Category: Featured

‘Lifelab Testing’ are sponsoring Stephen as he partakes in three challenging Rat Races this Summer. Since we were made aware that our Lifelab test helped Stephen to be where he is today by helping him to discover his intolerances, we decided to sponsor Stephen on his journey whilst helping to raise awareness for ‘Allergy UK’. Take a read of Stephen’s journey with Lifelab below and the reasons why he has chosen to take part in this year’s challenging rat races.

So, how have I ended up doing the ‘Man vs.’ series of rat race challenges? Good question! Let me take you back to the start, where my love for running began!

I’ve been taking part in the local 5k park runs for quite a while now, they’re great fun and I love being a part of such a large social environment whilst doing the thing I love. My park run times started off quite average and I was seeing improvements with my times in each run, which is amazing to see, and it encourages you to keep going back and improving. Though after a while, my times became stunted and I wasn’t seeing the same improvements I had been, to be honest, I was struggling! Something was holding my training back and I couldn’t figure out what it was!

So, I took it upon myself to take an intolerance test to see if anything I was eating as part of my diet plan was holding me back, it was the only thing I could think of it being at this point especially with food being such an important part of a training plan! I ordered my test from Lifelab Testing in December 2017 and the delivery was fast, it arrived the following day! The test itself was very quick and easy, it’s a simple finger prick to fill a small tube with blood to be tested! I had my tube filled up and sent back the following morning, I couldn’t believe how easy it was to do! I was told I would receive my results within 5-7 days, which was completely fine although I was quite eager to find to what intolerances I might have!

Waiting patiently, my results arrived four days later, brilliant! To my shock, I instantly saw an intolerance to almonds, ALMONDS! I was eating these nuts every day because I thought they were the best choice as part of my healthy diet! Don’t get me wrong, almonds are great as part of a healthy lifestyle but apparently, they just aren’t for me! I contacted Lifelab right away seeking advice about how to change my diet and what substitute foods I could have after receiving my results back. I was passed through to Sian, a nutritionist for Lifelab, who was more than happy to offer me some useful advice after my test.

Considering my results and the advice given from Sian, I cut almonds out of my diet completely and replaced them with other sources of good fats and protein. From doing this, my park run times started to improve massively and I’m now at the under 20-minute mark, how great is that!

Since taking the test, I have also joined Long Eaton running club which is great from both a social and running aspect, and I have taken part in several running events (one being an 8-hour endurance race), wow! In all fairness, it was quite fun, and I placed 16^th, of which I couldn’t be more proud of.

As daft as it sounds, I really don’t think I could have been fit enough to have taken part in several hard-hitting races if I hadn’t have taken a Lifelab test to discover what it was that was stopping me reach my greatest potential!

Which leads me to now, preparation for ‘Man vs. Mountain’, ‘Man vs. Coast’ and ‘Man vs. Lakes’ – Three major rat races that begin on the 7^th July with ‘Man vs. Coast’ and the final race being completed on the 1^st September which is ‘Man vs. Mountain’. These are all just as gruelling, and they all involve the infamous ‘Vertical KM’. I’m not going to beat around the bush, I’m a little scared… but I am determined to complete them all, smash the ‘Vertical KM’, and I will ~try~ and enjoy every minute of these races!

With regards to everything that happened with the intolerances that were hindering my training, I will be raising money for a charity close to my heart ‘Allergy UK’. These are a fantastic charity who are there to offer help and support to people who are suffering from allergies and intolerances, helping them to lead a healthier and happier life.

Click here to donate as little or as much as you can to help support ‘Allergy UK’ and to show support to Stephen.

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When migraines strike, they can come seemingly out of the blue and they can also be hard to find a cause for, as a lot of the symptoms can be attributed to other issues. For example, someone with a migraine can experience a stuffy nose, significant sinus pressure and a pounding head, all of which can be explained by allergies, rhinitis or even a common cold.

Signs you might have a migraine

Some physical manifestations of a migraine headache are easier to identify however, such as the visual ‘aura’ experienced by many, nausea and extreme sensitivity to light and when it gets to this stage, the best cause of action for most is to take migraine medication and lie down in a darkened room.

Sufferers of migraines will tell you that they can usually tell when they are going to get a migraine, as they might hear dull tone in one ear or experience an olfactory hallucination i.e. smell something that isn’t there. However, by this point, it’s usually too late to prevent the attack entirely and a process of damage limitation ensues.

What if there was a way to prevent them completely?

Surprisingly for some, migraines can often be traced back to an allergic trigger that if prevented, could stop the attack happening altogether. This means that identifying the catalyst to the problem is an important first step to take.

Trial and Error

You could try and determine your triggers by keeping a diary of when and where attacks occur and trying to spot a pattern, particularly if you suffer from regular migraines. This can be an effective way to do it, but it will take some time to come up with a clear picture of what your body is sensitive to. The drawback to this approach is that whilst you’re assessing your root causes, you’ll still have to put up the debilitating effects of a migraine.

The Scientific Method

At Lifelab, we employ a much more direct approach that really gets to the nub of the problem quickly, removing any ambiguity surrounding the things that your body has trouble dealing with.

Our blood screening services are designed to precisely screen for a range of common and less commonly found allergic triggers.

Our tests start from a little as £75 including VAT, which is about the same price as a good night out on the town!

The Benefits

After providing us with a small sample of your blood, you will receive your results within a week, detailing exactly what elements cause you problems. This allows you to actively avoid those things, hopefully freeing you from migraines and improving your quality of life.

Want to Know More?

If you’d like to know a bit more about how allergy blood screening can help you avoid the unpleasant side effects of a allergies, like migraines, there’s everything you need to know on our website www.lifelabtesting.com and if you have more questions after some more research, you can talk to one of our friendly experts via live chat, which should be easily visible on a tab on the home page.

So, what are you waiting for? Take control of your allergies now and you could soon have a life free from migraines, allergies and everything that comes with them.

Anyone who has any, will know that raising kids is a hard enough job as it is, without having to deal with any food allergies they may have. When your child has to avoid certain foods to stay healthy, it can make feeding them a little tricky, so we’ve thrown together a few frequently asked questions on the subject, to help you deal with the problem.

Knowing that your youngster has an allergy can be a scary thing, but it’s a lot less scary when you know how to deal with it when it arises. However, today, we look at prevention, rather than treatment, as it’s a lot better to avoid the problem.

Egg Allergies

When an allergic reaction to egg occurs, it can be sudden and potentially dangerous. Avoiding it sounds pretty easy, until you realise just how many things use egg in the recipe. So, you need to know what the alternatives are, or you’ll instantly have a much smaller range of foods to offer your kids.

The good news is that there are plenty of other options to allow you to offer a more varied diet to the precious ones in your life. Root vegetables and mashed fruit can serve as a suitable substitute for eggs, as can chia seeds and a specific mixture of oil, water and baking powder.

Lactose Intolerance

Those with an intolerance to cow’s milk can choose from a number of natural alternatives. Milk made from rice, almonds, coconuts and soy, all represent healthy lactose free choices. The same can be said for cheeses and margarines, as there are a variety of alternatives available from major supermarkets.

Other Food Allergens

There will be a certain amount of checking ingredient tables on the side of packaged foods when protecting your children from specific constituent food substances. Allergies and intolerances come in many shapes and forms and aside from those mentioned above, other common ones include peanuts, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish and tree nuts.

Infants

If your child is particularly young, then an intolerance to milk can be a bit of a problem. Fortunately, the major producers of infant formula like Aptamil and Cow & Gate all have lactose-free options.

Armed With Knowledge

If your child appears to be suffering with a food intolerance, but you’ve not been able to narrow things down, there is a simple way to check. At LifeLab Testing, we provide blood testing services that are easy to complete and within reach of everyone’s budget. For just £99, you can have your child screened for over 40 different allergens found in food.

We know our stuff too, as we are BANT registered and full members of the scientific community. It is a status we are very proud of and one that guarantees our customers the highest standards of service.

For more information visit www.lifelabtesting.com or to have your results back within 10 days, order now!

Asthma is a common condition that causes respiratory distress, such as coughing, wheezing and acute difficulty in breathing. Whether the condition exists due to genetic or environmental factors, the symptoms are very often difficult to tell apart and even if allergens aren’t the direct cause, they can certainly exacerbate the problem.

There are some distinct differences to watch out for, when trying to differentiate the two:

An allergic reaction will manifest in the following symptoms:

❏ Sneezing
❏ Excess mucus production
❏ Scratchiness in the throat
❏ Hives and/or rashes
❏ Itchy and watery eyes

Whereas, with asthma (a respiratory condition), the symptoms are quite different:

❏ Prolonged coughing at night or first thing in the morning
❏ Tightness of the chest
❏ Wheezing
❏ An ability to catch breath

Allergy Induced Asthma 

Congenital asthma is a long-term condition that can usually only be treated by Salbutamol and/or corticosteroids as needed, which means that aside from recognising the symptoms and administering inhalers as necessary, there’s not a lot that can be done to prevent it.

What can be done however, is to identify any allergens that might trigger an attack or make the problem worse. This is where a blood test can be very useful. For just £75, you can be screened for a wide range of potential triggers and minimise the chance of any unnecessary asthma attacks.

Simply visit our website www.lifelabtesting.com and take the few simple steps necessary to provide us with a small sample of your blood and usually within 3-5 working days, you’ll know a lot more about what your body likes and what it doesn’t do so well with.

Useful to Many

Around 5 million people in the UK suffer with asthma and of those, over 60% have a form of the condition that is worsened and compounded by food based and airborne allergens. This means that over 3 million people could potentially benefit from better control of diet and reduced exposure to any potential allergic triggers.

Treating Allergy Induced Asthma 

In addition to standard medications you would get from your GP, like Ventolin inhalers that treat asthma itself, there are various other treatments specifically designed to help with symptoms that point towards allergy induced asthma.

They include:

Allergy shots, which are used a little bit like a vaccine, as each shot administers a small amount of the allergen into the body to allow it to slowly build a tolerance to it. Also called immunotherapy, it is usually given over a period of around 3 years and it is administered by injection, hence the name.

Anti-Immunoglobulin E (usually referred to as IgE for ease) Immunotherapy focuses on the allergic reaction itself and is typically only suitable for those with moderately acute asthma. It is not given initially, as it is usually reserved for when other treatment has had no effect.

Montelukast is another asthma medication that can be used to combat the symptoms of allergies and allergy induced asthma. It is normally taken on a daily basis in pill form and it helps to regulate the body’s immune response.

Get Tested Now! 

If you’re one of the 5 million sufferers of asthma in the UK, you’ll know how unpleasant an attack can be and by getting yourself tested, you’ll identify things that make it worse, allowing you to take the necessary measures to lessen the impact and start enjoying the warmer months of the year like everyone else.

1) They ate more locally sourced seasonal food.

People ate foods bought from local markets and produced in regional farms during the last century because food preservatives were not widely used. The lack of processed food and high levels of fresh items meant diets were rich in vitamins and minerals.

2) Diets and trendy eating habits were only for the rich as the vast majority of the population ate when food was available. 

Celebrity endorsed diets, marketing, calorie counting, and other extreme eating ideas did not reach the masses. This meant they had a healthier metabolism and ate according to their body’s needs and the availability of foods.

3) Most people cooked and ate at home, with food being made from scratch. 

Buying processed food was not an option, and eating out was a rare luxury. Luckily for our grandparents, these habits actually increased their health.

4) Accidently Organic. 

There were no GMO’s and the food was not treated with antibiotics, hormones and additives. People ate close to what we now refer to as ‘organic’ as a matter of course.

5) More of the animal was used. 

Unadulterated animal product consumption included all of the parts of the animal including the bone and organ nutrients. Many foods we now don’t consume or feed to pets were highly prized for their medicinal benefits.

6) Less medication.

The use of prescription medicines was very limited and rarely used for less serious illnesses. Food was often medicine with warming and hydrating soups and broths being an important aspect of recovering from illness.

7) They moved more. 

More exercise and time spent outside helped previous generations. Regular walking was common as personal transport was expensive and public transport not as readily available.