One of the basic ideas that we’re trying to advance with EpiGaia is that our bodies are programmed to benefit from proper nutrition - and that epigenetic nutrition can provide many of the specific substances our bodies need most. The importance behind this is clear: when your body doesn’t get what it needs, your health declines.

The Wall Street Journal had a great article on Tuesday about paying attention to external signs your body provides to signal internal problems. It is so important to pay attention to what goes on with your body: you know what is normal and what isn’t, and your body will show signs when things aren’t functioning properly.

One key takeaway from this article is the need to pay attention to preventive care.

With major changes to the nation’s health-care system looming, it may be more important than ever for people to keep track of their own physical health. Primary-care doctors could become increasingly pressed for time, and long-term doctor-patient relationships may be harder to sustain. The growing emphasis on preventive medicine may also place more responsibility on patients to head off illnesses before they become serious.

Proper nutrition is an essential part of maintaining good health and preventing diseases such as diabetes and other ailments. Getting the nutrients your body needs can help keep your immune system strong and ensure proper functioning of your stomach, liver, kidneys and other organs.

So, like the Journal says, we should “be vigilant for anything new or unusual” about our bodies. And if we really want to be ahead of the game, we should make sure our body’s genetic nutrition needs are being met.

Back on May 2, we published a post titled “Swine Flu Concerns: Boost Immunity with Genetic Nutrition.” That post discussed how strengthening the immune system through proper nutrition could help people stay more healthy. As it turns out, the CDC has conducted tests that suggest people age 60 and over have increased immunity to the H1N1 virus.

According to a story by the Associated Press today, the new H1N1 virus seems to affect the young at a much higher rate than the elderly - which is in direct contrast to common seasonal flus, that have a much more profound effect on the very old.

Several theories have been presented as to why the new H1N1 seems to not affect the elderly as much. The most common is that flu viruses prior to 1957 affected patients’ immune systems in a similar way to H1N1, which could account for the apparently-increased immunity among the elderly. But scientists and doctors urge older people to “take the same precautions as everyone else.”

The bottom line of the story:

Scientists think it’s because older people have been exposed to other viruses in the past that are more similar to swine flu than more recent seasonal flus.

But the results come from complicated lab work and calculations, and it’s not yet clear how safe older people actually are from the new infection, federal officials said.

“We can’t say,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So older people are advised to take the same precautions as their children and grandchildren.

As part of these precautions, it’s always a good idea to make sure your diet has a full compliment of healthy nutrients designed to boost your immune system.