Changing Your Medical Destiny

There are many pieces to the puzzle of one’s health: genes, environmental factors and lifestyle choices all affect how you will live and feel. It’s easy to change the second two by starting an exercise plan or relocating to a new area. But did you know that even genes can also be controlled?

A new study by the Preventive Medicine Research Institute and the University of California at San Francisco have found that men with early-stage prostate cancer can actually undergo changes in the expressions of more than 500 genes based on lifestyle factors.
 
The men in the study had some of the least aggressive forms of prostate cancer and chose not to pursue tradition treatment regimens like chemotherapy and radiation. Instead, they adhered to a plant-based diet, exercised and practiced stress management through yoga, breathing techniques and meditation.
 
Of course it’s difficult to pinpoint which changes led to a decrease in cancerous cells, but the fact that meditation and yoga are involved is exciting news.

Do you turn to yoga or meditation to deal with a health diagnosis? [Newsweek]