Dr Kopera writes about Genetic Expression and how lifestyle changes, attitudes, and our conscious thoughts can dramatically impact our health, wellness and thus influence our aging process. On Expert Insight Radio in 2016 Dr Kopera talked about the 80/20 rule. This refers to the new science that shows that only 20% of us is inherited. That is our genetic predisposition. That means that 80% is environmental which is significantly influenced by our culture and includes our lifestyle choices. This is about how we choose to live, who we hang out with, the foods we choose and the choices we make, good or bad.

I’ve always been fascinated with this Nature/Nurture Controversy. In my family there are identical twins on my mother’s side. They even had a joint wedding. Then one twin moved down the Snowy Mountains of Australia and raised her five children in this clean Alpine air. She is the only remaining adult left on my mother’s side of the family at 87 years of age. The other twin lived in the hustle and bustle of the city of Sydney where she raised four children. She died over 30 years ago of breast cancer. Identical twins put in different environments certainly grow up to be different because of the 80% of lifestyle choices they make despite the 20% of identical inherited generics.

So let’s look at what The Science of Epigenetic is. According to Dr Kopera “Epi Genetics means the expression of the genes. The DNA of an organism, including its genes, is called a Genome. All genes carry information on the makeup of proteins required by that organism. These proteins determine, among other things, how the organism looks, how well its body metabolizes food or fights infection, and sometimes even how it behaves.”

“By definition, Epigenetics is the external modification to DNA that turns genes either ‘on’ or ‘off’. These modifications do not change the DNA sequence itself, but affect whether they are ‘active’ or ‘inactive’. This is known as ‘gene expression’ and, therefore, through our own self-care and nurturing, we have significant influence over how a particular gene impacts our well-being.

Another fascinating study that Dr Kopera has made her life’s work is Nutrigenomics. This is the study of how foods affect our genes and how these individual genetic affectations can alter the way we respond to the nutrients contained in the food we eat. These changes impact our genomic stability which, in turn, underlies several common age-related diseases such as:

• Auto immune diseases
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Cardiovascular and stroke
• Alzheimer’s
• Neurodegenerative conditions.

Let me give you an example. When I was sick with an auto-immune disease I began studying the body to find out how I got sick so I could help myself become well again. I had some tests done on the foods that I didn’t tolerate. Foods that are considered ‘healthy’ for most people did not sit well in my body. My genes rejected them. Some of those foods included rice, chicken, the blue of the blueberry, yeast in breads and fruits like melons, yellow part of the egg, just to name a few. Most of these foods could be eaten daily by most people but for some reason not by me.

By finding this information out I was able to return to optimal health over time. These emerging fields of Epigenetics and Nutrigenomics may well provide the missing pieces to your health puzzle and aging choices. I got to choose the correct foods for me, together with other great health choices that have created a better health, and increased happiness that I intend to enjoy for many years to come. I also found out what vitamins and minerals I needed to supplement because I genetically do not absorb some like vitamin B12.

You can find out so much more in my latest book ‘Age is an Attitude’ launched on September 7.

“Australia is ranked as one of the fattest nations in the developed world” according to the Huffington Post.

Obesity in Australia is becoming an epidemic. You may say it’s none of my business or your business what other people do, but in this instance it may well be because a huge amount of our health dollars are now spent on the side effects of obesity, like:

• Heart Disease
• Early onset of Diabetes
• Auto Immune Disorders
• Circulation Issues
• Lung, Kidney, Liver and Bowel Diseases
• …and the list goes on

I was at a Natural Health Convention last weekend and we talked about Obesity as a pressing issue here in Australia with:

• 7 out of 10 men obese
• 1 in every 2 women obese
• 1 in every 4 children obese

You would have to agree that these figures are staggering to say the least. The prevalence of obesity has more than doubled in the last 30 years and so by 2025, it is estimated that 70 percent of Australia’s population will be obese or overweight.

The point is what do we do now, when 5 million Australians require some urgent intervention?
Having studied the body for many years as a trainer in fitness, a teacher in Health and Fitness at University and TAFE colleges for 7 years, a natural health consultant and a Master Trainer of the Mind I know that there are so many reasons why people put on weight. It’s not a one fix for all.

I also know that the brown visceral fat that sits around the organs when you have put on weight is so very dangerous and it’s worth educating people about the importance of avoiding and or removing this particular fat.

There are so many reasons that we go through weight gain including

• Overeating
• Lack of exercise
• Low self esteem
• Suppressing negative emotions or limiting beliefs
• Copying behaviour from parents and peers
• Fad diets that do NOT work
• Sitting in cars, at work and with technology
• Chemical exposure in your environment. The body puts on fat cells to keep you safe and absorb the chemicals.
• ‘Convenience’ foods delivered to the door
• Fast Food Chains with tempting advertising that simply makes eating your next meal ‘easy’.
• Sugars and wheats hidden in many foods labelled ‘natural’ or ‘healthy’.
• …and the list goes on.

While this is a huge list and one I am sure you can add to, I feel sometimes as adults, we can set an example that then may change unhealthy habits in us and in turn influences the people around us. Two years ago I decided to get rid of the brown fat around my organs by doing a Detox and Fat Loss Program. I encouraged someone to do it with me knowing it could be life changing for them. I chose January as the month to do it because that is when we have the least activities that would spoil such a program. We both lost between 5 to 7 kilos and have kept it off since then. The best part is that her self-esteem changed, she got her ‘mojo’ back, she was taken off a tablet she had been on for over 50 years that had horrific side effects, she got herself a voluntary position working in a shop and she continues to follow that eating plan today while walking every 3 hours for just 10 minutes to keep the metabolic rate at a premium.

Why I tell you this story is that the benefits are numerous and some you are not even expecting. Milton H Erickson tells a great metaphor to a client that comes to him about his weight. After the client explains his situation Milton Erickson tells him a story about a tomato in his back garden that only takes in as much nutrients as it requires to be the most perfect tomato in the crop. Milton Erickson goes on to talk about the intelligence that the tomato has to make that decision. The story goes on a little more but the changes to this man was catastrophic. He realised that he had more intelligence than a tomato and if the tomato could do that then he could do that. So he began only taking in as much nutrients that he required and began his weight loss journey.

So weight loss is a mind and body connection process. If this is an issue for you, or you know someone that would like to let some of their weight, especially the brown fat, go then contact me as there are so many wonderful options to assist you today including:

1. Clearing negative emotions and limiting beliefs that food may be used to suppress
2. Taking on board a 21 day Fat Loss and Detox program that really gives that weight a move out of your system in a scientifically formulated way
3. A Lifestyle program for 90 days that is a FAT BURNING Philosophy based on the Mediterranean diet and committing to adding three things to your eating plan and taking 3 things away. This has taken the USA by storm so if you want more details check it out at www.modere.com.au (Australia) or www.Modere.com (USA) and put in the code 910422.

Let’s explore this issue further in our next newsletter. Contact lynda@mindpowerglobal.com.au for any more information.

While I was writing my ‘Age is an Attitude’ book recently, a timely article came out on ‘The 12 Easy Strategies to Live to 100 and Thrive while doing it:’ I thought you may like to have this latest research.

While it looks at World Health Statistics of 2014, it also looks at trends moving forward. While the average life expectancy in Canada and the USA was now 80 for men and 84 for females, Australia and Japan tended to fair a few more years of longevity. The point here is that in this growing trend of living longer “They also remain vital and productive for many more years than previously” says Dr Zachary Levine.

In the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan the 85 year olds are the fastest growing group of older adults. This is up to a 25% increase than only five years earlier. “Moreover, 22 percent more were hitting the 100 – mark than did five years earlier”. So turning 100 is becoming trendy and expected. More interesting is that the ladies have a 21% higher life expectancy than that of the men.

Zoomer Media Limited 2017 then put out the 12 easy strategies to live to 100 and thrive while doing so. We have already mentioned quite a few of these, and it’s great to see them verified in further studies. So for ‘Living Long and Aging Well’ they suggest:

1. Train Your Brain: Keeping your mind sharp is really important well into your 80’s and 90’s. We know through neuroscience, and have given examples in this book, that you can train your brain to have the aging lifestyle you choose. We can generate new neural pathways anytime we want simply by thinking and deciding we want to do something. Mental laziness is a choice and one you can change in an instant and at any age.
2. Get Gardening: Mixing the exercise of gardening to the attachment to Mother Earth has proved through many studies that it promotes well-being, decrease depression, and is adaptable to everyone’s ability. We have a gardening ‘working bee’ where I live and I love the opportunity to get down and get dirty. We are now offering residents the chance to grow their own vegetables, which has proven extremely popular.
3. Lift to Last: Jim Karas, a Personal Trainer, has suggested that older adults do strength training in preference to cardio exercise. Recently on the TV they showed a nun here in Australia who retired as a nun and decided to get fit. She went to the gym five years ago and began strength training. She does it diligently 4 days of the week. Five years later she is the fittest over 70 year old female in Australia today. Jim Karas says “Strength training may determine whether an individual leads a dependent or independent lifestyle after the age of 70. Only strength training reverses age-related muscle loss”.
4. Stretch it Out: There are so many studies that look at Yoga, Stretching and Meditation that offer greater functional fitness in all areas of our body. Some of the renown benefits include relaxing the nervous system, promoting healthy hearts, improving digestion and improving positive mental attitudes.
5. Go for Mushrooms: While this may not suit all of us because of its ‘yeast’ content, others can enjoy the low sodium and high potassium and its ability to contain vitamin D which has numerous benefits of lowering Type 2 Diabetes and reduces occurrences of rheumatoid arthritis. They also have high levels of anti-oxidants which fight against free radical damage and inflammation.
6. Get the Blues: With “Vitamin A and C and flavonoids in this popular berry it is brilliant for lowering the LDL (bad cholesterol) and protecting our vascular system” says food chemist Wilhelmina Kalt.
7. Know Your Colours: Yellow-Orange color vegetables and Greens are all powerful anti-oxidants that may be most useful in lowering the propensity for cancer, cardiovascular disease and Type 2 Diabetes. These are more common in older adults.
8. Eat to Fight: Cancer fighting foods are worth including in your diet such as cabbage, broccoli and buck choy, tomatoes, sweet potato, lemons, blackberries, brown rice and wheat berries. All of these have research based evidence on the possibility of preventing various cancers.
9. Sweeten the Deal: Pure Canadian Maple Syrup contains a host of anti-oxidants so could be used as a successful sweetener.
10. Brush Up: Teeth and gums are vital to keep clean. “Extensive scientific research has linked oral health to overall health and suggests that gum disease can contribute to many age related ailments including diabetes, heart disease and stroke, respiratory disease and rheumatoid arthritis” says this article and much more research backs this information up.
11. Hit the Pool: Swimming, and Aquafitness are brilliant ways for you to gain strength and mobility in an exercise environment that massages you while you work out. My Dad and Mum did Aquafitness for over 14 years and I continue to attend the classes twice weekly.
12. Say Yes to Sex: This varies markedly throughout our aging process for a variety of reasons. “Any activity that increases the dopamine level in our biochemistry will stimulate pleasure, energy and activity. So good sex cannot hurt in whatever form it is practiced – it should increase intimacy and well-being, and that does help to increase longevity,” says Barry Worsfold.

So there you have the latest research on the ‘12 Easy Strategies to Live to 100 and Thrive,’ while doing it. Changing two habits every month can change your life. Making the decision to change can happen in an instant and add years to your life.