After cutting a small lock of hair off the back of my head, it was placed inside a Ziploc baggie, tucked into a conventional, white envelope, and shipped to Loveland, Colorado. A town akin to Breckenridge; a place reminiscent of fond Rocky Mountain ski trips. Memories came flooding back. Here, I mastered adaptive snow skiing with new friends, while also reconnecting with ol’ Aggie friends. I must admit that for a brief second, I was jealous of those strands of hair.
However, these little hairs were not on vacation. They had a most important purpose, unlike me during my Colorado days. They were headed to the Living Well Nutrition: The Center for Epigenetic Counseling to be genetically analyzed.
My last blog (Hope, Superman, and the CMT Research Foundation) featured how the use of gene therapy reverses CMT (Charcot Marie Tooth disease) in mice, yet the science has not transitioned to humans. Although it’s closer than ever, I continue to wait for Western medicine to catch up to my needs. In the meantime, I am not one to just twiddle my thumbs – literally and figuratively, ha ha! So entered the world of epigenetics…
The concept of genetics was in my wheelhouse, but epigenetics was a different story. Epigenetics first introduced itself during a CMT webinar in 2020. Briefly mentioned, it was enough to sear a question mark on my brain, yet I left it unpursued. In early 2021, I read a book called Dirty Genes by Dr. Ben Lynch. It discussed epigenetics: the seven most common “dirty” genes, the factors that make them “dirty”, and specific protocols on how to “clean” them. Epigenetics is defined as the study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work. Unlike genetic changes, epigenetic changes are reversible and do not change your DNA sequence, but they can change how your body reads a DNA sequence. In other words, you can’t alter the genes you are born with, but you can manipulate their expression. By evaluating diet, exercise, environment, and lifestyle, the “volume” of a gene can be turned up or down, or switched on or off, through means such as diet or supplements.
This got me thinking… if it’s possible to “change” or “clean” the seven most common genes, then could I apply the same process to the MFN2 gene? The gene proven responsible for causing my CMT, especially since mine is non-hereditary.
I mentioned my epigenetic theory to my local nutritionist, Caitlin Fischer, in February 2021. Caitlin, who works for the in-home training company, Elect Wellness, shared an article with me on nutriepigenetics called, Epigenetics, Nutrition, and Our Health: How What We Eat Could Affect Tags on Our DNA. by Bailey Kirkpatrick. It analyzed the relationship between diet, and chemical or “dirty” marks which attach to or remove from our DNA.
This article highlighted Kristy Hall MS, RNCP, ROHP, a board certified functional nutritionist and founder of Living Well Nutrition, in Loveland, Colorado. Kristy brings optimal, personalized health to her clients using various strategies, including nutritional counseling and epigenetic testing. A wellness professional examining a patient’s health on an individualized basis fascinated me. The philosophy of focusing on the root cause of the problem, not just putting a band-aid over the symptoms was not business as usual. I loved this philosophy! The more I read, the more I wondered… could this benefit me?
Clicking on the article’s link, I connected directly to Kristy Hall, and the Living Well Nutrition website. After carefully scanning the services they offered, I finally read Kristy’s biography. Her titles were extremely impressive, but one credential stood above the rest. Kristy is an AGGIE! We both graduated from Texas A&M University and are graduates of the same class of ‘89! Signs like these are definitely God’s way of moving me forward. I signed up with Kristy, and fellow Aggie. for a free, initial 90 minute Zoom conference to learn specifics.
Out of the Zoom gate, Kristy confessed that she had never heard of Charcot Marie Tooth disease, despite being in the healthcare field for decades. This news was not surprising and I took no offense. It confirmed the expression that CMT is the most common disease that no one has ever heard of. Although there were no precedents or promises regarding epigenetics and CMT, Kristy’s voice conveyed an eagerness and willingness to dive into the research.
Kristy compared nutriepigenetics to a 7 layer dip. She looks at 7 factors: diet, lifestyle, environmental factors, symptoms, family history, and diagnoses along with epigenetics The last layer, epigenetics, is the secret sauce and what separates Kristy’s approach. Kristy tests to see what, if any, genes are being altered or mutated, and in my case, she would specifically focus on the MFN2 gene. She looks at each factor as an individual puzzle piece and then fits them together to generate a plan. Genetically testing my hair for toxins in my body would be one of her initial steps. With nothing to lose, I had to try. Needless to say, I am now a client.
God has brought forth two viable options in both Eastern and Western medicine for my investigation. The best of both worlds; genetic alternatives which never existed before. Western medicine is closing in on medicines and treatments such as gene therapy, yet still needs time and money to perfect the safety and efficacy of such therapies. The second is the holistic route of epigenetics / nutriepigenetics. This field has exploded, probably because of its individualized patient blueprint and commitment to finding the root cause of a problem.
As of now, neither Western and Eastern medicine provides guarantees, yet epigenetics and the study of gene therapy is on the cutting edge of science. Their potential is limitless. For people as myself, such innovative thinking generates excitement. Hopes are renewed while anticipation lies in the possibilities. Enthusiastically confident in a bright future, I pray that the novel use of nutri epigenetics with CMT is greater than just me and that God continues to guide my every decision… all in Strides of Faith.
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Footnote: Bailey Kirkpatrick, What is Epigenetics?, May 15, 2018,,Epigenetics, Nutrition, and Our Health: How What We Eat Could Affect Tags on Our DNA