In this four-minute video on Healing Quest, I explain why genetics are not the most important factor in your appearance and how you age. In fact, lifestyle plays a bigger role in your appearance than genetics. Yes, the color of your eyes and the shape of your nose may be genetic; but your smile, the fine lines and wrinkles you’ve acquired, the sun damage, the hydration levels—these are all lifestyle factors. Moreover, your beliefs and attitudes greatly influence how you look and how people perceive you.

The most important factor is how you feel about yourself. Do you think of yourself as royalty—as the most important person in your world? That will change how you take care of yourself—what you eat and drink; whether you exercise and get enough sleep; whether you do the things that make you happy. That’s why I’ve written a short, inspirational book on the topic. It’s called Honor Yourself and it’s about giving yourself the kind of praise and recognition most people generally reserve for others.

Another myth I bust in this video is that your skincare products are the most important factor in skincare. In fact, the opposite is true. Only 20% of your skin is on the surface; 80% is below the surface. The health and hydration of that 80% is more dependent upon what you eat than what moisturizer you wear.

Attracting water to your skin—in fact, to every cell in your body—is the most important thing you can do to look young and feel young. That means eating your water through the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables; it also means strengthening every cell membrane—by eating beans, seeds, and other foods high in amino acids, along with healthy lipids like the omegas.

Another point I make is that living young is more important than being young. Aging is a fact of life, but we have control over how we age. Taking risks, being willing to fail, are characteristics of youth. How many times does a toddler fail when she is learning to walk? But her falls don’t convince her to give up. Don’t let the years stiffen your thinking; maintain mental, as well as physical, flexibility!

One of the attitudes you can change right now is that genetics don’t determine your fate as much as lifestyle does!

Genetics Don’t Determine Fate : Dr. Howard Murad