Yanina Oyarzo

DEFY MY DNA WITH ROGAINE

Sponsored by ROGAINE

When I created this blog, I created it to have a place to be able to share everything I loved. To be able to help people, and speak openly about the not so happy moments I go through in hopes that it helps someone reading it. This month I partnered with Rogaine to speak about how I “Defy My DNA”. Rogaine helps as a proactive mean for treating hereditary conditions like hair loss or thinning hair – of which are a reality that men and women will encounter with age.

Even though I’m not currently dealing with loss or thinning of hair, we do all have things that our DNA comes with that can be a bit challenging to deal with. We sometimes learn about them at an early age while others we are met with through time. In my case, I knew I would have to face it at one point due to my mom dealing with it. Growing up I saw my mom deal with many health challenges but we didn’t know for awhile what it truly was. Not having answers to why she felt such pain, imbalances, and confusion would take a toll on her and our family. Sometimes we didn’t know how to treat the situation and I’m sure on her end, she was just as frustrated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXDQHrD_V_k

Ultimately, we found out she suffers from a hereditary condition called, Hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is when you have an underactive thyroid gland that doesn’t create enough of the thyroid hormone to keep the body running smoothly. People with hypothyroid have too little thyroid hormones in the blood. Some of the symptons are always feeling cold, getting tired easily, dry skin, forgetfulness, depression, etc. Because the symptoms are so various and nonspecific, the only way to know for sure whether you have hypothyroidism is with a blood test. Over the years I’ve had to see it worsen, and affect her life in more ways than just physically. Because it attacks such different parts of you, it’s a disease many find hard to understand or know how to deal with a person who has it.

Since around the age of 16, I realized that there was a chance that I too had it. I would have yearly tests at the doctors office since it is a hereditary condition. That’s when I began researching on my own ways to avoid activating it and what I could do from now on to not let it effect me. One of the main things research has shown is that having a gluten free lifestyle along with avoiding many other foods really helps.

I defy my DNA by being conscious of this disease and avoiding it taking over my life. I chose to live a gluten free lifestyle, and avoid foods that activate my thyroids. Staying physically active is a priority as well in efforts to combat the side effects. I take classes, hike with friends, try to play sports, and focus on things that make me happy. Stress and Depression is something I’ve struggled with since my youth, and the stress got worse once I became an adult. I try to maintain a balance through meditation and living a life of mindfulness to not let it affect me.

We can’t avoid what our DNA comes with, but we don’t have to let it control us from reaching our highest potential.

How do you defy your DNA?
Sponsored by ROGAINE

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