Genius Foods

with twenty-three thousand notes, we now understand that
our choices are able to influence the song that is played.
This is because while our choices can’t change our hard-
coded genetics, they can impact the layer of chemicals that
sits atop our DNA, telling it what to do. This layer is called
the epigenome, derived from the Greek word epi, which
means “above.” Our epigenome affects not only our
chances of developing whatever disease we’re most at risk
for, but also the moment-to-moment expression of our
genes, which respond dynamically to the countless inputs
we give them. (Perhaps even more shrouded in mystery is
the sheet music, the order and sequence and frequency of
activation of every gene in the development of a given
organism—but that is for another book!)
While a treatise on epigenetics could span volumes, this
book will zero in on one of the marquee maestros to play on
our genetic keyboard: diet. Will your genetic conductor be a
Leonard Bernstein, or a fifth-grade student pounding the
ivories for the first time? It may depend largely on your
dietary choices. What you eat will determine whether you’ll
be able to modulate inflammation, “train” a prizewinning
immune system, and produce powerful brain-boosting
compounds—all with the help of a few underappreciated
nutrients (and lifestyle techniques) that have become
seemingly lost to the modern world.
As you proceed, remember: nobody’s a perfect
specimen. I’m certainly not, and neither is Dr. Paul (though
he’d argue otherwise). When it comes to genes, everyone
has traits that, when thrust up against the modern world,
increase their risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer, and,