OBESITY, DIETS, AND MALNUTRITION: HOW THE THREE ARE CONNECTED

We all have an image in our minds about malnutrition and what that looks like. But, malnourishment isn’t just an issue for the very poor in third world countries. It can affect all people, both rich and poor, both hungry and satisfied, in cities around the world. What connects malnutrition to all of these different groups? More and more often, we’re finding that obesity and diets share a connection. That’s why Any Lab Test Now believes it’s now more important than ever for you to be certain you are getting enough nutrition, because you certainly cannot judge by looks alone.

What is Malnutrition?

Let’s start by making sure we understand exactly what malnutrition is. According to the World Health Organization (WHO): “Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses, or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients.” It covers two broad areas. The first is “undernutrition.” Undernutrition includes underweight and micronutrient deficiencies or insufficiencies. The other is overweight and obesity. In plain speak, you can be malnourished even if you’re overweight, underweight, or even perfect weight, if you aren’t eating enough of a wide variety of nutritious foods. This can happen particularly if you are overweight or if you are on a diet or choosing a lifestyle that restricts or even abolishes certain foods.

Obesity and Malnourishment

Many people could look at themselves and think: “I can’t possibly be malnourished. I am getting more than enough to eat!” It has been said that Americans are overfed and undernourished. Diets of fast food and convenient processed products make life easier but aren’t able to provide a steady source of the nutrition our bodies need. But more and more, people are eating calorie dense/nutrient-poor diets. Evidence is mounting that despite excessive dietary consumption, obese individuals have high rates of micronutrient deficiencies which also appears to play an important role in the development of diabetes. Poverty also can play a role. Many of the cheapest foods available are often the highest in calories and the lowest in nutrition.

Diet and Malnourishment

On the flip side is our obsession with dieting and so-called “lifestyle diets.” Whatever you call it, many of these diets/lifestyles depend on the elimination of certain foods or even whole food groups! If you choose to follow one (or find that it’s medically necessary to follow one) it’s very important that you make sure you find acceptable sources to provide you with all the nutrition you need. Let’s take vegan/vegetarian as an example. Eating a plant-based diet offers health benefits, but if you do not make an effort to replace crucial nutrients found in meat, you can find yourself facing nutritional deficiencies.

Where do YOU Stand?

Take a critical look at your diet; if it includes a lot of fast foods, processed foods or if you are following a diet that includes food restriction you might want to consider a Basic Nutritional Panel from Any Lab Test Now. The Basic Nutritional Panel includes a variety of tests that can help you determine if you are getting enough nutrition, including:

Complete Blood Count (CBC)
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
Iron and Total Binding Capacity (TIBC)
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
Folate
Vitamin D
Vitamin C
Zinc
Ferritin
Homocysteine

Remember — malnutrition may not “look” the way you expect. Some common signs are fatigue, dry hair, thin or spoon-shaped nails, dental problems, constipation, confusion or depression, and a weak immune system. The Basic Nutritional Panel offered by Any Lab Test Now can provide you with a broad picture of your health and should be considered if you are working toward a healthier diet — and a healthier self!

Also at Risk: The Elderly

It’s worth noting that our senior citizens are also prone to malnutrition for a variety of reasons. It could be because they have trouble getting to a store or a lack of money. Some seniors may feel lonely and isolated and have no desire to cook a proper meal for just themselves. Loss of appetite can also be a side effect of medications or a symptom of an illness. Any Lab Test Now encourages everyone to keep an eye on family, friends, and neighbors who may be at risk.

Remember, getting a test at Any Lab Test Now is easy. You don’t have to make an appointment and you don’t need a doctor’s orders. We are private, affordable, and convenient and there’s no better way to take control of your health.

When Food Becomes The Enemy; Why Proper Testing Is Important

Can you imagine living in fear of a bread crumb?

It sounds crazy, but it is a sad reality for millions of Americans. One in every 133 people suffers from celiac disease, and most of them haven’t even been properly diagnosed. That can lead to long-term health complications.

Researchers are working on vaccine therapy to help those with celiac disease, but the first step is spreading awareness and getting a proper diagnosis. Any Lab Test Now can help with that. The Celiac, IBS, Crohn’s Test can help you determine if you have celiac disease or some other gastrointestinal disorder so that you can treat your symptoms properly.

What is celiac disease?

Celiac disease is NOT an allergy — it’s an autoimmune disorder that’s triggered when a sufferer eats gluten. That culprit is a protein that you’ll find in a lot of foods and in some other very unexpected places. It’s found in wheat, barley, rye, and other grains, so people most often think of breads, dough, cakes, pasta, and cereals. But celiac sufferers have to be real detectives! That’s because gluten can be found in a wide range of ingestible stuff, like medications and toothpaste — even lipsticks and envelope glue!

When someone with celiac ingests something with gluten, their body overreacts and their intestines are ground zero. They’ll often experience stomach pain and nausea, but the reaction can also include:

Diarrhea or constipation
Headaches and fatigue
Bone and joint pain
Heartburn
Itchy rashes
Anemia
Mouth ulcers

What’s happening inside your small intestine is slow to develop, but devastating over time. The villi that line your small intestine are damaged with every reaction. Eventually, they won’t be able to absorb nutrients from your food.

The damage to the undiagnosed.

For the millions of people walking around with undiagnosed celiac disease, the damage is growing. The Celiac, IBS, Crohn’s Test (sometimes referred to as the CICA Test) measures your gut health on the genetic, antibody, and cellular levels, taking these often hard-to-diagnose diseases down to the most in-depth levels so you can get to the bottom of your symptoms. The CICA includes the following tests:

Genetic – HLA Typing for Celiac Disease (HLA-DQ2.5 AND HLA-DQ8; ATB16L1 + N0D20) – The genetic testing portion of the profile determines the likelihood that what you are suffering is celiac disease, as opposed to gluten intolerance. 95 percent of people who have either the HLA-DQ2.5 OR HLA-DQ8 genes will have celiac disease.

Antibody/Serological – This test will indicate whether specific antibodies are missing and others have developed. This could cause damage to the small intestine and can indicate the presence of celiac disease as well as differentiate between ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, both of which have similar symptoms to celiac disease.

Total Serum IgA

Tissue Transgluatminase Antibody (tTG) – IgA and IgG

Deamidated Gliadin Peptide (DGP) Antibody – IgA and IgG

Anti-Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Antibody (ASCA)

You don’t need a doctor’s order to take the test, but if your CICA Test comes back indicating celiac disease, it’s a good idea to share those results with your doctor so you can get professional guidance on how to best move forward.

What you don’t know can hurt you.

Celiac disease can develop at any age. If you leave it undiagnosed and untreated, you could leave yourself open to some additional serious health problems down the road. These include:

Type 1 diabetes
Multiple sclerosis
Osteoporosis
Infertility
Miscarriage
Epilepsy
Migraines
Intestinal cancers

If you’re suffering from abdominal discomfort or have a family history of celiac disease, it may well be worth considering the Celiac, IBS, Crohn’s Test at your nearby Any Lab Test Now. There may not be a cure, but with a proper diagnosis, there can be relief.

Be Prepared To Meet Your Weight Loss Goals

Another year is winding down. Is it another year that you didn’t meet your weight loss goals? Before you beat yourself up and vow to try again, Any Lab Test Now® wants you to know that it’s important to realize that there may be something at play here that you don’t even realize. If your metabolism isn’t working efficiently and properly, then no amount of proper diet and exercise is going to work. If you’ve suffered from a lack of success before, you might want to consider some testing before you give it another try.

A good place to start is with the Basic Nutritional Panel offered by Any Lab Test Now. This panel includes a variety of tests that can give you a good idea if your body (particularly your metabolism) is functioning properly. It can reveal signs of anemia, infections, or other factors that may cause fatigue, as well as reveal deficiencies in the most common vitamins and minerals

Want to look a little deeper into your nutritional status? Our Micronutrient Test is our most wide-ranging nutritional test. From vitamins and minerals to amino acids and antioxidants, this test measures your body’s ability to absorb 32 vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other essential nutrients. It can be especially helpful in making sure your diet is providing everything your body needs to function optimally.

Many people don’t realize the connection between your hormones and your weight. Hormonal imbalances can lead to weight gain, obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes. The Weight Management Take Home Hormone Kit can provide you and your doctor with valuable information on imbalances that might be contributing to excessive weight. Too much estrogen and too little testosterone have been linked to unhealthy weight gain. The so-called “stress hormone” cortisol has been shown to lead to abdominal weight gain. This panel will test for all of those and more.

Want to take a deeper dive into your thyroid health? Then, the Thyroid Panel is recommended for you. The thyroid gland is responsible for regulating how your body uses energy. If your thyroid is underactive, you may suffer from fatigue and weight gain. The Thyroid Panel includes tests for:

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)
T4 Total
Free T3
Free T4
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPO)

Thyroid imbalances can lead to more than just weight fluctuations; they can end in heart disease, infertility, or osteoporosis. That’s why it’s important to know where you stand with this important hormone producer.

Hormones and nutrition play a huge role, along with diet and exercise. Any Lab Test Now can be your partner on your weight loss and health journey. A quick trip into one of our convenient locations will help you take control of your health now… and for years to come.

Using Your FSA Dollars Wisely With Any Lab Test Now

If you are using a Flexible Spending Account — often termed an FSA — then you’re already showing a healthy respect for your bottom line. Using pre-tax dollars to pay for out-of-pocket medical expenses just makes good sense. Making sure you use every cent of those dollars is the smartest move you can make. As the year winds down, the clock is ticking on those FSA dollars that you either need to dole out or ditch. So what’s a smart money shopper to do? Any Lab Test Now® offers you several of our best options. These tests will provide you with comprehensive, vital information that will help you take control of your health — and spend your money wisely!

1.ANNUAL CHECK-UP PANEL

The Annual Check-Up Panel is the perfect panel for evaluating your overall health. That’s because it helps you establish a baseline for a number of very important tests, including your blood counts, kidney function, liver function, electrolytes, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, and thyroid function. Fluctuations in these could signal problems. If you weren’t able to make it to your doctor for an annual physical and blood work, this is the test for you.

2. BASIC NUTRITIONAL PANEL

As more and more of us adopt alternative eating lifestyles, nutritional deficiencies are going to increase. Add that to nutrient shortfalls caused by common medications and you end up with an otherwise healthy person who is malnourished! This panel will test for a variety of nutrients and vitamins, including iron and vitamins B12 and D, three of the most common deficiencies in the United States.

3. WEIGHT MANAGEMENT TAKE HOME HORMONE KIT

According to the CDC, 39.8 percent of adults in the United States are obese. Much of the blame is placed on over-eating and sedentary lifestyles, but many of us are not aware of the strong connection between our hormones and our weight. If you are struggling with obesity and just can’t seem to lose weight, then you owe it to yourself to determine if your hormones are playing a part. The test identifies specific hormonal imbalances that contribute to excessive weight gain and obesity.

Any Lab Test Now is cost-effective and convenient. If one of our “best buys” above doesn’t suit you, take a few minutes to browse through our list of hundreds of quality lab tests available. From allergy testing to DNA, Any Lab Test Now offers you quality and convenience. With all the options we have to offer, you’ll get the most out of your FSA dollars!

Take Control of Your Nutrition in the New Year

With the new year upon us, many people have set resolutions to embark on a journey to a healthier, happier life. In fact, eating healthier is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions each year. Unfortunately, it’s often quite difficult to follow through with those goals. According to Business Insider, 80 percent of resolutions fail by the second week of February, and only 8 percent of people successfully keep their resolutions for the entire year. The key to success is setting up realistic goals with actionable stepping stones. Instead of thinking of your new diet as a restrictive, miserable experience, view it as a lifestyle change for the better.

Eat at Home

Eating at home can be a fun (and economical) approach to hitting your weight loss goals while still getting the nutrients your body needs to thrive. By cooking your own meals, it’s easier to control your portion sizes. ABC News reports that American serving sizes have grown over the past 20 years, contributing to the obesity epidemic. Consuming smaller portions combined with a higher intake of fruits and vegetables will help you hit your wellness goals in no time – and your wallet will thank you, too!

Drink More Water

According to Harvard Medical School, drinking fluids is vital to your health for a multitude of reasons. Every system in your body, including your brain, muscles and heart, needs water to function. Fluids carry nutrients to your cells and flush bacteria from your body. Without proper hydration, your body may have trouble fully processing nutrients. Unfortunately, for many health enthusiasts, drinking enough water can be challenging! It’s recommended to drink 1 – 1.5 liters of water per day – no easy feat! Luckily, there are some techniques you can use to increase your water intake. Try setting an alarm on your phone to periodically remind you to drink water. There are also apps that can help you track how much you drink in a day. Finally, buying a new water bottle can help keep you motivated. Through proper hydration you’re likely to see an improvement in your digestion, energy and even in your skin.

Get Your Nutrition Levels Tested

Before you begin a new and improved healthy diet, it’s important to consult a healthcare professional. You should understand what exactly your body needs and adjust your diet from there. Nutrition tests are a great option for learning more about your body. They can provide you with your current nutrient levels so you can better develop a proper meal plan that will set you up for long-term success. Even if you are eating generally well, you may still be missing out on important vitamins, minerals and nutrients. By adjusting your meal plans to fit your specific body’s needs, you’ll be feeling your best in no time.

The best part? You don’t need to spend hours trying to make an appointment or sitting in a waiting room to get your nutrition tested—you can stop by your local Any Lab Test Now location and be seen promptly. Any Lab Test Now offers an extensive nutritional panel called the MicroNutrient test. This test will provide a snapshot of your current nutritional status and how you can improve it in the upcoming year. To learn more about the MicroNutrient , find your local Any Lab Test Now location at AnyLabTestNow.com.

Use Your FSA On These 5 Tests

A Flexible Spending Account (FSA) is a tax-advantaged account, to be used for medical expenses only. An FSA is different from a Health Savings Accounts (HSA) in that the money must be used within the calendar year. Unused funds left at the end of the year are returned to your employer, who can use it to offset the inevitable costs of administering benefits or may simply split it amongst the employees in the FSA plan.

This means that, if you have money left in your account, now is the time to put it to good use. Any Lab Test Now offers a variety of tests that can provide insightful information about your health and family history.

Allergy Tests

If you find yourself suffering from itchy eyes, blotchy skin or a stuffy nose, you may have allergies. Some common allergens are pollen, grass, house dust and pet dander. At Any Lab Test Now, you can get tested and determine what is causing your allergies to act up. With test results in hand, you can get the proper medications and start making lifestyle changes to ease your symptoms.

Food Sensitivity and Intolerance Tests

If you experience a scratchy throat, hives or body swelling after eating, you may have a food sensitivity or intolerance and should be tested. Even if you did not have any food allergies as a child, it is possible to develop them later in life. Intolerance to things like lactose or gluten can have a negative impact on your digestion. By getting tested, you’ll learn how you need to adjust your diet to live more comfortably.

Vitamins, Minerals & Nutrition Lab Tests

Constantly tired, worn down or lethargic? You may suffer from a vitamin or mineral deficiency. Put your FSA to good use and learn more about your body. At Any Lab Test Now, you can talk with a qualified professional to determine which test is most appropriate for your diet and lifestyle. From a B-12 deficiency test to a potassium test to weight management take-home hormone kits, there are a variety from which to choose.

Cholesterol Tests

High cholesterol often runs in families. If you have a family history of less-than-stellar cholesterol counts, it is a good idea to get checked! Oftentimes, high cholesterol doesn’t come with any symptoms. In many cases, it goes completely undetected until an emergency event such as a heart attack or stroke. High cholesterol can lead to plaque building up in your arteries, which will eventually cause damage to your body. Lifestyle changes and proper medication can help reduce the risks, so get tested today!

DNA Tests

Love history? Curious where your family came from or which relatives share a common maternal or paternal ancestor? Ancestry and lineage testing can tell you which family member is on your mother or father’s side, where your family line originated, and how you came to be. It’s a fascinating process that analyzes your mitochondria or, in men, the Y-chromosome, depending on the specific test you choose.

Those are just a few of the tests offered at Any Lab Test Now. There are many more tests, such as blood tests, drug and alcohol tests and thyroid lab tests, that may be beneficial for you. Any Lab Test Now is committed to providing patients with a top-of-the-line experience, so stop in today to talk more about what test is right for you. Available tests may vary between locations, so find your nearest Any Lab Test Now location at AnyLabTestNow.com.

Understand the Impact of Nutrients on Your Body

Understand the Impact of Nutrients on Your Body

Do you know what’s happening in your body when you eat? What you eat and how well your body digests it can have a far-reaching impact on your health and everyday wellbeing, so it’s important to know what’s happening internally. There’s a lot of information that can be revealed when you take time to be tested for nutrient absorption, which is why nutritional testing at Any Lab Test Now is important.

What is Nutritional Testing?

By analyzing blood chemistry, these tests reveal more than simple digestive trouble. The cellular composition of your blood, including levels of hemoglobin, red and white blood cells and platelet counts, can give you helpful hints about health conditions you might be experiencing. Nutritional testing can also examine levels of vitamins, minerals and enzymes in your blood and compare these to normal levels to find any deficiencies. Finally, the density of many of the components of your blood can tell you if your organs are functioning properly and if you’re getting enough fluids.

Nutrition-Related Health Concerns

Nutrition plays an important role in keeping your body balanced and full of energy. When not properly balanced, your body can experience a variety of discomforts and long-term health issues. A few examples include:

Fatigue
Achy, weak or crampy muscles
Low hormone levels
Chronic inflammation
Organ malfunction
Abnormal heart rhythms
Anemia
Memory loss

Micronutrients

Micronutrients are vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Unlike nutrients like calcium and potassium, these are only needed in small amounts, yet being deficient in one or more of these nutrients can also be harmful to your body. To gather even more information about your digestive health, try tests like the micronutrient test and the comprehensive male or female panel. These tests will give you a better picture of how well-balanced your diet is. Too little of a certain micronutrient may lead to long-term health issues, such as poor organ function, poor immune function or any number of chronic diseases.

Nutrition is the backbone of your physical health, so it makes sense that you would need to check up on it every once in a while. By getting a nutritional panel at Any Lab Test Now, you can answer any questions you might have about your nutrition, as well as potentially find solutions to nagging health issues. So walk-in to your local Any Lab Test Now to see how a Nutritional Panel can help you stay healthy!

Five Recommended Tests for the New Year

Each January, people across the country resolve to get fit and improve their health. From increasing exercise and reducing stress to taking vitamins and eating right, people understand the importance of taking care of their bodies and minds. Taking care of oneself is a goal that has positive impacts on every area of life.

Of course, any time you set a goal, it is important to figure out how you will track your progress and measure the impact of the actions you take to reach the goal. When it comes to goals related to good health, there are tests that can help you evaluate where you are today and what your personal areas of focus should be.

In 2017, the top five suggested tests for men and women are:

Basic Check-Up Panel – This grouping of tests helps you evaluate your overall health. From liver function to blood pressure, this panel gives you a high-level view of your health today so that you can better pinpoint what is working well, what isn’t, and identify areas for improvement.

Comprehensive Female Panel – This is the most comprehensive panel for women. Not only does it evaluate your overall health, as in the Basic Check-Up Panel, but it also measures hormone levels, nutrition status and thyroid function.

Male Panel – Like the Basic Check-Up Panel, this gives you a good overview of your health. In addition, however, it evaluates adrenal functions that are specific to men and testicular health.

Nutritional Panel – Often, health and wellness issues can stem from having too much or too little of a nutrient in one’s body. Evaluating and monitoring the level of various nutrients in your body is a good first step to making sure your body has what it needs to perform at its best.

Cortisol Total Test – Cortisol is the hormone your body releases in response to stress. When cortisol levels are too high for an extended period, they can contribute to health issues. Monitoring your cortisol level is a good starting point if your goal is to reduce stress.

When it comes to good health, making the decision to take control is step one! Step two is learning about how healthy your body is today so that you can find specific areas for improvement. From there, you can establish a plan that meets your personal health needs. Then, when 2018 rolls around, you are sure to find yourself fitter and healthier!

The 5 Best Tests to Use Your FSA On

altn-dec-newsletter-sized-fsa HSA and FSA accounts can help you budget for your healthcare, and ensure you always have the money you need to pay for any unexpected health events. But if you still have money in your FSA, it will expire at the end of the year. Instead of letting your money vanish, put it to use by getting some testing or immunizations you’ve been putting off. Wrap up lingering health concerns now so you can start fresh in the new year.

Allergy Test
The holidays coincide with peak cold and flu season, but if your sniffles won’t go away, you might look into allergy testing. Up to 50 million Americans suffer from allergies. If you experience emotional or physical reactions after you eat, or if you frequently have symptoms like a stuffy nose or trouble breathing, you might have an allergy to something you ate. The Allergy Test goes through as many as 45 different foods and 45 environmental triggers to identify the root of your symptoms.

Intolerance Test
If you’ve been noticing symptoms that aren’t associated with an allergic reaction, then you might have a food intolerance. If you experience fatigue, gas or diarrhea, depression or anxiety, weight gain or a general chronic discomfort, you may want to get a food intolerance test. This becomes especially important as you grow older, because you can develop new food sensitivities or intolerances later in life.

Blood Cortisol Test
If your stress levels are through the roof, the holiday season will likely only make it worse — it can seem like your to-do list never ends! To see if your stress is starting to cause problems for your body, get a blood cortisol test. High levels of cortisol are dangerous, because over time they can lead to high blood pressure, inflammation, compromised immune response and weight gain.

Thyroid Test
The holiday meals sure are delicious, but do you know what isn’t so great? The holiday pounds. If your weight gain tends to stick around a bit too long after the holidays, you should get your thyroid tested. Your thyroid controls metabolic activity, which is vital for maintaining a healthy weight. Poor thyroid health is associated with symptoms like fatigue, short attention span, weight gain and numbness or cold intolerance. Thyroid disorders can also cause conditions like osteoporosis and heart disease.

Proof of Immunizations
Are you traveling for the holidays or early next year? The first thing on your list should be to make sure your immunizations are up-to-date, which you can do by getting a proof of immunization test. These tests ensure that you have gotten the immunizations you need and provide valid paperwork to prove that you are immunized, which can be helpful if you’ve lost any documentation.

Don’t wait for the new year to address your lingering health concerns. If you have an FSA that is going to expire soon, get the important lab tests you need before 2017! For more information, visit your local Any Lab Test Now.

The Top 5 Things To Avoid This Holiday Season

What do you do when your food won’t treat you right? From causing digestive problems or headaches to giving you long-term health concerns, sometimes the simple act of eating what we love can make us feel horrible. And while there are about 40 foods that are known to cause reactions for people, the five on this list are the most notorious trouble-makers. If you don’t feel so hot after consuming some of these foods, you might want to avoid them over the holidays. And if you’re not sure what food is making you feel ill, visit your local Any Lab Test Now for an ALCAT test that will pinpoint your food sensitivity!

Dairy

Dairy foods are notoriously hard to process. According to Medline Plus, a division of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, about 30 million Americans have some degree of lactose intolerance by the time they reach age 20. The most common symptoms of lactose intolerance are gas, bloating, diarrhea and cramping, beginning within 30 minutes of consuming dairy. You can work around lactose intolerance by consuming different types of dairy products, by consuming them in smaller amounts or by consuming products made with soy or nut milks. You can also use supplements of the enzyme lactase to help you digest dairy more easily. The ALCAT panel offered by Any Lab Test Now can help you pinpoint whether your digestive distress is caused by lactose intolerance.

Food additives

Food additives can be any substance, natural or man-made, that brings about a certain change to taste, texture or nutritional content. These can include vitamins and minerals, flavorings, colors, preservatives and chemicals that change the acidity or texture of foods. The adverse effects of food additives can be as varied as the additives themselves. Eight additives are responsible for most adverse reactions: sulfites, parabens, nitrates, BHT and benzoates, which are preservatives; monosodium glutamate (MSG) and aspartame, which are flavor enhancers; and tartrazine, a yellow dye. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, some symptoms of adverse reactions can be hives, difficulty breathing, digestive troubles and nausea.

High saturated fat

Foods that are high in saturated fat can contribute to high cholesterol and heart disease. High cholesterol is a gradual, chronic condition that makes your heart work a lot harder to pump blood throughout your body, but doesn’t present very many noticeable symptoms at first. But foods with high saturated fat contents can also cause some immediate digestive distress if you’re sensitive to it. Inflammation is a likely result of eating too many foods high in saturated fat, because they irritate your stomach as you digest them. You can experience heartburn, coughing and even shortness of breath after eating these foods. Foods like butter, fatty meat products, lard and full-fat dairy products, and foods made with any of those products, are all foods you might be sensitive to. In addition to the ALCAT panel, which will let you know if these foods irritate your digestive system, the lipid panel or Lipoprotein Particle Profile at Any Lab Test Now can show you your risk of high cholesterol and heart disease.

Wheat

A growing number of people are being diagnosed with wheat sensitivity or celiac disease. Celiac disease is a relatively recent discovery in the field of digestive health, and many who have struggled their whole lives with confusing symptoms are finally getting the answers they’ve sought. According to Beyond Celiac, while about 3 million Americans suffer from celiac disease, it is estimated that six times that amount have some form of gluten sensitivity. Gluten sensitivity involves an immune response a few hours or days after eating gluten and the symptoms can include confusion, joint pain, numbness of the arms, legs or fingers, and headache.

Red Wine

Some people have reactions when they drink alcohol that go beyond the typical symptoms of drunkenness. Experiencing anything from trouble breathing to flushing and headaches, people with a sensitivity to alcohol do not enjoy a night of drinking as much as some others might. The sensitivity could be brought on by the alcohol, or by a specific drink, like red wine. Additionally, the alcohol could simply be triggering a food sensitivity, rather than causing the reaction itself. The only way to know for sure is to get tested!

The holidays are a time for fun, family and of course, lots and lots of food. This holiday season, don’t let your food sensitivities make mealtimes a pain. Visit your local Any Lab Test Now for a lipid panel and ALCAT food panel to find out what foods don’t sit right with your body!