I’m in love! The sky is brighter, the bird’s song is pure magic, fluffy cloud make me laugh out loud and a big smile is stuck on my face. I have felt this feeling before, but how soon I forget. The dark, cold winter faded my memory. Yet I don’t worry, I am renewed again with my love of spring. Spring is early this year; perhaps that why I feel my love so strongly. The hills are shifting from yellow to green a month ahead of schedule. Twenty robins filled the tree outside my window before I knew what was coming. They knew, and whispered it to me. They said, “The beauty and activities you love the most will soon be here.” I laughed with joy. Gardens, flowers, hiking, biking, camping, sun dresses, warm evenings, barefoot toes, open windows and playing in the water are on their way. Warm weather feeds my soul.

What feeds your soul? We are not all alike. The winter makes some people most happy with cooler temperatures and possible snow activities. Others prefer the rain, moisture and the familiar blanket of grey skies. I have friends who prefer the city with the sounds of traffic, movement, technology, growth and activity of many people. I’ve always said that I am more comfortable alone on the top of a mountain than driving in traffic. What lights your fire?

It never occurred to me that a season, temperature or place could affect my health, other than to change my mood. I didn’t know until recently that some people need moist air where others need dry for optimal health. Information about the correct climate or setting affecting ones well-being never crossed my path until a friend introduced me to PH360. When I filled out my own profile I learned that I was living in an environment that was not ideal for me. It worked out for me to move, and that transition had a profound effect on my body.

It makes sense when I think about how I feel during the warm weather. I am happy, energized, motivated and vital. When it’s cold during the winter, and grey for weeks on end, I find myself huddled indoors to stay warm and craving the sunshine. The outdoors is my playground, which I miss during the winter. Skiing is just not enough to keep my outside as much as I prefer. When I review how my body feels during each season, I can see how temperature and less sun changes how well I feel.

Open spaces, views of nature, travel, adventure, change, plus bringing wood, stones and pieces of nature into my living space are all suggestions for me on my PH360 Place Section. Avoiding cold winds, high altitude, waterfall and pine forests are more suggestions. How does a simple intake form tell a computer program what environment is best for me? How is it so correct? A lot of accurate algorithms are required, and the results are amazing. Are you living in your optimal environment? Find out what environment is right for you by getting your own PH360 profile at www.ph360.me

How much food do you throw in the trash? No one thinks twice about discarding mouldy bread or packaged food in the back of the pantry with July 2012 stated as the use-by date. This is a good thing. Eating off food can make you very ill.

What about perfectly edible, fresh food? How much of that do you think you throw away? You might feel like saying “that’s preposterous! I don’t waste food.” but you might be surprised by just how much you throw in the trash. Some ‘scraps’ that end up in the bin or on the compost heap are perfectly edible and even delicious!

As a matter of fact, some ‘scraps’ are packed with nutrients. So even if you’re not too worried about wasting food, you should at least consider the wasted nutrients you’re literally throwing away.

Here are just a few examples of food scraps we should be eating:

• All peels. Potato, apple, carrot and just about any fruit or veg that you might usually take the peeler to, have a very high concentration of nutrients in that very peel. If you peel these things because you’re worried about cleanliness you can try the vinegar trick – fill a tub or sink half way with water and add 1 cup of vinegar, let your fruit and veg soak for 15 minutes and rinse. This will naturally disinfect the food and remove any nasties. Plus, it helps to keep it from going off in the fridge for a little longer.
• Broccoli stems. The stems are just as good for you as the fluffy green bits on top. But it’s not really as palatable is it? Well there are plenty of ways to prepare broccoli stalk that isn’t steaming chunks of it whole. The easiest is to grate it and eat it raw in a salad or coleslaw, or grate it and cook it in a stir fry or as part of a soup base.
• The green part of leek. How awful is it cooking with leek and throwing away more than half of what you paid for at the store? Well this one will save you some money too! Here’s the secret: the green parts of leek are just as good for you and just as edible as the white parts – they just take longer to cook. So next time you need 4 leeks for a recipe, just buy 2 and use up the whole things, the key is to put the green parts on 5-10 minutes (depending on cooking method) before the white parts.
• Tops. Think the green parts of carrots, turnips, beetroot etc. No, the green leafy bits on top of the carrot are not going to taste like carrot, but that doesn’t mean they’re not good for you. These kinds of ‘scraps’ are fantastic in salads or added to your smoothies for an extra nutrient boost.

Food wastage is a massive problem in most western countries. By reducing the amount of food we throw away, we will not only be helping our planet but also our wallets. Think of all the money you can save by getting the most out of all your fruit and veg. And for detailed info on what nutrients are contained in which foods, and how these benefit you specifically, check out ph360 and their comprehensive and extremely detailed food list.

Halloween means dress-up, fun, parties, trick-or-treating, and regardless of your age, candy. The ritual of eating candy on Halloween is so deeply ingrained in our culture it’s difficult to imagine the holiday without mini Snickers bars. And it’s one thing to fight your own personal battle against sugar, and an entirely different thing to try to bring your whole family with you. Especially since we started using ph360, my husband and I are more committed than ever to staying healthy on Halloween this year.

Luckily, we’ve found some local resources over the years that have made this easier. The first, and most appealing to our kids, has become a tradition in our family. The kids get 2 pieces of candy each on Halloween night, which is already enough to get them to the brink of a stomach ache, and then we sell the rest of the candy to a local dentist who pays $2 a pound.

My kids are motivated to get as much booty into their Halloween baskets as possible by a different reward than the sugary treats – they want the cash. To sweeten the deal (no pun intended), I match whatever the dentist pays, and my kids get to use the money for whatever they want, even something mommy would not normally buy (last year they bought 20 plastic toys from the Dollar Store).

They get to have all the fun of trick-or-treating, and still get to try their favorite candies, but the allure of having some pocket cash is strong enough to prevent them from sneaking more. Many dentists have similar programs—simply call your dentist to find out!

As for my husband and I, we like to stock up on healthy treats that will keep our eyes from wandering to the candy. I like to have the fridge stocked with pre-cut or washed fruit in see-through containers, so that I can reach for those when I feel a sugar craving hit.

The lead-up to Halloween has been especially exciting this year because I don’t feel the dread I usually experience, knowing it will be difficult to stop myself from eating too much candy. My diet has changed so much in the past few months with ph360—and I feel so fulfilled by the foods I eat on a daily basis—that my cravings have almost disappeared.

The candy bowl just doesn’t have the allure that it used to!

How do you like to keep your family and yourself healthy on Halloween?

Check out your own crave-busting personalized diet today on ph360.me.

Americans eat a lot of sugar, it turns out—and if we weren’t already well aware of this, John Oliver’s piercing commentary on HBO’s Last Week Tonight shook audiences awake to the issue. What’s more, new findings that show sugar causes aging similar to the way smoking does. While studies have previously shown that sugar has similar effects to cocaine on the brain, research from the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) now shows that, “high sugar consumption may result in increased aging in the same way regular smoking does.”

The study examined the length of telomeres, a part of the cell that acts as a buffer to DNA, protecting genetic material. Telomere length decreases each time cells divide, which contributes to the body’s aging process. The UCLA study found that drinking beverages with a high sugar content shortened telomere length, speeding the aging process.

Importantly, “Telomere length dwindles naturally as we age, but it may not be an irreversible process. Previous research shows that it’s possible to increase telomere length by as much as 10% over 5 years by stressing less and eating a healthy diet—no soda included.”

Research like this comes just in time for America’s biggest sugar binge of the year—Halloween. Knowledge is power, right? If that’s the case, then understanding the damaging effects of sugar on the body at the cellular level may be impetus enough to limit your candy intake over this weekend.

And in case you haven’t activated your ph360 membership yet, here are 5 easy tips to help you avoid the Halloween sugar trap:

1. Eat full meals. Instead of not eating all day so that you can binge on candy later, eat three full meals that will give you long-lasting energy. If you’re full on foods that are actually fueling you, you’ll be less likely to crave empty calories.
2. Bring pre-sliced fruit with you. Whether you’re taking your kids trick-or-treating or simply trying to avoid the overflowing candy bowl at work, a good substitute can help. Try slicing up your favorite fruit and bringing it with you wherever you go. Reach for that instead of the candy, and your body will thank you!
3. Make healthy treats. It’s the added sugar that’s the biggest health problem in most candies and baked goods, so do yourself a favor and make your own healthy treats instead. Look for recipes that use unprocessed sweeteners like honey or maple syrup, and whole grains like oats.
4. Sell your kids’ candy to the dentist. Many dentists will offer you cash for your kids’ candy—incentivize them to hold out for the money instead of the sugar rush!
5. Less is more. If you must sneak a Snickers, decide exactly how much candy you’re planning to eat, and stick to it. If it’s two mini candy bars, eat them slowly over the course of the night. You’ll be amazed at how far just a little sugar goes.

Let ph360 help you discover the foods that will keep you young and sugar-craving free at ph360.me!

Paleo or Atkins? Low-carb or low-fat? Determining which diet actually results in the most weight loss was the aim of two research studies released last week. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) study, which was a detailed analysis of the results of popular diets since 1966, the differences among all diets (such as Atkins, Weight Watchers, The Zone, etc.) are minimal. The average weight loss for all diets was approximately 16 pounds after 12 months.

In another study released last week, in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the effectiveness of a low-carbohydrate diet versus a low-fat diet revealed the low-carb approach to be marginally more effective, with an average 7 pounds more in weight loss after one year.

However, the participants in these studies were primarily obese adults looking to lose much more than 16 pounds per year – what are they doing wrong?

These new studies highlight more than ever the need for a personalized approach to weight loss. One thing that all low-carb, low-fat, and latest trend popular diets have in common is that they prescribe the same approach for weight loss to every person. As we’ve learned from the decade of research that went into developing ph360, a diet that works for one person will not necessarily work for someone else.

Here are 3 factors to consider when finding the personalized weight loss plan that will work for you:

1. Weight Loss From a 360-Degree Approach

Each person has specific biomarkers for weight loss that can be determined by a scientific calculation of gene expression. A personalized weight loss plan will include a personalized guide to food, fitness, environment, and lifestyle for optimal weight loss and overall wellness.

2. The Hormone Connection to Weight Loss

One key element to successful weight loss is balancing hormones, in both men and women. Hormones affect many aspects of our health, including weight. That’s why we’ve seen that people who have been struggling for a long time to lose weight are losing weight quickly and easily by following their ph360 plan. We’re regularly seeing weight loss of 10-20 pounds per week because once users balance their hormones, their weight naturally normalizes.

3. There is No One-Size-Fits-All

A personalized weight loss plan must take into account the extreme variance that we all have as individuals. For some, a low-carb diet can lead to a serotonin imbalance, or a fat-free diet can lead to a lack of nutrients needed for tissue repair. But this will be different for each individual. The truth is: there is no such thing as one diet that works for everyone.

Because we are all unique, with specific body chemistry, specific genes, and different strengths and weaknesses, a personalized plan is the only plan that will lead to real personalized results.

ph360.me offers an easy way to learn about the ideal weight loss plan for your body—based on what’s right for you, not someone else. Take advantage of our limited time Lifetime Membership for only $97 today, and discover a better, easier, and more fulfilling way to reach your target weight!

If you’re looking to lose weight, you know that the hunt for the best possible diet and workout regimen can be overwhelming. What is the best exercise for weight loss? And why do some workouts work for your friends but not for you?

It’s all about your body’s unique needs and the particular exercise that your body is best suited for. Ever notice that professional athletes’ bodies are specifically matched to their needs? It’s no coincidence that basketball players are tall, gymnasts are petite, and football players are broad. In the same way, your body is uniquely matched to particular activities depending on the expression of your genes. While some people are built for delicacy and flow, others are ideally suited to power and brute force. Still, other body profiles will excel at speed and agility.

How to know what exercise will work for your body? It’s all about a combination of epigenetics and anthropometry. ShaeFit uses anthropometry (the scientific assessment of your body’s measurements) to determine what kinds of movement your body is best suited for using your age, your body’s measurements, your predispositions for certain health conditions and injuries, and a host of other factors. Learning to assess your own strengths will help you find a workout that actually accelerates the weight loss process.

Exercising right for your body also means discerning your particular best days and times to train, at what intensity, and for how long. When you develop an exercise routine that is personalized, you will also increase your recovery time and ability to heal your body through movement. Much of this has to do with your distinct upper and lower body mechanics, and how well suited each part of your body is for weight-bearing.

So what happens when you exercise in ways that are counter-indicated for your body? Joints inflame and swell, you tend to feel pain, and you may become more prone to injury. And your body won’t allow you to flush excess fat as quickly as it might otherwise. Translation: You’ll have a harder time shedding those extra pounds.

The best way to discover what works for you is to learn about your unique needs, both from physical and genetic perspectives. One great way to begin is by taking measurements of your body and discussing them with a personal trainer who can help design an exercise program just for you. Scientists have been measuring the body and studying different body types and sizes for thousands of years, initially using these figures as a basis for medical care. You can also enter your measurements and other health data into the ShaeFit app, along with your goals to lose weight, build muscle, or tone your body, and receive a personalized exercise plan in seconds!

Each measurement you take correlates to physical and physiological predispositions that can affect your body’s function and performance, and even your state of mind and overall well-being. As a result, your body’s measurements can help reveal the kinds of exercise and weight training that will be most effective for your needs.

Are you ready to discover the power of a workout designed just for you—that will help you lose weight fast and for good? A personalized health platform like ShaeFit can help guide your discovery process!

There have been countless studies that speak to the positive effects of meditation. It lowers your stress levels, improves brain function, can help with digestion and the list goes on.  Well there is one more amazing thing we can add to the list of meditation’s super powers. Meditative relaxation can activate disease-fighting mechanisms in the body. That’s right – meditation is right up there with apples when it comes to daily habits which prevent the need for a doctor’s visit.

Researchers at the Harvard Medical School1-6 examined the known benefits of meditative practice from a genetic perspective and discovered that those who practiced meditation over a long period of time had more active disease-fighting genes than the control group. Basically, meditation ‘switched on’ some of the genes that are responsible for keeping you healthy and well. The science can sound overwhelming but but with a tool like ph360 or the revolutionary Shae^TM who will do it all for you, putting these things into practice is a breeze.

Genes can be switched on and off based on our environment, behavior, mood, nutrition or any other external factor. Regular meditation, over a given period of time, can intentionally activate specific genes related to the immune system, lowering inflammation, regulating blood pressure and balancing hormone levels. Plus, the longer you practice, the better the effects of relaxation are on the body.

Now, if you’re thinking that meditation involves vows of silence, chanting, flowing robes and levitating off the ground you might be surprised… If the robes and the chanting are working for you then great! Keep doing what you’re doing. If not here are 3 easy ways to try meditating:

1. There’s an app for that – Just like with most other things today, someone has figured out how to know what type of meditation will work best for you. Meditating doesn’t necessarily mean being super still and focusing on a candle. ph360  and the new Shae^TM help guide you in the right direction – whether it’s rhythmical meditation through walking or cycling, using brainwaves to help you focus or finding your inner peace in a crowd of people – there’s a way to do it that suits you!
2. Just breathe – meditation doesn’t have to be complicated and intimidating. Concentrating on your breath is a great way to practice mindfulness. Close your eyes and take slow steady breaths, concentrating on the sensation of your lungs expanding and contracting. Keep going for 2 minutes or 2 hours – whatever works for you.
3. Get out – Outside, that is. When the weather allows, try to spend some time outdoors, connecting with nature. This could mean lying down on a picnic blanket and listening to the wind in the leaves, hiking the mountains for sunrise or simply watching the peaceful sunset with the people you love.. Whatever works best for you.

One of the theories behind why meditation seems to be so effective is that the stress-hormones adrenalin and cortisol – which ultimately raise the heart rate and blood pressure while weakening immunity – are reduced through relaxation. In contrast, serotonin and alpha brain waves can increase tissue and cellular repair while activating the parasympathetic nervous system (the one that tells us to relax the body, lower stress levels, etc). When the mind completely switches off, the body can release all tension and ultimately improve our mental and physical health and wellbeing in many ways. Including giving us amazing disease-fighting superpowers!

So grab those flowing robes and start levitating! I mean meditating! Your body will thank you.

For most of us our passion, joy and playfulness lie outside of our comfort zone.

Reality is not absolute, it is unique to each of us. Reality is nothing more than our excuse for staying right where we are – in our comfort zone. If we can’t come close to guaranteeing a desired outcome, few of us act. We don’t trust ourselves to emotionally navigate all that may arise so we limit what we allow. When we start to get too excited about a prospect all we need is a good reality check to shut us down.

Reality has become synonymous with pessimism and for most of us it has made our comfort zone anything but comfortable. Within most people’s comfort zones you will find disproportionate amounts of depression, anxiety, frustration, stagnated relationships and dead end jobs. Yet we stay within its confines because somewhere along the line we made the cosmic calculation that what is known is preferable to what is not. We find comfort in the fact that we can handle what we have even if we don’t particularly like it.

Going outside our comfort zone, no matter how minutely, is a risky business always punctuated by some permutation of fear. Not so much the fear of success or failure but fear of experiencing emotions beyond what we believe we can handle. We actually fear our emotions about an event or experience more than we fear the experience itself. This is because the event is finite, but the emotions persist and grow. If we fail at a new job we fear that will not be able to handle the emotional ramifications of guilt, shame, self-doubt, regret etc… Anticipating the magnitude of such feelings is paralyzing to us. We simply will not risk the possibility of us reeling out of control into some form of psychic disintegration.

Try as we might to hide in our comfort zone, life will not allow it. We contort ourselves to stay in marriages that have stagnated, jobs that stress us out, environments that make us sick, and commitments that drain us. Despite the agony, most of us only leave our comfort zone when we are outright ejected by a major life event, illness or trauma. But it doesn’t have to be that way – instead we can choose to step out a little each day or better yet invite more in…

Beyond the comfort zone of our limited reality is all possibility, the vast unknown, all that has yet to be experienced and explored. A concept that makes control freaks freak out. If only we can see our way through that mindset of fear to the excitement, wonder, and curiosity that lies just on the other side, then our experience of life can change in an instant.

Shedding the limitations of our reality on a daily basis is the only way to live a fulfilled life. I am speaking to that part of us all that knows that we are playing small – way beneath who we truly are; to the part of us that is passionate, powerful beyond measure, limitless, and an expression of pure love and joy.

How many times a day do you experience those parts of yourself in your current reality?

Peace Practice:  Expand your comfort zone

• Notice where and whenyou use the ‘reality’ excuse to keep you in your comfort zone.
• Notice what is in your comfort zone -Loneliness? illness? depression? anxiety?
• Notice what lies just beyond your comfort zone, and gently start inviting it in.

By Jill Lankler

For decades, we have relied on brief encounters with the medical establishment to help us heal and keep us healthy. We take prescription medicines to resolve symptoms of disease, and we follow the latest trends in fitness and food to lose, gain, or maintain weight. If everyone is doing it, we may as well follow suit—despite the fact that we know our bodies, our genes, and our lives are each entirely distinct.

Why do we succumb to “one size fits all” in an arena as important as our health? Early on in our lives, we learn not to ask too many questions about our own distinct health goals, largely because personalized answers were unavailable. Today, all of that has changed.

Personal health no longer has to be a mystery or a privilege. It’s a right. You have a right to know the foods, exercise habits, and lifestyle choices that will help you be your best self. You have a right to understand your body’s very own user manual.

Using your body’s own measurements and an individualized health assessment, you can access a lifestyle blueprint that is uniquely your own. Because personal health is not just about getting to know yourself and your body, it’s also about understanding the precise health challenges you may face, and taking action to prevent them from becoming a problem.

This is healthcare as it was intended to be: A system that supports you in making the personalized, moment-to-moment choices that will help you thrive. When you know the specific foods, exercises, daily patterns, and even social habits that make you feel most alive, you are free to eliminate what doesn’t work. For the first time ever, your health is truly your own.

Backed by the power of technology and the insight of your own genetic blueprint, you stand at the brink of your own personal health revolution. Are you ready to make it personal?

Learn more about yourself with the ph360.me platform.

By Katarina Smythe

I got curious about hemp when hemp seeds came up on my ‘Foods to Eat’ list as a 5 smiley food. I started doing a little research about hemp as food and where I might be able to buy it and the more I read, the more interested I became, due to it high nutritional content. I am going to try to incorporate hemp seeds into my diet and will keep my eye out for all the other hemp uses. It certainly is a fascinating plant.

Most of us know what Marijuana is. It’s a plant that, when smoked or ingested, makes you ‘high’. It is a drug and has been illegal for as long as most of us can remember. In modern times, the growing, selling, and using of Marijuana has been prohibited, but historically it was a widely farmed plant with many fantastic uses. Throughout history Hemp has been used for many things by the Chinese, Indians, Europeans and many Asian cultures, that didn’t include getting high, and its use can be dated back to the stone age.

Now, just to clarify – Marijuana, Cannabis and Hemp all refer to the same plant. Just like any other plant, there are different varieties of Hemp and it is only the ones with high amounts of THC that make you ‘high’ when smoked or ingested. All other Hemp grown as a crop has very low amounts of THC or none at all. It is this Hemp that is incredibly versatile and useful in a surprising number of ways. Some of the alternative uses for Hemp include:

• Food and Nutrition – Despite being treated as a non-food product by some governments, the Hemp seed is safe to eat and incredibly versatile. It is rich in protein, calcium, iron, and omega-3 and can be made into oil, powder, milk and other things
• Building Materials – Hemp can be used as a substitute for concrete, plastic, wallboard, and insulation and is more sustainable than timber.
• Fuel – biodiesel or biofuel can be a bi-product of Hemp cultivation.
• Clothing, Paper, and Other Fibers – Hemp has been used for textiles, paper, rope, carpet, nets, and many other things for thousands of years. It is strong, durable and unaffected by water.

These are just some of the potential uses for hemp. Every single part of the plant can be used for something and it is a resilient and sustainable crop.

Have hemp seed, milk or oil come up in your ‘Foods to Eat’ list? How do you incorporate them into your diet? Have you come across any of the above mentioned uses of Hemp? We would love to hear about it!