Ever wonder why it’s hard to stick to a diet or an exercise plan? We all hate that cycle of boom and bust that often goes along with an attempted lifestyle change. Maybe you felt great your first week on the paleo diet, but quickly found that it made you a bit sluggish. Vegan might have been zen for a month, but you got sick more than usual. And yoga seemed to be peachy until your back told you otherwise. You’re ready for something that actually works for YOU, not what all your friends are doing.

What’s a body to do?

First of all, recognize the complex network of interconnected physical, hormonal, skeletal, and environmental processes that influence who you are. You are a dynamic being, changing every moment of every day, depending on your environment, your diet, your exercise, and the people you spend time with. For this reason alone, it’s important to recognize that your dietary, fitness, and mental needs will change frequently.

While the Atkins diet may be the perfect thing for a colleague, it may rob you of critical nutrients that affect the production of serotonin in your unique physical makeup. Likewise, certain types of exercise are better matched to certain body types. Moreover, the ways you eat and exercise should change depending on time of year, environment, and temperature. If you are exposed to toxins frequently (if, for example, you live near a factory that emits toxic gases, or your office uses toxic cleaners), your diet should include foods like cilantro, and other greens that help your body to detox.

Point being: Your plan for optimal wellness should change as you change. Your health is dynamic, and you need the support of a program that acknowledges that dynamism. It will never be enough to let someone prescribe a diet, fitness, or lifestyle plan that is supposed to last your whole life.

How do you know when it’s time for a change? You can begin by taking regular measurements of your body and keeping track of your state of mind to help reveal imbalances and areas that need your attention. Once you start to track the changes that occur in your body over weeks, months, and years, you’ll quickly realize how important it is to personalize your food, health, and wellness regimens.

Learn more about yourself and what your measurements reveal about you at ph360.me.