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!

What Is Heavy Metal Toxicity?

Heavy metals are not necessarily bad. In fact, we’re exposed to many natural elements every day, including some heavy metals. Certain heavy metals such as chromium, iron, and zinc are actually important to regulate bodily functions. But too much of a good thing can be bad. Heavy metals in high doses can be toxic.
This heavy metal toxicity can be very harmful to you, your family, or your employees. It can result in the following outcomes:

• Damage to the vital organs
• Neurological and muscular degeneration
• Cancer
• Allergies
• In extreme cases, death

Occupational exposure and your diet and lifestyle are the two most common ways you can become exposed to heavy metals. When you do become exposed, the body can’t metabolize the metal substances that you have ingested or absorbed. Those metals will then accumulate in your soft tissues leading to toxicity.
If you’re concerned that you’ve been exposed to heavy metals or need to test your employees for OSHA, Any Lab Test Now can help. We offer a Heavy Metals Panel as well as tests for arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, copper, and zinc. We can help you get the answers you need, especially since identification of the heavy metal is paramount to treatment. Only by identifying which metal you have been exposed to can you go to your doctor and begin the treatment to have it removed from your body’s system.
Our reliable testing services will help you get the peace of mind you need if you think you’ve been exposed to dangerous heavy metals.

The Importance of Cholesterol Testing

Is your heart healthy? You may think the answer is “yes”, but do you really know? If you are an American male with an average American diet and lifestyle, the odds are not in your favor. In fact, the CDC says that 73.5 million adults (31.7%) in the United States have high LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol. And of those people, fewer than 1 out of every 3 adults (29.5%) has the condition under control.

You might be thinking, “So what? Who cares if my cholesterol is a little high?” YOU should care, and here’s why:

1. It can kill you. People with high total cholesterol have approximately twice the risk for heart disease as people with ideal cholesterol levels. Additionally, lowering your cholesterol can reduce your risk of having a heart attack, needing heart bypass surgery or angioplasty, and dying of heart disease.

2. Even if it doesn’t kill you, it can lessen your quality of life. You’ll suffer countless possible health problems, including chest pain, circulatory problems, digestive problems and gallstones.

So what is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that travels through your blood on lipoproteins and is necessary for important bodily functions such as making hormones and digesting fats. Everyone needs cholesterol, but certain factors like poor diet can cause a person to have too much of it, and this can be a very bad thing. When you have too much cholesterol in your body, or high cholesterol, it will start to build up in plaque deposits along the walls of your blood vessels. Over time, this build-up causes the blood vessels to become narrower and narrower, allowing less blood flow to reach your heart and other organs. This can cause angina or even a heart attack if an artery becomes fully blocked by plaque.

Even if you think you’re healthy, it’s a good idea to get your cholesterol checked so that you can establish a baseline for monitoring your cholesterol in the future. And if you have high cholesterol, the sooner you learn about it, the better, so that steps can be taken to lessen your risk of death from heart disease.

At Any Lab Test Now, there are several options to choose from when it comes to cholesterol testing.

Our Lipid Panel provides a comprehensive look at your cholesterol levels, including testing for your total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, HDL/LDL ratio and triglycerides. The Lipid Panel is a great option for establishing a baseline from which to continuously monitor your cholesterol levels.
href=”https://www.anylabtestnow.com/tests/cholesterol-maintenance-panel/”>The Cholesterol Medication Maintenance Panel and Basic Check-Up Panel are also excellent testing options for measuring your cholesterol levels. Talk to our experts at Any Lab Test Now to learn which cholesterol testing is right for you.

Give Your Heart Some Love

February is full of hearts. Heart-shaped candies and cards, notes from loved ones signed with hearts, red and pink hearts in advertisements — they’re everywhere you look! And with mobile technology on the rise, you’re even getting hearts in your inbox! Love is in the air, and Valentine’s Day certainly puts the heart at the top of everyone’s mind, but are you thinking about the most important heart of all?

February is American Heart Month, and it’s time to start thinking about the heart. No, we’re not talking about the cutesy Valentine’s Day hearts you’re seeing everywhere these days. We’re talking about the heart beating inside you. The heart that’s keeping you alive. The heart that we’re guessing you haven’t given much thought about this month, or ever, for that matter.

So, why should you be thinking about your heart? Because heart disease is the leading cause of death in Americans, killing more people than every form of cancer combined. One in every four deaths in America is caused by heart disease, and if you aren’t concerned by this number, you should be.

There’s a reason heart disease is so prevalent in America. The most common cause of cardiovascular and heart disease is a buildup of fatty plaques in the arteries. And this plaque buildup is in turn commonly caused by certain lifestyle choices like:

• having an unhealthy diet
• lack of exercise
• smoking
• being overweight

It comes as no surprise that with an obesity epidemic overtaking the country, heart disease is right around the corner for millions of Americans. And the fact of the matter is, most people aren’t living a perfectly healthy lifestyle. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of U.S. adults are obese. That’s more than 78 million Americans who are at risk for having heart disease just because of their weight. Whether it’s a desk job, overly large portion sizes and unhealthy dietary choices, or maybe those hours spent watching TV every night, it is clear that something needs to change for a lot of people. But the question is, are you one of them?

How healthy is your heart? Do you really know the answer to that question? If not, you could be one of the millions of Americans with heart disease or at risk for developing heart disease. No one ever thinks it will be them, but the numbers don’t lie. There’s a possibility that you could be the one out of four who dies from heart disease unless you take the actions necessary to prevent it. The good thing about these odds, however, is that you can make the choice to actively change them. And the first step to taking control of your health is to get tested.

At Any Lab Test Now, there are lots of ways you can get started taking care of your heart! It is incredibly important to get tested if you think you could be at risk for heart disease. Once you have your results, you can begin making a plan for what you need to do to stay healthy.

The Heart Health Panel is a great option for those looking for a clear picture of their overall heart health. This panel can determine your risk for heart or cardiovascular disease by monitoring any electrolyte imbalances, and current cholesterol status in your body. It consists of four tests:

1. VAP® (Vertical Auto Profile)
2. Chemistry Panel (16 essential tests)
3. C-Reactive Protein
4. Homocysteine

If you’re interested in determining the health of your heart, you may also want to consider the C-Reactive Protein (High Sensitivity, Cardiac) test. It is a blood test that can assess your risk for cardiovascular disease, as well as your risk of having a heart problem or heart attack.

So, take some time off from thinking about all those Valentine’s Day hearts and give some love to the heart that matters most — the one inside you! It’s time to take control of your heart health and get tested so you can live your best life, for many more Februarys to come.

Have heartburn? You might want to check for Helicobacter Pylori (H. Pylori)

Helicobacter pylori. You’ve probably never heard of this crazy-sounding word, but it may be closer to you than you think! Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a potentially dangerous bacteria that thrives in the acidic environment of the stomach. It can cause painful symptoms, including stomach pain, nausea and even heartburn. Yes, that’s right. These common symptoms could actually be caused by an H. pylori infection in your stomach! So if you have frequent heartburn, it’s time to put down the antacids and find out what’s really going on!

What Is Heartburn?
Heartburn is a burning pain in your chest, right behind the breastbone. Typically, the pain is worse when lying down or bending over. Occasional heartburn is incredibly common and can usually be reduced through lifestyle changes and over-the-counter medications. However, if you are experiencing frequent heartburn, especially if it interferes with your daily routine, this may be a symptom of something more serious. If you have any of these symptoms, you may want to talk to your doctor about other possible causes of your heartburn, including the H. pylori bacteria:

• Your heartburn occurs more than twice a week
• Your symptoms continue despite use of over-the-counter heartburn medications
• You have difficulty swallowing
• You have frequent nausea or vomiting
• You have lost weight because of poor appetite or difficulty eating

Could You Have A Helicobacter Pylori Infection?
Helicobacter pylori is a type of bacteria that can infect your stomach and is a common cause of peptic ulcers. In fact, while many try to blame their ulcers on stress or spicy food, 80 percent of stomach ulcers and 90 percent of duodenal ulcers (in the upper end of the small intestines) are caused by H. pylori. The H. pylori bacteria may also cause gastritis and even gastric (stomach) cancer.

Most people with an H. pylori infection never have any signs or symptoms, so they don’t realize they have it. However, if you develop signs of a peptic ulcer, you may have the infection. When symptoms do occur they can include:

• Pain (an ache or burning) in your abdomen, just under the ribs
• Abdominal pain that becomes worse when your stomach is empty
• Loss of appetite and unintentional weight loss
• Nausea
• Frequent burping, heartburn and indigestion
• Bloating

Should I Get Tested For H. Pylori?
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, you should consider getting tested for H. pylori. Any Lab Test Now offers several testing options if you suspect you may have an H. pylori infection or are suffering from chronic heartburn and want to know why:

• The Helicobacter Pylori (H. pylori) Test looks for antibodies to the H. pylori bacterium.*

• The H. Pylori Stool Test can be used to detect the presence of the H. pylori antigen in stool specimens.

• There is also a Urea Breath Test (UBT), which can be used to indirectly detect the presence of H. pylori urease by measuring carbon dioxide in the patient’s breath.

Both the Stool Test and Urea Breath Test are recommended by both the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) and the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) as non-invasive tests for diagnosis and confirmation of eradication.

If you are suffering from chronic heartburn, you need to talk to your doctor or gastroenterologist before it’s too late. H. pylori is a highly destructive bacterium that can lead to ulcers, gastritis and even stomach cancer. Talk to the experts at Any Lab Test Now to find out how you can get tested for H. pylori and end your heartburn suffering, once and for all!

*Some locations are unable to offer the H. pylori blood test, so please check with your local Any Lab Test Now to learn about your testing options.

Safety in the Ring! Why do Combative Sports Fighters Have to Be Tested Every Year?

When mixed martial arts fighters discuss what they do to prepare for a match, the focus tends to be on the intense training they undergo to make sure they are totally ready to take a pounding and keep on swinging, ultimately to defeat an equally strong and prepared opponent. With such an exciting and dangerous sport, the last thing a fan would think about is whether each fighter is complying with the *shudder* regulations. But it’s because this sport is so exciting and dangerous that regulations need to be a big part of the conversation.

Most state athletic commissions require testing for combative sports fighters to compete. They require drug testing, as well as additional blood tests for diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis B and C. This is to protect the fighters, as well as to keep competition fair. There have been cases in unregulated fighting environments of horrible injuries and unfair competition due to the lack of rule enforcement. These are potentially life-ruining situations. If a fighter competes while infected with a bloodborne illness, the results can truly be tragic. As cumbersome as they may be, regulations are in place to prevent serious injury and death.

For fighter testing, the bloodborne infection aspect may not make sense at first blush. But with sports like MMA, which tend to get bloody, there is a real risk of passing on an infection. However, it’s not just a hazard to an opponent. The body of someone affected by a disease that attacks the immune system is generally weaker and easier to exhaust than that of a healthy person, so having a disease like HIV is a serious handicap in a fight.

Fighters have to be tested every year in order to comply with most state requirements. This is to monitor fighters’ health and keep them from passing on diseases they might not know they have. But if a fighter’s manager or agent has concerns, officials recommend getting the tests as often as necessary. The Fighter Panel at Any Lab Test Now is an easy tool to get all of your state-mandated testing done, with a fast turnaround. So protect yourself and your opponents, and be sure to get tested!

February is American Heart Month. Take Care of Yours.

Did you know that approximately 600,000 Americans die from heart disease every year? Reported to be the leading killer in both men and women, heart disease currently accounts for 1 in every 4 deaths. While it is a major threat to the health of many, there are actions you can take to prevent it from becoming a threat to yours.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlines the following steps to take in planning for prevention of cardiovascular disease:

• Receive an annual checkup to get tested for high blood pressure and diabetes; two common conditions linked to the disease.

• Take part in daily physical activity to help you manage your weight and keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels in check.

• Maintain a healthy diet by avoiding foods high in sodium, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol. By having a well-balanced meal plan consisting of protein, fruits and vegetables, you can lower your risk of developing high blood pressure and becoming overweight; an additional risk factor associated with heart disease.

• Limit your alcohol use to avoid an increase in your blood pressure. The CDC recommends that men should have no more than two drinks per day and women have no more than one.

• If you have diabetes, monitor your blood sugar levels closely and talk with your healthcare team about treatment options.

Visit your local Any Lab Test Now® to see if you may be at risk of heart disease. Receive a Heart Health Panel to understand your overall heart health or choose a test specific to your personal risk factors such as one of our Cholesterol Tests or Diabetes Lab Tests. Call us today to learn more about how we can help you Take Control of Your Health®.

Ladies, Say ‘I Love You’ This Valentine’s Day in a New Kind of Way

With Valentine’s Day soon approaching, many women are planning out the perfect way to show that special person in their life just how much they appreciate them. Ladies, instead of choosing to treat your other half to the always popular, romantic, candlelight dinner, show your love to them this year in a way that can last a lifetime…by taking care of your heart.

Did you know that heart disease is the No.1 killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year? Yet, what’s even more startling is that it is 80% preventable. By receiving a regular heart health screening, learning your risks, and managing those risks accordingly, you can avoid this deadly disease that impacts the lives of so many every day.

Go Red for Women is a nation-wide campaign created by the American Heart Association, designed to bring attention to the risk of heart disease in women, encourage women to receive heart health screenings and “lead the charge to end this deadly foe once and for all.” As an effort to raise awareness in the fight against this disease, all supporters of the Go Red for Women movement are asked to wear red on National Wear Red Day.

To show our support, participating Any Lab Test Now® locations will be decked out in red decorations throughout their store on National Wear Red Day, this Friday, February 6th. On this day only, the participating stores will also be offering 50% off various heart health lab tests including a Lipid Panel, VAP® Test, and PLAC® Test.

For this year’s Valentine’s Day, show the person you love just how much you care for them by caring for your heart. Schedule your heart health lab testing at your local Any Lab Test Now® now and remember to wear red on Friday, February 6th. Share photos of you in your red via Twitter @ALTNCorp and check our Facebook page after the event to see how all of our Any Lab Test Now® locations showed their support in the stores.

Women, Don’t Let Your Holiday Season Turn into a Stressful Season

Whether it’s preparing a platter full of baked goodies for the end-of-the-year party at your child’s school or cleaning and decorating the living room in time for your Christmas family dinner, the never-ending list of holiday “to-dos” can easily become a hassle instead of a pleasure. It is important during the hustle and bustle that women especially, sit back and avoid the stress that is so often associated with this time of year. It could do more for your health than you may think.

In a study performed by Dr. Wei Jiang of Duke University’s School of Medicine, researchers noticed that stress, including mental stress, may be more taxing on women’s hearts than compared to men’s. Jiang’s team analyzed the data of more than 300 Americans that encountered a series of stressful tasks. Researchers found that when stress levels rose, women were far more likely to have an ischemic episode than men. Ischemia is known as a dramatic reduction in blood flow to the heart and a major contributor to mortality from heart disease. The study concluded that 57% of women experienced ischemia compared to 41% of men.

So now the question is how can one destress? According to this list published by Harvard Medical School, some ways to destress include focusing on self nurturing via eating healthy food, reading amusing books, or committing to slow down your schedule just once a week.

At Any Lab Test Now®, we encourage all of our readers to manage their stress in a healthy manner, especially during the busy season of the holidays. To evaluate your overall heart health, schedule to have a Heart Health Panel done at an Any Lab Test Now ® near you. This panel will provide you with a clear picture of how well you’re heart is working and if you may be at risk for heart disease.

Cholesterol 101

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is important for your body to have to function properly. The problem with it is if there is too much cholesterol in the blood, the buildup in arteries can form blockages which can lead to dangerous heart problems.

Types of Cholesterol

High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) is considered “good” cholesterol and what your body needs. You want a high percentage of HDL in your test results. Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) is “bad” cholesterol and low test results are ideal. The CDC reports that 71 million American adults have high LDL levels.

Preventing High Cholesterol

To reduce or maintain cholesterol levels:

• Eat healthy by avoiding saturated and trans fats.
• Exercise regularly.
• Stop smoking.
• Get tested on a regular basis.
• Maintain a healthy weight.

Get Tested
Having high cholesterol doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have symptoms to let you know, which is why it’s so important to get tested. Be proactive and get your cholesterol checked. The American Heart Association recommends all adults age 20 or older to get their cholesterol checked every 4-6 years.

September is Cholesterol Education Month. We would encourage you to continue learning about cholesterol by talking with your MA at your local ANY LAB TEST NOW® or by reading more here.