ESSENTIAL Naples
Health
How Dis-ease
FALL 2020
14
is Created in the Body By Betsy Opyt, RD, LD/N, CDE, RYT
“Our genes don’t work in isolation, they work with each other and the body’s environment. Our diet, exercise, stress level, toxic exposure, inflammation and many other factors can influence gene expression.” - Betsy Opyt, RD
I
have pondered on the word “resilient” this year, never thinking how it would become a word with so much meaning and power. We have all witnessed an unprecedented year with the highest concern for our health. We fear shaking hands, touching counters, encountering sick people, and covering with masks; all in an attempt to protect our health. As the virus grew across the world in early 2020 my hunger to learn more about our true protection also grew. Our bodies are designed to fight off viruses and heal health issues, but the problem lies in our own health insufficiencies, deficiencies, toxicities, and inability to know how to adapt our lifestyle to build a true resiliency within our immune system, our true first line of defense. I have been a registered dietitian (RD) for over 20 years and became an advocate for healthy eating in my teens, slowly evolving my diet and lifestyle into one of preservation, anti-inflammation, optimization, rejuvenation, and vibrancy. I believe we should never feel the ills of aging and dis-ease and should all have the ability to live at
optimal levels of health, well into our later years. My interest is not a so called “quest” for the fountain of youth, but rather a better understanding of our complex body and the unique requirements it needs in order to function at enhanced levels.
The Issue is in Your Tissue
As an Integrative & Functional Medical Nutrition Therapist, I know there are root issues to every problem in our body. Years of stress, poor diet, lack of exercise, toxins, poor gut health, lack of sufficient sleep, nutritional deficiencies, hormone imbalances, genetics, among other things, can take a toll on our health and suppress our ability to heal and be resilient. Around 88% of the American population is metabolically compromised and this is a clear connection to the concern we are all facing with our health. I like to say, “the issue is in your tissue” and you have to get under the layers to better understand true health. It is not just what you eat; but how you live, manage stress, detox your body, and understand your true DNA to determine how you should live your life.
