Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1037162
72 november/december 2018 you may even find similarities between yourself and your siblings. However, you are not your mother or your father and you do not have to age like them or your siblings. The first thing you need to recognize is that you have power over what influences your genes. Essentially, genes, through gene expression, tell our cells to react to things, such as what we eat, what we expose ourselves to, and the amount of stress we experience daily. Though the process is more complex than can be explained here, catalysts like photodamage can stimulate or upregulate genes, and other factors, like adequate sleep, can turn them off or downregulate them. INCLUSIVE HEALTH PLANS CONTROL GENE EXPRESSION Through a multidisciplinary or inclusive approach that addresses internal, external, and emotional factors, it is possible to combat the wrinkles and aches and pains that creep in with each passing birthday. Promising scientific research backs up this claim and shows that efforts on each front can "reprogram" genes and their expression to produce a whole- body antiaging response that can be verified through blood and skin biopsies. Think of gene expression like a ticker-tape message that says the same thing all the time. If a gene runs out The first thing you need to recognize is that you have power over what influences your genes. While our genetic code was written before we were born, researchers insist we can change our genetic expression and turn certain genes on and off to modify the way our cells behave. Collectively, this can have great influence over tissue deterioration, healing, and overall wellness. Along these lines, consider the thoughts of another great mind, Mark Twain: "Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words." While Twain spoke of prose, his statement, with slight modifications, rings true with genetics too—aging well is easy. All you have to do is cross out what's written in your genes. GENE EXPRESSION If you consider your siblings or parents, you'll realize there are certain unmistakable genetic similarities. This includes the color of your eyes, hair, and skin; your stature; maybe even the age at which you start going gray or developing the same sciatica as your mother. Health wise,