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Category: Allergies

Allergy Test: Your New Year’s Resolution Secret Weapon

Posted on by Donna Mastriani

A study found that, by the second weekend of January, most people have given up on their New Year’s resolution. The failure to see the results they’re looking for just proves too disheartening and its time to fall face-first into a large pizza. We go again next year, right?

No! 2021 is our year, and the reason is that we’re taking an allergy test.

But what’s an allergy test got to do with anything? Well, when you’re turning over a new, healthier leaf, there are specific health outcomes you’re looking to achieve. You want to look slimmer, and you want to feel fitter. What if we tell you that food intolerance or allergy is getting in the way of both of these? Read on to see why an allergy test could make this the year the resolution succeeds.

Weight Loss

Salads, soups, juices, meal replacement shakes. You’ve tried them all, but you still have that muffin top creeping over the top of your jeans. It’s disheartening, right? What’s the point in being so strict if you’re still going to have that belly. Well, what if we told you that the foods you’re eating might be masking the progress you’re making on your diet?

When you eat a food to which you’re intolerant, it is likely to cause digestive irritation which slows foods progress through your system, this means the food spends more time being broken down by enzymes leading to an increase in the gas produced during digestion. This gas then stays within the stomach, which leads to bloating. By taking an intolerance and allergy test, you can identify the foods which may be making your stomach seem artificially large.

Fitness

You’ve bought the running shoes, you’ve created your inspirational running playlist, and you’re ready to go full Mo Farah. But you’ve been running for a few weeks now, and you’re still struggling for breath five minutes in. The first temptation is to think you’re still unfit, right? It’s going to take forever to enjoy running, and you can’t be bothered to stick it out.

Have you ever stopped to consider that your tight chest, difficulty breathing and a general feeling of unfitness may be down to the symptoms of an allergy? When you have an allergic reaction, inflammation can occur, meaning the narrowing of the airways, making it hard to get enough oxygen into your lungs. By taking an allergy test, you can take the necessary steps to resolve these symptoms and get back on the running track.

 We have an allergy test to suit all budgets, find yours today.

How to Avoid Yeast

Posted on by Kate Young

Yeast can be a problematic food for many of us. Between yeast allergies, intolerances, candida, and dropping the ingredient for the dietary benefits, there are plenty of reasons to leave yeast out of your diet. Whatever has driven you to remove yeast from your diet, we’ve got a few tips to help you out.

Change your major carb source

We’re not going to suggest that you drop carbohydrates altogether like many popular diets around but changing your major carbohydrate source will be helpful in eliminating yeast from your diet. This is much easier than it seems. While there are a lot of yeast filled carb sources, such as bread, pastries, breaded food and pasta, but there are also solid yeast-free carbs to choose from. Try swapping your bread and pasta for rice and potatoes.

If you insist on enjoying baked goods on your new diet (we can’t blame you!) then opting for wheat-free flours is the way to go. Try potato-based flours, spelt or other flours that don’t contain gluten.

Avoid fermented goods altogether

That means vinegar, alcohol and any other foods that contain fermented ingredients. It’s also best to remove fruit, fruit juice and dried fruit from the diet for this reason. If you’re avoiding yeast to beat candida you should really avoid sugar and sweeteners altogether.

Sugar is what the candida feeds off, so while avoiding yeast, you should also seek to starve the candida by avoiding sugar in all forms. That includes fructose, sucrose and other forms of simple sugars.

Skip the Soya

Much of the soy used is fermented, and since the ingredients lists don’t exactly give you a detailed history of each ingredient, it’s best to just avoid the ingredient altogether. Once you aim to get rid of soy from your diet, you may be surprised to see just how frequently it is used as an ingredient in pre-packaged food. Another reason to enjoy home-cooked meals and avoid processed stuff.

Yeast-Free = Healthy?

It’s not the most usual diet but going yeast-free can be very beneficial to your health. But it’s not that eliminating yeast alone is healthier for you (unless you have a yeast allergy or yeast intolerance). Going yeast-free coincidentally means swapping sugary snacks and baked goods for more nutritious options, like nuts and seeds, meat, vegetables and fish.

Testing for Food Allergies to Help Your New Years’ Goals

Posted on by Donna Mastriani

It’s almost the end of the year and after enjoying some well-deserved celebrations with family and friends, many of us are now looking to the future. A festive time of feasts and merriment has us looking for ways to get our health back on track this January and maybe even help us lose a few pounds of holiday weight.

Diets, a gym membership, and sobriety are all common options to help you get back to your optimal health. But have you considered a food allergy and intolerance test to help you improve your health this January?

Why allergy tests are more important than ever

Allergies are becoming more and more prevalent throughout the world. While you may expect to be safe from any surprising allergies, cases of adult-onset allergies are rising. People who thought they knew all there is to know about their dietary needs are being shocked by adverse reactions developing in adulthood.

It’s better to be safe than sorry, and getting an allergy test before any surprising reactions, is far more preferable to waiting for a one to crop up unexpectedly.

Why Right After the Holidays is Perfect Timing

As we’ve all indulged in foods that we might otherwise restrict during the rest of the year, it’s quite possible that you may have developed a food intolerance over the festive period. Research has indicated that excessive consumption of a food item or ingredient can cause an intolerance to develop.

While you may have been enjoying a daily mince pie and leftover turkey, your digestive tract might not have been so pleased. This is why testing for food intolerances especially, is ideal right after the holidays. It can help highlight foods that you should avoid altogether for a period while you get your health back on track.

Get Tested to Maximise Your Health

If health is your top priority this year, get started on the right foot with a food intolerance and allergy test. Keep yourself safe and maximise your diet by tailoring it to what your body wants.

Allergen-Friendly Christmas Pudding Recipe – Weekend Treats

Posted on by Donna Mastriani

Christmas Pudding (It’s not too late!)

It’s not too late for you to bake your very own Christmas pudding before the big day! This allergen-friendly recipe is devoid of any nuts, gluten, soy and dairy, making it the perfect dessert for any family – whether you’ve got an allergy sufferer or someone with a food intolerance. The vast majority of people can enjoy this moist and boozy Christmas pudding.

Ingredients

  • 1 apple, grated (no need to peel it)
  • 1 tablespoon unwaxed orange zest (or substitute 1 teaspoon of orange extract)
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice (or substitute a mixture of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 120ml unsweetened almond milk (or another plant-based milk)
  • 150g gluten-free flour blend (substitute plain flour you don’t need gluten-free)
  • 150g ground walnuts (or substitute ground almonds)
  • 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder (ensure it’s gluten-free if necessary)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 200g dried fruit, finely chopped
  • 4 tablespoons date syrup (you can substitute another sweetener)
  • 60g coconut oil (olive or vegetable oil will also do)
  • Generous amount brandy/sherry (use vegan/gluten-free if necessary. Or substitute with apple or orange juice)

Instructions

  1. Place the orange zest, grated apple, dried fruit, cinnamon, ginger and mixed spice in a bowl. Then add a generous amount of brandy or sherry, until roughly everything covered.
  2. Keep the fruit covered in the fridge for around 24 hours, to allow the flavours time to develop.
  3. Place your coconut oil in a large bowl and melt it over a saucepan of boiling water, or in the microwave (skip this if you’re using an already liquid oil).
  4. Once melted, add the milk to the bowl of oil along with lemon juice, vanilla, salt and ground walnuts.
  5. Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into the mix.
  6. Add the dried fruit mixture, and add a tiny splash more milk if it’s looking a bit too dry.
  7. Next, grease a medium-sized deep glass bowl or pudding basin and transfer the pudding batter into it
  8. Place the bowl in a pan (one that’s bigger than the bowl) and fill it up with cold water to roughly halfway up the bowl.
  9. Then, cut out a circle of baking paper and place it directly on top of the pudding batter so that it’s completely covered.
  10. Use some foil to cover the top and fold it around the edges of the bowl.
  11. Then, place a lid on the pan and bring it to the boil.
  12. Then turn down the heat and cook on low for around 2 hours.
  13. Leave the cake to cool for a bit before continuing to take it out of the bowl.
  14. Carefully remove the foil and baking paper. Use a blunt knife around the edge of the bowl to help the pudding come away from the sides (this is much easier once the pudding’s cooled down).
  15. Now turn the bowl upside down on a plate and shake until the pudding pops out.
  16. Keep it covered in the fridge and serve either hot or cold. Both are lovely! The pudding should keep for a few days, but not much longer.

What is IgE Allergy Testing?

Posted on by Kate Young

What is an IgE Allergy Test?

With so many options for allergy testing, it can be hard to figure out which kind you should go for. You may have come across the term ‘IgE allergy testing’ here and there but aren’t sure what it means. We’re here to clear up the confusion.

What does IgE mean?

An IgE allergy test is a scientifically proven allergy test that uses a blood sample to determine if you have an allergy to certain substances. It tests for the antibody immunoglobin E (IgE), after exposing the sample to certain substances. If the patient is suffering from an allergy, the antibody will become present. The higher the levels of IgE, the more likely you are suffering from an allergy.

Not all Allergy Tests will Test for IgE

First of all, not all allergy tests are IgE allergy tests. The allergy test that doctors prefer to perform – the skin prick test doesn’t test for Immunoglobin E. This test only looks for a visual response on the surface of the skin – after puncturing suspected allergens into the skin. Although the reaction is caused by IgE antibodies, it doesn’t detect IgE’s for certain. While not all allergy tests are IgE, blood allergy tests are usually IgE allergy tests.

Pros of IgE over other Allergy Tests

One of the main benefits of IgE allergy testing over traditional skin-prick testing is that there is no risk of a reaction during testing. Because the patient doesn’t come into contact with any allergens during testing, there’s virtually no chance of adverse reactions occurring or skin reactions developing. There’s also the benefit of only 1-3 punctures needed for the sample to be taken with IgE allergy testing. That’s a much lower puncture count compared to skin-prick testing which would require a puncture for each allergen tested.

IgE allergy testing is an excellent choice for people wanting an allergy test, without a trip to the doctors. It’s convenient, safe and can be done from the comfort of your own home.

Can Allergy Testing Help with Eczema

Posted on by Donna Mastriani

The connection between allergies and eczema

You may be surprised to hear that there’s a strong connection between eczema and allergies. While two may seem like completely different issues, there’s solid evidence that they’re connected. This has prompted experts to ponder whether allergy testing would help those suffering from eczema.

There’s currently a lot of conversation about the connection between eczema and food allergies. The topic in question is; “does having eczema make developing food allergies more common than those without eczema? Can food allergies cause eczema? Does having one worsen the other?

Evidence suggests that those who suffer from the skin condition are more likely to develop food allergies than those without. Conversely, people who have a food allergy are also more likely to have eczema.

How Allergy Testing can help

The idea is that having an allergy test could help eczema sufferers alleviate their symptoms. Allergy testing looks for the IgE antibody – If you have an allergic reaction, the IgE antibody will be present. This testing can help you to understand if the eczema is a result of a food allergy. 

Identifying and avoiding a food allergy has been proven to help clear up cases of eczema. Most people expect an allergic reaction to cause symptoms such as anaphylaxis and swelling rather than skin conditions, but there’s a wide range of symptoms which can arise from an allergic reaction. Eczema is one of these symptoms. 

If you’re experiencing a bout of eczema, you should first figure out whether something topical could be causing it. Is it a new hygiene product or laundry detergent? Maybe something in the local environment? It doesn’t make sense to get an allergy test until you’ve ruled out all the other possibilities.

A Cure for Eczema?

Research indicates that food allergy testing could lead to alleviating eczema and, when used early in the diagnostic process, it could save lots of time and discomfort. Not to mention it can pinpoint an unknown food allergy that could cause much more serious issues than a skin condition.

Only time will tell if allergy testing can help cure eczema. but it’s exciting to imagine that a cure exists. Especially to those who are regularly dealing with severe cases and aren’t seeing impactful results from traditional treatment. 

While we try to connect the dots between eczema and food allergies — and which comes first — for now, it’s clear that food allergy testing could be the key to the dealing with eczema.

Can Allergy Testing Reduce Asthma Symptoms?

Posted on by Donna Mastriani

If you’re not familiar with allergies, or asthma, then you might not be aware that there is a small connection between the two. Depending on your viewpoint, this may be good or bad news. Regardless, allergy testing can help asthma sufferers find relief from their chronic symptoms. 

Asthmas link with Allergies

In many cases, an allergy can actually be what causes asthma to develop. For example, if you’re allergic to dust, your body sees the dust particles entering unannounced as an enemy to destroy. This brings about rashes and other kinds of reactions, including lung issues such as coughing and wheezing. All these symptoms are your bodies way of dealing with the perceived threat. 

This formation of allergy-related asthmatic symptoms is named “allergic asthma”. This means the allergic reaction triggers the onset of asthma. From there, the allergen can trigger further asthma attacks.

How can allergy testing help my asthma?

Allergy testing can be quite helpful for those living with allergies. Your asthmatic symptoms can improve (or even dissipate) with proper identification and avoidance of the triggers. Once the body is no longer fighting off allergens as if it were a virus, the symptoms are no longer a problem.

Despite allergies and asthma being treated as separate conditions, there is evidence to suggest that treating one can help alleviate symptoms of the other. Allergic asthma occurs because the body is fighting off the allergen. The lungs and airways then suffer to the point of triggering the asthmatic symptoms. When you identify and avoid the allergen, the lungs and related symptoms are no longer triggered the same way.

Treating an allergy isn’t necessarily a cure for asthma though, as it can be triggered by issues other than an allergy (sometimes asthmatics don’t even have allergies). Still, there is research suggesting that treating allergies can help improve to alleviate asthmatic symptoms. Thus, improving the overall quality of life on both fronts.

Allergies and Asthma aren’t always found together

Some Asthmatics experience allergic asthma, but it isn’t always the case. Approximately 40% of asthmatics in the US don’t experience allergic asthma. It’s often symptoms like rashes or runny eyes when it comes to mild and moderate allergies. Anyone with a history of allergic asthma or who experienced hay fever as a child is more likely to deal with asthmatic reactions later in life.

Neither asthma nor allergies are fun to deal with. But understanding the connection between them and understanding how to deal with any symptoms and their causes can help you make the most out of this less-than-ideal situation. This is excellent news for those who regularly deal with asthma attacks. 

Five ways an allergy test will change your life

Posted on by Donna Mastriani

As Francis Bacon once said, “Knowledge is power.” and an allergy test can give you the power to change your life. Once you’re aware of the allergies you suffer from and the effects they’re having on your body and life, you can take the steps necessary towards a healthier lifestyle.

There are many ways allergy testing can change your life; below are five we’ve identified.

1. You can finally enjoy social events

Allergies can hurt your ability to enjoy your social time. Meals can be riddled with ingredients that upset your stomach, going for a coffee can leave you feeling anxious, and bar snacks can leave you struggling for breath. Allergy testing can help you avoid foods that cause these and many other symptoms, empowering you to get the most out of time with friends.

2. Improved workout performance

Allergies can encourage any number of symptoms that impair athletic performance. In some cases, the symptoms, combined with exercise, can be life-threatening. An allergy test can help you identify foods and substances that leave you puffing for breath, long before your muscles feel fatigued, or cutting your workout short to make an unexpected trip to the nearest bathroom. In turn, exercise can help manage the symptoms of an allergy.

man running on treadmill

3. Improved cognitive function

Brain fog leaves you unable to focus on even the simplest of tasks and certainly far short of being able to deliver your best work. Allergies can cause inflammation which affects sleep patterns leaving you in a state of sleepy wakefulness. This can have a real impact on your working and social life as essential tasks can take twice as long. Allergy testing can help identify potential causing factors that you can eliminate from your diet or life, helping clear your mind and allow you to focus entirely on the tasks at hand.

4. Improved mood

Studies have found that allergies can have mental effects as well as physical. Allergy induced fatigue can lead to depression and anxiety as sufferers struggle to get quality sleep. Depression has been shown to be twice as common amongst allergy sufferers than the general population. Identifying the culprit using allergy testing can help combat depression and lift your mood.

5. Improved sleep quality

There are a significant number of effectors on sleep and eliminating them one by one will lead to enhanced rest. Amongst the things that can have an impact on sleep is an allergy. Sleep is the time your brain uses to recuperate and restore damaged cells. To do this, your brain requires a steady flow of oxygen which can be in short supply when an allergic reaction inflames nasal passages. 

 To begin your life-changing journey, you can take one of our allergy tests today to eliminate your culprit.

What is an IgE Allergy Test?

Posted on by Donna Mastriani

What is an IgE Allergy Test?

Knowing what foods your body needs is fundamental to taking proper care of yourself.  But what about which foods your body doesn’t want? Food allergies are becoming more and more common in the UK. And as more people dive into the world of food allergies, an IgE test is key in understanding what’s going on in our bodies and how best to take care of ourselves.

Allergy Testing

An IgE food allergies test is a lab-driven test designed to determine how your body reacts to certain food allergens.  There are hundreds of potential allergens in the world of food, and the only way to know for certain what is causing your body to have an allergic reaction is to test against all of them.

Multiple Options for Testing

There are several options for testing for food allergies.  The first option is a skin prick test.  This uses small allergen samples under the skin to elicit a reaction in your body by creating a rash.  But when it comes to food allergens, this isn’t always the best result.  Another option — with arguably better results — is a blood test.  This uses a sample of blood to rest against hundreds of food ingredient allergens to determine which ones create a reaction.  The least popular option is the idea of a hair root test.  Using a sample of hair (with the root) to determine which ingredients cause a reaction. 

What is the IgE Allergy Blood Test?

An IgE allergy test is an analysis of a sample (usually blood) where the lab check for an IgE-mediated immune response when exposed to certain allergens. An allergy is a type I hypersensitivity meaning that exposure to an allergen results in the production of immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies, the release of histamine and symptoms (which may lag behind the other responses). Allergens are usually easy to identify due to the quick nature of the reaction.

This is the most efficient method for allergy testing against multiple foods. A small blood sample can be subject to hundreds of common allergens and complete results can be ready very quickly.

Fast and Effective Results

With food allergy testing you get concrete results, for an abundance of allergens, in very little time. This will allow you freedom over your diet and food choices again, without the fear and uncertainty of whether your meal will stir up trouble.  You’ll see in intricate detail what makes your body react and why. Helping you avoid any future reactions to food, which is great for those who have a history of moderate to severe reactions. Although, since one reaction doesn’t accurately indicate the severity of future reactions — i.e. a mild reaction can easily grow into a severe one — knowing what to avoid for your own safety is paramount.

You’ll Understand Your Body Better

If you decide to have proper IgE allergy testing, you’ll understand how your body reacts to the food that you are eating, and how avoiding these key ingredients will make you healthier in the long-term.  Having a food allergy is serious and important to know, but once you get the rest results back, you can back in control of your own body and be able to improve your overall quality of life as a result.

Food allergies are serious

Are lactose intolerance, dairy intolerance, and dairy allergy the same?

Posted on by Kate Young

The long and short of it is, no. Despite being quite different (especially in how they affect the body), the terminology used for allergies and intolerances is frequently applied interchangeably. Subsequently, they require specific testing methods.

How are they tested?

While a milk allergy and a milk intolerance are immune-mediated requiring blood allergy testing or intolerance testing, lactose intolerance is enzyme-mediated meaning symptoms occur due to an insufficiency of the enzyme lactase and in this case, a breath test is required.

In milk allergy testing and milk intolerance testing, your blood is tested for antibodies, IgE and IgG respectively, which your body creates against the proteins in the milk.

Lactose intolerance is the inability to break down the sugar element, lactose, in the milk due to an insufficiency of the enzyme lactase. This results in the production of hydrogen and methane gases. These are exhaled and levels can be tested to identify the condition.

What are the symptoms?

All three conditions can result in potentially debilitating symptoms such as bloating, stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhoea. But it’s milk allergy that has the potential to be life-threatening.

In most people, allergies result in symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, runny nose, swelling of the lips/mouth, itchy lips/mouth or vomiting, but for some, they can be as severe as an anaphylactic shock which can be fatal. If you suspect you or a family member has an allergy to milk then allergy testing is highly recommended, particularly if you, or they, also have asthma.

Living with Lactose Intolerance, Milk Intolerance or a Milk Allergy

The dietary implications of these conditions depend on which one you’re suffering from. With milk allergy, it’s recommended that you avoid all milk products on an on-going basis. In the case of milk intolerance, your results may indicate that you are intolerant to certain milk products but not others. For example, milk but not cheddar cheese.

This because of the varying levels of proteins and bacteria in different milk products. We’d recommend a 4-week initial elimination period. Following this, you may be able to successfully reintroduce the items, but this is highly individual, and many people choose to keep them out of their diet.

With lactose intolerance, it isn’t always necessary to remove all milk products, because certain milk products, such as aged hard cheese, butter or probiotic-rich plain yoghurt have very little lactose in them, but this depends upon the severity of your lactose intolerance.

To summarise the crucial differences in these conditions; milk allergy and milk intolerance produce antibodies against proteins in the food and can, therefore, be tested using IgE antibody allergy testing or IgG intolerance testing. Lactose intolerance is an insufficiency of the enzyme lactase resulting in the inability to break down the milk’s sugar and can be tested for via a breath test.

If you suspect your symptoms relate to a milk allergy or milk intolerance take a look at our range of Lifelab testing kits.