By Matt Riemann

When ph360 was founded, the goal was pretty straightforward: To eliminate chronic pain and disease through the tools of personalized health. An admittedly lofty goal, but one that I have been passionate about for years. As someone who struggled to find my own way out of a life threatening genetic abnormality, I tried just about every diet, exercise, and therapeutic plan on the way to health. I learned that the only path to my optimal state of health was an entirely personalized one.

I discovered this the hard way, only after trying to do what worked for everyone else. I sweated through hot yoga classes, I tried the Paleo diet, and I tried to force myself into a hundred other health approaches thatworked for other people. It wasn’t until I understood how my lifestyle could affect the expression of my genes that I recognized the impossibility of trying to find health through someone else’s blueprint.

Our DNA contains the genetic map for how we look and for our predisposition to many diseases. And though our DNA can’t be changed, genes may or may not be expressed. Epigenetic science has shown that lifestyle can actually affect whether or not a gene is expressed—meaning that just because you have the genetic predisposition for a disease, you can live your life in such a way that the disease does not manifest.

Having experienced this firsthand, I know that every choice I make on a daily basis, from the time I wake up to what I eat to where I work to the people I interact with, influences both my genes and my health. This means I have tremendous responsibility for my own wellness. I can’t simply rely on someone else’s program for health—every moment of every day might mean health or disease both now and in the future.

Epigenetic science is at the core of ph360’s algorithm—we use your body’s unique measurements and your health history to determine the foods, exercises, and environments that will be best for your genes. Each part of your ph360 dashboard is packed with highly detailed insights about what will keep your body and mind balanced and vibrant. So whether you’re looking to lose weight or recover from disease, the personalized approach to health gives you the power to revolutionize your well-being, for good.

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 Watchand 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.

Have you noticed, over the last few years, a significant increase in the amount of ‘gluten free’ products available to buy in stores? Gluten free pasta, gluten free bread, and even gluten free skin care products are getting more and more common. Even products that never contained gluten in the first place are advertising the fact that they are ‘gluten free’. I was at the supermarket the other day, getting something out of the refrigerated section when I noticed a display of bottled water pointing out, right on the label, that it’s ‘gluten free’. Water! That’s when I realised that the ‘gluten free’ craze was in full swing and not looking likely to abate any time soon. But is this just another trend? And is there a better way to ensure you are eating what’s right for you?

Gluten intolerance, or Celiac Disease, is a very real medical condition and if you think you may have it, or you are ill in any way, you should seek medical advice immediately. Many people, however, are choosing to go ‘gluten free’ without having been diagnosed with Celiac Disease or speaking with their doctor. These ‘Gluten Avoiders’ as they’re being referred to, are simply deciding to try to make a change in their diet and an improvement to their health.

Trying to make positive changes to one’s health should always be applauded and going ‘gluten free’ isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, ‘gluten free’ products are on average 162% more expensive than their regular counterparts (according to a cost comparison study done by pediatric gastroenterologist Mohsin Rashid), so buying those products may be putting unnecessary extra stress on many people’s finances.

Trends will come and go, and while the ‘gluten free’ craze may have food marketing teams around the world jumping up and down with glee, it too shall pass. Making choices about food is something we all have to navigate on a daily basis, and we always will. The absolute best thing any of us can do to ensure we are eating the food that will keep us in optimal health is to educate ourselves.

Each and every one of us is completely unique and, therefore, we all have completely unique dietary needs. Some people feel fantastic going ‘gluten free’ and some actually put weight on. All our bodies and needs are different. Learning what those needs are will ensure that you can purchase and eat the kind of foods that are ideal for you with complete confidence. If you are already a ph360 member, then you already have the ideal tool to do this. Look at your food list. Study it. Educate your self about your needs and you will always be able to make wise and informed choices about what foods to buy and eat. Don’t let marketing teams affect what choices you make for your own health.

Does your DNA really contain your genetic destiny? For decades, this was the overriding dogma about DNA: What’s contained in your genetic code will dictate your health throughout the course of your life. Yet a new scientific field suggests that this belief may be far from the truth. Enter the science of epigenetics.

Epigenetics is a field of study that investigates the influence of your environment and lifestyle on your DNA. In 1990, the Human Genome Project began—an international effort to decode and map every gene that comprised the human body. It turns out we humans have about 20,000 to 25,000 genes linked to a variety of factors. These genes guide everything from the color of our hair to our propensity for certain diseases.

Arriving at the momentous occasion of having mapped the human genome in 2003, another question loomed: Now that we understand our DNA, can we change it?

Over the next decade, scientists have found again and again that genetic material is truly influenced by its environment. For example, identical twins who lived completely different lives after birth may have nearly 50% functionally differing DNA (different in its expression) by old age. If one twin smoked or was a heavy drinker, or if one was malnourished or had a particularly stressful job, all of these factors may influence the way genes express themselves.

Why? Because every gene can be thought of as a kind of light switch for a particular trait or disease. If the gene for dimples is turned on, you’ll have dimples. To take a more charged example, we now know that certain individuals are carriers of BRCA1, or the “breast cancer gene”. For those who know they are BRCA1 carriers, an understanding of epigenetics is more important than ever.

Because epigenetic science asserts that just as a gene can be turned on, it can also be turned off. Continuing with the example of a gene that affects the expression of cancer, let’s look at how nutrition comes into the picture.

Two years ago, a study at Oregon State University revealed that histone modifications can affect the expression of diseases like cancer. Histones are proteins that can hide certain DNA from view, including tumor eradicating cells that prevent the spread of cancer. Rod Dashwood, head of the Cancer Chemoprotection Program, shared results that certain foods can act as histone inhibitors, ensuring that tumor fighting cells are strong and prevalent in your body.

This example is also true for hormone production, exercise, and a number of other environmental and lifestyle factors: All affect the expression of your DNA. So while you may not be able to change your DNA, you can change which genes are expressed, and which not. It’s all a matter of being able to care for your body as it needs.

Fortunately, the personalized health, epigenetic, and biotechnology sectors now have the insight to provide individualized information about which foods, exercises, climates, and more are most appropriate for each person’s unique body. This science forms the foundation of ph360.

Explore how you can change your genetic destiny at www.ph360.me!

Whether you live in a bustling metropolis or a quaint country town, your environment affects your health. The amount of light and the range of temperatures we’re exposed to on a daily basis influence many of our physiological and hormonal processes.

And, like so many other factors that go into your health, the climate in which you’ll thrive is a personal matter. Not everyone does well in the tropical temperatures of Florida or the crisp Colorado winters. In order to feel your best, it’s critical to understand what climate serves you. The study of how environment affects health is called geomedicine.

But you don’t need to be an expert in geomedicine to put its wisdom into action. One fast way to change your relationship to your environment for the better is to explore new places around you that may be well-suited to your unique geomedical needs.

For example, if you know that you need a cool, shady environment to feel calm and centered, do some research on your surrounding area and see if there are any safe trails to explore in parks or nearby woods. Alternatively, if you need a bit more sunshine in your life, look for nearby areas that may be sunshine magnets, exposed to the elements.

Of course, these factors will vary by season and location, but taking the time to discover the natural resources in your local area can make a big difference. Almost every city has pockets of nature smattered throughout, and almost every small town is adjacent to some form of natural beauty. Be willing to take the drive (or bike, bus, or train ride) to get to the kind of environment that will help your body function at its best.

As you explore new areas, take note of how your body feels in each. How do you react in a jostling city street versus a wide-open field? What do you feel in the shade of the forest versus at the beach? All of this is information that can help you modify your daily life (and your vacation plans) to suit your distinct body profile.

Getting healthy has many advantages, but some of the benefits that many people don’t think about is how being well affects your mood, productivity, confidence and spirituality. It is true that the better your health, the better your attitude. Many people believe the opposite is true as well; the better your attitude, the better your health. I believe both are correct, but what I can tell you for sure is something that I see happening all the time. When people get well, they have more energy, they sleep better, their mood is more joyous and their confidence is higher. Just those benefits alone have a big impact on a person’s life, work, relationships and productivity. People become more able to follow their dreams when they have more energy and a happier outlook. Many areas of life can improve all at once, and who knows how much of it happened just by focusing on taking care of our health.

The biggest message here is that one thing affects the whole and everything affects everything else when it comes to the mind and the body. Holding a grudge affects your body, mind, mood, health, energy levels and holds back some possibilities. Loving your life propels you forward, boosts your serotonin and oxytocin and gives you energy, motivation, and excitement. Everything you do impacts you, from the food you eat, to the clothes you wear, to the shows you watch and the thoughts you think.

When it comes to feeling well, health can impact your spirituality as well. I see people feeling better and looking deeper, wondering what matters to them, how they are impacting the world and the people around them. They are asking how they can help people and share the ideas of health with others. Getting well is much greater than losing weight, looking younger and living longer. It is far more about living better, with more quality, clarity and joy. When you look at why you want to choose good food to eat and to exercise more, know that those choices are reaching into every area of your life. Every thought about being well and every choice has some effect on the whole picture; and you are painting the picture.

We give our body tomatoes, carrots, apples and lettuce thinking that we need to provide minerals like calcium and magnesium, and vitamins like vitamin A and vitamin C. But food is much more than just nutrients. Food is information that our body is taking in and deciding what to do with. When you eat your breakfast, lunch or dinner you are feeding your body data. The question is: are you giving your body good information to work with?

Food isn’t the only knowledge that the body is continually taking it. Your environment also provides news to the body including temperature, moisture, air quality, chemical pollution, wind, and so much more. Are the reports from your environment friendly to your body or do they tax your body’s energy?

Even the people that you hang out with, your friends, coworkers, boss, and neighbors, give messages to your body. The people you have conversations with give your body a clue as to what is predominant, how much stress is around you right now and how much love is available? It’s all valuable for your brain and body. It also impacts how your body responds, how much energy it must use to mitigate what is happening and ultimately, it impacts your health.

Your body will respond to the messages by contracting, expanding, protecting itself or with one of many other natural responses. As data comes in, the body will try to assimilate it and decide where it can be best utilized for the body; whether it’s from a nutrient, temperature change or an angry coworker. In every situation the body has to decide what to do with the incoming forces and how to utilize or protect itself from what’s coming in.

So the next time you’re wondering how important it is to select the right foods for your body and to have the right home environment and job, consider what your body is taking in and how it has to process and deal with the material you give to it and what your body can do with that knowledge to maximize your health.

Good information coming in, equals good health going out.

If you’ve had an ear to the ground about the personalized health revolution, chances are you’ve heard the word “epigenetics” being tossed around. Of course, simply hearing the word and actually understanding it are two very different things. Let’s take a deeper look into what epigenetics actually is—and what it means for you.

First, let’s break down the word itself. The prefix epi is Greek, meaning “over” or “outside of.” Epigenetic, then, means something beyond genetic—in this case, it refers to both outside factors that influence DNA and the changes to the DNA itself.

Wikipedia describes, “In biology, and specifically genetics, epigenetics is mostly the study of heritable changes that are not caused by changes in the DNA sequence.” Which leads to the question—what are those changes caused by? Scientists are finding that heritable changes are being caused by outside influences to DNA, such as lifestyle and environment.

What does lifestyle include? The way you eat, the way you move, where you live, and even your relationships and your work. Almost everything you do, it seems, may have the potential to affect how your genes are expressed. All of these factors can actually switch genes on or off, which has significant implications not just for heritable traits, but also heritable diseases.

While the common line of thought used to be that what’s contained in your genetic code will dictate your health throughout the course of your life, epigenetic science is suggesting otherwise.

If you think of DNA as the hardware of your body, you could consider epigenetics the software. While DNA provides the basic genetic coding from which who you are comes into being (your eye color, hair color, skin color, etc.), epigenetics determines how and whether certain genes are expressed. As the software, it operates within and above your genetic hardware.

It turns out humans have about 20,000 to 25,000 genes linked to a variety of factors. These genes guide everything from the color of our hair to our propensity for certain diseases. Epigenetic science says that we can actually change the way some of these diseases are expressed.

For example, identical twins who lived completely different lives after birth may have nearly 50% functionally differing DNA (different in its expression) by old age. If one twin smoked or was a heavy drinker, or if one was malnourished or had a particularly stressful job, these factors may change how that twin’s genes are expressed.

Diet, hormone production, exercise, and a number of other environmental and lifestyle factors are all a part of epigenetics, affecting the expression of your DNA. Understanding epigenetics—scary word aside—means claiming your right to be as healthy as you can be. Starting right now.

It’s easy to feel like your health is out of your control, but there are some key factors that influence wellness at every stage of life. Here are 7 surprising life changes that may significantly affect your health.

1. Age: As you age, your health naturally changes and your body’s needs change as well. Hormones shift in both men and women, joints may weaken, bones may become more brittle, and your metabolism may slow down. Rather than causing alarm, this simply means you need to support your body to counter the effects of these changes.
2. Seasons: As the seasons shift, your body has different needs for both diet and exercise. In colder months, your immunity and health are dependent on staying warm. The reverse is true in the hotter months of the year. Consuming foods that foster heat or coolness in the body will keep you healthy. Eating with the seasons by buying locally sourced produce is a great way to start!
3. Location: The average American moves once every 5 years. When you move to a new location, you may find yourself in a completely different climate—and one that makes you feel and even look differently. Your body will have distinct needs in a hot and humid place than it will in a cool and dry place, and it’s up to you to address these needs through changes in your diet, exercise, and R&R.
4. Job: Statistics suggest that Americans will change jobs 5-7 times in their lives. The unique demands of your work will dictate your activity levels and caloric needs, as well as the environment you spend most of your time in. Whether you are at a desk under fluorescent lights, in a factory exposed to toxins, or working outside in the hot sun, each of these factors influences your health. Moreover, your stress levels, working hours, sleep, and modes of transportation to work can all influence your immune health and overall wellness.
5. Children: Aside from the obvious changes in your life and health when you have children, like pregnancy for women and lack of sleep for both moms and dads, having children actually changes your hormones. Levels of the hormone prolactin, which increases our caretaking impulse, will rise in parents, as will oxytocin, the “feel good” hormone triggered by bonding. Elevated levels of prolactin can also lead to decreased sex drive, however, and oxytocin may cause forgetfulness. But there are foods you can eat and exercises you can do to help balance those hormones back to normal.
6. Body Changes: Increases in abdominal fat, balding, gray hair, brittle nails, pimples, and more—these body changes indicate hormonal changes and are important to take note of. Your body often communicates what’s going on internally with changes on the surface.
7. Symptoms: Headaches? Stomach aches? Joint pain? Pay attention! Symptoms are a warning sign that something is off, and a signal to make changes to bring your body back into balance.

As you age, as the seasons change, as you change locations or jobs, have children, change body shape, or change symptoms, your ph360 plan changes with you. ph360 is not just a diet, it’s not just an exercise plan, it’s a life plan, personalized for your optimal well-being, now and into the future.

How long did your last diet go on before you felt too exhausted by the complexity, concern, and lack of results to go any further?

The truth is you want to lose weight fast, not count calories, spend hours at the grocery store reading labels, and obsess over all the foods you can’t eat while starving yourself. Is the answer in a weight loss pill or a fad diet?

In a study released in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) recently, a detailed analysis of the results of popular diets since 1966 found the differences among all diets (such as Atkins, Weight Watchers, The Zone, etc.) to be minimal. In another study, 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. But in 2007, UCLA researchers led by Dr. Traci Mann found that dieting typically failed to produce the weight loss desired, and often increased average weight in dieters over time.

With all this contradictory evidence, what’s a would-be dieter to do? If you want to lose weight, experts are increasingly looking to personalized health solutions to make the difference. After all, nothing knows you better than your own DNA.

The way your DNA expresses yourself in your body shape, size, and health is called your phenotype, and this basic information can provide a wealth of insight into what your body needs to lose weight and achieve lasting balance. Every body has a wide range of distinct needs in order to reach its unique weight loss goals. A personalized solution will take into account your individual needs and challenges to provide a diet, fitness, and lifestyle plan that matches your genetic profile.
Personalized health programs will work with your body profile to create a plan that is far more effective than any diet ever could be. It’s time to take the road less travelled, but far more familiar, and begin with your own body. Putting yourself first is the key to figuring out what works best for you.