retinol, found in organ meats and dairy products.

You can take vitamin A in supplement form as both beta-carotene and retinol, however retinol is the more active form. Although it’s also possible to take too much retinol. Your body can’t get rid of it easily, which can be harmful.

Magnesium. You can obtain sufficient magnesium through food, but high doses of vitamin D3 deplete magnesium. If you are already low in magnesium and supplement with vitamin D, supplementing with magnesium may avoid headaches, cramping, nausea, numbness and more that may accompany high doses of D3.

The Vitamin D Council recommends 500–700mg of magnesium per day. Supplement sources include magnesium glycinate, magnesium citrate, and magnesium malate. Each has unique effects, so consult with my office to learn which is right for your needs.

Magnesium-rich foods include dark leafy greens, potato, beans, lentils, avocado, bananas, figs, strawberries, blackberries, nuts, seeds, brown rice, and dark chocolate.

Vitamin K2. Vitamin D toxicity can cause soft tissue to accumulate calcium and calcify like bone. In contrast, sufficient vitamin D i may even protect against calcium deposits in arteries.

Vitamin K2 is an important cofactor for vitamin D to help the body deposit calcium in appropriate locations such as the bones and teeth, and to prevent calcium from depositing where it doesn’t belong, such as the soft tissues, arterial walls, joints and organs.

Healthy gut bacteria are necessary to convert vitamin K1 to the more active form K2. However, we can supply our K1 needs through eating cabbage, kale, spinach, chard, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels’ sprouts, and sauerkraut. These foods will also promote healthy gut bacteria.

The National Academy of Sciences recommends 90mcg of K2 for women and 120mcg for men.

However, Osteoporosis International recommends 180 mcg a day of K2 as MK-7.

If you take blood thinning medicines such as Warfarin or Coumadin, vitamin K supplements can affect how well your blood clots, so please talk to your doctor.

Testing

Checking your vitamin D level periodically can help you improve your health if you suffer from chronic illness.

In functional medicine we measure vitamin D levels with a serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D test. Optimal levels are between 50 and 80 ng/mL.

If you suffer from leaky gut or autoimmunity, you may be more prone to a genetic vitamin D deficiency, so make sure to pay attention to this vital vitamin.

Bad gut bacteria big risk in heart disease

Unhealthy gut bacteria are a bigger risk for atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries than smoking, cholesterol levels, obesity, or diabetes. Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of heart disease.

That’s because the root cause of heart disease is inflammation. In fact, most modern health disorders are rooted in inflammation, including arthritis, diabetes, obesity, dementia, depression, and inflammatory bowel disease. Cardiovascular disease is no exception.

So where do gut bacteria come in? Researchers have discovered an unhealthy microbiome — the term given to our inner garden of gut bacteria — is pro-inflammatory while a healthy gut microbiome is anti-inflammatory. Unfortunately, Americans have the unhealthiest gut microbiomes studied thus far.

A recent study found that women experiencing hardening of the arteries also showed less gut bacteria diversity while women with healthy arteries showed healthier gut bacteria. A diverse array of gut bacteria is linked with better health.

The study also found that in healthy subjects, diverse and healthy gut bacteria produced more indolepropionic acid (IPA), a neuroprotective antioxidant that also has been shown to lower the risk of diabetes.

The gut microbiome and high blood pressure

It turns out there is more to high blood pressure than reducing your salt intake. Researchers have found high blood pressure, which increases your risk of heart disease and stroke, can also be linked to the gut microbiome.

The key is in a compound called propionate, one of several short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by healthy gut bacteria. Scientists are learning that SCFAs such as propionate and butyrate are instrumental to the health of the brain and body in many ways, with propionate being specific to the cardiovascular system.

How to foster a heart-healthy gut microbiome

Although taking propionate may help, it won’t do much good if it’s battling a minefield of infectious and inflammatory gut bacteria. Just as healthy gut bacteria produce SCFAs that are good for us, bad bacteria produce the highly inflammatory compound lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

The key to a heart-healthy gut microbiome is to eat about 25–30 grams of fiber a day via a very diverse array of vegetables and modest amounts of fruit (fruits are high in sugar and too much sugar is inflammatory).

It’s the diversity of vegetables that matters most, with research increasingly confirming that a diverse gut microbiome is what lies behind good health and a lower risk of disease.

Switch up the vegetables you eat regularly and shop at world markets unfamiliar to you to try new types of produce. Even a teaspoon of different new veggies each day is enough to help colonize the friendly bacteria that will work to keep your heart healthy.

In this fiber-rich environment, supplementing with SCFAs such as butyrate and propionate can help boost your gut bacteria to produce even more of their own SCFAs.

Additionally, make sure to keep your blood sugar stable by eliminating sugars, sweeteners, and processed carbohydrates, avoid foods that cause an immune reaction in you (for example, gluten and dairy do for many people), avoid toxin chemicals in your foods and body products that can kill good bacteria, and exercise daily — exercise has been shown to positively influence your gut microbiome.

Ask my office for more advice on how to cultivate an optimal gut microbiome and detoxify bad bacteria.

Manage Hashimoto’s by supporting T reg cells

When it comes to autoimmune Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, dampening inflammation and immune attacks on the thyroid is the primary goal. One of the most powerful allies in this quest is to support your regulatory T cells (T reg cells). These are immune cells that do what their name implies — they help regulate the immune system. This means they play a role in either activating or dampening inflammation. The good news is that when it comes to Hashimoto’s, we can do many things to influence the T reg cells to dampen inflammation and quell Hashimoto’s flare ups and attacks so you can have more good days.

Ways to support T reg cells to manage Hashimoto’s

Following are some proven ways we can support our T reg cells to manage Hashimoto’s.

Vitamin D (cholecalciferol). Fat soluble vitamin D is a powerful supporter of the T reg cells, especially at therapeutic doses (around 10,000 IU a day).

Vitamin D is also important because studies show many people with Hashimoto’s have a genetic defect hindering their ability to process vitamin D. Therefore, they need higher amounts of vitamin D to maintain health. This can be the case even if a blood test shows sufficient levels of serum vitamin D. That’s because the defect is at the cellular receptor site, preventing vitamin D from getting into the cells.

Omega 3 fatty acids. The EPA and DHA in fish oil support T-reg cells. It’s important to make sure you take enough; it’s estimated 80 percent of the population are deficient in essential fatty acids.

Research shows a healthy dietary intake of supplemental omga-3 is 3,500 mg if you eat 2,000 calories per day.

The average EFA capsule is 1,000 mg. Most people in the US eat between 2,000 to 3,000 calories a day and therefore should take 4 to 6 capsules of fish oil a day. Dietary sources of omega 3 include cold water fish, nuts, and seeds.

Glutathione. Glutathione, also known as the master antioxidant, supports T reg cells and is a powerful support in dampening inflammation and managing Hashimoto’s. Straight glutathione cannot be absorbed well but there are other ways to take it, including reduced glutathione, s-acetyl-glutathione, liposomal glutathione, and glutathione precursors.

Glutathione precursors make glutathione inside the cells and include n-acetyl cysteine, cordyceps, Gotu Kola, milk thistle, and alpha lipoic acid. Don’t be shy to take large amounts of glutathione support to dampen inflammation.

Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs are powerful signaling compounds that influence the health of the body and brain. They are produced by healthy gut bacteria that come from eating a diet abundant in a diverse array of vegetables. The more abundant and diverse your gut bacteria the better your SCFA production.

This helps many functions in your body, including proper T reg cell function and dampening of inflammation and managing Hashimoto’s. You can also take the SCFA butyrate to support your SCFA levels, however, you’ll need to make sure you’re eating plenty of vegetables throughout the day too for this strategy to be effective.

Endorphins. Saving the best for last, did you know a powerful way to support anti-inflammatory function of T reg cells is to experience joy, happiness, love, and playfulness? All of these things produce endorphins, feel good chemicals that reduce inflammation. Methods for increasing endorphins include:

• Socializing regularly with healthy people
• Laughter
• Sex
• Healthy touch
• Feeling love
• Meditation and breath work
• Massage and other forms of body work
• Doing something playful regularly
• Daily expression of gratitude via a journal or verbal affirmation
• Regular exercise that gives you a “natural high” but doesn’t wear you out

These are some of the ways you can manage your Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism. Ask my office for more information.

Effects of trauma and harm passed on for generations

The notion that genes dictate our destiny has been solidly debunked in favor of epigenetics, the study of external or internal mechanisms that switch genes on and off. Exciting new research shows epigenetic memory can span multiple generations.

Studies have linked epigenetics to cognitive dysfunction, autoimmunity, reproductive disorders, cardiovascular disease, and nearly all cancers.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that genetics are responsible for a mere 10 percent of disease, while the remaining 90 percent is due to environmental variables.

Consider these research findings:

In rats, maternal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals caused infertility in male offspring that was passed down to 90 percent of males in four subsequent generations.

Adaptations to traumatic experiences can also be passed down multiple generations as a way to inform offspring about methods for survival.

For example, mice who learned to fear a scent associated with a negative experience passed the response down two generations, despite the offspring never having experienced the same situation.

A similar transfer of responses has been observed in humans:

Exposure to starvation during pregnancy is associated with poor health outcomes for offspring such as:

• Lower self-reported mental health and quality of life
• Major mood disorders
• Antisocial personality disorders
• Schizophrenia
• Decreased intracranial volume
• Congenital abnormalities of the central nervous system
• Enhanced incidence of cardiovascular disease
• Hypertension
• Obesity

Descendants of people who survived the Holocaust show abnormal stress hormone profiles, in particular low cortisol production. Because of altered stress response, children of Holocaust survivors can be at increased risk for PTSD, depression, and anxiety.

Children of women exposed to intimate partner violence during pregnancy have higher predisposition to mental illness, behavioral problems, and psychological abnormalities due to transgenerational epigenetic programming of genes acting in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis), a complex communication pathway between glands involved in our stress response.

Classic genetic theory states that genetic change occurs over a time scale of hundreds to millions of years.

Epigenetics explains how our lifestyle, diet, environment, and experiences affect the expression of our genes over multiple generations, but it does not account for actual changes to our genetic code.

How do genetics and epigenetics relate?

Via epigenetics our genes can be influenced by factors such as:

• Diet
• Sleep habits
• Where you live
• Who you interact with
• Exercise habits
• Smoking
• Environmental toxins
• Heavy metals
• Stress level
• Social support (or lack of it)
• Medications
• Method of birth (cesarean vs. vaginal)
• And more

We inherit one variant of each gene from each parent. Epigenetics can turn off one of these two gene variants (this is called “imprinting”).

This can result in a negative health outcome if the other, still-active variant is defective or increases our susceptibility to toxins or infections.

The cumulative impacts of our lives on our genes

Related to epigenetics is the exposome, the cumulative measure of all the exposures of an individual in a lifetime — starting at conception — and how they relate to our health. Some consider the exposome the environmental equivalent of the human genome.

The exposome is divided into three overlapping categories:

The environment inside our bodies that affects our cells:

• Hormones and other cell messengers
• Oxidative stress (excess highly reactive and damaging molecules)
• Inflammation
• Lipid peroxidation (damage to cell membranes and other molecules containing fats)
• Body shape
• Gut microbiota
• Aging
• Biochemical stress

The external environment to which we expose our bodies:

• Diet
• Lifestyle
• Occupational factors
• Pathogens and toxins
• Radiation
• Medical interventions

The general external environment, including broader sociocultural and ecological factors:

• Socioeconomic status
• Geopolitical factors
• Psychological stress
• Education status
• Urban or rural residence
• Climate

Using epigenetics to positively impact the future

Epigenetic processes are natural and essential to many bodily functions. But if they go wrong they can negatively impacts not only our health but the health of our children. Researchers feel the ability for these changes to be passed down has significant implications regarding evolutionary biology and disease causation.

There are factors we have no control over such as certain environmental toxins, method of birth, and exposure to some level of stress. The good news is we can affect change in many areas that can powerfully affect our epigenetics:

• Anti-inflammatory diet
• Daily exercise
• Stress-relief activities
• Good sleep habits
• Who we interact with
• Antioxidant status
• Not smoking
• Social support
• Addressing food intolerances
• Mediating autoimmunity

Functional medicine offers many avenues to support healthy epigenetic expression. If you seek ways to help your body express its genes in the best ways possible, contact my office for help.