Healthy Habits for Bonsall and Fallbrook Folks

A person's DNA is the result of their parents with some traits being more obviously handed down than others. For example, eye color, hair color or the way their face might be shaped or any combination of those, are qualities from their parents.

Genetically passed down traits are mostly physical. These include health factors such as high blood pressure or even mental illnesses. Most people wouldn't associate lifestyle choices and behaviors as being inherited, but actually some are.

The following are traits that your parents can be blamed for:

1. How food tastes: The preference between spicy or bland is the result of the flavors their parents enjoy. DNA is associated with taste. People also have to think of what they ate at an age when they didn't have a choice about what was served. As adults, people have choices, and it becomes second nature to make the recipes or eat the foods people are familiar from those choiceless days.

2. Your driving skills: Those who are poor drivers might be able to point the finger at their parents. People inherit brain-derived neurotropic factor which is responsible for learning and memory during certain activities such as driving. Therefore, certain learning skills allow for better retention for certain skills than others.

3. Your coffee intake: Some people would prefer an IV of caffeine if possible. Some people have more of the gene PDSS2 which influences the amount of coffee someone drinks.

4. Musical talent: The ability to recognize pitch and tone come from the right genes. Musical ability might not be based on the number of hours practiced. There's nothing wrong with practice, but there may be genes behind the greatest rock star talents.

5. Laziness: Physical exertion is a matter of choice, but for some people, they choose to work out regularly and others are more lured by the couch. DNA can determine how physically active someone is.

6. Who you vote for: Children tend to favor who their parents select. Traditionalism is a factor. People are predisposed to political positions.

7. Popularity: Having a lot of friends might be based on how likable someone is passed down from their parents. Interaction with peers is a trait that is received.

Keeping it all in the family may be true for more than just how a person looks. Some traits come from the mother while others come from the father. People are a mix of their parent's recipes and their own choices.

Megan Johnson McCullough holds a master's degree in physical education and health science, is a candidate for her doctorate, is a professional natural bodybuilder and is a National Academy of Sports Medicine master trainer.