How Understanding Your Genetics Can Help You Heal Chronic Illness Naturally
For most of my life, my body felt like a puzzle I couldn’t solve. Chronic fatigue, widespread pain, stiffness, insomnia, and brain fog weren’t just physical, they infiltrated my identity, my spirit, and even my creativity. I often felt like I was living inside a body that betrayed me, while everyone around me moved forward with ease. I carried a quiet grief, a sense of being fundamentally “different,” and a drive to find the root of it all.
It wasn’t until I looked at my genetics that the fog started to lift. I discovered I carry two MTHFR mutations and have a slow COMT gene. For years, I thought my symptoms were purely environmental or emotional, but my DNA told me otherwise. Understanding these parts of myself didn’t just give me answers; it gave me a map for healing.
MTHFR: The Gene That Unlocked My Body’s Secrets
MTHFR affects methylation, the process my body uses to detoxify, process neurotransmitters, and manage inflammation. With my mutations, my body struggled to keep up. I was prone to inflammation, fatigue, and nervous system dysregulation, all of which fed the chronic pain I lived with daily.
Before I understood this, I blamed myself. I thought I wasn’t disciplined enough with diet, supplements, or self-care. But genetics reframed everything: this wasn’t my failure; it was my biology signalling for the right support. Once I adjusted my nutrition, incorporated methylated B vitamins, and supported detox pathways, I could finally work with my body instead of against it.
Slow COMT: Why Stress and Stimuli Hit Me Hard
Then there’s my slow COMT gene, which governs how quickly my body breaks down dopamine, estrogen, and stress hormones. For me, this meant that stress lingered in my system, stimulants overstimulated me, and my nervous system stayed in overdrive far longer than it should.
This explained so much: why caffeine left me jittery, why emotional triggers left me drained for days, and why even small stressors could feel catastrophic. Understanding COMT gave me permission to honour my nervous system, set boundaries, and carefully curate my environment. It wasn’t weakness, it was precision.
Using Genetics to Guide My Healing
With this insight, I rebuilt my health intentionally, step by step. My genetic profile informed:
Supplements: methylated B vitamins, magnesium, omega-3s, adaptogens
Nutrition: anti-inflammatory foods, blood sugar regulation, gut-supporting meals
Lifestyle: pacing, gentle movement, rest, somatic practices, and nervous system regulation
Emotional work: trauma healing, journaling, and conscious processing
Everything became personalized. I wasn’t guessing anymore; I was following a roadmap written into my own biology.
The Results: Reversing Decades of Pain
Slowly, over months and years, my symptoms shifted. Fatigue became manageable. Pain ebbed. My brain cleared. The constant struggle transformed into stability, energy, and freedom. I went from surviving to thriving, guided by the intimate knowledge of my own body. Genetics wasn’t destiny, it was a guide, a secret key I hadn’t known I possessed.
Takeaways for You
Your genes are information, not fate. They tell you how your body works, not what it can or can’t do.
Personalized healing works. Nutrition, supplements, lifestyle, and emotional support tailored to your biology can shift chronic illness at its roots.
Self-understanding is power. The more you know about yourself, genetically, emotionally, energetically, the more effective your healing becomes.
Discovering my genetics didn’t magically erase fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue, but it illuminated hidden patterns and gave me a map back to myself. Every insight pulled me deeper into understanding the roots of my illness, and in that process, I began to rewrite my relationship with my body, my identity, and my life. If you’ve ever felt like your body is betraying you, know this: there are pieces of the puzzle within you, waiting to be understood.
LET’S WORK TOGETHER
I help women with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, autoimmune conditions, and other chronic illnesses reclaim their health through deep, root-cause, whole-body healing.
If you’re ready to:
Sleep deeply and wake restored
Gain steady energy that lasts all day
Clear the brain fog and think sharply again
Soothe digestive issues and feel lighter in your body
Calm anxiety and lift depression naturally
Reduce fatigue and pain
Regulate your nervous system
Understand exactly what your body needs
Rebuild your energy and joy
…then you’re in the right place.
📅 Book your free discovery call here and let’s explore how we can get you there.
And for daily tips and inspiration, follow me on Instagram @TheNutritionistMama where I share everything from recipes to nervous system hacks to chronic illness mindset shifts.
With heart,
Alexis Tanner | The Nutritionist Mama
Holistic Nutritionist
Helping women with chronic illness reclaim their health — through deep, root-cause, whole-body healing.