The modern medical industry focuses mainly on cures for existing diseases based on generic protocols that are meant to work for everyone. But this one-size-fits-all approach neglects to recognize that we are all unique and therefore have different medical needs.

Imagine two women: Andrea and Francesca, both of whom are 33 years of age and suffering from minor cardiovascular issues. Both have higher than normal cholesterol levels and blood pressure, so many doctors would prescribe a similar treatment of a low saturated fat and low salt diet as a way to prevent future problems. But good health should go far beyond that.

Imagine you got deeper insights into the form and structure of their bodies and the natural way their bodies are at heir strongest or weakest based on their genetic predisposition and years of habits and tendencies that contributed to the health conditions they now have. This is where you’d learn that Andrea has a mesomorph biotrend and learn abou her ancestry, genetic tendency and predisposition to disease that include liver issues. This information indicates that a liver cleanse may be the best initial treatment to give Andrea, since it’s her sluggish liver that is most likely causing high cholesterol flowing through her veins and arteries. Her type A personality traits contribute to her high blood pressure when under stress, which she often creates herself. Teaching her about her natural tendencies, as well as approaches and environments that work well for her can reduce her stress levels and can ultimately contribute to helping her regulate her blood pressure.

On the other hand, Francesca’s body has an endomorph biotrend with a predisposition to obesity and diabetes. Francesca’s cause for high cholesterol and blood pressure is most likely related to a risk of diabetic dyslipidemia. Her body isn’t turning food into energy properly and tends to store resources. Her tendency for insulin resistance is resulting in higher blood glucose and triglycerides. So modifying Francesca’s eating habits with a focus on healthy foods that have a low glycemic index and encouraging daily moderate exercise for 45-60 minutes at a time would be the best approach for her.

But this is just skimming the surface. Both Andrea and Francesca have different needs and personalities, so different approaches need to be used to help them achieve their goals. Andrea’s go-getter attitude and keep-busy approach to life is best suited for a structured approach in which she can wake up early, have lemon-water 30 mins before her morning porridge (part of her liver cleanse diet), do some super intense exercise for 20 minutes in the morning before accomplishing her tasks throughout the day and go to bed by 10 or 11pm.

Francesca, however, needs to take her time in the morning and not stress herself too much so she can enjoy her morning routine with her egg white omelette breakfast, prepare a healthy lunch that contains plenty of vegetables, workout for 60 minutes at a moderate intensity in the early afternoon, and enjoy a relaxing family meal in the evening. Low-stress conditions help Francesca prevent stress-eating, yet being surrounded by loved ones and meaningful activities helps her prevent eating from boredom.

Two women of the same age, racial background and health concerns would benefit most from very different approaches to health and wellbeing. Who would have thought? The modern medical system has taught us many things about health and disease but it’s time to take it one step further and integrate a more holistic approach. One easy way to this is by using technology, like ph360 and Shae^TM, that provides the information and advice for you with minimal effort. Applying what’s best for one’s body composition and individual needs is the best way for both Andrea and Francesca to achieve their health goals in a way that suits them best personally. The key is recognizing that, even though they may seem like they are quiet similar, they are actually very different and have different needs.

Health and Medical Science has come far in the last several decades, yet medical curriculum is lagging behind much of the now accepted and documented methods for promoting health. Diet is an excellent example. Although diet can affect everything from blood thickness to heart disease, headaches and diabetes, medication rather than diet is often the medical go-to to treat these symptoms and illnesses.

What You Need to Know

So that you are informed while medical institutions are informing and reconsidering their curricula, here is a list of seven concepts that are well understood enough in science and medicine to be included in medical training, but sadly rarely are:

1. Health is all about prevention. If we can prevent disease from occurring in the first place, we can maintain our inborn health. Treating illness is an important focus given the current state of health and disease in society; however, the sooner we make prevention a priority, the sooner we will be able to assuage the current epidemic of illness and create widespread health.

2. The way we maintain our inborn health is through lifestyle. Whether our genes for health or disease are active or inactive is influenced directly by our lifestyle choices. As confirmed by the modern science of epigenetics, we can influence which of our genes are expressed through food, environment, toxins, thoughts, mood, and exercise, among many other factors.

3. One size doesn’t fit all. We all have different body styles, whether mesomorph, endomorph, ectomorph, or some blend of the types. Each type has different biological needs and therefore benefits from different dietary, exercise, social and other lifestyle habits. For example, mesomorphs benefit more from doing short bursts of intense exercise with periods of rest. People who have combination ectomorph/mesomorph bodies are well-suited for long distance running and tour de France competitions, while endomorphs fair best from slow and steady rhythmic activity.

4. Balance is achieved differently for every body. Using body type as an example, we know that mesomorphs have higher levels of testosterone, endomorphs have higher levels of oxytocin, and ectomorphs have higher amounts of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Lifestyle habits that create hormonal balance for one person may create imbalance for another.

5. The amount of food we eat isn’t the end-all-be-all when it comes to health. Food quality and nutritional value are more important than quantity for creating health and it is no longer believed that all calories, just like all bodies, are created equal.

6. The mind is vital to health and well-being. Thoughts, emotions, and physical health operate symbiotically and a person’s mental and social diet is a critical component of their overall health and well-being, right on par with their nutritional diet.

7. Our lifestyle must constantly evolve if we are to be healthy. This is because our epigenetics is ever-evolving and we as human beings are also ever-evolving. Take the seasons for instance. According to traditional Chinese medicine, when it is warm outside, we need to eat foods that cool down the body (eg watermelon) and ease up on foods that are likely to warm up the body (eg hot spices, onions, garlic). When it is cool outside, foods that warm up the body (eg cinnamon, cayenne pepper) and that have the nutrients our specific body needs are great.

Now That You Know…

We know that we can change the expression of our genes and create health through our lifestyle, so there is a lot we can do as we wait patiently for Western medicine to catch up with modern science. Progressive health professionals and enthusiasts, for one, are making it a priority to prevent disease by giving people the personalized health information they need to attain and maintain health. Online health program ph360 is an example of a tool that incorporates all of the seven basic and vital understandings of health to help each person prevent disease through daily lifestyle habits including making good food choices, getting the right kind of movement, creating a good social and mental diet, setting up a good home and work environment, and making use of their natural talents to improve mood, motivation and energy. Most importantly, it acknowledges that everyone is different and that we all change over time and delivers periodic tailored insights that evolve along with you.

Why should you care? Why should doctors care?… Because being healthy means far more than just not being ill. Being healthy means feeling happy, alive and full of energy. It means thriving with vitality physically, mentally and spiritually. It means taking this joy and energy and sharing it with others so they, and the whole world, can be healthy and happy too.