Despite the current trend towards dietary sensitivities (gluten, dairy, sugar, you name it—at least one of my friends has it!), I spent almost the entirety of my life living with the discomfort of an undiagnosed lactose intolerance.

Every day, and nearly every meal, came with awful stomach aches. I tried all sorts of diets and elimination regimes to figure out what I might be allergic to, but I was never quite sure what it was.

And it wasn’t just my internal organs that suffered. Along with the tummy aches came awful bloating. I looked like I was 5 months pregnant after every meal, and would often be embarrassed to eat in public. Not to mention that indigestion doesn’t make you feel very sexy.

Still, though, by the time I turned 30, I felt relatively resigned to the reality that I would probably live the rest of my life with a hyper sensitive digestive system.

And then I started using ph360. After completing the initial assessment and entering my measurements, I jumped as fast as I could to my FOOD results. I wanted to see what my phenotype (my measurements and the way that I looked on the outside) could tell me about the insanity my digestive was up to on a daily basis.

When it put all dairy on my Foods to Avoid list, I wasn’t surprised. I had tried eliminating dairy before, but it never stuck. This time things were different, though. Because ph360 also provided a huge list of new Foods to Eat that gave me a way to distract myself from what I couldn’t have with new foods that were yummy AND good for me.

Instead of lamenting the ice cream I couldn’t eat, I decided to try some of the new foods recommended for me. Grapefruits, endive, sunflower, and sesame seeds turned into an amazing new salad that was super nourishing and refreshing. And although I was nervous to be too adventurous with new foods and my sensitive digestion, once I stuck to eliminating dairy, I barely had any tummy aches at all.

And while I was glad to be out of years of discomfort, I was equally over the moon to watch my bloated belly deflate faster than I ever could have ever imagined. Goodbye bloat, hello flat belly!

I can’t wait to try all the new foods from my ph360 FOOD dashboard that will keep my system happy, outside and in.

Last week over dinner, a friend I’ve known for 15 years told me that I am “aging well.” I was both flattered and intrigued by the compliment. Of course I quickly realized this didn’t mean I wasn’t aging at all, but that there was something about the way that I was aging that stood out to him.

I thought about the comment over the next few days, considering what “aging well” meant to me. As I slide into my 40s, aging well to me isn’t just about counting the lines on my face, it’s about protecting my health. Aging well is about taking care of myself so that I can enjoy the next 40 or so years of my life with energy, low stress, vitality, limber joints, strong muscles, and organs that do their job and don’t get sick. And it’s also about using epigenetics to my advantage so that if I carry any genes for disease those genes don’t get expressed.

Of course, my perspective on aging has changed radically since I started using ph360. I actually feel grateful to be aging, because I feel so much more comfortable in my skin today than I did 10 years ago. Thanks to ph360, I feel like I have a reference guide as I age, an interactive map that can steer me in the right direction and help me to avoid the choices I could be making that would accelerate aging.

What are the changes I’ve seen? While my internal health has transformed—my digestion has healed, my sleep is better than ever, and my joints are no longer painful and inflamed—I regularly notice the difference externally as well. My body looks and feels great.

Most of my same-age peers have gray hairs already, which I thankfully do not (despite the fact that my parents both went gray in their thirties). And despite my heavy sun-worshipping years, my wrinkles and sun damage have dramatically decreased since I’ve been following ph360. I notice these things every day when I look in the mirror. And although I appreciate them, I also think my friend was talking about more than this.

Because beyond gray hair and wrinkles, I think aging is an attitude—and aging well means facing life with a youthful spirit. ph360 has helped me find new vitality for my everyday routine, particularly as it allowed me to discover changes to that routine that made me healthier than ever.

I’m actually excited to continue aging well over these next years of my life. More than ever before, I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I’m not out to impress anyone, to prove myself, or to conquer the world—I feel very much at peace with who I am and where I am in my life.

And if that’s aging well, I’ll take it!

Discover your own roadmap to aging well at ph360.me.

Can you be addicted to sugar?

Yep!

A simple answer, I know. So let’s delve into more details.

Our sweet receptors evolved during ancestral times as a reward signal for the brain. Mother nature’s natural sweet treats like fruit and honey are nutritious and often full of calories we need. So our brains recognized foods that have a sweet taste as a special treat that makes the body feel good.

It’s the DR Dopamine gene receptor that is triggered by anything we see as reward and it reacts in the same way for who are addicted to drugs or alcohol as for those who are addicted to certain foods – like, say, sugar. What’s more is that the super sweet stuff, like artificial sweeteners and refined sugar, can be an even bigger trigger in the brain’s mechanism than the effects of cocaine. So just like being exposed to smoke can trigger a craving for a person trying to quit cigarettes, images of palatable foods can trigger biochemical cravings too.

So the more we activate the pleasure centres of the brain through repeated consumption of sweet foods, the more we anchor this relationship and deepen the addiction. Scientists have found that the same applies for other food cravings, with the most addictive substances being sugar, fat, flour, wheat, salt, artificial sweeteners, and caffeine.

So is this why most diets don’t work?

Yep!

Again, it’s a simplified answer so let’s look at why.

Most diet approaches are based on food restriction (that instigate stronger cravings) which can be quite successful in reducing the undesired weight. But if the initial addiction isn’t being managed, then it’s only normal to eventually return to the unhealthy food and begin the addiction all over again. I personally am great at quitting sugar! I’ve done it hundreds of times! Haha!

What really and truly works is lifestyle changes that are adapted slowly. First, the physical cravings must be dealt with. Then you can abstain completely. And not all addictions at once. And since food cravings and food desires can be based physiologically, psychologically, socially or environmentally, it’s important to recognize the triggers and deal with them one at a time. So whether it’s getting everyone in the family to eat healthy and drop the sugar, avoiding having sugar anywhere in the home, changing the types of snacks available, finding activities to do at times cravings are strongest, or whatever other strategy you can come up with, it’s these small steps that will make big differences.

Knowing exactly what is right for your health as an individual can help enormously too. Apps like ph360 and ShaeTM can make optimal health easy so you can concentrate on ditching your sugar addiction. Change your behavior. Change your attitude. And then you’ll be able to change your addiction.

As the seasons change and daylight savings shifts the amount of light you’re getting each day, your body may be in need of a tune up to get back in the groove. Light, temperature, and lifestyle can all dramatically affect the way our bodies process hormones, which means that a small difference on the outside could set us up for a big shift internally. New hormone levels bring changes in mood, metabolism, and mentality. And these fluctuations may influence feelings of self worth, body image, and how sexy you feel on a daily basis.

The way to get back on track is to recognize that these changes are bound to occur as your environment shifts—and to have a set of tools you can draw from in order to manage them successfully. Here are our top 5 ways to keep the mojo flowing year round, no matter what’s going on out there.

1. Eat for the season. As the seasons change and the temperature shifts outside, your body needs different foods to metabolize and function properly. Most notably, during the cooler autumn and winter months your body will need warmer foods to maintain balance. In the summer, cooler foods will be necessary.Eating the foods that keep you nourished and your metabolism active will naturally and easefully boost your confidence. It will also help you feel grounded in your body and conscientious of your body’s needs.
2. Drink H20. No matter what time of year, your body needs water to function. Water helps keep digestion moving smoothly and supports all physiological processes to run efficiently. If you’re dehydrated, you may feel fatigue, brain fog, lack of energy, and decreased libido.Take a reusable bottle of water with you to work and refill it as you drink throughout the day.
3. Adjust your sleep schedule. As it starts getting dark earlier in the day, you may find that it’s helpful to readjust your sleep schedule to go to sleep earlier as well. You’ll have more waking hours of sunlight by rising earlier, and your hormones may have an easier time coming into balance.A fully rested you is much more likely to have a confident sense of self and an ease in your body. A rested mind will serve you in everything you do, from your relationships to your work.
4. Move your body. It can easy to feel disconnected from your body, which is why even a brief daily workout or movement sesh can transform how you’re feeling. Remember that every body needs a different kind of exercise—no need to force yourself to take the trendiest exercise class in order to see the results you want.When scheduling gets tough, take a brisk walk during your lunch break or do squats while on a conference call. Get creative, and reap the benefits of daily movement.
5. Do something special every day. If you’re not feeling your sexy best, make a point to do something special for yourself every day. Even taking a small moment to appreciate something about yourself, buy yourself flowers, or take a walk somewhere peaceful can completely shift your perspective.
   

Discover your personalized guide to balancing your body and getting your sexy back on ph360.me!