You can really get targeted precision
care with knowing your genetics.
Pairing that with symptoms, a meticulous
intake, health history and lab work
because genetics are not a diagnosis,
but they really provide clarity and a
framework for why you reacted a certain
supplement or drug, which antioxidant
would be best, which liver detox pathway
would be most effective supporting.
Genetic variant it's really
like a dimmer switch.
So the amount of toxicity, stress
or trauma that you may determine
how turned on or turned off
that gene will be expressing.
Welcome back to the Inspired
Living with Autoimmunity podcast.
I'm your host, Julie Michelson.
Today, I'm joined by Jacqueline Downs,
the author of the academically published
book, Enhancing Fertility Through
Functional Medicine, Using Neutrogenomics
to Solve Unexplained Infertility.
Jacqueline is a Functional Genomics
Analyst that helps clients and
practitioners move past puzzling
roadblocks and individualized
protocols through the use of genomic
interpretation, functional lab testing,
and meticulous intake consultation.
In today's conversation, we're discussing
how understanding your genetics can be a
powerful tool for optimizing your health.
Whether it is to improve
fertility, reverse autoimmune
symptoms, or enhance longevity.
Jaclyn, welcome
to the podcast.
Thanks so much for having me here.
I'm really excited to be here.
I'm excited for our conversation.
I was chatting before we hit record
saying, you know, to me, when I
think of fertility, which, which
I know is, you know, the, at least
the topic of your last book, um, but
that's our most healthy state, right?
We'd like when we're not healthy, we, our
body doesn't use resources to reproduce.
Um, and so I, I have had people ask me
before in other episodes, you know, why,
why a fertility expert, you know, and, and
we're going to focus in on the genomics
and nutrigenomics today, but it's that
direct connect wellness is wellness.
Um, and the things that impact
negatively impact fertility are the same.
It's all inflammation, at least in my
lay opinion, um, comes down to chronic
inflammation for different reasons.
Um, and so can lead to autoimmunity,
can lead to infertility, other
chronic health challenges.
So that was why I was really
excited to have you join us today.
Thank you.
Yeah.
I completely agree.
Thank you.
It, it really all comes down to the
health of the cell and oxidative stress.
And so while I wrote my book geared
towards the fertility demographic for
motivated lay people, I'm not your first
stop if you're still eating, you know,
fast food every day, but for people that
have really educated themselves, right.
Um, but also the book is written for
practitioners to give them more clinical
tools, uh, to, to help discover common
but lesser known causes of oxidative
stress that causes inflammation that is
at the root of all chronic conditions.
And fertility is especially
predominant with, with that,
because like you had said, the, the
body has a protective mechanism.
And if it doesn't feel that it has enough
energy, Or it has some, uh, toxicities or,
you know, some reason that it feels that
now is not a good time to make a baby.
It's going to halt mating ability.
So the body needs to feel healthy
and resilient and nurtured and have
a good resource of energy production.
Amen.
Tell us a little bit about, I am
excited by, and I'm a geek listeners
now, like I'm excited by and fascinated
with genomics, nutrigenomics.
Um, you, as somebody who, um, didn't
win the lucky hand in genetics,
um, I, I love that we have these
conversations, not because someone
can be like, well, it's all my
parents fault, but we can do things.
It's empowering to understand like,
okay, this is the hand I was dealt.
How do we prevent or how do we reverse?
Things that are going on that,
that we may not want happening.
So how did you, this is a huge subject.
It, many think it's a new field.
Um, how did you get into genomics?
So, uh, I've always been
interested in nutrition.
My dad was a nutritional biochemist
and I talk about that in my book
about how guaranteed I was the only
kid in seventh grade who knew what a
probiotic was in the early nineties.
Right.
Um, but I, I, Because I've seen how
people react to my dad because he was
thinking outside the conventional box.
And, you know, he people he was called
a quack and all of that I knew, because
what he said made sense I knew that
there was more information that then
I, I didn't want to become a registered
dietitian, nothing against them.
It's just, you know, a lot of people
go further into their education so
that they can go beyond just the, um,
American Dietetic Association sponsored
by Cargill, Pepsi, Sara Lee, M& M, Mars.
I didn't want that education.
So they didn't have that education
when, uh, in my, any colleges in
Pennsylvania, it was all just your,
you know, nutrition information.
So I ended up getting a psychology degree.
And, and during that education, I
learned about psychoneuroimmunology.
Yeah.
And so that kind of put the
holistic mind, body, spirit, all
connected, like into science terms.
So back then that I would be the science
geek that I am today, but like, I, I
loved that it was, it helped to put it
into a scientific perspective as opposed
to just some crunchy granola girl.
Sure.
Uh, so I, um, more recently,
I guess before, um, I guess it
was about 10 or 12 years ago.
I wanted to get a job that didn't require
me to be on call because my previous
birth work was in, uh, my previous
career was in birth work as a doula
and apprentice to midwife and stuff.
And so I got a job researching MTHFR
again, this was about 11 or 12 years ago.
And I laugh now because I, you know, my
whole job was to research this one gene.
And then that quickly turned into
the whole methylation pathway
and transulforation pathway.
And then how that pathway intersects
Genes that make up another pathway.
And so it just exploded with the amount
of genes and pathways and information
and things that I was researching.
And I took that research
and it made so much sense.
with my, my passion for female
reproduction and fertility.
And so I sort of dovetailed my
previous career in birth work
with my current knowledge and
nutrition and especially genomics.
And I could see how your genes can really
affect things that affect your fertility,
like your detoxification ability and
inflammation and immune system reactivity.
And, um, all kinds of stuff,
histamine intolerance.
So it all just made so much sense to me.
And I felt I could pass the baton
being a doula because, you know, there,
there were now plenty of doulas in
my town, but nobody was really taking
the approach that I have to fertility
and how you can really, really get
targeted precision care with knowing
your genetics, pairing that with.
Symptoms, a meticulous intake, health
history and lab work because then all
arrows are pointing in the same direction.
Cause I say your genetics are not a
diagnosis, but they really, really provide
clarity and a framework for why things
may be the way they are or why you reacted
a certain way to a certain supplement
or drug, or which protocol would be best
for you, which antioxidant would be best
for you, which liver detox pathway would
you be best, most effective supporting.
I love that.
That's amazing.
And I applaud the thinking that
you were raised to think outside
of the box, um, which is, is great.
Um, I want to circle all the way
back cause I wanted to hear a
little bit of your journey and
how did you get to be doing this?
Um, but I, I want to circle back.
You, you mentioned, um, oxidative stress.
And, and so I want to talk
about that a little bit.
It's a conversation we really, I
don't think have had on the podcast.
Um, like what, what is it?
And, and is, you know, it's,
our body's an amazing thing.
I know we need oxidative stress.
Like it's, it's not all bad across
the board, just like inflammation
is not bad across the board.
So can we, cause you, you said that
this is kind of like a big deal, right?
Yes.
Yes.
So
educate
us a little bit.
Okay.
So yeah, in my book, I state that I
want to shout from the roof rooftops
about oxidative stress so that it
becomes a common household term,
because it is so integral in so many
of the issues that we have today.
So essentially oxidative stress is
the reason why we need antioxidants.
Now, Biochemically, it is
when, um, so we are electrons.
If you remember from like science class
in junior high or high school, you're
drawing the, the atom with the electrons
and they're in pairs on the outer ring.
And so electrons like to be in pairs.
And so certain things like stressors and
radiation and just, Every day respiration
can knock one of those electrons free
and so antioxidants donate electrons
so that they can be paired up again.
So essentially an antioxidant neutralizes
a free radical and free radicals
are what cause oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress is damage to the
cell that's damage to the cellular
structure and damage to the cell.
information to the information
contained within the cell.
And when I was writing my book, which
is academically published, I was combing
the scientific literature because I
was like, nobody's ever specified.
Does inflammation cause oxidative
stress or does oxidative
stress cause inflammation?
And it is this cyclical relationship.
So one increases the other.
And so making sure you have
antioxidants to stop that cascade.
is really, really important.
And knowing your genes can tell
you what your predispositions are
for your antioxidant capacities.
I love that.
Um, again, like, uh, underscored, this is
why I wanted you on the podcast because
anybody struggling with autoimmunity,
or even if they're not struggling, if
they're like on the side where I am
now, this information is so powerful.
Um, And really important to
understand it, it's, you know,
it's the chicken or the egg.
Right.
And so to me, it just becomes a
snowball of like, okay, no, our
antioxidants going to like, necessarily
eliminate your inflammation.
No, but, um, and I do think we've
evolved not, I think it's a fact we've
evolved slower than the world around us.
And so I think we're, we're
just bombarded, whether it's
toxins, like all the things.
Um, and, and that's that imbalance,
if you will, of like why this is
so prevalent with why infertility
is, you know, skyrocketing why
autoimmunity is skyrocketing and
all other chronic health challenges.
Um, and so I love.
Just the, the conversation on what
you talked about, um, you know, like
understanding your genetics may, you know,
give you a direction of like, okay, you
probably are going to need these anti
like, let's talk a little bit about if
people have heard the word antioxidants
and maybe they don't know what they
are like, okay, what are some examples?
something that oxidizes.
So we do need inflammation
and free radicals.
It's that Goldilocks zone, right?
If we didn't have any free radicals
or inflammation, we wouldn't
be able to fight off pathogens.
And we wouldn't be able to, uh,
inflammation is supposed to be, um,
temporary You know, it's like, um, turning
the fire hose on to put the fire out.
But once the fire is out, you
don't want to keep the hose on
because then you can get mold and
all kinds of other funky stuff.
So we need to have that
Goldilocks zone with antioxidants.
Okay.
And, and if somebody is like, you know, is
that something I should be supplementing
with or I'm not, I know you're not good.
We're not giving medical advice, but
what are examples of common antioxidants
people may or may not, you know, be
including in diet or supplementing with.
Well, I always say let's
start with food, right?
So food, the rainbow of foods, right?
Especially the reds and the purples,
your pomegranate, your blueberries,
your acai berries, all of those are
really, really rich in antioxidants.
And, and also bioflavonoids and
polyphenols, all of those have
antioxidant abilities as well.
But you can't So it's not just red wine?
Correct.
I think the alcohol
actually negates the benefits.
I would imagine, but I think it's the
like most popular thing people think of.
So you can also supplement with
antioxidants and the most common
one is called glutathione.
That is known as the body's
master antioxidant because Usually
when an antioxidant donates an
electron to neutralize a free
radical, it's rendered ineffective.
It's kaput.
It can't do its job anymore.
You know, the gun's not loaded anymore.
Uh, but glutathione is called the
master antioxidant because depending
on your genetics, you have an ability
to recycle and regenerate your
antioxidants or your glutathione.
And Your glutathione can also help
to regenerate your vitamin C and your
vitamin E and other antioxidants.
So it's really, really powerful,
really, really important,
but it's not the only one.
You never hardly ever hear
about superoxide dismutase and
catalase and Nrf2 and all of these
really, really important things.
I could nerd out about Nrf2.
I talk about it a lot in my book because
a lot of people are focused on the
glutathione genes, but you could have.
no variations in your glutathione genes.
But if you don't have enough of this
thing called nerf two, which is like the
spark plug for all of your antioxidant
and detoxification reactions, your
glutathione is not going to work.
It's going to be as if
you had genetic variants.
So you can't, you can't just say, Oh,
well you have this genetic variant.
So.
Take this supplement and you
have this one and take that one.
And so that's why I have a problem with
a lot of the genetic interpretations
on the market, because they're
just reporting about your genes.
They're saying, Oh, you
have this genetic variant.
So take this form of a supplement.
And then 10 pages later, they're saying,
well, you have this genetic variant.
So avoid this form of that supplement
that they just told you to take.
And so it's not.
Comprehensive.
And there's a lot of contradictory
information and so many people get
analysis paralysis when you just
have these automated can't respond
to say that they're mostly AI
algorithm driven to sell supplements
is what a lot of them end up being.
Yeah.
So I
like to say that I am like your
genetics concierge, because when I do
interpretations, they take me hours.
People can send me their labs
depending on which package they get.
There's a really meticulous intake form
where I am asking about your sleep, your
poop, your periods, what you've tried
that has worked, what you tried that
hasn't worked, what's your sleep like,
um, you know, where, where you live.
Do you live near a soy?
Or a cornfield, you know, maybe.
And then especially if you have variants
in your PON1 gene, that could really
cause you to not be able to, um, clear
pesticides and organophosphates very well.
So, um, I, I ask so many questions.
And then, like I said, there's
the labs and then the genetics,
and we pair all that together.
And I'm also emailing as I'm
reviewing your genes, Hey, I'm
seeing a predisposition for Uh, early
premature graying of hair because
this genetic variant, this genetic
variant, does that run in your family?
And if not, okay, so maybe they
have the genetic variant, but just
because you have a genetic variant
does not mean that it's expressing.
Say
that again, because that's the most
important part of the conversation.
Yes, just because you have a genetic
variant does not mean it's expressing
and a lot of people think it's an
offer on switch but really I think
of it as like a dimmer switch.
So the amount of toxicity or the
amount of stress or amount of trauma
that you may or may not have had can
determine how turned on or turned
off that gene will be and how, how
much it will be expressing or not.
I like the, the dimmer switch thought,
um, because yeah, especially like
if you saw, if you were ever bored,
I would send you my genetic work.
Like, I, you know, I, you would
look at that and think, okay, we
got to either shut all this down or
figure out how to turn all that on.
And so it's not, we're
not designed that way.
We aren't computers.
So yeah,
so many, like the body
is just infinitely wise.
So the more important that a process.
or pathway is, the more backup it has.
It needs to make sure that
it gets that job done.
So if path A is clogged or slow or
inefficient, then it's going to resort
to plan B and path B. And hopefully
you have the nutritional cofactors to
support the functioning of that pathway,
or hopefully there aren't toxins that
are throwing wrenches in that pathway.
Yeah, so, so important.
And, and I think one of the things that I
enjoy listening to, to you educate us all.
Um, a yes, because I'm a nerd and I know
your, your book is not a small book,
but it sounds like lots of fun to me.
Um, but you're, it's the
whole human approach.
Like you're not.
Just running agenda.
You just said, you know, you're not
just looking at genetics and giving,
you know, spitting out what a,
what an AI program would spit out.
You are, it's, you're doing all
kinds of testing with people.
Um, and again, initially,
like the focus is fertility.
To me, it's the same, like optimizing
is optimizing period, um, finding
roadblocks, you know, looking, looking,
I've called looking under rocks.
Um, and if you miss one, yeah, you
can get some improvement, but when
your end goal is something like, you
know, healthy baby, if you miss one,
you may still miss the mark on that.
So I love that you're looking
at, you're really taking
into account the whole human.
Thank you.
Yes.
It's so much more, um, holistic,
but also there's so many
more benefits to doing that.
We have so much more successes.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And you use, you also do like regular,
what I call regular, it's funny.
Like what I call like a regular
functional medicine panel.
Um, which I had a client who
is in Pennsylvania, not, not
your area in Pennsylvania.
And she, she has a
functional medicine doctor.
And I didn't think to look at her panel
as to like what the functional medicine
panel was like, it didn't, it was missing.
So much.
Um, but, but sometimes we jump to
big and fancy and, you know, we
have horrible omegas and D's and
things, you know, just basics.
Um, and, and so I love that, that
you're not just like super geeky,
nerdy looking at the really complicated
stuff, but you're including other
important foundational things.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
That's why I put in a chapter in my
book that no matter what your genetics
are, these are the things that are
healthy for every living being on earth.
Whereas, and I've seen some genetic
reports that people have brought
to me and they're like, Oh, well,
you have this genetic variant.
So avoid processed foods and
make sure you get exercise.
And I'm just you paid how much money
to get this generic information.
So I really like that.
You know, the more I learn, the
more I realize it really comes
back to those foundations, right?
You know, being outside, getting
fresh, clean air, fresh, clean
water, moving your body in a loving
way, getting enough sleep, not
eating too much sugar, all of that.
But then if there's people that are
already doing quote unquote all the
things, but they still have A whole bunch
of chronic pain or recurring yeast or
UTI infections or, you know, whatever it
is, then we can really use the genetics
and the lab testing to find the root
cause and address it with precision.
Oh, amen.
And I love that.
I was, I was hooked when you were
like, if you're, you know, in the
fast food line, I'm not for you.
Like you're not ready for me yet.
Um, people think like they can shortcut.
Um, or, or, you know, what is
the, you, you can't, what is it?
You can't out eat, not out eat.
What's the, there's a saying
about like, you know, we can't
trade one thing for the other.
I got into functional medicine through
biohacking and not in the sense of, you
know, well, I don't want to exercise, but
I want to stay healthy or, you know, yeah,
there's some, a little bit of shortcut
mentality, but it's actually really,
you can't skip any of those foundations.
Um, if you're sleeping four hours a
night and eating the best food and
drinking the best water and have a great
movement routine and all the things,
you're still not going to be healthy.
Eventually, it's going
to catch up with you.
Yes.
Yeah.
And I say that, especially in, in
regards to mold, because it doesn't
really matter what your genetics are.
Yes.
There's some that can really make it
like one plus one equals five, but really
like mold just throws a wrench in your
detoxification pathways and it causes your
You've been living in a mold for a
while and you're really sensitive to it.
You're going to have some histamine
issues, but then if you have genetic
predispositions for histamine tolerance,
that just means you're going to
be that much further off the mark.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I love that.
I love every, everything I've heard
you say in other interviews or Um,
it is, again, it's the same, you
know, mold and mycotoxins are an
underlying driver of inflammation, which
therefore also means of autoimmunity.
Um, and, and I do feel like, and I
know there is, Um, science behind
and then studies are coming out
as you know, as to, you know, why
is it so much more prevalent now?
Is it the testing?
Are we just aware?
And I think it really
is more prevalent now.
And some of that are the EMFs and
the mycotoxins are more active.
So those of us walking around that
may be more susceptible to begin with.
are, are feeling these
secondary downstream effects.
Um, and it doesn't mean you have to be,
especially I, I call myself a collector.
Um, I am a collector of anything that
might not have been good for my body.
Like, so just keep it.
Um, and, and, you know, I was pretty
shocked when I learned and started
to heal and learn more and got into
functional medicine and, um, I was already
living in Colorado for, for years by
the time I did my first toxin panel and
my mycotoxins were through the roof.
Well, I had lived in South Florida
for 13 years and I mean, I'm still
working on that 20 something years
later of, you know, it's better and
I feel great, but it's still there.
And if I stop working on it, it's.
gonna bite me again.
Um, and also it doesn't
matter where you live.
It can, like, when we, when I moved
to Colorado, I was told, um, the,
in the, you know, through realtors,
there's no mold problem here.
It's dry here.
We don't have mold.
There's mold everywhere.
And, and, um, I love that you talk
about that as, as being something really
important to, to check with people as
talks, not just their pathways, but
also what's going on in their body.
Like you can't just do
the one or the other.
Yeah, absolutely.
And I have a whole chapter on mold
and mycotoxins because it's a lot of
people, first off, they don't really
know how impactful negatively it is.
It's just toxic to basically all
your cells, but also they think,
well, I don't see any mold, so
I haven't been exposed to it.
And so, um, while my expertise
doesn't lie in testing and remediation
of environments, My specialty is
more identifying it in the body,
seeing if it has colonized and then
detoxifying it with precision because
certain molds are cleared through
certain liver detox pathways or have
affinities for specific binders.
And so knowing what you're
dealing with will help you to
know which is the most effective
route to get it out of your body.
And yes, it can stay in
your body for decades.
Yeah, especially when it's not
the only thing in there, you know,
when you've got lead and mercury
and all kinds of other goodies.
And you know, there's
that mold and lime, all of those
people that have gotten the
unlucky combination, for sure.
Yeah,
well, and again, it's not a It's it's
really not that much of a mystery.
I used to get frustrated
before I really understood.
Um, my fiance used to say
all the time like with Lyme.
Um, it's not the line like it's
your body should be taking care of
it, you know, and test 100 people.
symptomatic, asymptomatic.
And a lot of us have Lyme.
Um, and you know, why are some, it's
the, why are some people so sick?
And some of it definitely
genetic predisposition.
And like you said, and then
is there that double whammy?
Um, and it is, I find it fascinating that
the, if you think back to how the body
works and what it says, It's designed
to do, then what are these roadblocks,
you know, and, and so that's where I
think your field is, it's so empowering
to understand that, you know, I hear
it all the time too with autoimmune.
Well, my, you know, my mom had RA
and her sister has RA and, you know,
and it's like, okay, but are you
all living a similar lifestyle too?
It's like.
saying, Oh, my, you know, our
family is full of diabetics.
Well, do you eat together?
I'm just curious, you know,
saying maybe trauma or
something like that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Um, and so I, I just think it,
it just gives it for listeners to
understand that, that getting this
information can be really powerful
and then finding somebody like you,
um, I love the word precision, right?
You want to detox with.
Precision.
Um, I, I tell this, or
I say it all the time.
My Approach to healing was throw
spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks
because I didn't know what I was doing.
I had never heard of functional medicine.
I had, you know, and, and so I
got lucky and think I was just
supposed to find my way to wellness
so that I, I could do this.
Um, but the precision isn't
important because as we are all
human, we're also bio individual.
So, um, I love the, you know, the, that
you're, Just have that scientific mind.
I can tell you're, it's
like an addiction with you.
The rabbit hole gets bigger.
Yeah.
Well, like I said, the more I learn, the
more I realize how much I don't know.
I want to learn about it.
And then it's just like
rabbit holes galore.
Yes.
Yeah.
It's, but in a good way there,
it's a, it's a wonderful thing.
Um, how, tell, tell us a little bit
about how do you work with people?
How do, how do people find you
and, and what does that look like?
What's your process?
Okay, so my website is just jaclyndowns.
com, J A C L Y N D O W N S. And I do
have a resources page that has all the
different ways you can, uh, work with
me, whether it's genetic interpretation,
or one to one consultations, or
if you just want some freebies.
Um, and then I am very, very,
bad at posting on Instagram.
Um, but my handle is
at Functional Genomics.
Uh, so I'm, I'm working on, you know,
I feel like I have, um, like blank
slate or blank canvas anxiety because
like, obviously I have a whole entire
book's worth of information, but I'm
like, I don't know what to post about,
but it's also really hard when it's
very biochemical and trying to put
it into layman's terms, which I'm
good at, but not within 90 seconds.
Well, I was going
to say snippets are, and also for some of
us, and I'm, I shouldn't put this on you.
It's not my happy place.
I would rather do this and have amazing
conversations with incredible experts and
get jazz and then go down another rabbit
hole on my own time than, you know, be.
Putting out that kind of content.
Um, but I, I love the, I always
appreciate the people that are good
at, at breaking their stuff down
because everybody learns differently.
So, um, yeah.
So I, I love that you, you
qualified, like I'm there.
I'm
just not.
Yes.
I have something that I need to
share about MTHFR all rant about bio.
Like I've been in the nutrition industry.
for decades.
And, you know, even when I was like
going to work with my dad and stuff,
um, it's only been in like the past
two or three years that I have started
to hear about bile and I love bile.
I could talk, I've done podcasts
completely just talking about bile.
Well, we may have to have a whole nother
conversation just about bile because.
It's essential.
It's important.
And, and I feel like this and just
another area of the body that's
been slammed with modern times.
Yes.
And it's the unsung hero.
You know, everybody wants to go into
a liver detox, but if your bile's
not flowing, those toxins are going
to get mobilized and then they're
just going to get recirculated
right back to where they started.
And so there's so many other
important things that bile
does too, but there's also.
a lot of genes related to
bile production and bile flow.
And so again, like, yes, if you have mold,
that's going to just cause sludgy bile.
But then if you have genetic
variants, I use the analogy
that like, of like a scale.
And so sometimes we don't know how
big or heavy the marbles are with the
genetic variants, but we know which
side of the scale to place them on.
So if you have been living in mold
for example, then boom, there's like
a big old marble on the one side.
And then you throw these separate
genetic variants from these different
genes and different snips, that's
going to just be adding weight to
the side of the scale for there to
be some bile or gallbladder issues.
So interesting.
And see, you do put it
all in layman's terms.
Like I love, I'm a visual learner.
So I love that the visual of the, of
the scale, although I, I'm thinking
like younger listeners probably don't
even know what a real scale looks like.
Just every single lawyer, a
teeter totter, right?
Right.
A seesaw, if you're from the East Coast.
Cause
so amazing.
And for, for those that might've
missed it in the intro, your book,
which is not a little Instagram
snippet is enhancing fertility through
functional medicine, using nutrigenomics
to solve unexplained infertility.
And I would say you already
said it, but it's your book.
So I'm going to say it.
It's, it's really a wellness book.
Yes.
It's a wellness book.
Um, and, and I love, I,
I can't wait to dig in.
I, and like you said, it's, it's not for
the beginner, um, in the health world.
It is, it's a big book.
And, and, um, but I love that
you're also focused on educating
practitioners because that's what we
need is we need more practitioners
understanding, you know, all of this.
Yes, that's, that's my goal.
That's my sweet spot.
You know, that Ben diagram, because
originally I was going to write
two books, one for the lay person
and one for the practitioner.
But what I did was I put all of the
biochemical technical genetic stuff
into appendices for each chapter.
So, take what you want, leave what
you don't, you don't have to turn to
the appendices if you don't want to.
So that way it's, it's.
something that you can get, even if
you don't understand a lot of it.
And it's actually not
a very fat book at all.
Um, it's just very information heavy.
Um, but I, a while ago, when it first
came out and got published, I said
like on Instagram, like just name a
random page number and I will read
it and I will guarantee there'll
be a clinical pearl on that page.
And so I did probably about, Six
or eight Instagram posts with page
numbers that people had, um, given me.
And yeah, I'm like, oh my God,
I'm so glad they picked this page.
This is like, I love this information.
So if you want, you can scroll down
through my feed and um, you'll see I'll
be holding my book in a couple of those.
I love it.
You should do more of those there.
There it is.
Right there.
That's what you should do.
Those are your snippets.
Is do more of those.
That's a good idea.
I will.
I will do that.
Cause you know, it's the new year.
So I should be posting more.
Yeah.
I am doing a new thing for
my newsletter list where I am
going to be spotlighting a gene.
Oh, I love that.
Yeah.
So this is the gene.
Not just MTHFR?
Exactly.
Yeah.
So this is the gene.
This is what it does.
This is how variants can affect you.
And this is how you can support it.
Of course.
you know, no gene works in isolation.
So that's all, you know, not
medical advice or taking right.
Right.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So that people know that it's
not just, you know, the top three
that people hear about it's first,
usually MTHFR, which is great.
It introduces people to the concept
that your genes influence your health
and your state of health influences
the way that your genes are expressed.
So.
Yeah.
That's great.
That's why, you know,
MTHFR is a gateway gene.
But then people hear about COMT, and
they say they have the COMT variant when
literally there are hundreds of them.
And so, you know, I know which
one they're talking about.
They're talking about the Valmet, but
still, you know, there's more than one.
And then people hear about CVS.
So those are like the top
three The popular crowd.
Okay.
And then the, the, yeah, I was
gonna say, and then the brain
health focus people, the APOE, we
got to throw that one in there.
Yep.
Yep.
And I look at all of those, but
when I do my interpretations, I
don't do your typical, like, here's
the set list of genes, because I
literally look at thousands of SNPs.
So based on what somebody has
written in their intake form, what
their goals are, what their previous
diagnoses are, or where I'm seeing it.
The most genetic variants.
is what I mentioned.
So if you don't have, like, I
will just say you do not have
any MTHFR variants, right?
And I, but I won't let go into that,
how it's going to affect you because
people want to know about that.
But, but yeah, so I, I mentioned
the ones that are noteworthy and
could be impacting your situation
that you're concerned about.
I love that.
Well, we're at the point of the
interview where listeners are leaning
in because they want to hear your one
step that listeners can take today
to start to improve their health.
Trick question.
Avoidance.
Avoidance of toxins because we
live in a toxic soup of a planet.
And so it's becoming harder
and harder and harder.
We have to just, I say in my book that
Survival of the fittest now means being
proactive about your own health and
being your own health advocate, because
there's so many things that are, are
bombarding us with, uh, toxins that are
just burdening our liver and kidneys.
And so the more that we can, um, avoid
them coming into the body, then the
less hard our liver and kidneys and
detoxification pathways have to work
to just try to maintain homeostasis.
Amazing.
Wonderful gold.
Yeah.
So that's, you know, your, your home
environment, your, you know, your water,
your air, water, and food are a great
place to start your kitchenware, your
body care products, that kind of stuff.
I know it doesn't end.
Yeah.
And it is overwhelming, but
you know, I say use a, this
is better than that approach.
So maybe next time don't buy the
Lysol by, you know, Something else.
And if you want to be like super nerdy,
you can get the hypochlorous acid, right?
Which is, which is awesome as well.
And I can't stand the
smell, smell of vinegar.
So that one's a winner
for me.
Jaclyn, so much.
You really have given
us so much information.
Um, I'm excited for the
listeners that didn't know
you before to get to
know you a little bit.
I say, you know, Check out the book,
check out the snippets on Instagram too,
but definitely go to Jaclyn's website.
Um, and we appreciate your time.
Thank you so much.
I really enjoyed speaking with you and I
look forward to speaking with you again.
Absolutely.
For everyone listening, remember
you can get the show notes and
transcripts by visiting inspiredliving.
show.
Hope you had a great time and enjoyed
this episode as much as I did.
I'll see you next week.