Part IV: RAISING RATIONAL BODIES
Chapter 10: Programming the Next Generation
"Epigenetics and how parental choices affect children's gene expression"
The most profound application of rational body principles happens when we're creating and raising the next generation. Every choice you make about how to nourish and care for your body is programming the genetic expression not just of your own cells, but potentially of your children and grandchildren. This chapter dives deep into the science of epigenetics—how environmental factors influence which genes get turned on or off—and explores how parents can create the optimal conditions for developing rational bodies from conception through adolescence. We'll examine how stress levels during pregnancy affect fetal brain development, how early feeding practices shape lifelong eating patterns, and how family attitudes toward movement, rest, and emotional expression influence children's relationship with their own bodies. You'll discover how to model embodied living in ways that give children permission to trust their own body intelligence, creating family cultures that support rather than undermine biological wisdom.