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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.

Drinking with a Yeast Intolerance over Christmas

Posted on by Kate Young

We all enjoy an alcoholic drink or two with family and friends over the festive season. But those with allergies and intolerances can have a tougher time finding a drink that doesn’t lead to uncomfortable or potentially life-threatening symptoms. Particularly if you have a yeast intolerance or allergy, yeast is a primary ingredient in the production of these beverages.

Fermented Alcoholic Drinks

The problem for those with a yeast allergy is mostly with fermented drinks. All alcoholic beverages use yeast to help with the fermentation process. It’s used to turn the sugars into ethanol. No yeast, no alcohol.

There are a few options that those avoiding yeast can still drink on a night out though. But be warned, this is mostly anecdotal, and there is still more research needed.

Distilled Spirits – the Non-Allergenic Saviour

Because distilling a drink usually removes most yeast by-products from the liquid, the vast majority of them are considered yeast-free. The consensus is that the distillation process removes all but the most minute traces of yeast from these drinks.

Clear liquors such as Vodka and Gin are common choices for those avoiding yeast. They’re also considered the best options for avoiding a hangover because they’ve been refined. The refining often removes undesirable congeners which are also believed to contribute to hangovers. So, opting for a clear spirit could be a doubly wise choice for the yeast intolerant drinker. You could end up experiencing fewer side-effects of alcohol than those without any intolerances or allergies at all!

It’s not a Perfect Science – Yet

While the expectation is that distilled drinks shouldn’t be a problem for those with Yeast allergies, there has been very little research into it. If you are allergic to yeast, its best to discuss further allergy testing with your allergist or doctor before adding any of these drinks to your diet.

How an Intolerance Test can relieve stress

Posted on by Kate Young

Modern life is full of stresses and strains which can make life tiring and exhausting. Money, work, family life, the list of things having an effect on you on a day to day basis can seem endless. Did you ever stop to consider the fact that the food you’re eating could be having as significant an impact as anything? An intolerance test can help you identify the foods that are causing symptoms that are piling the stress on.

 Here we look at how an intolerance test could be the first step on a journey to a new, stress-free you.

Brain Fog

You’ve got a list of jobs to help put you on the path to a less stressful way of life. But you cannot seem to make head nor tail of the list. As much as you look at it, you cannot make sense of what you’re looking at. You know the words, but they won’t go in. You are likely experiencing a bout of brain fog. A commonly reported condition, brain fog can have a severe impact on your ability to process information or act effectively on instruction. Sodium nitrite causes with brain fog. An intolerance test will identify foods that may be causing irritations leading to brain fog.

intolerance test stressed

Anxiety and Depression

 Tackling the factors that are causing you stress are severely inhibited by anxiety and depression. These conditions lead to apathy which will reduce your productivity and contribute to the anxiety and depression. It can be a vicious circle. There is evidence of a correlation between food intolerance and depression and anxiety. Symptoms of food intolerance contribute to the condition as you get worn down by constantly not feeling well. A food intolerance test can help you identify the foods to remove from your diet to improve your mood.

Digestive problems

Have you tried being productive when you’re suffering from stomach pain, or bloating, or diarrhoea? It can be incredibly challenging to focus on the task at hand when you’re always rushing off to the bathroom or are struggling with searing stomach pain which leaves you bent double. These symptoms are incredibly common in food intolerances and is an avoidable stressor that can be identified and removed from your life with the completion of an elimination diet using the results of a food intolerance test.

Take back control of your stress levels by removing the foods that are causing you life-affecting symptoms. Take an intolerance test today.

How does food intolerance testing work?

Posted on by Donna Mastriani

If you aren’t informed on it, food intolerance testing can feel more like a mystic art than a science. After all, it’s quite impressive that with such a small sample size (just a few hairs or drops of blood) we can deduce how you’ll respond to an abundance of different foods. But how does it all work?

Today, we’re drawing back the curtain to show you how getting tested against food intolerances actually works.

Order your Intolerance test

First, you order a test. Depending on whether you’ve opted for a blood or hair test, you’ll either print out a form or receive a kit in the post. The former is exclusively for hair tests and the latter – you guessed it – for blood only.

The reason for this is because of the ease with which hair samples can be obtained, compared to blood samples, which require the use of sterilised tools to help you safely pull out your blood.

For blood testers, this is the slightly uncomfortable part. But don’t worry, it’s not nearly as bad as a blood test at the hospital or having an injection. You’ll have to prick your finger using a lancet supplied in the testing kit and encourage your blood to flow out so you can send us your sample.

Hair testers have a better time with this, as they only need to supply a few relatively new hairs, which naturally fall out throughout the day anyway. Provided you don’t share a brush; you can take a few hairs from it and send them in.

Analysis

Next is where all the technical bits happen. Once we receive your sample, you’ll be notified, so you know it won’t be too long before your results are ready.

First, all test samples are sorted, based on where they’ve come from, which test the customer is having, etc. Then, samples are taken through to the lab, where samples are tested. Here’s how the process looks for blood samples;

“Your blood sample is turned into plasma (the liquid component of blood), and our lab technicians then analyse the immune-mediated intolerances, which produce IgG4 antibodies against 40 foods to generate a report. The report is then uploaded to your secure customer area for you to download.”

Lifelab Testing

Your report indicates the severity of any reactions your sample indicated. It’s quite common for intolerance results to highlight foods you’ve regularly been eating – you might just need to vary your diet a little more.

Allergy People making a difference

Posted on by Kate Young

There are so many people looking to make a difference in their lifestyle and diet, but it does not stop there. Allergy testing people are making a difference and spreading the word, so we thought it was time to celebrate their awareness and ability. Look at how we have helped some of our customers to improve their lives, and how they have spread their own awareness.

Chris Jones – Lifelab Testimonial

“My experience was great, particularly as I messed the first one up so getting a second kit was easy.  I was intrigued by the results and have found that reflecting this in my diet has helped my health and well-being. But overall the whole process was easy and I would recommend, in fact, I already have. Thanks!” – Chris wanted to make a change in his life, and he was dedicated to improving his diet. He did this with Lifelab Testing and allergy testing kits, and he loved the whole process, recommending it to any others who suffer from food allergies.

Chris Jones loved his Lifelab Testing testimonial

Danielle Lloyd – Spreading the word

We’re absolutely delighted to have helped model and TV star: the AMAZING Danielle Lloyd, kickstart her year in the best way possible by helping her discover her Intolerances with an easy to use at-home Intolerance Test ? Just take a look at what she had to say about her Lifelab Testing experience below! ??

“I’m starting the new year feeling great after finding out what was causing me bloating and pain after eating food, with Lifelab Testing‘s at-home intolerance and allergy testing kit. The results were so good that my son Harry did a test, too, and since changing his diet to gluten free, he hasn’t been in any pain. My results showed I had to cut out eggs, yoghurt and white beans, which I eat regularly as part of a healthy diet, so it’s been a total change but it’s for the better and means I’m not bloating after meals anymore! The test was so easy to do and really thorough as it checks over 159 intolerances, so I knew it’d be a good way of finding out what was causing the pain.”

Danielle Lloyd is spreading the benefits of understanding your allergies and intolerances

Lauren McQueen spreading the news

We are so proud to have helped people cope with their allergies, and with people coming to us and ask how we could help them with their allergies through allergy testing, they wanted to spread the word. Lauren McQueen was another one, check out her testimonial below and also, you can hop over to Instagram to find out more:

I have been struggling with bad breakouts on my skin alongside extreme bloating of my stomach. I contacted Lifelab Testing and purchased their Complete Intolerance Test without any hesitation. I took my blood sample and returned it to Lifelab for testing. Within days, my results were ready in the ‘my account’ section. After I studied my results, I was put in contact with Lifelab Testing’s Nutritional Therapist who helped me to understand my results more and how to structure my diet around this. With this knowledge, I am now aware of what I should eat less of and what to completely avoid.

Lauren shared her experience on her Instagram page, and utilising our nutritional therapists, she was able to improve her health and lifestyle. We are very keen to see people spread the word about allergies and healthy living.

Allergy Testing with Lauren

For more information on allergy testing and finding out about the way people share their experiences with allergy testing, check out www.lifelabtesting.com.

Do you know the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance?

Posted on by Donna Mastriani

A food allergy and a food intolerance are often thrown around in the same conversation and are thought to be the same thing when this couldn’t be further from the truth. An allergy is an entirely different condition to an intolerance and we’re here to clarify the difference for you. As well as being two different conditions, there are a lot of ‘untruths’ lying around regarding each term such as ‘an allergy can be cured if the food is removed for a period of time’ or ‘an allergy can be created by regular consumption of a food’. 

What is a food allergy?

A food allergy, when occurring, creates an immune reaction within the body. This is usually caused by the protein of an allergen entering the bloodstream. This tends to happen more often at a younger age as the lining of the gut isn’t yet fully developed. When you are exposed to the allergen, whether you have ingested, inhaled or touched the item, an IgE immune response is released as the body now sees the allergen as a threat. This release histamine and symptoms that can occur immediately or up to a couple of hours later.

Symptoms of an allergy can be;

Symptoms are completely individual and can differ from person to person, however, in the worst-case scenario, anaphylactic shock can occur in which an EpiPen needs to be administered as well as seeking urgent medical attention. It is important that you know what to do in a situation where someone is suffering an allergic reaction as it has the potential of being life-threatening. If diagnosed with an allergy through an allergy test or an experience with a reaction, you need to do all you can to constantly avoid these items. 

What is a food intolerance?

A food intolerance, such as lactose intolerance, occurs when an individual’s gut lacks the correct digestive enzymes to break down the foods. In this case, we are going to look at immune-mediated intolerances which is a reaction to IgG antibodies. There are four types of IgG antibodies – IgG₁, IgG₂, IgG₃ and IgG₄. IgG₁ is a first responder to a reaction, however, if a reaction continues to happen to a food item because we are continually exposed to an allergen, we begin to produce IgG₄ antibodies. IgG₂ and IgG₃ antibodies are not produced in response to a food item which is why at Lifelab Testing, we find IgG₄the most relevant antibody for testing food intolerances. 

Symptoms to a food intolerance can occur up to 72 hours after the food item has been consumed. Symptoms include;

• Bloating and cramps.

• Flatulence.

• Changes in bowel movements.

• Fatigue.

• Headaches.

• Fogginess.

Symptoms of an intolerance may only occur if you have eaten a large amount of the food. We can reduce symptoms of an intolerance by adjusting our diet to remove all the trigger items and then reintroducing the items after 6-8 weeks of not having consumed them. This is known as an elimination diet. 

How can you discover your allergies and intolerances?

The answer is simple, a Lifelab Testing kit. Having one of our at-home blood testing kits delivered straight to your door means that you can begin your journey to health from the comfort of your own home. A small blood sample could change your life and relieve you of your symptoms when tested in our laboratory. From as little as £74.99, you can order one of our fantastic tests and discover whether you are suffering from a food allergy or food intolerance.