Blood Testing

You’ll be able to place your order when you complete your weight loss consultation, when you check-in every month to get your next pen or at any other point as a stand-alone order. We do this so you can track the most important biomarkers for your metabolic health and see the impact of the changes you’ll make on the Slimmr programme.

In an ideal world, you’d test at the start of your programme and then every 3-6 months so you can see progress in real time, in addition to the other changes people see on the programme in terms of their weight and how they feel.

We believe it’s most effective to monitor your internal health regularly over time and to see the impact of the changes you make on the Slimmr programme. So we recommend taking your test every three months. This is the amount of time it typically takes to see the impact of health and lifestyle changes.

No, not at all, this is an additional service for those who want more information on how their body is responding to the Slimmr programme. It’s entirely up to you whether you choose to add this to your first order, your check-in orders or at any other time if you want to see the impact the changes you are making are having on your body beyond your weight and how you feel.

We offer two tests you can choose from:

• Standard weight loss panel, priced at £69
• Extended metabolic health panel, priced at £84

The tests we include in both panels are:

Cholesterol profile:

– Tests your LDL, HDL and triglycerides

o  Lipids, including cholesterol, are essential for the production of hormones and vitamin D. The ratio of the different lipids and triglycerides is important as they reflect fat storage and transport of fats. High cholesterol levels are linked to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. There are no symptoms for high cholesterol so regular checks are recommended.

Thyroid profile:

– Tests your FT3, T4, FT4, TSH, thyroglobulin antibodies – TgAB, thyroid peroxidase antibodies – TPOAb

o   Your thyroid gland produces hormones that control your body’s metabolism. If it’s over or underactive, it can affect your weight, energy, mood, heart, and bone health. Sometimes, your thyroid gland might produce too much or too little of these hormones. This can cause symptoms like tiredness, weight gain, and feeling depressed.

Liver function test (LFTs):

– Tests your Gamma-GT, ALT, Albumin, ALP, Globulin, Bilirubin, total protein

o   Your liver health is a good indicator of your long-term health — because it can affect your immunity and the inflammation in your body. It can also affect everything from your energy levels and fitness to your mood and sleep.

HbA1C (blood sugar):

– Tests your glycated haemoglobin – the sugar attached to your haemoglobin

o   Haemoglobin A1c measures your average blood sugar over the last 12 weeks and  serves as an indicator for long-term blood glucose levels. High blood sugar levels are strongly associated with conditions like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

The extended metabolic health panel also includes:

Testosterone:

– Tests your total testosterone, free testosterone, SHBG and Free Androgen Index

o   Testosterone plays a role in red blood cell production — which is important for energy. It also helps maintain your mood, muscle and bone strength, sex drive, and fertility.

Vitamin D:

– Tests your vitamin D levels

o   Vitamin D plays a key role in your long-term health, particularly your bone health as it helps you absorb calcium. It’s also important for a strong immune system and is linked to your sleep, energy levels, and mood.

After you’ve placed an order you’ll get an email inviting you to create a ‘results account’ with Thriva so you can view your results. You’ll receive a testing kit at home and collect your sample following the instructions in the pack and our helpful video here. You’ll then post this back to the lab for testing. Once they’ve been tested and analysed, a doctor will review your results and the information you shared when you created your account with Thriva, and you’ll get an email to tell you when these are ready.

After you’ve registered for a ‘results account’ you’ll be able to view the status of your order, track your parcel and see where they are in the lab testing process. Once your results are ready, you’ll see a series of helpful charts to show you your results.

Make sure when you submit the return form in the sample, your name and date of birth match exactly the details you registered with in your ‘results account’ or Thriva will be unable to process your sample. This means making sure your date of birth matches and also that you use the same form of your name, e.g. do not use abbreviations or initials on one and not the other.

We recommend that you fast for eight hours before collecting your blood sample. This will allow our labs to attain the clearest results to measure your health.

This means the easiest time to do so is first thing in the morning before breakfast — and having had a shower helps get your blood flow going too.

Make sure to drink lots of water — because being hydrated is one of the best things you can do to prepare. Drinking black coffee and tea before taking your sample is absolutely fine.

We recommend taking your sample first thing in the morning during the week. And posting your sample as soon as possible after it’s collected. If you take the test during the day, it’s best to post the sample before the last postbox collection of the day.

The lab is open to receiving delivery of samples on Saturday and Sunday — but confirmation of receipt emails are only sent out from Monday to Friday. We’d recommend – if you can – not to post results back on a weekend as processing will take longer and we are relying on the postal service.

Please note if you’re taking the metabolic health panel (our more extensive blood test),  it’s important to collect the sample first thing in the morning around 9am, before eating because of the testosterone test.

Your kit contains full instructions on this, but there’s also a step-by-step video we’ve produced so you can get the hang of it. You can view the video here.

Getting ready to perform your test:

We recommend giving yourself thirty minutes to do your test, especially if it’s your first time – it often won’t take this long but it’s better not to be time stressed.

1. Drink enough water the day before your test — it’s best not to be dehydrated.

2. Fast for eight hours before collecting your sample — doing it in the morning before breakfast is usually easiest.

3. Drink one or two big glasses of water at least thirty minutes before doing your test.

4. Soak your entire hand (not just the tips) in warm water for two minutes.

5. Skip or march on the spot if you can to get your heart rate up — this helps your blood to flow quicker.

During sample collection

1. Stand up for the whole process — gravity helps your blood flow to your finger.

2. Prick the corner of your fingertip — it’s less sensitive and makes it easier to direct your blood. And make sure your finger is on a hard surface so the lancet can work properly.

3. Massage your hand in a firm downward motion — beginning below your wrist to just before the prick on your finger. Don’t squeeze too hard as it can damage your blood cells and we won’t be able to test it.

3. Wait 3-4 seconds between each massage — you need a little time for your blood to refill.

4. If the blood stops flowing then wipe the piercing with clean tissue — this helps remove any clots that can stop your blood flow. If this doesn’t work, re-prick a different finger using a new lancet. You can warm your hand again before re-pricking if needed.

5. Make sure you fill your tube to the right line: if it’s yellow, fill it to at least the second line — then put the cap on and turn upside down about ten times so your blood touches the gel at the bottom.

If it’s purple, fill it to at least the first line then immediately put the cap on and swirl so your blood touches the gel on the sides of the tube.

Thriva also offers a responsive, ‘at home’ service who will come and take your blood for your tests through the nursing team at Ally Health     

They will arrange for a nurse to come to your home on a given day and at a convenient time and the charge for this will be an additional £60.

They are CQC registered, DBS checked and compliant with NMC and GMC Registration checks, as applicable.