When I first started exploring my ph360 FOOD dashboard, I have to admit: I was overwhelmed. My Foods to Avoid list was filled to the brim with foods I ate every day. And my Foods to Eat list was filled with a lot of foods I’d never even heard of. I had to take a moment to remind myself why I was doing this: I was tired of fatigue, of recurring illness, of skin problems, digestive troubles, extra weight, and a multitude of other daily physical complaints.

Above all, I wanted to feel happy about the foods I was eating. I had tried pretty much every diet imaginable, the most recent of which was the low-carb diet. And although ph360 suggested I avoid processed sugars and flours, it was clear that whole grains and fruit sugars were actually important parts of the diet it proposed.

In fact, I think the most encouraging thing about my FOOD dashboard was that it didn’t feel like a diet. Instead, it was an adjustment in how I thought about food. Rather than thinking solely about flavor, I was suddenly considering nutrients, vitamins, digestion, and the times of day I should be eating. Notably, it recommended that I eat breakfast, a meal I often skipped.

So before I let my overwhelm take over, I decided to engage in my own personal food revolution. For me, this started at the grocery store.

I made a list of all of my 5-star foods and promised myself I would try five new things from the store that day. I also made a private agreement not to buy anything below 3-star.

Walking into the grocery store I saw things in an entirely new light. There were five 5-star foods I was determined to sample, two of which I’d never eaten before, ever: Fennel, endive, grapefruit, lemon, and sesame seeds. Although fennel and endive were new to me, I had spent a bit of time searching recipes online and decided to make a salad with these ingredients and Himalayan sea salt.

Arriving home with bags full of foods that would supposedly transform me from the inside out, I felt excited. Would they give me unprecedented levels of energy?

I threw together a quick salad with those 5-star foods, and was thrilled at how good it all tasted to me. Who knew I loved fennel and endive?! That night, I went to bed feeling nourished but not bloated. Balanced.

The next few days, I had to force myself to eat breakfast, a meal I wasn’t used to. But I quickly found that the sugar cravings I used to experience between 11 am and 3 pm were disappearing. My body really was changing!

Newly inspired, I cleared the kitchen of any foods that weren’t on my 3-, 4-, or 5-star lists. It’s been super fun to get creative in the kitchen, and bring my list to the farmers market, butcher and local fishmonger. I love knowing that these foods are so good for me, and being able to feel the difference so immediately!

Discover your own 5-star food list today on ph360.

Robotic hands produced by digital printers. Therapy on the go via mobile phone. Contact lenses that sense blood sugar levels. Personalized health has gone truly technological. But are all these future health technologies actually making life easier? It depends on how they’re used.

Dr. Robert Pearl of Stanford University commented, “These wristbands, sensors, headsets and even ‘smart clothes’ can obtain and transmit huge amounts of data on anything from heart rhythms to blood pressure. But there’s little evidence those wearing them overcome abnormal heart rhythms or elevated blood pressures better than those who don’t.”

As alluring as the concept of futuristic health tech transforming our lives for the better may be, it’s yet to be integrated fully into user’s lives. Dr. Pearl explained, “Physicians would love a tool that truly helps patients better manage their diet, exercise and stress levels. Many applications available today claim to modify behavior through alerts, reminders and real-time feedback, but few have demonstrated measurable success.”

While investing in wearables like the FitBit or Jawbone could be valuable, it may be more important to find a technology that actually knows what to do with your data. Particularly as new products like the Apple Watch and HealthKit app come to market, a health tool that can provide targeted guidance about diet, health, and lifestyle is more important than ever. Information is interesting, but doesn’t do much to help you change your habits. This is where the development of a personalized health app like ph360 becomes more critical than ever.

As a personalized health app that integrates the cutting edge technology of epigenetic science (the study of how your genes are expressed) with endocrinology (the study of hormones) and nutrition, ph360 has the unique capacity to provide individualized diet and health plans that reflect the data harvested by wearables. The web-based app is designed to be used in concert with treatment from healthcare professionals, augmenting the relationship an individual may have already established with their physician.

ph360 is powered by an algorithm that uses anthropometry—the scientific assessment of the body’s measurements—to determine what each individual needs to thrive. Recommendations for foods to eat and foods to avoid, specific exercises for distinct body structures, and suggestions for the best environments and professional and social situations will support revitalized health for both body and mind.

So while we can all marvel at the most recent developments in health technology, the path to lasting health starts with actionable insights. Synthesizing scientific discovery and ancient wisdom, ph360 offers the best of both worlds. Data grounded in everyday life. Ready to help you become the best version of yourself.

Start today at ph360.me!

The rhythm. The wind on your face. The sky. The speed. The ground covered. The rush of endorphins. The power of a good run…

Running is one of the most popular forms of exercise today, and yet it’s also potentially one of the most damaging forms of exercise to the body. According to Scarborough Research, 57 million Americans jogged or ran in 2012. But how many of those 57 million know if running is really the best exercise for their body?

There are many benefits of running, not least of which that it is a high-powered way to trim excess body fat, build lean muscle, and boost mood via floods of endorphins. But that’s all information you probably already know, especially if you’re a runner. What you don’t know is how to determine the best form of exercise for your unique body profile.

Because here’s the truth: Every body under the sun has unique needs for its physical structure. And the best way to determine what works for your body is to look to the expression of your genes. This expression is your phenotype: The way you look in the mirror.

The science of epigenetics takes this a step further. Epigenetics allows us to understand the influence of the environment on the way your genes are expressed. What does this mean?

It means that everything about the world around you, including the place you grew up, the place you live now, the foods you eat, and even the people you spend time with, influences your gene expression. So while you may have genetic predispositions to certain diseases and physical characteristics, epigenetics determines whether or not those predispositions ever come to fruition.

And there is a way to eat, exercise, socialize, work, and live that can make the most of your particular epigenetic needs. While some athletes are designed to move with speed and agility, others are better suited to flowing movement, and still others to power and force. The most important thing you can do for yourself is to take a clear physical assessment of your body profile and get the support you need to understand your unique best form of exercise.

A program like ShaeFit can help you with this assessment, and provide you with a personalized program and training plan that takes into account your individual body structure and epigenetic demands. Understanding these inherent qualities can help reveal your best sport to play, the ideal role for you on a team at work, and even some of your natural skillsets.

If you’re a runner that has a body perfectly suited to running, ShaeFit can help reveal the best days to run, as well as the ideal times, lengths, and intensity levels. And if you’re a runner whose body has been suffering from the joint pain and muscle stiffness that is common amongst those whose bodies are not well-suited to the sport, ShaeFit can help guide you to recover, heal, and target an exercise plan that will both challenge and uplift your body.

All based on what really works for you—not every other runner out there on the road.

Learn more with ShaeFit today!

In 2015, the National Institute on Aging will award up to $500,000 to researchers studying the association between epigenetics and age-related disease. As a scientist in the personalized health field who is passionate about the power of epigenetics, I couldn’t be more excited about this next step towards empowering people to take control of their health.

Epigenetics is a relatively new scientific field, examining the influence of environment and lifestyle on genetic expression. The insights that the study of epigenetics may lead to are all-encompassing, providing information about individualized ways to heal disease and reach optimal health. Most importantly, epigenetics shows us that health solutions must be personalized in order to be effective. I am thrilled that the National Institute on Aging is choosing to invest significant funds into these studies.

Epigenetics is what dictates the differences in appearance and health between two twins that may have been separated at birth and lived very different lifestyles. While DNA may plainly show a predisposition for certain disease, genes can be turned on or off, just like a light bulb. Epigenetic factors determine whether a gene is switched on or off.

For example, disease and aging may appear differently in two people with the same exact DNA if one smokes and the other does not, or if one is malnourished and the other is not. Other epigenetic factors, like climate, light, career, stress, and exercise can all influence the likelihood of disease expression in aging.

Ten years ago, I began my own journey with epigenetics and healing from disease. As I worked with physicians and epigenetic specialists to reach greater levels of health than ever before, I was inspired to find a way to share the efficacy of this approach with the world. This year, a team of international scientists, physicians, and other personalized health specialists founded ph360.

ph360 is a web-based personalized health app that integrates the cutting edge science of epigenetics with the wisdom of anthropometry (the scientific assessment of the body’s physical measurements) to deliver individualized suggestions for diet, exercise, weight loss, and lifestyle. As scientists backed by the National Institute on Aging work to improve the range of potential treatments and health solutions available to the aging population, ph360 will provide ongoing daily solutions based on epigenetic insight.

Last week, GenomeWeb reported, “The institute said these studies will focus on using epigenetics to address important questions in the emerging field of geroscience, which aims to relate the biology of aging to the development of chronic diseases and conditions that are prevalent among older populations.”

In the meantime, I invite you to explore the power of ph360 to enlighten you regarding the potential of epigenetics and personalized health solutions!

I love my vacation self. Vacay-me is relaxed, more fun, and sleeps better. When I’m on holiday, food tastes better, I have more energy and I fully enjoy every experience I have. This is because, on vacation, I live in the moment. My headspace isn’t taken up by work deadlines, neglected chores and worrying about things that haven’t even happened yet, like it is in everyday life.

On vacation, we tend to experience more fully the world around us. Overall health helps enormously with mental wellness, and technology like ph360, and the newmake it easy. But how can we bring some of this holiday magic home? Here are some easy ways to get more headspace and be present in day-to-day life:

1. Notice when you stand up or sit down. Put everything out of your mind for a few seconds and consciously observe the change in contact and posture. It sounds so simple, but it can be quiet challenging to purposely concentrate on something that has become so second nature.
2. Count your breath. A few times a day pause, close your eyes and concentrate on the air going in and out of your lungs. Count ‘one’ on the inhale, ‘two’ on the exhale and so on until you get to ten. Takes less than a minute and you can do it almost anywhere.
3. Set an hourly reminder on your phone. Sometimes, in the buzz of a busy day, it can be hard to even remember to breathe. Having something to gently nudge you to just pause and take in your surroundings can go a long way.
4. Look out the window. Even if it means walking away from your desk, go and look at the outside world for a few minutes. Observe the wind in the trees or the people walking by on the pavement. It will remind you that there is whole world outside your head.

5. Scan your body. This is another one that can be done almost anywhere. Close your eyes and scan your body from the top of your head to the tips of your toes, noticing any discomfort, unpleasant or pleasant sensations. Don’t judge your body for hurting here or being uncomfortable there – just observe.
6.Listen to the sounds all around you. Close your eyes and let your sense of hearing take over. Don’t try to concentrate on any particular sound. Just open your ears and let the sounds come to you – the ones close by and the ones far away. Another great one for getting outside your own head.
7. Don’t eat in front of the TV or with any other distractions. Every once in a while sit down and really concentrate on what you’re eating. Look at it, smell it, taste it and focus on what you notice.
8. Download Shae™ – personalized health in the palm of your hand. Once launched, Shae™, your personal health assistant will be able to prompt you to take time out for yourself at the times that are best for your health. The most comprehensive personal health assistant, she will know you better than you know yourself.