What Food Is Shaping You?
Learnings from honeybees, lifestyle changes, and epigenetics.
Takeaways
Your genes are not your fate, thanks to epigenetics
Epigenetics is the study of how the environment (such as food and lifestyle) impacts gene expressions
Diet and lifestyle matter to increase your healthy years ahead
Honeybees are a captivating, relatable illustration of epigenetics
Have you ever marveled at the transformation of an ordinary honeybee larva into a queen? How is it possible? Royal jelly. After day 3, while the future workers get less nutritious food (a mixture of pollen, nectar, and honey), the queen-to-be gets fed royal jelly, a protein-rich diet (a gelatinous substance containing proteins, simple sugars, small quantities of Vitamin C, various trace minerals and enzymes.)1
Wow! The honeybee example is a captivating illustration of epigenetics, a scientific field exploring how the environment (such as food and lifestyle) influences gene expressions. This example is particularly compelling because it's relatable and intriguing. Why is it so?
The incredible process of bee development reveals that every female egg possesses the remarkable potential to mature into a queen bee. What plays a crucial role in determining a bee’s fate? Diet.
Diet and lifestyle matters
Let me share a personal story. Back in 2015, during my PhD studies, I realized I was taking a wrong turn. With time and logistics constraints, I’d eat poorly at lunch, and dinner was not much better. I’d devour my lunch sandwich between lab measurements and, sometimes, even double-check if the experiment was running fine while biting my chèvre au miel panini… Oof… 🚩 For those unfamiliar with laboratory safety rules, you are prohibited from eating in a chemistry lab! Don’t do that; otherwise, you’ll get in trouble. [I hope my former PhD advisor is not reading this number. And no, I have not taught this practice to my master's student.]😅
There are moments in life when we have to push through; we need to get sh* done, we drop physical exercise and rely on processed food, and we end up neglecting what we have of most precious: health. At the beginning of 2017, when I saw the light in the PhD tunnel [meaning I was writing my manuscript and graduating was only a semester away], I corrected my troubling trajectory, never to come back. Today, I stand on 3 strong pillars: a plant-based diet, exercise (mainly trail running and hiking), and a positive mindset. I feel much more reinvigorated and alive.
This was my wake-up call story.
Epigenetics
Not too long ago, I found myself experiencing an A-H-A moment. I discovered that only around 25 % of our lifespan appears to be determined by our genes (identical twins study).2 Only 25 %! We have much more control over our healthy aging than we might think. Isn’t it excellent news? Thank you, epigenetics.
As I write this article, I am reading the book ‘How Not to Age’ by Michael Greger, a Medical Doctor specializing in clinical nutrition. To favor your anti-aging process, a few actions recommended by Dr. Greger:3
Reduce consumption of saturated fats (concentrated in meat, dairy, and desserts)
Increase consumption of fibers (legumes, fruits, veggies, and whole grains)
Eat barberries and black cumin; drink hibiscus and lemon verbena tea. Add vinegar to your salads (these ingredients activate a specific enzyme recognized as a pro-longevity factor).
To wrap up, here is a study further exemplifying how gene expressions can be modulated by changing nutrition and lifestyle in men.4
This pilot study aimed to examine changes in prostate gene expression in a unique population of men (30 participants aged 49 to 80)
Biopsies were taken before and after the individuals adopted intensive lifestyle changes for 3 months (a whole food, plant-based diet, and exercise)
The outcome? Authors pinpointed beneficial changes in gene expression for 500 different genes. The expression of disease-preventing genes was boosted, and genes promoting prostate cancer were suppressed.
Although more extensive clinical trials would be essential to confirm the results of this pilot study, it gives us content to reflect upon.
The take-home message is that your genes are not your fate. Regardless of the genes you have inherited from your parents, you have a lot on your hands! Take advantage of it.
Inspiration corner
💚 Looking for a healthy morning pancake recipe?
🍆🍫🫐 Zucchini choco-blueberries pancakes are on your way!
This recipe is my all-time favorite. I don't feel heavy after eating four pancakes in a row (as I feel with regular American pancakes). I love the flour mixture, the antioxidant boost from the blueberries, and the unconventional addition of zucchini. It is surprisingly delicious! 🫣 For the parents out there: It is a great way to introduce zucchini to your kid’s meal without them noticing it.
Ingredients (for an average of 8 pancakes of 10 cm):
- 25 cl whole coconut milk, unsweetened, canned
- 1 tbsp ground chia (I use whole chia seeds)
- 40 g millet flour
- 60 g white rice flour
- 40 g quinoa flakes
- 25 g oat bran (I replace it with oat flakes when I don’t have oat bran)
- 1 good pinch of salt
- 60 g dark chocolate chips
- 1 large egg (Vegan option: I use the below egg alternative available in France)
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp grapeseed oil, plus enough to grease the pan (For greasing, I use coconut oil)
- 1 medium zucchini (around 170 g), finely grated (I added 230 g in my last trial)
- 150 g fresh blueberries (or strawberries or both)
Preparation:
1. Mix the chia seeds thoroughly with coconut milk in a bowl. Reserve.
2. Combine the flours, quinoa and oat flakes, salt, and chocolate chips in a large bowl.
3. In another bowl, beat the egg (or egg-replacer mixture) with the coconut sugar until the mixture becomes foamy (there is no foam when using the egg-replacer, but that’s OK). Pour the coconut milk mixture into the egg mixture, add the grapeseed oil, and mix everything well.
4. Combine the liquid ingredients with the dry ingredients. Add the grated zucchini.
5. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add a little coconut oil. Use a spatula to distribute this thick batter in the pan and form a pancake 10 cm in diameter. Making small pancakes of about 10 cm in diameter aids in the flipping operation.
6. Carefully flip the pancake using a thin spatula and brown the other side. Repeat the operation until the dough is used up.
🥞 Ready to try it out? Let me know in the comments what your favorite pancake recipe is.
🐝 Until next week, eat like a queen! 👸🏻
Xoxo,
Fernanda
PS1: Other articles you might find interesting:
PS2: Find my archive here! Do you know that clicking in the heart or leaving a comment helps others discover this newsletter? Thank you for supporting my work.
Website: https://www.science.org.au/
Book: How Not to Age by Michael Greger, MD
great article!
Well that means that we should really be careful on the food we give children at school and think of food as a way to reduce inequalities in soceity!