European Double-Board Certified in Nutritional Medicine and Anti-Aging Medicine, Dr. Ted Achacoso is the founder of Health Optimization Medicine (HOMe) which is all about diagnosing and optimizing health rather than disease.

Complement your annual medical exam with tests that give you a comprehensive look at your health.

THE FACT: Standard medical exams measure specialized functions at the organ level–the lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, for instance. The good news is that because of today’s medical advancements, you can now look into your cells and test the basic cell function, which is common to all organs. “Cells are the common denominator for all specialized organs so why don’t we go and fix cells first before we fix the specialized function?” Dr. Achacoso says. This allows you to determine the levels of your vitamins and nutrients, which are co-factors in the different processes happening in your body. The body’s cells require these nutrients to fight disease and stay alive.

THE HACK: There is a way to measure your nutritional deficiencies and toxicities such as vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals, so you could know your body’s exact state. The BioBalance Nutrient Optimization Program, for instance, is a four-month program that includes a nutrient test, personalized vitamins packed for daily use, and a dietary protocol that’s made for you. Model, TV host, and entrepreneur Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi, who has been on the program for over a year now, reveals that the biggest impact she’s seen so far is a better immune system. “Balance is really the key. I can easily fight off colds and viruses now. Before I would always be the first one to get sick. I also sleep much better and have so much more energy,” she says.

There are supplements that your body cannot metabolize, so drinking them may render pointless.

THE FACT: Did you know that nearly a third of the world’s population cannot convert or metabolize folic acid, essential in the production of red blood cells, DNA repair, and cell development? The needs of each person are as unique as the make of each one’s body. As BioBalance ambassador Hindy Weber-Tantoco would say, “I realized one size doesn’t fit all. My health is as individual as my personality.”

THE HACK: If you can’t absorb folic acid, for instance, doctors at BioBalance recommend its active form, which is L-methytetrahydrofolate or Methylfolate, so that you can properly utilize this nutrient. This also applies to many other supplements. It’s important to always check the labels of your supplements for quality and ingredients. The most hardworking and effective ones are those that are given in their already active form and considers optimum absorption. “It’s important to have a proper, customized evaluation before you self-medicate. It helped me focus on the ‘concealed’ areas in my health that required immediate attention,” shares Hindy. “So I was able to have targeted supplements and even an exercise regimen specific to my needs.”

Your allergies, fatigue, and disposition can be traced to your gut health.

THE FACT: Your gut comprises 70 percent of your immune system. A healthy gut ensures that unwanted pathogens and toxins are not absorbed by your body. On the other hand, an imbalanced gut leads to many chronic diseases rooted on inflammation, such as allergies and neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s. “Health is such a crucial factor in surviving and making it in show business,” shares actor and entrepreneur Albert Martinez. “I have always been conscious about my health, but I never thought I could know better and learn more about things like probiotics and taking the right supplements since I discovered BioBalance. This helps me survive long work hours, tapings, travels and balance family life as well.”

THE HACK: Addressing gut health is key for improving your digestive issues and symptoms, and addressing many non-digestive symptoms like allergies, fatigue and disposition.

You can now check the state of your gut through extensive tests that can measure your good bacteria, bad bacteria, yeast, parasites, and other markers of digestion and absorption. BioBalance put together a Gut Care Program that tests gut health first for a targeted cleansing and resetting protocol using natural compounds like probiotics, prebiotics, and anti-fungals.

Photo toxicity or light toxicity—usually from your gadgets—influences your health more than you think.

THE FACT: The blue wavelength of light is the signal for the brain to wake up. “It’s the color of dawn,” explains Dr. Achacoso. “There is a part in the brain called SCN or Superchiasmatic nucleus, which is its circadian clock and which responds to the blue wavelength. If you don’t have a blue light blocker in your phone and you look at your phone 500 times a day, then you have 500 sunrises and that totally messes up your circadian rhythm.”

THE HACK: Make sure to turn off your mobile phone, TV, and other gadgets that emit blue light 30 minutes before you go to bed. This will help you to sleep better and longer, allowing your body to recuperate and recharge as necessary. “I used to be cavalier about my nutrition and recovery,” recalls fitness coach Andy Leuterio. “Now that I’m 38 and juggling work, family life, and training, I have to pay careful attention to my nutrition and recovery especially. I can still do most of the hard training I did before, provided my nutrition is sound and I get enough sleep in a day.”

If you can’t go on a diet, you can try intermittent fasting for weight loss and better overall health.

THE FACT: Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that, studies show, may help in extending human life spans and health spans. It triggers a set of protection measures in our body, allowing it to optimize its performance, rejuvenate its cells, and thrive under such stressful circumstances. Prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde is a testament to the effects of fasting: “I was a professional ballerina for 32 years. Of course, I needed to take care of my body,” she says. “I ate what I wanted, but in small portions, and I avoided feeling full at night before going to sleep. My meals were taken twice a day, breakfast and an early dinner. I also had my vitamin supplements and drank a lot of water.”

THE HACK: You can actually mimic fasting through food intake, resulting in sustainable weight loss and improvement of body’s biological aging markers. A nutritional breakthrough called Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) is a periodic meal program where the body consumes food yet still remains in a “fasting mode.” In simple terms, it is fasting with food. BioBalance offers a Weight Loss and Longevity Program that mimics fasting and is a clinically proven dietary program that helps you lose weight and improve health and longevity.

You may be fit but that doesn’t mean you’re healthy.

THE FACT: Being healthy isn’t just about the absence of disease, it’s about having the right balance of all the processes in your body—between anabolism or processes that build and catabolism or processes that destroy—according to Dr. Achacoso. Top photographer and model Sara Black agrees, relating her wellness journey to the BioBalance protocols. “Health is a daily practice of keeping my body, mind, and spirit in balance,” she shares. “Taking the right quality supplements coupled with healthy eating and exercise keeps me at a high level of productivity and creativity.”

THE HACK: “Health optimization medicine detects and corrects imbalances,” explains Dr. Achacoso. “At BioBalance, we lead in this game. We detect borderline deficiencies and subtle toxicities and bring them back in the balance before it becomes a disease. Now there’s no more guessing if vitamin E or B or A is good for you. What we do is we measure to find out. Illness medicine helps in curing diseases, while we are after optimizing health.”