The Epigenetics of Diet

The Epigenetics of Diet

Third Edition

Janine Gee

ISBN: 978-1-4523-7332-4

Published by Janine Gee at Smashwords.

Copyright Janine Gee 2019.

Also Available by John Brandt and Janine Gee:

Survival Guide

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Learn What to Learn

Essay Assignments: A User-Friendly Guide

Multi-Choice Examinations

Also Available by Janine Gee:

Epigenetics Explained

See other titles at Janine Gee’s author profile or order printed copies from Amazon dot com.

This book or any portion of it may not be copied in any form or by any means without the express prior written permission of Janine Gee, except for genuine review purposes. Any other copying is a violation of copyright law and may result in civil and/or criminal penalties.

Editions one and two of this book were published under Janine Gee’s previous name (Janine Schott).

Before 2010, this program was known as The Noughties® Lifestyle.

Noughties® is a registered trademark of Janine Schott.

All other products or company names are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

The research studied and referenced was both funded and free but the dietary conclusions of this book have not been funded or sponsored by any sector of the food industry, business, organisation or individual.

Readers on any medication or who have an abnormal heart rhythm or who have had a heart attack must not begin this lifestyle without a doctor’s guidance and close supervision. All readers are encouraged to consult their doctor regarding their individual needs before changing their diet or starting a fitness program.

There may also, however, be many traditional doctors that are yet to discover just how common and wide-ranging the symptoms of imbalance are. If a person’s diet includes inadequate or excess macronutrients and/or micronutrients a variety of physiological imbalances may result. Each of these imbalances manifests as a variety of possible symptoms, including ill-health and/or increased storage of body fat. It is recommended that at least the Introduction and My Health History chapters are read before beginning, or discarding, this lifestyle. If the reader suffers similar illnesses to those the author suffered, they will likely benefit from this lifestyle even though many medical doctors may be opposed to its foundational precepts because of their traditional training.

* * *

I dedicate this book to my boys, Bodie and Dylan,

the loves of my life.

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Table of Contents

Synopsis

About the Author

Acknowledgements

Foreword

Chapter 1. Introduction

Part One - Awareness

Chapter 2. Nutrition Essentials

Chapter 3. Obesity: The problem, its causes and consequences

Chapter 4. My Health History

Chapter 5. Epigenetics

Chapter 6. The Western Diet: Its nature and consequences

Part Two - Action

Chapter 7. Self Assessment

Chapter 8. The Epigenetics of Diet Lifestyle

Chapter 9. Menu Planner and Recipes

Chapter 10. Be Active

Part Three - Maintenance

Chapter 11. Monitor Progress

Chapter 12. Why Diets Fail

Chapter 13. Frequently Asked Questions

Chapter 14. Conclusion

Glossary

References

Additional Resources

Appendix: Testimonials

A note from the author

* * *

Synopsis

This book serves three purposes in that it provides the foundations for a healthy lifestyle and tells of Janine Gee’s journey to health, vitality and well-being. Significantly, it also provides all the reader needs to adopt a similar successful lifestyle.

Janine Gee came from a background as an ordinary Australian and experienced ongoing health problems for some three decades of her life. Over time, she discovered that her health problems could be controlled and prevented by diet and lifestyle. Driven by a strong desire to understand the scientific basis of her problems, Janine researched many aspects of human biology, food and diets, lifestyles and behaviour. This book presents a scientific and reasoned explanation for the causes of her problems and how the lifestyle she adopted solves those problems. It’s not surprising then, that she now recommends this lifestyle to others.

The book clearly describes how anyone can adopt the healthy lifestyle. Using the methods therein the reader can assess their health status by generating numerical scores. By following the nutritious food plan based on the amended nutritional pyramid, using clearly presented recipes along with sensible recommendations regarding exercise, the reader can take complete charge of their lifestyle. Changes in the individual’s health status will be clearly shown by the progressive changes in the scores generated by the assessment procedures. The final result should be a vibrant and healthy individual with a balanced and sensible approach to life.

This book provides the total package because it is the only published nutritional program available that embraces the latest research in epigenetics, explains the common reasons why people carry excess body fat, provides recipes and a meal planner and empowers individuals to eat a balanced diet containing only foods that fuel the body. In fact, all you need for a new lifestyle is contained within this little goldmine!

I welcome the opportunity to encourage you to read about the lifestyle and ultimately choose to make it your own.

~ Norman F Gare (PhD)

Immunologist (retired)

1 August 2010

If the proof of the diet is in the eating, then proof of the lifestyle is in the living.

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About the author

Janine Gee was born, raised and educated in Adelaide, South Australia. Throughout her diverse career she has worked all around Australia in the Information Technology and Education industries.

For 30 years, Janine was frustratingly plump. A serial monogamous dieter, Janine tried diet after diet, each with the same disappointing result. In 2001, a lengthy juggle of dieting and many minor ailments culminated in a battle with a persistent migraine (that lasted for weeks). Finding a solution to this migraine sparked a journey of unimaginable discovery which became the foundation of this book.

Obesity now rates in Australia as an epidemic. Some experts believe Australia is the fattest nation. Preventative medicine is Janine’s passion. The illnesses she repeatedly experienced are commonly treated individually by doctors. It is Janine’s aim to equip doctors with a simple interpretation of research on the effects of diet on people from the pre-agriculture age right through to the present. She knows that redefining healthful foods is a monumental challenge and is dedicated to this important cause as it will save lives. No drugs, no operations, no expensive programs ... just good old-fashioned truly nutritious foods.

Janine has settled in Brisbane, Australia, and is devoted mother to two cherished teenage boys.

* * *

Acknowledgements

It is important, that I acknowledge the family I came from for their impact and input into in my life and for their shaping of who I am and who I have come to be as I would not be here without them. Their shows of support, although I didn’t always feel them, were there and for that I am grateful.

Equally as important is the family I have created. My two boys are the sunrise in my morning, the oxygen in my air, the roses in my garden and the chocolate in my cheesecake. They make me smile every day and for that I am eternally grateful.

I wish to thank Ken O’Brien for, without him, I would have had a very different journey. With him in my life, I have taken a path of much enlightenment and for that I am so deeply grateful. Thank you so much Ken, for writing the Preface to this book. Words just never seem to be enough.

Importantly and most sincerely, I would also like to thank Norman Gare for his fresh opinion and help in making what I thought was a great read into the brilliant work of which I am so truly proud. Thank you, I am eternally grateful.

Finally, I wish to thank all the friends I have had over the years as you, too, have shaped who I am and helped to make me truly humble. A special mention goes to the girls who have stood by me through thick and thin, being supportive when I needed it; listening when I needed it and reassuring me when I just didn’t know what to do. Julie Martin, Rose Winkler, Sarah Munday, Danae Thyssen and Kylie Dayman, I thank you for simply being there when I needed you. I love you all.

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Foreword

This book is not for the faint-hearted.

Nor is it for the fad-diet-addict.

This book is for the serious individual who wants a serious change to their lives. As I discovered, it can be quite confrontational and enlightening at the same time, resulting in the a-ha effect.

This is not your standard, run-of-the-mill diet book instructing you on what you must or must not eat to lose weight. Nor is it the standard scientific text book that emphasises strict boundaries on biology and behaviour. This book will be unlike any book you have read so far.

It is an insightful and in-depth presentation of the author’s journey of self-discovery, illuminating what is hidden from most of us; shrouded in the cloak of medicine and pharmacology is the truth behind You are what you eat. Through an audacious combination of scientific evidence, anecdotal and field research, and her own lived experience, this author reveals how foods can both save and perpetuate your health or condemn you to a life of ailments and suffering. By injecting a healthy boost of reality into the fields of nutrition, dietetics, psychology, epigenetics and biology, it enables the reader to both control the short and long-term effects food has on their body and to prepare for the variety of functions they require it to perform.

I now find myself closely examining labels on food so I ensure I am optimising my nutritional intake rather than merely feeling full for a while and energised for a short time. This book has converted me from a sceptic to a scrutineer.

I am honoured to know this author and blessed to be a valued contribution to her journey. She is educated, experienced, attractive, articulate and well informed. When I first met Janine she was both confused and angry – and one fed into the other. She was confused that the medical diagnoses did not match the experience and the medication designed to match those diagnoses did not provide the promised results. She was angry because she was continually buffeted from one diagnosis to another: from one health professional to another and from one meaningless diagnosis to another. Janine found little or no comfort in her family and friends as they failed to understand her confusion and anger. She also attempted to adopt one medical diagnosis that tried to justify her symptoms and pass it off as women’s issues, but this also had no meaning. Eventually, through her own processes of discovery, she found her answer and her path to recovery. This is her story and one that will be remarkably similar to many of you reading this book for the first time.

If all you practise is all you know, then the limit of your abilities is based on the extent of your knowledge. The more you learn the more effective you become. Thus this book is as much for you as it is your health professional.

Ken O’Brien (B.Arts; B.Soc.Sci (Hons); PhD)

CEO: Families After Trauma Foundation

Director: Children and Grandchildren of Vietnam Veterans Network

28 July 2010

* * *

Chapter 1. Introduction

"Flabbergasted (adj): Appalled over how much weight you have gained."

~ Author Unknown

You’re possibly thinking ...

As you open this book you’re possibly thinking, Uh-oh, here we go again. Another book about a diet that does not – and will not – work for me!

If that’s the case, may I ask whether you are satisfied with the body image you see of yourself in a full length mirror? If you are, then this book may well not be for you. However, if you are not satisfied with the image then bear with me and read on.

And what about the image of the internal you that only you see, feel and know? If you are completely happy with the way you feel about yourself then this book may not be for you. If there are perceptions of yourself that you are striving to change while feeling you lack the power to improve that internal image, then read on.

Let’s not forget to ask how you feel. How you really feel. If you are happy, stable, have only positive interactions with others and no reason to ever get upset or angry then this book may not be for you. If there is, however, room for improvement in any of these areas then please ... read on.

This book may provide the keys to unlock the new you so that you look, feel and behave the way you want to be.

I am convinced that this book reveals foundational principles of how we should be feeding ourselves in order to develop and maintain healthy bodies, emotions and behaviour. I am also convinced from personal experience that you can significantly improve your self-image by choosing and eating the correct foods as detailed herein.

This book was originally written to reach those of you wishing to regain your health. However, I didn’t want to write my story and its findings all in imperative tense ... Do this and then that. I also didn’t want it to sound authoritarian or aggressive, You need to do this and then that. So it is written primarily in the third person (except My Health History and FAQ chapters) describing, If a person does A then B happens. That way, a doctor could also read it and apply it to a patient with similar concerns, If a person has had elevated blood pressure they may need to see their doctor monthly for monitoring. I hope this does not cause any frustration or confusion.

I recommend reading at least the Introduction and My Health History chapters before beginning or discarding this program.

About the author

Please allow me to introduce myself, Janine Gee, as the author of this book. As I sit here fine tuning the final manuscript of this book (in July 2010), I am a female at 50 years of age. My height is 1.7 metres (5’8") and I weigh 63kg (138 lbs). I am devoted mother to my two young much-loved boys. Furthermore, I relate positively not only to the other members of my family but also my friends and acquaintances and, indeed, to those in the broader community. In summary, I am now a very healthy, energetic and happy woman.

But ... this has not always been the case ...

In times past, I could simply be described as a mess. At various times I was confused, depressed, dejected and lacking self esteem. Strong feelings of anger and resentment against the world and those in it bubbled just below the surface. Only some minor intrusion into my space and circumstances could cause me to explode and vent my rage on any and all who happened to be around me at the time. I knew this was unacceptable and I had to work very hard to maintain a level of self-control that prevented such explosions. All through these times I battled with my self-image, both the me seen by others around me and the me I knew. I was a big person physically for my height and I certainly carried too much weight on my frame. I was very much aware of this and lived with feelings of guilt, inadequacy and powerlessness that I was totally unable to bring about the changes in myself that I felt were needed.

While I am aware that there were a number of factors which caused me to be such a mess, I am totally convinced that the prime cause for my problems was diet – the foods I consumed. The changes in me are very evident to me and to my close friends and family and these were achieved by changing my diet. I am just so pleased that I can now function as a normal healthy woman.

A heart-felt chronicle of the emotional tsunami that has been my life has become the foundation of this book. Read it and see if you can identify with some or all of it. I am convinced that the dietary solutions which I discovered are relevant to many others. Please read on, act on the recommendations included in the text and expect significant changes in yourself. I trust you will enjoy looking, feeling and behaving healthily.

About this book

This book is divided into three parts: Awareness, Action and Maintenance.

Part One: Awareness comprises Chapters 2-6, inclusive, which explains the basics of nutrition, examines obesity as a national problem and details the author’s personal health history. Also included is coverage of the exciting science of epigenetics and an examination of the Western Diet.

The basic principles of good nutrition and the systems involved in fuelling our bodies are detailed in Chapter 2, titled Nutrition Essentials. Also explained are the real roles that the macronutrients protein, fat and carbohydrate play in the human digestive process and the master role of insulin on the metabolism and cardiovascular system.

The universal causes of excess body fat are described in Chapter 3, titled Obesity: The problem, its causes and consequences. These are overeating and/or the choice of foods leading to one or more imbalances in the human body, which also often result in illnesses.

During the first three decades of my life I struggled with my excessive weight. There were many minor, sometimes recurrent illnesses each treated by doctors as separate conditions (see Chapter 4, titled My Health History). During this time many and various diets were tried (also discussed within the same chapter). These failed not only for me but also for my family and friends. It was an epiphany when I realised that with the correct diet alone I could not only maintain a healthy body but also prevent many of the ailments which recurred in those early decades of my life.

The latest research shows that what we eat affects not only our hearts and bodies, but also our minds and even our children. This book provides the links between existing research into our food, emotions, bodies and behaviour (Chapter 5, titled Epigenetics).

The diet of prehistoric Homo sapiens was primarily carnivorous. As a result of developments in agriculture grains such as wheat, oats and rice became staples of Modern Era people much to the detriment of their health (Chapter 6, titled The Western Diet: Its nature and consequences).

Part Two: Action enables you to assess your (or someone’s) initial health/weight status, before outlining the specific details of The Epigenetics of Diet’s lifestyle, menu planner with recipes and guidelines for leading an active lifestyle.

The tables, questionnaires and charts in Chapter 7, titled Self Assessment, enable you to identify the amount of body fat which should be present. The Candidiasis Questionnaire (same chapter) enables you to determine the likelihood of Candida albicans overgrowth being responsible for poor health or excess body fat. Similarly, the Hyperinsulinemia Questionnaire (same chapter) enables you to determine whether ill health may be associated with elevated blood sugar or insulin levels. The Symptom Progress Chart (also Chapter 7) quantifies a person’s current health in a symptom score that you will watch decrease daily on this lifestyle.

Chapter 8, titled The Epigenetics of Diet Lifestyle, provides training wheels for people learning to eat more of the foods that we were designed to eat and less of the foods that we were not meant to eat. The shopping list of real foods (same chapter) is provided to facilitate and simplify the provision of healthy and nutritious food for one person or more in a household. Also provided is the Food Chart that enables a person to monitor what (and how much) they eat and his/her reaction(s) on a daily basis (also Chapter 8). The Food Chart combined with the Symptom Progress Chart (from Chapter 7) enables a person to identify problem foods, of which they may have otherwise been unaware.

Preparation of interesting and nutritious meals using these real foods is covered in Chapter 9, titled Menu Planner and Recipes. The recipes are designed for busy people