Is Hidden Food or Drink Intolerance Holding You Back? Discover Your Own Performance Enhancing Diet!

YORK, England, October 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

According to charity Allergy UK, a shocking 45% of us suffer with food and drink intolerances, symptoms of which can have a significant impact on the performance of any athlete - be they a professional elite sportsman or a keen amateur. Joint pain, wheezing, digestive distress and fatigue are all commonly associated with food and drink intolerances and so the identification of food triggers has now become essential to reaching your sporting potential.

Matt Lovell, elite sports nutritionist, commented, "A food allergy  or intolerance can compromise performance on a number of levels. In elite sport the difference between finishing 1^st and 4^th can be measured in minute percentages so maximizing an athlete's performance is essential. Studies have shown significant improvement in athletes who remove trigger foods from their diets, and famously, tennis star Novak Djokovic has attributed his stellar rise to the top of his sport to the identification of gluten intolerance. There are many potential food intolerances that need to be considered when optimising an athlete's nutrition programme and following an elimination diet can be a complicated and long-winded process."

To help identify performance sapping food intolerances, help is at hand from YorkTest Laboratories, Europe's leading provider of food and drink intolerance testing with over 30 years' experience. YorkTest programmes can uncover potential food and drink triggers, allowing people to simply modify their diets with life-changing health benefits.

"Identifying triggers can be a difficult process; for many people affected by the symptoms of intolerances it is not a single food or drink, but usually a combination of different triggers that cause a reaction, so the traditional approach of using an elimination diet to remove one potential trigger at a time may not uncover the whole picture." - Dr. Gill Hart

YorkTest is the only complete Food and Drink Intolerance Test that measures reactions to foods and also ingredients found in beverages.

The YorkTest Food and Drink Intolerance Home Testing service is available to buy online or by phone for £299. In addition a First Step FoodScan is available for £9.99. Following the First Step, if your result is positive you can then progress to the comprehensive laboratory analysis and nutritional support.

Unlike other more basic tests available, YorkTest customers will be fully supported with their dietary changes. The YorkTest Food Intolerance Testing service offers comprehensive patient support that includes:

• Two telephone consultations with a BANT^[1] registered nutritional therapist who will offer specific individual advice
• Help on how to incorporate the recommended diet changes
• A 12-week food diary with diet tips to help sufferers keep track of the changes they are making to their diet.

Food and Drink Intolerance Tests can be purchased from http://www.yorktest.com or by calling free phone +44(0)800-074-6185.

Notes to Editors

For further advice on coping with the symptoms of food intolerance, the following organisations provide comprehensive information.

Allergy UK: http://www.allergyuk.org or call +44(0)1322-619-898

YorkTest nutritional helpline service: +44(0)800-074-6185 offers a free intolerance advisory service with access to BANT registered nutritionists, available to anyone wanting to discuss concerns, or find out more about food intolerance.  

The YorkTest is a simple finger-prick home-to-laboratory service, which offers a solution to identifying up to 158 problem 'trigger foods'. The YorkTest also includes two telephone consultations with a qualified nutritionist who will offer specific individual advice and help on how to incorporate the recommended diet changes. A 12-week food diary with diet tips will also be provided to help sufferers keep track of the changes they are making to their diet.

1. British Association of Nutritional Therapists

About Gill:

Dr Gill Hart PhD is a Biochemist with over 20 years' experience in the development and clinical evaluation of diagnostic tests.

Gill started her career as Senior Biochemist at the Hammersmith Hospital and subsequently worked for a number of companies specialising in the development and validation of diagnostic tests for hospital use.

Gill joined the YorkTest team in 2005, and has applied her scientific and regulatory knowledge to all YorkTest services, including putting in measures of 'self-regulation' in the under-regulated 'diagnostic testing services' industry.

About Matt:

Matt Lovell, BA (Hons) Dip ION NTCC CNHC mBANT, specialises in elite sports nutrition, female hormonal health and body composition management.

In 2002 Matt started working with the England Rugby Team and was part of Clive Woodward's team who lifted the World Cup in 2003.  

Matt has also been working with UK Athletics since 2010 helping our track and field athletes prepare for the 2012 Olympics and is a consultant nutritionist for Premier League football clubs.

Additionally he has written the popular fat loss programme 'Four Week Fat Loss' and the muscle building anabolic programme 'Regenerate'.

For more information on Matt Lovell's clinic email: [email protected]

For more information, please contact Julia Riddle or Katie Daniels at CCD Healthcare PR +44(0)207-434-4100 or [email protected]  / [email protected] 

SOURCE YorkTest