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we go beyond personalized nutrition to help you uncover the root cause of your issues, and craft an achievable wellness plan designed just for you.
We build custom functional nutrition and wellness plans for individuals who are ready to take control of their health.
We do this by looking at the whole picture, from health-history to lifestyle, to genetic markers and current symptoms to create a customized, functional wellness plan.
AT GENETIC GARDEN,
I am a farm-town girl living by the sea in Newport Beach, CA.
I aim to answer why a condition or symptoms may present themselves and not simply how to treat them.
The underlying cause is key!
Creating a therapeutic relationship between the practitioner and patient is an integral part of establishing a personalized lifestyle approach to health. Integrative health takes into account the whole person, including all aspects of lifestyle: mental, physical, social, and spiritual.
Integrative + Functional Nutrition practitioner
meet emily
My undergraduate in psychology from UCSB gave me a passion for the mind and its curiosities. Living a life-long active lifestyle has led me to investigate the wonders of the human body and its capabilities. I've earned a Masters in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology from CSULB where I have converged my two interests.
Locally, I've worked in the arenas of physical therapy and Pilates as well as having served my community through children's agricultural camps and special needs programs for children and adults alike. I continue to promote nutritional education at local schools as the founding member of Santa Barbara Wellness Outreach.
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To further complicate the story, environmental influences like: what you consume, what you are exposed to, or how old you are, factor into your DNA expression and therefore your physiological capabilities.
Welcome to the arena of “epigenetics”, where the environment has the ability to influence your DNA.
As a farmer's daughter, the best way for me to provide a depiction of the concept of epigenetic is througH
a garden metaphor:
Many people wonder:
“Can my genetics override the healthy practices that I implement within my life?" In other words, are my cards that I am dealt at birth my hand for life?
The answer can be NO!
This is where genetic knowledge can be used to determine predispositions such as: vitamin deficiencies, high cholesterol, or low fat metabolism. In knowing your genetic information you can bolster your lifestyle practices to overcome many unwelcome propensities.
MANY PEOPLE WONDER:
“CAN MY GENETICS OVERRIDE THE HEALTHY PRACTICES THAT I IMPLEMENT WITHIN MY LIFE?" IN OTHER WORDS, ARE MY CARDS THAT I AM DEALT AT BIRTH MY HAND FOR LIFE?
THE ANSWER CAN BE NO!
THIS IS WHERE GENETIC KNOWLEDGE CAN BE USED TO DETERMINE PREDISPOSITIONS SUCH AS: VITAMIN DEFICIENCIES, HIGH CHOLESTEROL, OR LOW FAT METABOLISM. IN KNOWING YOUR GENETIC INFORMATION YOU CAN BOLSTER YOUR LIFESTYLE PRACTICES TO OVERCOME MANY UNWELCOME PROPENSITIES.
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In gardening, we know the health of the plant is not just determined by the seed,
but also by the health of the soil and the amount of sun and water the plant receives. All of these factors impact the vibrancy and growth of the plant.
Similarly, the health of a human is not just determined by their DNA (i.e. the seed),
but also by nutrition (i.e.water/sun),
exercise, mindset and environment (i.e soil/weather).
TO FURTHER COMPLICATE THE STORY, ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES LIKE: WHAT YOU CONSUME, WHAT YOU ARE EXPOSED TO, OR HOW OLD YOU ARE, FACTOR INTO YOUR DNA EXPRESSION AND THEREFORE YOUR PHYSIOLOGICAL CAPABILITIES.
WELCOME TO THE ARENA OF “EPIGENETICS”, WHERE THE ENVIRONMENT HAS THE ABILITY TO INFLUENCE YOUR DNA.
AS A FARMER'S DAUGHTER, THE BEST WAY FOR ME TO PROVIDE A DEPICTION OF THE CONCEPT OF EPIGENETIC IS THROUGH
A GARDEN METAPHOR:
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HOW DOES IT WORK?
KEEP READING
IN GARDENING, WE KNOW THE HEALTH OF THE PLANT IS NOT JUST DETERMINED BY THE SEED,
BUT ALSO BY THE HEALTH OF THE SOIL AND THE AMOUNT OF SUN AND WATER THE PLANT RECEIVES. ALL OF THESE FACTORS IMPACT THE VIBRANCY AND GROWTH OF THE PLANT.
SIMILARLY, THE HEALTH OF A HUMAN IS NOT JUST DETERMINED BY THEIR DNA (I.E. THE SEED),
BUT ALSO BY NUTRITION (I.E.WATER/SUN),
EXERCISE, MINDSET AND ENVIRONMENT (I.E SOIL/WEATHER).
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Think of your house as your DNA, a sound structure that maintains its integrity throughout your life.
Then, your epigenome is the collection of paintings and decorations that you put up or take down and change with your lifestyle preferences and tastes.
Your DNA is never changing while your epigenome is malleable.
THINK OF YOUR HOUSE AS YOUR DNA, A SOUND STRUCTURE THAT MAINTAINS ITS INTEGRITY THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE.
THEN, YOUR EPIGENOME IS THE COLLECTION OF PAINTINGS AND DECORATIONS THAT YOU PUT UP OR TAKE DOWN AND CHANGE WITH YOUR LIFESTYLE PREFERENCES AND TASTES.
YOUR DNA IS NEVER CHANGING WHILE YOUR EPIGENOME IS MALLEABLE.
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A perfect illustration of epigenetics in action is through identical twins. Even born with the same set of DNA, each person express individual characteristics.
One twin can be diagnosed with Diabetes, a diet-related disease, while the other isn't. Perhaps the other shows advanced signs of aging, an epigenetic response, earlier than the other?
Environment, diet, and exercise are powerful mediators of genetic expression. The diabetic twin may have led a sedentary life with poor diet choices, while advanced aging could be provoked by a stressful life, chronic inflammation, or poor nutrition.
