Let’s start with a question that might make your heart skip — not out of fear, but instead out of curiosity.
If your DNA seems to have handed you a rough deal, if the words ‘it runs in the family’ echo every time a doctor mentions your blood pressure, cholesterol, or heart rhythm — are you still the driver of your health story?
Or are you simply a passenger on a train that’s already on its tracks?
A few words it would have been valuable for me to hear earlier in my life are ‘genes load the gun, however lifestyle pulls the trigger’.
Whilst they play a vital role, genes aren’t the whole story.
When genetics feel like a life sentence
For many of us, the first time we hear ‘you have a genetic risk’ for something, eg heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, some kind of degenerative disease — there’s a quiet panic underneath the calm nodding. We smile, thank the doctor, maybe even joke about how ‘that explains a lot,’ however inside, there’s a sinking sense of inevitability.
And yet, here’s where the story can pivot.
Because what genetics give us isn’t a death sentence.
It’s a map.
A map that might have a few tricky turns, some steep climbs, maybe a detour or two — although the steering wheel?
It’s still in your hands.
Your habits, your stress levels, your sleep, your relationships, your mindset — all of these are signals. And those signals can actually influence how your genes behave.
Your genes are not static — they’re listening
This is the part that feels like magic (however it’s science). The field is called epigenetics, which simply means the layer ‘above’ your genes that controls how they’re expressed 1
Imagine your genes like light switches in a vast room. Some are turned on, glowing bright, others are off, resting. And our choices — from what we eat, to how we breathe when we’re stressed — can actually flip those switches.
Isn’t this phenominal?
So yes, even if you have a diagnosis that has ‘genetic’ written all over it, you’re not powerless. You can still influence which genes are active, how strongly they express, and even how your body responds to that genetic information.
The moment we stop fighting our bodies and start partnering with them
One of the biggest mindset shifts I see in those of us who completely transform our health is this – we stop seeing our bodies as broken or defective, and start seeing them as brilliantly adaptive.
Your body isn’t attempting to betray you. It’s constantly adapting, recalibrating, responding to the inputs you give it.
If your family has a history of heart disease, that doesn’t mean your heart is doomed. It might mean your body is more sensitive to certain foods, or your inflammatory response needs extra care, or your stress levels hit your cardiovascular system harder than average.
When we know this, we stop working against our biology — and start working with it.
What most people get wrong about ‘healthy living’
When I first started coaching, I thought helping clients get healthy meant giving them perfect plans – in terms of meal prep, exercise routines, sleep schedules.
However perfection isn’t health. It’s stress in disguise.
So many are living in a state of ‘I should be doing more.’
More spinach.
More steps.
More yoga.
More meditation.
And yet, their nervous systems are overloaded. Their hearts race, their sleep is shallow, and they can’t remember the last time they felt truly safe in their own body.
Here’s the truth – health isn’t built from punishment or perfection. It’s built from consistency and compassion. The body you care for responds differently than the body you criticise.
The quiet power of tiny, consistent actions
Let’s strip away the noise for a second.
You don’t have to overhaul your life overnight. You don’t have to ‘fix’ your genetics. You simply have to become the kind of person who keeps showing up for yourself — even in tiny ways.
Walk for ten minutes after dinner.
Add one more glass of water to your day.
Put your phone away 30 minutes before bed.
Each small act sends a message to your body – you are safe, you are cared for, you are supported.
And when our bodies feel safe, we start healing in ways that go far beyond what we can see.
Your heart and your emotions are deeply connected
One of the most underrated parts of heart health — and overall health — is emotional wellbeing. Your heart doesn’t just respond to cholesterol or blood pressure; it responds to love, loneliness, joy, and resentment.
Ever notice how your chest tightens when you’re holding in anger, or how it expands when you laugh deeply?
There’s a real physiological link there. Stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline directly influence heart rhythm, blood vessel flexibility, and inflammation levels.
That means working on emotional regulation including forgiveness, gratitude, boundaries — is as heart-protective as any green smoothie or cardio session.
So if you’re the person who’s always strong for everyone else, I invite you to hear this – strength isn’t the absence of emotion. It’s allowing emotion to move through you, not calcify inside you.
Food as communication, not control
Let’s talk about nutrition in the new way. Food isn’t just fuel.
It’s communication.
Every bite you take tells your body something – calm down, wake up, repair, inflame, detox, or rest. Instead of chasing the latest diet trend, start asking – what do I want this meal to tell my body?
Do I want it to say ‘we’re safe’?
‘We’re energised’?
‘We’re nourished’?
That’s a very different lens than counting calories or banning carbs.
When you eat in a way that feels gentle and balanced — vibrant colours, plenty of fibre, proteins that keep you grounded, healthy fats that stabilise your hormones — your genes get a steady message that supports repair and resilience.
And when you occasionally eat cake at your daughter’s birthday? Your body won’t crumble. It will simply remember the joy — and joy is also medicine.
The stress gene and the power of reset
If you’ve ever felt like your stress response is more intense than other people’s, you might not be imagining it. Some of us genuinely have a genetic predisposition toward higher cortisol output or slower recovery from stress.
However here’s the empowering piece – we can train our stress response.
Deep breathing, nature walks, slow rhythmic movement like yoga or dancing — these aren’t ‘extras.’
They’re ways of signalling to your nervous system that it’s safe to deactivate the alarm. And the more you practice it, the faster your body learns to come back to calm.
And guess what?
This calm state lowers inflammation, supports heart rhythm, stabilises blood sugar, and even influences gene expression.
So your meditation app isn’t a luxury. It’s a literal genetic conversation.
Sleep — your nightly genetic tune-up
If I could give each one of us one prescription for free, it would be deep, unhurried, nourishing sleep.
During sleep, your body does the invisible magic — repairing tissues, balancing hormones, clearing out cellular waste. It’s like your genes get a nightly memo that says – here’s what we learned today, here’s how we adapt for tomorrow.
And yet, sleep is the first thing we can end up sacrificing when life gets full.
If you can start treating your bedtime like a sacred appointment — not something that ‘might happen,’ instead something that matters — you’ll begin to feel the ripple effect everywhere – steadier energy, calmer cravings, sharper focus, lower blood pressure.
Sleep is your body’s most powerful (and most affordable) therapy.
Movement as celebration, not punishment
Let’s reframe movement for a moment.
You don’t move your body because it’s broken or because you’re attempting to burn off guilt.
You move because movement is joy.
Because circulation is vitality.
Because your heart loves rhythm.
Find movement that feels like celebration — dancing, swimming, hiking, boxing, walking your dog while listening to music that makes you smile.
When you move with joy, you reduce stress hormones, increase nitric oxide (which keeps blood vessels flexible), and literally improve how your genes communicate with each other.
You’re teaching your body, through rhythm, that it’s alive and powerful.
What happens when we believe we can change
Belief isn’t fluff. It’s physiology.
When you believe you can influence your health, you actually make choices differently. You engage with your body more attentively. You start noticing patterns.
You listen.
And the body responds to that attention.
I’ve watched clients come in with high blood pressure and deep family histories of heart disease — and within months, not just lower their numbers; they completely transform their relationship with themselves.
Their blood work improved, yes. And more importantly, their sense of agency returned. They started smiling again. They started planning futures instead of fearing them.
That’s what empowerment looks like in real life.
The hidden saboteurs – comparison and perfection
Let’s get honest about two sneaky thieves of progress – comparison and perfection.
You are not supposed to look like the woman on Instagram who’s on her third green juice of the day and swears she loves kale.
Your life has texture, noise, responsibilities, and real-world messiness.
Health built on self-judgment never lasts. Health built on compassion and curiosity does.
So instead of asking ‘am I doing this perfectly?’ ask ‘is this direction nurturing me?’
When we approach health as a lifelong conversation instead of a checklist, we find freedom.
Joy, connection, and laughter — the missing prescription
There’s a reason why some of the longest-living communities in the world prioritise connection over the gym.
When you laugh, hug, share a meal, or feel seen — your body floods with oxytocin and endorphins. These aren’t just ‘feel-good’ chemicals. They’re literally cardioprotective.
Connection calms inflammation.
Joy boosts immune function.
Laughter lowers stress hormones.
If you’ve been feeling isolated in your health journey, start here – connect.
Find your tribe.
Share your story.
Let people in.
Healing loves company.
Rewriting your genetic story
Let’s circle back to where we began — your genes.
Yes, they carry your ancestry, your family’s history, maybe even your grandmother’s silent worries and your mother’s sleepless nights. However they also carry your potential.
Your genes are not your destiny. They are your possibility.
Every mindful choice you make is a vote for the version of you that thrives.
Every time you nourish yourself, rest, forgive, breathe, or move — you’re literally reshaping how your body interprets its own code.
And that’s the most extraordinary thing – you can be your own turning point.
A gentle invitation
So if you’ve been carrying the weight of a diagnosis, or a fear that ‘it’s in my genes,’ take a breath right now.
You are not broken.
You are not behind.
You are not doomed.
You are a living, breathing, evolving ecosystem of potential.
And your body is listening — always listening — for the way you speak to it.
Start whispering words of safety, care, and possibility.
Because yes, you can influence your health outcomes — even the ones written in your DNA.
And not only can you… you already are, every single day you choose yourself.
See you on this week’s #AlivewithFi 🙂
Fi Jamieson-Folland D.O., I.N.H.C., is The LifeStyle Aligner. She’s an experienced practitioner since 1992 in Europe, Asia and New Zealand as a qualified Osteopath, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, speaker, educator, writer, certified raw vegan gluten-free chef, and Health Brand Ambassador.
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1 Research showing a healthy lifestyle may offset effects of life-shortening genes by 60%+
https -//bmjgroup.com/healthy-lifestyle-may-offset-effects-of-life-shortening-genes-by-60/