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Genetics, Genomics, and Epigenetics: What's the Difference?
There is so much buzz around DNA testing that it is easy to feel confused or even hesitant.
Many people wonder:
“Should I test my DNA?”
“What if I find out something I don’t want to know?”
Those are fair questions. For years, genetics was presented as destiny, something fixed and unchangeable. But the truth is far more empowering.
Your genes do not decide your future. They describe your POTENTIAL.
At Nova Wellness, we often say:
Genes load the gun, but environment and lifestyle pull the trigger.
Understanding your DNA is not about prediction or fear. It is about precision and learning how your body is wired so you can make choices that unlock vitality, balance, and longevity.
Genetics: The Code You Are Born With
Genetic testing focuses on the small number of genes that can directly cause or sharply increase the risk for specific diseases.
These are rare, high-impact mutations such as:
- BRCA1 and BRCA2, linked to breast and ovarian cancer
- CFTR, associated with cystic fibrosis
- APC, related to certain hereditary colon cancers
Genetic testing is narrow and diagnostic. It identifies a single disease or confirms a rare genetic condition. It provides yes-or-no answers but does not offer guidance for prevention, optimization, or long-term wellness.
Genomics: The Bigger Picture
Genomics explores how your genes interact and influence your daily function, from detoxification and metabolism to hormone balance and brain chemistry.
It looks at small spelling differences in your DNA called SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). Most are harmless, but some can subtly affect how efficiently your body runs.
It is like changing a single word in a sentence. The story remains the same, but the tone or emphasis might shift.
Genomic insights reveal tendencies rather than diagnoses, such as:
- How efficiently you clear toxins or metabolize estrogen
- How your body regulates blood sugar and insulin
- How your brain manages focus, motivation, and mood
- How effectively your cells produce energy
Having a trained clinician review your genomic results matters. The data alone can be overwhelming and easily misinterpreted. A personalized consultation connects your genetic blueprint with your lab results, nutrition, lifestyle, and goals, turning complex data into meaningful change.
Integrative genomic testing does not diagnose illness. It helps you understand how to support your body so it can function at its best.
Epigenetics: The Layer You Can Influence
Epigenetics studies how your environment, lifestyle, and experiences affect which genes are turned on or off.
You cannot change your DNA, but you can change how it behaves.
Nutrition, movement, sleep, stress management, and mindset all send chemical messages that influence gene expression.
Epigenetics is also where emotional and generational experiences play a role. Chronic stress or trauma can leave biological marks that influence how future generations regulate stress, inflammation, and emotion. But healing experiences such as safety, connection, and mindfulness can reverse those marks.
Epigenetics reminds us that our biology is responsive and that change is always possible.
Types of Testing and What They Mean
1. Clinical Genetic Testing
- Identifies a single disease or confirms a rare inherited condition
- Not used for general screening or wellness
- Appropriate when there is a strong family history or medical suspicion
2. Direct-to-Consumer DNA Kits (such as 23andMe or Ancestry)
- Scan a small portion of your DNA to report ancestry and selected traits
- Interesting for curiosity but not designed for medical or wellness interpretation
- Often use limited data and automated reports without professional guidance
3. Integrative Genomic Testing (Available at Nova Wellness)
- Evaluates hundreds of gene variations related to detoxification, metabolism, hormones, brain health, and longevity
- Focuses on how your biology functions rather than your risk for disease
- Interpreted by a clinician trained in genomics to create personalized strategies
- Results connect directly to nutrition, supplements, lifestyle, and lab markers
- Provides clinically actionable insight, not generic advice
4. Microbiome and Metabolomic Testing (such as Viome)
- Looks at RNA and metabolites from your cells and gut microbes to show how your systems are functioning right now
- Reflects dynamic biology at a point in time, rather than inherited DNA that is stable.
The Future: Where AI Meets Genomic Medicine
Whole genome sequencing and artificial intelligence are transforming how we approach prevention and longevity.
AI can analyze vast amounts of genetic data and identify subtle patterns that predict how genes, lifestyle, and environment interact. Soon, these insights will allow for highly personalized, predictive healthcare.
What is emerging:
- Predictive modeling that identifies early metabolic or cognitive shifts
- Digital health twins that simulate how your body might respond to diet or therapy
- Multi-omics integration that combines genomics, microbiome, and epigenetic data into one adaptive health map
Right now, integrative genomic testing provides the ideal balance. It is actionable today while remaining aligned with the breakthroughs ahead.
At Nova Wellness, we are building that bridge between what is proven and what is next.
The Takeaway
- Genetics identifies rare, inherited mutations
- Genomics reveals how your body’s systems function together
- Epigenetics shows how your environment, habits, and mindset shape gene expression
You cannot change your DNA, but you can absolutely influence how it is expressed.
Every meal, thought, and movement sends a message that shapes your future.
Your DNA is not your destiny. It is your POTENTIAL.
And your biology is responsive.
At Nova Wellness, I help you understand that potential and activate it with precision, purpose, and care.
For educational purposes only. This content is not intended as medical advice or diagnosis.