Experts think your crappy genes can be rewired with diet and exercise

The nature vs. nurture debate just got hotter with Deepak Chopra and Rudolph E. Tanzi’s “Super Genes” (out Tuesday from Harmony Books), which looks like it’ll do just as well as their best-selling 2012 tome, “Super Brain.”
The general idea is simple: Genes aren’t as immutable as you may think.

“Gene activity responds to your lifestyle — your thoughts, your feelings, your actions, your stress levels, your diet,” Tanzi, a neuroscientist at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital, tells The Post.

Nope, you can’t modify the DNA sequence that’s passed on from your family. But Tanzi notes that “most of what you inherit is written in clay rather than in stone. That means you have a chance to be the sculptor.”

Pushing the reasoning further, the book suggests those changes might be passed on: “Human beings could be the first creatures in the history of life on Earth to self-direct where their evolution is going.”

Their theory is not without its detractors in the scientific community.
“There’s not a shred of evidence that humans can change their genes in a permanent way via changes in our lifestyle,” writes Jerry Coyne, from the University of Chicago’s Department of Ecology & Evolution, in response to Chopra and Tanzi’s big idea.

Still, whether or not you buy the science, “Super Genes” offers common-sense advice for a healthier life.
Chopra and Tanzi single out six areas that can potentially change your well-being for the better, with easy, hard and experimental options.

Diet

“There is clearly a gut-brain axis,” says Tanzi, who’s been a vegetarian since college. “It brings a whole new meaning to the term ‘gut feeling.’  ” But since science has yet to formulate the perfect array of intestinal bacteria for overall health, the authors claim that following an anti-inflammatory diet is the next best thing, helping to combat an array of health issues, from chronic disease to obesity.
To fight inflammation, Chopra and Tanzi recommend eating more fiber and probiotics, and cutting down on processed foods. If you’re going to eat beef, grass-fed is better than grain-fed — the authors allow that, unfortunately, eating better also costs more.

Meditation

“Super Genes” acknowledges that the practice is “a major lifestyle change,” but well worth the effort. While meditation is often seen as a spiritual matter, the book argues it can have a physical impact by helping you battle stress, and even suggests the practice can help turn down stress-response genes. It can also prep you better for success by improving focus, the ability to make sound decisions and so on — a line of argument that should be familiar to regular Chopra readers.

Sleep
We all know a good night’s rest is essential, but the authors argue that sleep could affect what they call the “clock genes.” To activate them, which will impact appetite, mood and energy levels, they recommend you “avoid reading or watching TV [a half-hour] before you go to sleep.”
Stress
It’s “the first area where the mind-body connection could be proved” and guess what? It’s bad for you! Stress hormones can lead to a cascade of physical reactions, which, if experienced chronically, can “damage tissues and organs throughout the body,” according to the book.
Since the authors equate modern life with stress, they argue that it’s easier to “stop being the cause of stress for others.” How? For one, stop complaining and criticizing, start listening and address issues before they snowball into major problems.

Emotions

While it’s “highly unlikely” there’s anything like a “happiness gene,” the book suggests you can still do much to improve your emotions — which in turn impact your physical being. To reduce fear and anxiety, seek “emotional intelligence and happiness” by controlling your impulses, empathizing with others and making sure your needs are met by developing “the courage to find the right people” — even if that means risking rejection.

Exercise

Despite his busy schedule, Tanzi does yoga every morning and plays six hours of basketball a week. If your schedule’s too packed, the book recommends yoga, “the single activity that does the most for body and mind together.”

 http://nypost.com/2015/11/10/can-some-yoga-fix-your-familys-crappy-genes/