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Poor skin, abdominal pains, bloating, cramping, lack of energy and low mood were holding Vivien Dagnall back from leading a full life. A full-time student, Vivien tried to overcome her lethargy and bloating with regular workouts in the gym \u2013 particularly challenging as she also had trouble sleeping, so lacked the endurance to complete a decent workout.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always ended up with a stitch on the treadmill and daily tasks became an issue due to a lack of energy from no sleep,\u201d explains Vivien, 29, who lives in Manchester.<\/p>\n
As well as the pain, Vivien was often constipated \u2013 to ease this, she used laxatives, increased her water intake and switched to peppermint tea to ease her digestive issues. She also sought advice from her GP, who recommended a blood test to check for the autoimmune disorder coeliac disease. However, this came back negative.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was told to examine my diet more closely and to increase my water intake and exercise more, which is when I started to do online research into intolerance* testing<\/a>,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n By this point, Vivien had endured her symptoms for one and a half years and she suspected a food intolerance was responsible. Curious to pinpoint the exact ingredients her body was reacting to, Vivien decided to try a yorktest food intolerance programme<\/a>. The process involves sending a finger-prick blood sample to the company\u2019s laboratory to test reactions to over 200 foods with the colour-coded results (red for reaction, amber for borderline and green meaning no reaction) identifying the \u2018trigger\u2019 foods and degree of intolerance*.<\/p>\n Vivien\u2019s results revealed she was intolerant to six ingredients: salmon, trout, eggs, gluten, lamb and cashews, with a borderline reaction to yeast<\/a>, wheat<\/a>, cow\u2019s milk<\/a>, crustacean mix<\/a> and beef<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI was shocked,\u201d she recalls, \u201cas I eat these foods on a regular basis. I couldn\u2019t believe it at first, but then I thought maybe that was the answer to my problems.\u201d<\/p>\n The next step was a telephone consultation with a YorkTest Nutritional Therapist, who advised Vivien on replacing her trigger foods with balanced alternatives, and how to shop for \u2018free-from\u2019 ingredients that were right for her.<\/p>\n Overhauling her diet and eliminating a long list of ingredients was the next challenge. \u201cOne of the hardest things was getting my head around the intolerances and discovering what I could and could not eat,\u201d explains Vivien.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a foodie so found it very difficult, – especially when all my friends were tucking into smoked salmon, eggs and avocado toast for brunch! However, I told myself that it would be worth it in the end, because at the end of the day, health is the most important thing. I had to start from scratch, but after a while, it became much easier and I started to discover new food and drink ingredients that suited me.\u201d<\/p>\n After a month of her new diet regime, Vivien noticed her sleep had improved and after three months, she couldn\u2019t believe her transformation.<\/p>\n \u201cMy overall health had improved, along with my mindset and overall digestion. I can truly see how discovering my food intolerances has changed my life. It\u2019s been a major lifestyle change.\u201d<\/p>\n Vivien also lost a stone in weight, hardly surprising as she now has the energy to work out more. As well as being able to run further on the treadmill in her gym, she was delighted to complete the Great Manchester Run.<\/p>\n \u201cI ran 10k in 52 minutes \u2013 I was over the moon. It was such an achievement, considering I\u2019d never done it before! I can run for much longer without getting a stitch and I even welcomed the bonus weight loss.\u201d<\/p>\n At last, Vivien is free to enjoy her active life without her symptoms dragging her down.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel excited, energetic, ready to take on new challenges and lead a happy, healthy lifestyle!\u201d<\/p>\n Vivien followed a Premium Food Intolerance* Test<\/a><\/p>\n