It’s extremely common for people who are highly creative to also constantly battle with things like depression, anxiety, and attention issues. If you’ve listened to past episodes you know this is basically the story of my entire adult life, and I even delve into the link between depression and creativity in the very first episode of this show. For years I believed that I must just be a weak person, or maybe I was just doing the wrong things, or worst of all..maybe I was just “broken.”
When my journey of overcoming depression and anxiety began there was no definitive diagnostic test that proved what I was battling was real, so it was easy to think (or have other people believe) that I was just “making this stuff up.” Luckily with some amazing advances in genetic testing over the last several years, depression and anxiety can be tested no different than whether or not you might have diabetes.
More importantly, with the results of your genetic testing, you can make much more informed decisions about lifestyle changes that can significantly improve the quality of your life…possibly without the need for antidepressants (but please consult a medical professional before making any changes to your prescription medication, regardless of what you might learn in this interview).
I’m very excited today to have the opportunity to speak with quite possibly the foremost expert on the entire planet when it comes to genetic testing, and more importantly interpreting the results of genetic tests from companies such as 23andme. My guest is Dr. Ben Lynch, the founder of the company Strategene, and he’s also the author of the book Dirty Genes: A Breakthrough Program to Treat the Root Cause of Illness and Optimize Your Health. In this episode we talk all about the genetic mutations that are very common for those dealing with mental health issues, and more importantly the simple lifestyles changes you can make to better manage (and even overcome) your mental health issues.
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Here’s What You’ll Learn:
- Understanding your personality from the perspective of genetics
- The “drive-thru” medicine approach and why it fails you
- We all have dirty genes (genes that aren’t functioning at their best)
- Epigenetics and what it looks it looks like to take control of your body
- Your genes are more malleable that you’ve been lead to believe
- The importance of having a positive mindset when analyzing your genetic makeup
- Removing the negative stigma of genetic differences
- The importance of Methylation as the basis of all bodily functions
- Learning how to read and apply the results of a Strategene report
- Weaning yourself off of total reliance on your doctor for your health and well-being
- Your lifestyle choices’ effects on the way your body functions
- Action steps that can help improve your symptoms without relying on trial and error medicine
Useful Resources Mentioned:
ABC’s of Better Health (Dirty Genes Bonus Chapter)
Our Generous Sponsor:
This episode is made possible by Ergodriven, the makers of the Topo Mat, my #1 recommendation for anyone interested in moving more at their height-adjustable workstation. Listen, standing desks are only great if you’re standing well, otherwise you’re constantly fighting fatigue and chronic pain. Not like any other anti-fatigue mat, the Topo is scientifically proven to help you move more throughout the day which helps reduce discomfort and also increase your focus and productivity. And they’re really fun and a great conversation starter.
Guest Bio:
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Dr. Ben Lynch received his Cell and Moleular Biology, BS from the University of Washington and his ND from Bastyr University. His passion for identifying the cause of disease directed him towards nutrigenomics and methylation dysfunction. Currently, he researches, writes and presents worldwide on the topic of MTHFR and methylation defects. He is the author of Dirty Genes. You may learn more about Dr. Lynch and his work at www.drbenlynch.com. Dr Lynch is also the President & Founder of Seeking Health, a company oriented towards disease prevention and health promotion. He lives in Seattle, WA with his wife, Nadia, and three boys, Tasman, Mathew and Theodor.
Show Credits:
This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared and published by Jakin Rintelman. Special thanks to Krystle Penhall and Sarah Furie for helping to spread the love!
The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).
Note: I believe in 100% transparency, so please note that I receive a small commission if you purchase products from some of the links on this page (at no additional cost to you). Your support is what helps keep this program alive. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Zack Arnold
Zack Arnold (ACE) is an award-winning Hollywood film editor & producer (Cobra Kai, Empire, Burn Notice, Unsolved, Glee), a documentary director, father of 2, an American Ninja Warrior, and the creator of Optimize Yourself. He believes we all deserve to love what we do for a living...but not at the expense of our health, our relationships, or our sanity. He provides the education, motivation, and inspiration to help ambitious creative professionals DO better and BE better. “Doing” better means learning how to more effectively manage your time and creative energy so you can produce higher quality work in less time. “Being” better means doing all of the above while still prioritizing the most important people and passions in your life…all without burning out in the process. Click to download Zack’s “Ultimate Guide to Optimizing Your Creativity (And Avoiding Burnout).”