Recent epigenetic studies have found that your environment can literally alter your genes and change your body. Now this is amazing news, because it means that we have more control of our bodies then we initially thought.  It sounds like science fiction, but it’s true…we CAN control our genes.

That means if obesity (or other health problems) runs in your family, you have the power to change it!  You don’t have to be a slave to your family genetics.  You can literally change yourself.

However, this also magnifies the importance of your environment, both internally and externally.

Here’s a list of things you can do to help optimize your internal environment:

• Eliminate (or minimize) processed foods with chemical additives (food coloring, preservatives)

• Eliminate (or minimize) refined sugars that stresses you liver and spikes your insulin

• Eliminate (or minimize) trans fat that wreak havoc to your body

• Eliminate (or minimize) BPA (plastics food containers, bottles, utensils) that leak estrogen-like causing chemicals (known to increase risk of breast cancer and other serious diseases)

• Eat real whole foods, preferably organic to eliminate risk of artificial hormones, antibiotics, chemically harmful herbicides, pesticides and fungicides

• Eat the right balance of macronutrients: Protein, Carbs and Fats.  (I recommend and prefer a low carb based diet, like my Lean Body Diet - which is based on quality protein and fats with carbs mostly coming from vegetables and fruits with little to no grains)

• If you aren’t getting enough nutrients from real food, you can take quality supplements as an adjunct to your diet.  The top 3 most deficient nutrients are high quality omega 3 fatty acids, magnesium and vitamin D3.

As for your external environment, it’s a little more complicated than your internal environment…partly because certain things are not within your control.  For instance, where you live can have a big impact on your health and body, but it’s something many people can’t change.

Another external factor is your work environment, where you spend the vast majority of your time during the week.  Hopefully your work environment is good, but a stressful work situation can negatively impact your body.  Although your body is well equipped to handle stress for short durations, when it lingers for too long, it leads to lower immune response, lower thyroid function and increased belly fat that’s extremely difficult to get rid of no matter how much you exercise or diet.

These are just a couple of external situations that may be out of your immediate control, but there are many things that you can control that will have a huge positive impact on your body and health.

And one external factor that makes a big difference in your health is your support system.  Family, friends and other support networks can really change the course of your health.  In all the years I’ve been in the heath and fitness industry, I’ve been fortunate enough to be part of many health and fitness success stories.  And if I had to choose the one intangible factor that determines whether a person successfully achieves their health and fitness goals or not…it’s support.

It may seem pale in comparison to the importance of diet and exercise…it’s really not.  Everyone focuses on the big stuff and takes the intangibles for granted, but it’s the intangibles that make or break your success.

And now that we know how much external environments can affect your genes, it’s not inconceivable (at all) to believe, that having a supportive environment can alter your gene expressions for the better.  Remember, just last week I mentioned that temporary sleep deprivation can alter and deactivate up to 700 genes that are part of your bodies major metabolic processes.  Which means it can completely hinder your fat loss.

Here’s an inspiring example of what our body is capable of when given the right support and environment. Check out this inspiring video:

Now, I’m not saying that the supportive environment provided by his mother and especially his Parkour coach changed he’s genes, but it’s pretty amazing to think that someone who wasn’t supposed to be able to walk, can now do a front flip.

We’re all capable of great things, especially when we have the right support system around us.

This is why I highly encourage you to surround yourself with like minded people, so you can get encouragement and support from one another while pursing your health and fitness goals.

It’s not proven science, yet.  But if what I’ve experienced and seen in the last 20 years is any evidence, I’m certain that the study of epigenetics will eventually show that having a supportive environment can alter your gene expression to produce a fitter, leaner and healthier body.