I LOVE jeans, always have.
From hipsters with flares, to midrise with boot legs, to high waisted skinny jeans.
There are just so many different types. Not unlike the other type of “genes” in almost every cell in our body.
I remember trying to convince my employer back in my 20s to support “Jeans for Genes” Day, to not just support a good cause but basically so I could wear jeans for at least one day a year to work. Little did I know that I would learn a LOT more about genetics over the years.
The human genome is fascinating; however, I am a self-confessed nerd when it comes to chatting about this area. Genes are sections of DNA that contain the instructions for building specific proteins that make up our body. They are packaged into structures called chromosomes within the cell’s nucleus, or command centre. All humans have 23 chromosomes which contain pairs of genes, one set from each of your parents, and it is estimated that we have up to 25,000 genes. Incredible!
Some of the most talked about genes are those that increase your risk of cancer. Most people have heard about the BRCA genes, which greatly increase the risk of breast, ovarian or prostate cancer, if they contain a mutation. However, another set of genes I had never heard of are called the MMR genes, or the mismatch repair genes. They are crucial for correcting errors made during DNA replication. If you have a mutation in one of these genes there is a much greater risk of errors occurring and leading to cancer cell growth. Unfortunately, I have a mutation in one of these genes leading to a significantly increased risk in developing bowel, uterine, ovarian and stomach cancer; something called Lynch Syndrome.
This isn’t always the news you want to hear, but I feel grateful to be forewarned and am immensely thankful to my eldest sister who had to battle through two types of cancer before she found out about the gene. Knowing this, it was an easy task to take the lead and help even a little bit in her “recovery” journey through the 160KM of the French Camino earlier in the year.
Thankfully, it’s not just genes that influence the development of cancer. Many environmental, diet and other lifestyle risk factors can certainly also contribute greatly, such as drinking alcohol, smoking, increased stress and inadequate activity levels. Of course, awareness is also a gift. I am hopeful that, with further research, more people will be forewarned of any genetic risk factors in the future and will have more ability to engage in prevention, including regular medical checks and getting advice from health professionals like those at Physique, to keep them fighting fit throughout their lives.
