Eat This to Live Longer, Stay Young, and Transform Your Health

Summary

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Mel Robbins Podcast: Eat This to Live Longer, Stay Young, and Transform Your Health

Host: Mel Robbins
Guest: Dr. Lucia Aronica (Stanford University epigenetics scientist)
Date: April 30, 2026

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Overview

In this episode, Mel Robbins welcomes Dr. Lucia Aronica, a world-renowned epigenetics researcher and professor at Stanford University. Together, they dive into groundbreaking research showing that food is more than fuel—it’s “the pencil that rewrites your genetic instructions.” Dr. Aronica lays out how everyday dietary choices can override genetic predispositions, slow aging, boost vitality, and help listeners alter the trajectory of their health at a cellular level. The conversation is practical, engaging, and packed with tools for eating your way to a longer, healthier, and more vibrant life.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Epigenetics: You’re Not Stuck with Your Genes

• What is Epigenetics?
  Epigenetic marks, or “molecular switches,” sit atop your DNA and act like the volume knob on a stereo, turning genes up or down ([09:04]).
• Lifestyle Over Genes:
  Only 25% of your health is dictated by genetics; the remaining 75% is your story to write with lifestyle choices ([06:35], [12:18]).
• Landmark Study:
  Even people with high risk for heart disease cut their risk in half with good lifestyle habits, while people with “good genes” and poor lifestyle still developed heart disease ([12:18]).

Quote:

“Food isn’t just fuel. It’s the pencil that rewrites your genetic instructions... Your fork becomes more powerful than your family history.”
— Dr. Lucia Aronica ([06:35])

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2. You Can Rewrite “Cellular Memory”—Why Diets Fail and How to Succeed

• Epigenetic Memory:
  Repeated dieting imprints a “memory” of weight gain in your cells—making regained weight the new normal ([14:16]).
• Hope:
  If weight is lost and kept off for six months, these memories can be “erased” at the cellular level; inflammatory genes are downregulated, and metabolism-supporting genes are upregulated ([14:59]).
• Pleasure Principle:
  Consistency comes from enjoying your food—not white-knuckling through diets. Replace processed food with genuinely pleasurable, whole foods ([15:34]).

Quote:

“As an Italian, I believe that pleasure isn't the enemy of health. It's your compass to find it.”
— Dr. Lucia Aronica ([15:34])

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3. EpiNutrition: Eating for Younger Genes

• Dr. Aronica’s Framework:
  Food is both fuel and genetic information (“epi-nutrition”). She teaches a course on this at Stanford ([22:42]).

The Queen Bee Analogy ([23:19])

• Queen bees and worker bees are genetically identical, but royal jelly (diet) turns certain genes “on” to make one queen.
• Humans have their own “epinutrients”—nutrients especially impactful on genetic expression.

Two Categories of EpiNutrients ([25:13]):

• Methyl Donors ("the ink"):
  • Methionine (all protein-rich foods)
  • Folate (leafy greens, liver, legumes)
  • B12 (animal protein)
  • Choline (eggs, liver)
  • Betaine (beets, spinach, quinoa, shellfish)
• EpiBioactives ("the signals"):
  • Colorful pigments (fruits, veggies, chocolate, coffee)
  • Omega 3s (fatty fish)
  • Postbiotics (fermented foods: yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut)

Quote:

“Same hardware, different software. And what writes the software? Royal jelly… We have nutrients that work like our royal jelly.”
— Dr. Lucia Aronica ([24:03])

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4. Eat the Rainbow: EpiNutrients in Action ([31:38]–[50:53])

Notable Foods & How to Maximize Their Effects

(Timestamps mark beginning of food segment discussion)

• Red (Lycopene: Tomatoes, bell peppers) [32:18]

  • Benefits: Heart, skin. Boosts internal SPF by 40%.
  • Pro tip: Cook in olive oil—enhances absorption ("Grandmother’s trick").
  • “You can reach that benefit with just 3 tablespoons of tomato paste cooked in oil.” ([34:28])

• Orange (Carotenoids: Carrots, pumpkin) [35:36]

  • Benefits: Vitamin A precursor, internal skin care.

• Green (Folate: Spinach, Broccoli) [36:07]

  • Broccoli (Sulforaphane): “The boss of your body’s antioxidant army.”
  • Must chop and wait 40 min before cooking or add mustard powder to frozen.
  • Broccoli sprouts: up to 100x sulforaphane.
  • Glow stick analogy: Chewing/chopping “activates” the health benefits ([37:39], [39:13]).

• Purple/Black (Anthocyanins: Blackberries) [45:45]

  • Benefits: Cognitive, anti-inflammatory.

• Garlic [45:47]

  • Allicin is formed by crushing and waiting 5 minutes before cooking.
  • Strengthens immunity, reduces LDL, anti-inflammatory.

• Chocolate [48:28]

  • Choose “raw cacao” or “non-alkalized” to preserve flavanols (90% lost in Dutch-process).
  • Small servings (cacao powder or beans) maximize benefit.

The Takeaway:

Mix up colors for maximal genetic protection—“eat the rainbow” ([50:45]).

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5. Forgotten but Essential: Choline ([51:06])

• Critical for:
  • Liver and brain health
  • Cell membranes
  • Gene “ink” for expression
• 95% of people are deficient.
• Where to get it: 4 egg yolks or equivalent per day (egg yolks, salmon, liver, sunflower or soy lecithin for vegans).
• Debunks cholesterol myth:
  Eggs don’t meaningfully increase cholesterol for most ([55:51]).

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6. The Power of Protein ([58:06])

• Why it matters:
  Amino acids = building blocks for everything; needed for DNA methylation (epigenetic marking).
• Muscle as Medicine:
  Building muscle via protein + resistance training turns on genes protective against diabetes and aging.
• Collagen:
  Focus on food sources (skin, bones, slow-cooked meats, bone broth) over supplements ([61:13]).

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7. Omega 3s & Fermented Foods ([62:09]–[64:55])

• Fatty fish best: Conversion from plant omegas (Ala) is tiny; aim for direct dietary sources or smart supplementation.
• Fermented foods:
  Supply pre-, pro-, and postbiotics (e.g., butyrate), which actively switch on anti-inflammatory, gut-health genes.
  Not just “feeding” your existing bacteria, but “seeding” new, diverse species ([65:33]).

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8. Lasting Change: How to Transform & Inspire Others ([67:52]–[71:26])

• What changes in 30 days:
  More energy, better sleep/skin/digestion, stabilized blood sugar, and beginning the cellular transformation ([67:52]).
• Can you change others?
  “Be the invitation. There’s no better argument than your life.” Start your own “quiet revolution” ([69:00]).
• Biggest takeaway:
  “Your genes aren’t your fate, they are your opportunity.… Every meal, every walk, every night of sleep is your chance to write a healthier chapter.” Pleasant, real food—not suffering—is the compass. ([70:23])

Quote:

“Your genes aren't your fate, they are your opportunity.… Every meal, every walk outside, every night of sleep is an opportunity to pick up the epigenetic pencil and write a healthier chapter.”
— Dr. Lucia Aronica ([70:23])

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Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• “You are rewriting 75% of your health story right now… The best part, you’ll never need another diet again.” — Dr. Aronica ([06:35])
• “Broccoli works like a glow stick for your genes.… Most people buy frozen broccoli, but boiling destroys its power. Rescue with a dash of mustard!” — Dr. Aronica ([37:39], [40:36])
• “Pleasure isn’t the enemy of health. It’s your compass.” — Dr. Aronica ([15:34])
• “Your fork becomes more powerful than your family history.” — Dr. Aronica ([06:35])
• “Be the quiet revolution. There’s no better argument than your life.” — Dr. Aronica ([69:00])
• “Stop blaming your DNA. Your genes are only 25%, and you are the other 75%.” — Dr. Aronica ([70:23])

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Detailed Timestamps for Key Segments

• Epigenetics explained / role in health: [09:04]
• Landmark heart study (lifestyle vs. genes): [12:17]
• How yo-yo dieting causes “epigenetic memory”: [14:16]
• Italian approach to pleasure and health: [15:34], [18:58]
• Queen bee analogy & epi-nutrients: [23:19]
• Eat the Rainbow breakdown (with food-by-food insights): [31:38]–[50:53]
• Choline, egg yolks & "four yolk formula": [51:06]–[57:34]
• Protein, collagen, muscle-building, longevity: [58:06]–[61:13]
• Omega 3s (plant vs animal): [62:09]–[64:43]
• Fermented foods / gut health: [64:55]–[66:59]
• How to help loved ones and the big takeaway: [69:00]–[71:26]

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Summing Up

Mel Robbins and Dr. Lucia Aronica deliver an empowering masterclass in modern nutrition science. The essential message: You’re not stuck with what nature gave you. By understanding and using “epi-nutrition”—targeted, pleasurable whole foods—you can deliberately, joyfully, and sustainably rewrite your genetic story. Eat the rainbow, savor your food, honor your body’s needs for protein, choline, omegas, and fermented foods, and watch as not just your energy but your very cells come alive with possibility.

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Transcript

[Mel Robbins]

Hey, it's your friend Mel. And welcome to the Mel Robbins Podcast. I just got out of the studio here in Boston. I am so excited about the episode you're about to experience. I cannot wait for you to meet our guest today, Dr. Lucia Aronica. Dr. Aronica is a world renowned researcher and professor at Stanford University in the field of epigenetics. She is going to prove to you that food, it isn't just fuel, it's the pencil that rewrites your health at a genetic level. How cool is that? Which means you're not stuck. No matter what your family history is or the current state of your health, you hold the keys to changing your future, your habits and your tendencies. Right now, they do not determine your destiny. Because today you're gonna learn how eating certain specific foods, foods that you can find in any grocery store, not only make you feel better, but they also help you become a different person at a cellular level. I mean, this is just mind blowing. So if you wanna feel stronger from the inside out, if you wanna know exactly what foods slow down aging naturally, if you want to be more focused and have more joy in your life and see food not as a chore, but as something that is powerful and brings pleasure to your everyday experience, this is an invitation to sit down with an extraordinary scientist who's not only going to teach you that change is possible, she will show you how. Your fork is one of the most powerful tools that you have to change your future.

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[Mel Robbins]

Hey, it's your friend, Mel. And welcome to the Mel Robbins Podcast. I am absolutely thrilled that you're here. It is always such an honor to be together, to spend this time with you. Today's gonna be extra special. You're gonna love this. And if you're a new listener or you're here because somebody shared this with you, I wanna personally welcome you to the Mel Robbins Podcast family. And I cannot wait for you to meet today's guest, Dr. Lucia Aronica. She is here to teach you how to eat in order to live longer, look younger, and feel better than ever. Dr. Aronica is a scientist and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine where she specializes in epigenetics, which is how the choices that you and I make every day, especially what you eat, influence how your genes behave. And she is a pioneer in the field of epinutrition, a way of understanding food not just as fuel, but as information that changes you and your body and your health at a cellular level. Dr. Aronica has almost two decades of research experience in epigenetics. She earned her PhD in epigenetics from the University of Vienna. She's led research teams at Oxford and the University of Southern California. She's published more than 25 peer reviewed scientific papers in the most renowned medical journals in the world, including cell and BMC medicine. Please help me welcome Dr. Lucia Aronica to the Mel Robbins Podcast.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Thanks, Mel, for having me. I'm absolutely excited about our conversation. I love the way you make science relatable.

[Mel Robbins]

Thank you. I really have a crush on your brain. So now I'm blushing. Here's where I want to start. How could my life be different if I take everything that you're about to teach me today and I take it to heart, I apply it to my life? What might change tomorrow?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

You'll wake up different. You look at your eggs, your broccoli, your coffee, and you realize, I'm not just eating. I'm rewriting my future. Because food isn't just fuel. It's the pencil that rewrites your genetic instructions. Starting today, your fork becomes more powerful than your family history. Right now, you may see diabetes in your mom, heart disease in your dad, anxiety in yourself, and think, I'm stuck. That's just my genes. But in reality, genes are only 25% of your health story. And you are rewriting the other 75% right now with every choice and every meal. And the best part, you'll never need another diet again. You'll transform your relationship with food so profoundly that processed food won't even register as food anymore. And you'll stop treating your body like a garbage can. Today, we are putting that pencil back in your hand, and you are going to rewrite your health story into a masterpiece.

[Mel Robbins]

Dr. Aronica, you came to play Holy cow. You will see the fork as the pencil to rewrite your future. You will be able to use food to change 75% of what determines your health. I can't wait to get into all of this research around food and how it unlocks potential in your genes and can change your health forever? So you are an epigenetics scientist. What is epigenetics? And why should we be as excited about it as you are about what you're about to teach us?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

The Greek prefix EPI means on the top. So epigenetic marks are molecular switches sitting atop your jeans and turning them up or down, just like a volume knob on stereo. This also explains why you go through transformations throughout your life. Puberty, aging itself. Losing weight, gaining weight, building muscles. All these transformations underlie epigenetic mechanisms. And here's why you should be excited. Most of these marks are written in pencil, not in pen. Every day, they are rewritten by enzymes we scientists actually call writer and eraser enzymes. And guess who controls these? Editors. Every single thing you do. What you eat, how you move, how you handle stress, these send signals to the writer and the eraser enzymes. And that's why in epigenetics, you are not just a passive reader of your genetic code, but an active writer of your health story every day, with every choice.

[Mel Robbins]

You hooked me right in the opening couple words. So I want to make sure I really understand this, because a lot of us blame our genes for a lot of things, right? Oh, well, you know, my weight, aging, energy, stress. My mom had diabetes. I had to eat. As if everything is set in stone, there's nothing you can do. So maybe why don't we start with, well, what actually are genes and what do they do and what's set in stone and what isn't?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Genes are recipes for proteins, the building blocks of everything in our body.

[Mel Robbins]

Okay?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

These recipes are written in DNA. And variations in the DNA sequence determine variations in the function of these proteins that can affect the way we respond to nutrients, the way we look, even our predisposition to disease. But. And here's where people get confused about genetic risk. Not all genetic variants are created equal. You hear people say, genes load the gun and lifestyle pulls the trigger. And here's where epigenetics comes in. A landmark study published in 2016 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

[Mel Robbins]

That's a good one.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

That's a very good one. Showed the power of lifestyle over genes. So 55,000 people with an increased risk of genetic risk for heart disease if they had a good lifestyle. So healthy food, exercise regularly, no smoking, they cut their risk in half. And those with good genes but a bad lifestyle got heart disease anyway. So really, the genetic risk is written in pencil. And you hold the pencil and the eraser, too.

[Mel Robbins]

This is so exciting. And it's also a little confronting, because if you're the kind of person that was like, well, you know, heart disease runs in my family. Die. That doesn't mean that's not true. But Dr. Aronica's here to say, hey, I have the research, and you just said it. This tendency in your family for these things to happen to people that you're related to does not determine your destiny. That in almost every single instance, you hold the pencil. And based on the changes that we're gonna talk about today, these changes are so powerful that they can activate a different destiny for you moving forward.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

You got it.

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Wow.

[Mel Robbins]

This is so cool. What would you say to somebody who has just struggled, for example, for a really long time to lose weight or to feel good or to not feel so anxious or depressed or whatever, and they're skeptical because just nothing's worked for them?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

I would say you're not stuck. You are just holding the wrong pencil. Maybe you think you have tried everything, but here's what I want you to know. Every time you went on a yo yo diet, so you lost weight and gained it back, your cells created what we call an epigenetic memory of weight gain. So it's like a problematic software update. The genes that make the kid you lean, like those that burn fat, get turned down.

[Mel Robbins]

Well, because we don't need them because we're not doing anything right. Exactly.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

And the one that that keep make you fat, the inflammatory genes wake up. And so your fat cells literally remember being fat and fight to get back to that new normal. That's why it's so easy to gain back weight. But there's hope. At Stanford, we showed that if you lose weight and you keep it off for six months, actually, your fat cells unlearn that memory. They start the process of erasing that memory. So turning up the genes that burn fat and down the inflammatory genes. Now, I know what you're thinking. I can stick to a diet for six days. Six months. Six sounds too much to me. Well, I think most people white knuckle their way through protocols they hate, and they never try to make the process enjoyable. As an Italian, I believe that pleasure isn't the enemy of health. It's your compass to find it. Change requires consistency, and you can't be consistent with something you hate, but you can be consistent with something you love. And in Italy, we. When we eat, we take our time, we share conversations, we sip a glass of wine, we activate multiple pleasure pathways, and health becomes as natural as breathing. So here's what I want you to do. I want you to not just eliminate processed food, but replace it with something you genuinely love. Something that make you say, oh, this is what I've been missing. It can be replacing the instant noodles for a juicy piece of salmon or that Oreo cookie with some sweet berries. Just find your own version of pleasure. In six months, your fat cells won't just forget they were fat. They will remember what it really feels like to be joyfully healthy.

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Oh, my gosh okay, so I have

[Mel Robbins]

made health my number one goal this year. And I've been listening to all the experts that come on this podcast. I not only am interviewing people, but I am absorbing all of this. And so I've been focusing on resistance training. I've been focusing on whole foods. I've been prioritizing high quality protein, really cheap, changing lifestyle. I can't believe over the last six months to a year, I feel like a different person from the inside out. And you just explained why. Because by changing these lifestyle levers that really do change the way your genes express, you are changing yourself from the inside out.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Exactly. These aren't just healthy habits. They are cellular signals.

[Mel Robbins]

Cellular signals to a different life. This is so cool. Why did you want to get in? And how did you get into this? I'd never even heard of epigenetics until, like, a year ago.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Two things, okay? Tradition and tragedy. Oh, tradition. Growing up in an Italian kitchen, food has always been medicine to me. Yes, in Italy, food isn't just fuel. It's connection, tradition, and pleasure. And then through my work, I then discovered the molecular mechanisms behind this. Really showing that food is the pencil that rewrites our energetic instructions. And then a tragedy. I lost my father when I was 14. He was a dedicated physician, always putting his patients first, Calm, strong. And watching him fade away, I decided I wanted to continue his legacy of helping people heal. But I decided to do it with science, not with medicine. I wanted to help other doctors like him find better approaches to lifestyle medicine. And so every paper I write, every student I teach, is my father's legacy living on. But then my mom taught me the other half of the equation. Here's a photo of her at 84. She's the picture of true longevity for me. She's not a hardcore biohacker following complicated protocols.

[Mel Robbins]

Well, who the hell has time for that?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

I mean, yeah, she doesn't wake up at 5am in the morning to eat the gym or bounce from cold plunge to sauna or take 100 supplements. She dresses elegantly. She's joyful. She takes time to eat, savoring food. And she knows she is our queen, our flower and our rock. And this joy and purpose fills her life. She embodies something that many longevity gurus forget. Aging isn't just biological. It's psychological and social. And pleasure is part of the equation. And that became the foundation of everything I teach.

[Mel Robbins]

If you're listening, Lucia's mom is wearing this beautiful navy blue dress with a bright red sash. And it's got flowers on it. She's got this beautiful, like, flower, red flower necklace at the center of her. She's like, vibrant and her smile is bright and her eyes are bright. And I can't believe she's 80 in that photo.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

84.

[Mel Robbins]

84. Let's give her credit for all the years.

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84.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Birthday. Happy birthday.

[Mel Robbins]

Happy birthday to your mother. You teach a framework at Stanford that is called eating your way to younger genes. Let's just start with what does eating your way to younger genes even mean?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yeah. So I've established the first program and course in nutritional epigenetics at Stanford. And I teach a framework that is called epinutrition.

[Mel Robbins]

EPI nutrition.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yeah. So how to eat to improve gene expression for a healthier, longer life.

[Mel Robbins]

Well, you know what I'm going to say to that? I'm going to say Dr. Aronica passed me the fork.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Here's the fork. I'm going to explain you how this works.

[Mel Robbins]

Oh, I can't wait.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Exactly. So the concept, the main concept is that food isn't just fuel, is the pencil that rewrites your genetic instructions. And my favorite example is the queen bee. Have you ever heard of this story?

[Mel Robbins]

No.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Okay, so the Queen Bee lives 20 times longer than the other bees in the beehive, which are called worker bees. She's also larger and fertile, whereas the workers are sterile. And yet queen and worker bees are genetically identical.

[Mel Robbins]

No, they're not.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yes, they are.

[Mel Robbins]

Wait, queen bees are genetically identical to a worker bee?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yes. Same hardware, different software. And what writes the different software? Royal jelly, a substance that the queen larvae eat as they develop. And these works as the epigenetic queen maker.

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Wow.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

It turns on the genes that make the queen a queen. Now, what's exciting is that we humans have nutrients that work like our royal jelly. And I call them EPI nutrients. Okay, there are two main categories. The first category, methyl donors. So think of them as the structural material, the ink, to write healthy genetic instructions. Therefore, five main methyl donors. Okay. Methionine in all protein rich foods.

[Mel Robbins]

Okay, so protein, yeah, protein rich foods.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Then you have folate in green leafy vegetables, liver and legumes. Then you have B12 from animal protein. Then choline from eggs and liver primarily, and betaine from beets, spinach, quinoa and shellfish. Without this, your genes literally run out of ink. Then we have the second category.

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Okay?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

I call this EPI bioactives.

[Mel Robbins]

Okay.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

These are the signals to the rider and eraser enzymes. So these regulate the epibioactives really tell your writer and eraser enzymes what to write and where. So examples of epibiotics we have colorful pigments from colorful fruits and veggies like for example tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, even chocolate and coffee. Then we have omega 3 fatty acids from fatty F and postbiotics from fermented foods, things like yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi. Epinutrition is a beautiful friendship between animal and plant foods. You need both. You need the ink and as we will see later, animal foods are really necessary to provide B12 and Choline so a type of ink. But then you also need the signals, the antibioactives that are primarily represented by plant foods together with omega 3s from

[Mel Robbins]

fatty fish Dr. Aronica, you are just incredible. I hate to say this cause I want to just keep on talking and talking, but I need to hit the pause button so that I can give our sponsors a chance to share a few words. And Dr. Aronica has so much more to teach us. So do not go anywhere. We'll be right back.

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[Mel Robbins]

Welcome back. It's your friend, Mel. And today, Stanford University epigenetics scientist Dr. Lucia Aronica is here teaching you and me how to eat, to live longer, look younger and feel better than ever. I am loving this and I'm so glad you're here. Thank you for sharing this with people that you care about. So, Dr. Aronica, I wanna walk through the specific types of food in this framework so that I really understand and so does the person that is listening or watching. And if you're listening, we're gonna really describe what's happening. So I'm gonna Ask our executive producer, Tracy to come in.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Oh, my gosh, this looks delicious.

[Mel Robbins]

Thank you. Tracy, if you could describe. I'm seeing red pepper, chocolate, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, lime, orange, blackberries, broccoli, spinach. This looks like a rainbow.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

It's a rainbow. So your doctor probably told you to eat the rainbow.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Yes.

[Mel Robbins]

Fruits and veggies.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yeah. But here's what your doctor may not realize. These pigments aren't just antioxidants. They are epinutrients that regulate your writer and eraser enzymes. And each color represents a different signal.

[Mel Robbins]

No way.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yeah. So, for example, you have red foods like tomatoes that provide lycopene for cardiovascular benefits.

[Mel Robbins]

Tomatoes and the fact that it is an epinutrient means that when you are enjoying a beautiful, red, juicy, amazing tomato, you are not just eating food. You are sending a signal to your DNA about your heart health and about what else?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Your skin and everything. The most. The two areas of research are really cardiovascular and skin.

[Mel Robbins]

Okay.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

So clinical trials have shown that, for example, lycopene can really reduce LDL oxidation, which is the process that makes LDL cholesterol truly dangerous. It can also work as an internal skincare. So it actually boosts your SPF, your internal SPF by 40%. How?

[Mel Robbins]

A tomato.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yes. How. Is basically increasing your DNA repair and also actively inhibiting the breakdown of collagen and the formation of age spots. And now there is, however, a problem to see these benefits. These benefits start at with 10 milligrams of lycopene. In clinical trials that use pills now, this is equivalent to eating 20 pounds of raw tomatoes a day. But there is a trick. If you cook those tomatoes in olive oil or in any type of oil, like Italian grandmothers used to do, then you can boost the absorption of lycopene.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Wow.

[Mel Robbins]

Just by cooking the tomato?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Just by cooking. But this is just step one.

[Mel Robbins]

That makes me happy because I'd rather have it on pasta than I would.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

But this is just step one, okay? Because then when you add olive oil, you boost the availability by an additional 70% or why? Because lycopene is liposoluble, and so it can't be absorbed without fat. And so basically, by cooking your tomatoes into a paste with olive oil, you can cover. You can reach that 10 milligram of lycovin with just 3 tablespoon of tomato paste.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Olive oil.

[Mel Robbins]

Incredible. You know what? I gotta hand it to you. When I asked you how my life would change, you said you will never look at food the same again. I actually Don't. And we're just getting started. Let's talk about the carrot. What happens to you or what is the benefit from an epinutrient standpoint when you eat carrots?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yeah, carrots. And all orange foods, even pumpkin, contain carotenoids. These carotenoids also are, first of all, a precursor to vitamin A production, and they also work as internal skin care for you. Then we have green foods like spinach that provide folate for DNA repair. And broccoli. That's my favorite.

[Mel Robbins]

Now, why do you love broccoli?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Okay, because broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables in the same family. So we are talking about brussels sprouts, arugula, kale. This provides an epinutrient called sulforaphane. Sulforaphane isn't an antioxidant itself. It's better. It's the boss of your body's own antioxidant army. It switches on a genetic master switch called nrf2. This activates more than 200 protective genes involving detoxification, inflammatory defense, antioxidant defense. And this is the best part. While direct antioxidants like vitamin C disappear in a few hours, sulforaphane switches on those genes for up to three days. Wow. So it's enough to eat cruciferous veggies two, three times a week to keep your antioxidant genes switched on. But there's a problem.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

What's the problem?

[Mel Robbins]

Because it sounds pretty good if I'm eating the boss of the army.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

The problem is that there's actually no sulforaphane in this broccoli.

[Mel Robbins]

Did I buy the wrong kind?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

You need to chop it or chew it. And here's why. Think of sulforaphane as a glow stick for your genes

[Mel Robbins]

in the house. She's holding a glow stick if you're listening.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

So those light up tubes you bring, you bring at concerts when you break them to compound mix, starting a light reaction. And sulforaphane works the same way.

[Mel Robbins]

When I chew broccoli, it activates the sulforaphane inside the broccoli.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Exactly. And this is exactly what happens. A compound called glucoraphanin mixes with an enzyme called myrosinase, and boom. This creates sulforaphane. So the problem is that most people buy frozen broccoli. And frozen broccoli is quickly blanched. So quickly boiled before freezing. And this destroys my rosinase. So no my rosinase, no glow stick reaction, no sulforaphane is like buying a broken glow stick or they throw broccoli directly into the boiling water. Same problem. My rosinase dies, and you don't get sulforaphane. So that's why I have three tricks for broccoli.

[Mel Robbins]

Okay. So we can. You can cook it the way you're talking about to make sure. You know what I love about this? I will never eat broccoli again without seeing glowy, sparkle things all around. It's so amazing to know what's happening.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

So Here are the three tricks for fresh broccoli.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Yes.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Chop it 40 minutes before cooking. Wait. Because during that time, my rosinase catalyzes the reaction and produces more sulforaphane. Four frozen broccoli.

[Mel Robbins]

Can I ask a question, though?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yeah.

[Mel Robbins]

So the reason why this works, I'm guessing, is it because the chopping mimics what you're doing when you chew it?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yes.

[Mel Robbins]

And so the chopping is mixing everything up. But you gotta sit it. You gotta let it sit for 40 minutes because it needs time for the glow to glow. Yeah.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

And you know, you can just even 10 minutes help.

[Mel Robbins]

Okay.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

40 minutes is based on experiment.

[Mel Robbins]

We're going with the experiment.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

There's the scientists that measure this, and the smaller the pieces, the more the sulforaphane.

[Mel Robbins]

Well, that makes a lot of sense. And what I love about that is I can chop the broccoli, set it aside, because then I gotta cook the tomato in the olive oil. I'm trapped in here. Here we go. Okay.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

I love it. I love it. Then if you buy frozen broccoli, okay. You can rescue that with mustard. Add, like, a teaspoon of mustard powder or a tablespoon of prepared mustard, every, like, 3 ounces of cooked broccoli. Why? Because mustard is also a cruciferous vegetable, so provides the. My enzymes that has been killed.

[Mel Robbins]

So it's sort of like when you add. Stir in the mustard to cook broccoli. It's almost like the glow stick. The mustard is activating the core ingredient that the broccoli has.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Exactly. No, you can put it after cooking.

[Mel Robbins]

Yeah.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

And this is. Has been measured by scientists at the University of Reading. So this is not just a trick made up.

[Mel Robbins]

Well, you don't. You don't strike me as the kind of person that makes anything up. So.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

So that's. And then there is the third trick. If you really want to maximize sulforaphane, grow your own broccoli sprouts. They have up to 100 times the glucoraphanin, the precursor, compared to mature broccoli. So just one ounce of broccoli sprouts equals three pounds of broccoli. And it's so easy. It's in five days. They are ready and they are really an epigenetic medicine.

[Mel Robbins]

I am learning so much. I love that you're here. I have so many more questions that I want to ask you and I'm sure as you're listening, you're like, mel, ask her about this. First we have to hit the pause button. This is an invitation to look at your future and your health completely differently. And I love that you and I have this free resource. There is so much more we are going to dive into and learn as soon as we are back from this break. So stay with me. You have a lot going on between

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[Mel Robbins]

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[Mel Robbins]

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Welcome back.

[Mel Robbins]

It's your friend, Mel. And today you and I are here with renown Stanford Epigenetics scientist Dr. Lucia Aronica, who is showing you and me that the food that we eat isn't just fuel. It is information that changes you at a cellular level. And she is pulling back the curtain on how you can eat to live longer, look younger, and feel better than ever.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Okay, let's move on to the blackberries.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Okay. The blackberries provide anthocyanins. These are epinutrients for cognitive benefits. In general, they are anti inflammatory. So they have multiple benefits. But clinical trial shows benefits, particularly for poor cognition. And garlic. Garlic works similarly to broccoli. This is also glue stick for the genes. Yeah, because when you chop or chew garlic.

[Mel Robbins]

Chew.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Some people chew it, but if you crush it or chop it, two compounds mix, allylene and allinase the enzyme, and this creates allicin, the epinutrient we need. And allicin has multiple Benefits. It decreases LDL by 10%. It has anti inflammatory benefits. It boosts immune function. Now, even here, there's a problem. It's the same problem because I don't

[Mel Robbins]

want to eat it raw. That's a problem.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

The problem is alinase is also sensitive to heat, just like myrosamines. So here's what you do.

[Mel Robbins]

What do we do?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

You crush garlic. It's better if you crush it actually with the flat part of a knife.

[Mel Robbins]

So if you're not a cook, let me explain what that means. So you know when you peel the garlic and you chop, chop, chop, what she's saying is take the whole clove and smash it flat with the flat end of the knife or a spoon or a wooden spoon or something like that. What does smashing do? That chopping doesn't yeah. So.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

So they both destroy the plant cell walls, making those compounds mix together. But crashing destroys more and more destruction, more allicin. Okay, so both work.

[Mel Robbins]

But you said, does cooking it in olive oil change that or does it hold on to the.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yes, you don't want to go, so you first crush it. Then you wait five minutes, just five minutes for garlic, because this gives enough time for the reaction to maximize the production of allicin.

[Mel Robbins]

Okay.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

And then you have two options. Either add it raw at the end of cooking, that's the maximum allicin, or cook it for two to five minutes medium heat in olive oil, not water, because if it's water, it leaches into the butter and you lose most of it.

[Mel Robbins]

Okay.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yeah. So two cloves a day and you are good. Let's talk about chocolate.

[Mel Robbins]

Okay.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

This isn't a guilty pleasure. It can be epigenetic medicine if you choose the right one. So chocolate provides a type of epinutrients called flavanols with metabolic cognitive benefits. And now the problem is that most commercial chocolate is Dutch processed. So washed with alkali to make it smoother, so reduce bitterness and make the color look darker, which looks more premium. Right now. This process destroys 90% of flavanols.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Wow.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

So you really want to look for non alkalized or non Dutch processed chocolate.

[Mel Robbins]

So do they label it somewhere? Yes, it'll be labeled Dutch processed if it is Dutch processed.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yeah, they should. Or it should be on the label. Now, my favorite way of incorporating chocolate in my life is eating either cacao powder or cacao beans. This is where you get. You maximize the flavanols and minimize the calories. You just need 1 to 2 tablespoon of raw cacao powder or 10 to 20 grams of cacao beans. These are delicious. If you lightly roast them in the oven, they're just fantastic.

[Mel Robbins]

I didn't know there was such a thing as a cacao bean, but now I'm going to be looking for them.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yeah.

[Mel Robbins]

I also finally see bell peppers. You got a bright red one right there.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yeah. Bell peppers also provide lycopene and they are a great source of vitamin C. But here, be careful. Don't buy them frozen because then they will lose 50% of their vitamin content.

[Mel Robbins]

Is there anything else you wanna say about all this stuff?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Just remember, the point isn't picking your favorite color is mixing them up.

[Mel Robbins]

The rainbow.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yeah. Because only when you eat the rainbow, you are really protecting your genes from all angles.

[Mel Robbins]

I love that royal jelly. We're activating the Queen bee mode in our genes. We're gonna remove this food. So, Trace, why don't you come on, grab all this for us? That glow stick was amazing.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Now I would like to focus on choline. Great, because actually I need to spell it every time. Is C H O L I N E choline? Yeah. That's how forgotten this essential nutrient is. 90% of people are deficient without even knowing it. We need 450 to 450 milligram, which is equivalent to roughly four eggs a day.

[Mel Robbins]

Four eggs a day.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Four egg yolks is in the. In the yolk. Really? And. And most of us get barely half of it. A gap that is affecting our liver, our brain, and our genes. Because choline is first, it's part of any. Every single cell membrane in your body, then in the brain is used to produce acetylcholine for memory, focus, movement. And then in the liver is used to package fat and export it out. So you develop fatty liver without choline. And for your genes is the ink to write the instructions. Now, during pregnancy, the demand skyrockets. In our Recent research with Dr. Randy Jirtle is the godfather of nutritional epigenetics, we discuss how choline during pregnancy can truly program a child's health for life. So when pregnant women take more than double the recommended amount of choline, so 930 milligrams instead of 450, then their children have higher cognitive abilities and lower anxiety, even seven years later.

[Mel Robbins]

Really?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yes. Because choline provides the ink to also regulate genes that are involved in our stress response, including those controlling cortisol. Now, I know what you're thinking. How can I get calling?

[Mel Robbins]

So I've developed. That's exactly what I was thinking. You're not only an epigenetist, you're a mentalist, because you're reading my mind.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

So I've developed something that I call the four yolk formula. So try to get the equivalent. The choline equivalent of four yolks a day.

[Mel Robbins]

How the heck do I do that?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yeah. So.

[Mel Robbins]

And is that gonna kill my cholesterol?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

No. Okay, we need to deb that myth. The cholesterol from your diet doesn't equal the cholesterol in your blood. Your liver produces 80% of the circulating cholesterol. And if you eat more, the liver produces less. It's like a thermostat automatically adjusting. In our own research at Stanford, when people tripled their cholesterol consumption in the context of a weight loss diet, and also they actually increased their saturated fat consumption. Their blood lipids improved. The problem wasn't the cholesterol, it was the donuts. So now only about 25% of people are high responders, which means they eat more cholesterol and they see increases in their blood cholesterol due to genetic and other metabolic differences. But for the other 75%, eggs don't significantly raise blood cholesterol. Let me finish the formula. So you get one choline, one egg yolk equivalent, of course, in one egg. Right. So you could have like two eggs. Then in three ounces of salmon, for example.

[Mel Robbins]

Do any other fish count or just salmon?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Salmon is the richest source.

[Mel Robbins]

Okay.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Liver, just one ounce. I know. I also don't like liver.

[Mel Robbins]

You like liver?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

I hate liver. I can't stand this. So I can really relate if you're listening to this and thinking blah. However, liver is a truly is. It's an epigenetic multivitamin. And then if you're plant based, it's going to be difficult, but it's possible. Cruciferous vegetables, three cups a day, not three cups is only one egg.

[Mel Robbins]

Three cups of cruciferous is only one egg.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

So you need one egg, you need four, you need four or, and this is the trick I recommend for vegetarians and vegans. One tablespoon of sunflower or soy lecithin. And this provides the equivalent of one egg. Right. So you will need four tablespoons. But if you have some.

[Mel Robbins]

So hold on, can I ask, when you say sunflower, you're talking sunflower seeds or sunflower lecithin. What is lecithin?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yes, you can find it everywhere if you Google it is. Yes, it's a flower. Lecithin is actually because choline is part of our membranes. Right. As I say, so now the plants in the plant membranes, this choline is present in the same form that is present in our body, which is called phosphatidylcholine. So lecithin is a great source of phosphatidylcholine.

[Mel Robbins]

And that's an oil?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

No, it's a powder. It's a powder, yeah.

[Mel Robbins]

Okay. Yeah. So is that powder kind of the equivalent of like, you could add it to a smoothie, you could shake it on a salad.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

One tablespoon is. Yeah, on a salad.

[Mel Robbins]

We're going to skip the liver and we're going to get the lecithin. That's what I'm like in that group, I think.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yeah. And this means, you know, that vegetarians and vegans don't need to eat kilos of cruciferous Veggies a day with this trick, right? Yeah. So choline is very important. I think it's one of the most misunderstood and forgotten nutrients.

[Mel Robbins]

Based on your research, what excites you the most about protein?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Protein provides the building blocks, the amino acids for everything structural and functional in your body. Hair, skin, nails, antibodies, neurotransmitters, hormones. Without protein, you basically can't digest, can't heal, can't move.

[Mel Robbins]

What are some of the other benefits when you think about epigenetics? I know it's the building blocks, but what else is an important reason, you know what I mean, for why you really should be focusing on this if you want to age well and you want to take advantage of all this research.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yeah, we, we talked about already about the pencils. Right. So B12 and Choline are primarily found and methionine are primarily found in protein rich foods. Right. That's the first epigenetic benefit and the direct epigenetic benefit. Then there are other indirect benefits. For example, if you eat more protein and you are building muscle, Right. The exercise part and, and the muscle building part does incredible things to your epigenetics in your muscle cells.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Really.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

It turns on genes that protect you from diabetes, that stimulates mitochondria biogenesis. So they are really basically rejuvenating your metabolism from within. So these are more indirect benefits of protein from the epigenetics, but when you

[Mel Robbins]

combine it with the weight training and moving your body, you're saying, again, you get that glow stick effect. We're now all feeling like the queen bee because it's changing you from the inside out. That's so, so cool. So is collagen protein?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yes. Okay, so collagen is. Protein is the most abundant. Protein is really the scaffolding holding you together is in our skin, in our tendons. And now most people think, okay, I need collagen supplements as I age. Because as we age, we lose collagen, about 1% of collagen every year starting at 25. So by age 50, we are already down 75%. And that doubles after menopause.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

What?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yes. I actually prefer to focus on collagen rich foods. And these are the foods we are not eating, the parts of the animals that we are just throwing away. So this is like chicken and fish with the skin, canned fish, or with, with the bones. Right. Salmon, sardines. Sardines. For example, slow cooked meats. Oh, my goodness. Yes.

[Mel Robbins]

I know. Let's talk, let's, let's talk about brisket. Yes. So good lamb oh my gosh, yes. Short ribs. Let's keep going.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yeah. And bone broth, that, that provides 10 grams of collagen per cup, more or less. So in general, if you think, let's go back and eat like nose to tail like our ancestors did, like use it all, use it all. And then you will get the collagen and all the epinutrients. So first of all, focus on high protein. Get that protein because maybe that's all you need, we don't know. But then support with collagen you will get, especially if it's from food, you will get other epinutrients and the glycine.

[Mel Robbins]

The next thing that you talk about from an epigenetic standpoint is omega 3s.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Oh, that's my favorite omega.

[Mel Robbins]

You love these.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yeah, I love this. These are epibiotics that work as our cellular fire department. They switch on genes that basically slow down inflammation. Inflammation is the chronic low grade. Inflammation is what ages you faster than time itself. Now the problem is that most people think that plant based omega 3s are enough Chia seeds, flax seeds, seeds, walnuts, they provide Ala. This is a plant based omega 3 fatty acids that your body needs to convert to the active form EPA and dha, which you get directly from fatty fish. Now the problem that conversion is dramatically inefficient for young women is 5 to 8%. For men is 0.5 to 4%. And things get worse as we age if we are stressed or inflamed. Yes. So let's take that perfect scenario.

[Mel Robbins]

Okay.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

You are a young woman, the best case scenario, and no inflammation, no stress. You will need to get the therapeutic levels of omega 3 fatty acids that in clinical trial are equivalent to two grams a day. You will need to eat one cup of flaxseed or chia seeds every day. Or two pounds of walnuts.

[Mel Robbins]

Two pounds, that's like 2,000 calories or more.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yes. So this is not a nutritional strategy. It's more like, sounds more like nutritional fantasy. So that's why I, I always encourage people to focus on fatty fish. So this is salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herring. These are the best sources of omega 3 fatty acids. Three to four times a week. This is still not enough to get to 2 grams a day unless you eat fish every day and with multiple servings. That's why I do like to supplement with the quality omega 3 fatty acids.

[Mel Robbins]

That's cool. That's this, this is I, I'm really in into this fermented foods. As an epigenetic researcher, what do fermented foods do? Okay.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Fermented foods provide what I call the three musketeers of gut health. All for one, one for all. And these are the prebiotics. So the fiber that feeds your bacteria, then the probiotics, the bacteria themselves, and the postbiotics. These are the bacterial products that work as epibioactives. The most studied example is butyrate. Have you ever heard of it? Butyrate.

[Mel Robbins]

Butyrate. No. Huh.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Is a short chain fatty acids.

[Mel Robbins]

Okay.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Fatty acids produced by your gut microbiome that works as an epibioactive, traveling through your bloodstream and switching on genes involved in inflammation control. Gut health, immune health.

[Mel Robbins]

Wow.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Right? And for many people, fermented foods are better than fiber alone. In a landmark study at Stanford by my colleague Justin Sondenberg, they showed that when people increase their fiber intake, but they have low microbiome diversity, so fewer bacteria species, then they actually experience an increase in inflammatory markers. But when people increase their fermented food intake, the inflammatory markers go down independently of starting microbiome, and their microbiome diversity increases during the process. This is because the fermented foods don't just feed your bacteria. They really seed your gut with new species.

[Mel Robbins]

So if you were to really change the way you look at food and you look at this rainbow of epinutrients, and you follow the same instruction you gave to your mom, based on the research of just try to get protein in at every meal and also really pay attention to omega 3 and collagen. Like, you just do your best to do this and you slow down a little bit, and maybe we channel our inner Italian and we enjoy this. And think about the fact that we are giving our body the ink and the instructions to write a new chapter, or what changes might you notice, even in a short period of time, if you really take this on?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yeah. So in 30 days, let's say 30 days, these are probably not enough to reprogram or rewrite your epigenetic memories, but they're enough to see meaningful physiological changes. Then you start to feel better, because the energy stabilizes as your blood glucose stabilizes. Your sleep and skin improve as the inflammation goes down, digestion improve as your microbiome adjusts. And most importantly, the real transformation is cellular. So you are slowly rewiring your habits and rewriting your energetic instructions. You are really starting to becoming a new person at the cellular level. So your transformation has already started.

[Mel Robbins]

What would you say to the person who's Listening or watching right now, and they are going to follow all these recommendations. But there's someone in their life that they're worried about and they want to help a loved one change their lifestyle for the better.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

I love this question because you can change someone else, but you can become the invitation. Don't just force change, just show that change is possible by living it, not pushing it. Start your quiet transformation, Be the quiet revolution. Because there's no better argument than your life. So if you start changing first, right, adopting a healthy diet, exercising, they will get curious, they will notice it, and then when they ask, you can invite them to join you and so meet them where they are.

[Mel Robbins]

What do you think the single most important thing that you want someone to take away from this conversation? This incredible, rich masterclass in how to take epinutrients and rewrite your future. What do you want them to take away from this conversation?

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Your genes aren't your fate, they are your opportunity. Stop blaming your DNA. Your genes are only 25% and you are the other 75%. Every meal, every walk outside, every night of sleep is an opportunity to pick up the epigenetic pencil and write a healthier chapter. And here's how you can make it sustainable. Remember that pleasure is your compass. Real food that tastes incredible, connections that light you up, even movement that you enjoy. These will guide you exactly to what your genes need. So pick up that pencil, write with pleasure, and create a masterpiece.

[Mel Robbins]

You know, what I want to say to you is it's really a privilege when you get to sit with somebody who is in their genius.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Thank you, Mel. That was wonderful.

[Mel Robbins]

It really is. It chokes me up because you said that you can't change someone else, but. But you can be the invitation, your example can show that change is possible.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yes.

[Mel Robbins]

And it's very clear that the research that you do and the way that you live your life and the conviction and genius through which you share all of this with the rest of us is the invitation that shows us it's possible. So thank you.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Thank you, Mel. Thank you so much.

[Mel Robbins]

You are so welcome. And I also want to thank you. I want to thank you for making the time to listen to something that is so life changing. And I want to thank you for sharing this episode as a free resource and an invitation to the people that you care about that will show them that change is possible too. I am so excited by this. I cannot wait to see your comments. I can't wait to see the changes that you make and how you feel when you really take all of this research that we just learned about EPI nutrition and you apply it to your life. And in case no one else tells you today, as your friend, I wanted to tell you that I love you and I believe in you and I believe in your ability to create a better life. And one of the things that really struck me about our conversation today is something that Dr. Lucia said about how change isn't just possible. What's going to happen if you leverage all of this incredible research that we learned about today? You're not only going to feel better, you are going to become a different person at a cellular level. And holy cow, won't that change your life? Alrighty. I will see you in the very next episode. I'll be waiting to welcome you in the moment you hit play. And today, you and I are here with renown stanford Epigenetics scientist, Dr. Lucia and our Dr. Lucina. Oh, my God. Dr. Lucia Aronica.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Right now you maybe see your. Sorry, the first category, metal donors. So these donate and. And.

[Mel Robbins]

Okay. I am so excited. I literally like. Okay, episode over. Does this only work? Cuz you're Italian. Like, you know, like I. You're listening to you.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Sulforaphane works like a glow stick. No, this, not this. Sorry.

[Mel Robbins]

Well, I think it's on your seat.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Yes, it's my seat. Okay.

[Mel Robbins]

You are so good.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Thank you.

[Mel Robbins]

Oh, okay.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Thank you.

[Mel Robbins]

My God. Okay.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

Thank you. It was so fun. And I got more. Yeah. Excited as we. As we moved on.

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Oh, and one more thing.

[Mel Robbins]

And no, this is not a blooper. This is the legal language. You know what the lawyers write and what I need to read to you. This podcast is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes. I'm just your friend. I am not a licensed therapist. And this podcast is not intended as a substitute for. For the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional.

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[Mel Robbins]

Good. I'll see you in the next episode.

[Dr. Lucia Aronica]

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