15/03/2024
Hades, the Greek god of the underworld fell in love with a girl called Persephone, who was herself the daughter of the goddess of the harvest, Demeter. Hades was so infatuated with Persephone that he kidnapped her and crowned her Queen of the underworld. Demeter’s despair at the disappearance of her daughter caused the world to fall into a constant winter where nothing would grow. Zeus, the king of the gods, decided something must be done.
As a compromise, it was agreed that Persephone would spend 6 months of the year in the underworld as Queen, and then return to Earth for the other half of the year. Upon Persephone’s return, Demeter would rejoice, and the land would become fertile. The flowers would bloom, the crops would grow, and spring would be… well… sprung. At the end of summer, Persephone would return to the underworld and Demeter would once again retreat, reverting the earth to winter.
The ancient Greeks used this story to explain the changing of the seasons and symbolise the rebirth of nature and the end of the barrenness of winter. Persephone’s return brought with it a time of renewal, growth, and a celebration of life.
These themes live on in our modern celebrations of spring. We associate this season with the birth of lambs and calves, the sprouting of daffodils, and longer days. There is also a nice parallel with Persephone’s tale and our health.
During the dark, cold winter months, it’s very easy to let healthy habits fade away. Healthy diets are forgotten, and our exercise regimes become a distant memory. However, the coming of spring offers us an opportunity to turn over a new leaf. Persephone’s return to Earth is illustrative of the process of healing and personal growth. Just as spring represents renewal, rebirth, and the flourishing of life after the arid winter months, people can emerge from the cold with new strength, insights, and vitality.
Much like the annual spring clean, deciding where to begin with improving your wellbeing can feel daunting. At Randox Health, we’re here to provide you with the information you need to blossom into a heathier version of you. By providing you with unrivalled, personalised health data, we can help you make the changes to resurrect your wellbeing and help protect your future health.
Put the spring back in your step.
Spring brings with it a plethora of possibilities. Many fruits and vegetables are in season providing a reminder of the importance of these delicious sources of essential nutrients; more sunshine grants us a long-awaited top up of vitamin D levels; shorter nights encourage us to get outdoors and exercise.
After a few months locked up in the house, deciding where to begin making improvements to your health can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. This is where Randox Health’s test packages can help. By identifying areas in which improvement is going to be the most beneficial for you, we can help you figure out how to get your leg over the horse.
With our health tests, you can also book an optional GP appointment or health & wellbeing consultation with one of our health experts to make sure you get the most out of your health test. Let’s look at some of the tests offered at Randox Health which can help you put the petal to the metal and rejuvenate your wellbeing.
Nutrition and Lifestyle DNA
Much like Hades marriage to Persephone, the relationship between your diet, lifestyle and genetics is a complex one. We are all aware that what we eat affects our wellbeing, but more and more evidence is showing that our diet and environment have significant effects on health and disease.
In our Nutrition and Lifestyle DNA package, we explore the unique variations within your genetic code that affect how you respond to diet, physical activity, and various lifestyle elements, in addition to assessing your risk for certain nutrition-related diseases. It’s important to note that having a risk variant doesn’t guarantee you’ll develop a disease; it simply indicates a higher likelihood than those without the variant.
This package looks at common deficiencies and intolerances including vitamin B12, vitamin D and calcium deficiency, as well as lactose and gluten intolerance. It delves into gene variants linked to aspects of athletic performance, including caffeine metabolism and muscle mass, composition, and recovery. The Nutrition and Lifestyle DNA package also includes assessment of your genetic risk for several conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and familial hypercholesterolemia, in addition to exploring genes related to your sleep and mental health.
Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies
The increase in fresh, local produce that accompanies spring offers a chance to address your deficiencies one bite at a time. Leafy greens are a great source of magnesium and iron, strawberries are rich in vitamin C, and spring vegetables such as asparagus are full of folate. But to get started, its helpful to know which deficiencies, if any, that you suffer from.
Vitamin & Mineral Deficiency test measures your levels of essential vitamins and minerals including Vitamins B12 and D, to supply you with the knowledge you need to prevent or manage deficiencies which may be affecting your energy, mood, or physical performance.
Winter Bugs and Gut Health
Just as Demeter needed help from Zeus, we all need a little help from friends every now and again. The bacteria in your gut are like those friends who are forever lending a hand without complaining… until they do. During the winter, seasonal bugs, flus, and colds may have taken their toll on our microscopic mates, affecting the delicate balance of the gut-friendly bacteria that play a crucial role in our overall health.
Our gastrointestinal tract is home to trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and more, collectively known as the gut microbiome. This complex ecosystem is involved in numerous vital processes, from digestion and vitamin production to immune system regulation and even mood stabilisation. However, infections and the use of antibiotics during the colder months can disrupt this balance, leading to a decrease in beneficial bacteria and an increase in harmful pathogens.
When our gut health is affected, our body lets us know through disturbances like gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, or heartburn. To get to the bottom of these symptoms, Randox Health offers our Digestive-Bowel Health test. This non-invasive test investigates the source of problems in your gut. Some of the causes of gut problems can increase the risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies, providing further evidence of the importance of this delicate ecosystem in our health.
If you’re still feeling a little under the weather, we also offer our comprehensive Cold, Cough or Flu test which detects 22 common viruses and bacterial pathogens associated with both upper and lower respiratory tract infections.
Fertility and Pregnancy.
Fertility is a word synonymous with spring. As the weather improves, we see signs of fertility everywhere. But when it comes to your own fertility, things may not be quite as obvious. The Randox Health female Fertility Health test is designed to help you understand your hormones and fertility better. This test not only measures your reproductive hormone levels and ovarian reserve but delivers a complete picture of your overall hormonal health and wellbeing making it ideal for women trying to conceive or thinking about having a baby. You can find out more about this test and the 45 biomarkers analysed here.
For those already expecting, we also offer the Everymother test. This is a comprehensive health check for women at the prenatal and postpartum stages. The Everymother test includes 3 health checks, the first after 20 weeks, the next during the 3rd trimester and the last 12 weeks after birth, to analyse 18 different areas of health related to pregnancy. What’s more, each health check is accompanied by a personalised health plan to keep you on the right track throughout your pregnancy.
Optimum athletic performance
Last bud not least, spring is a time were training returns outdoors. To prepare you for another year of being your best, we have designed the Everyathlete test to provide you with insights to help optimise your training and nutrition for maximum performance. The flexible health plan includes 2 health checks per year, looking at over 80 data points linked to nutrition, muscle, joint, hormonal health, and body composition. The Everyathlete programme is perfect for anyone who wants to be proactive about their health, establish their health baseline prior to training and track their health data throughout training.
Health insights to make you wet your plants.
We’ve only discussed a small sample of the comprehensive health packages offered at Randox Health. From general health to genetic cancer risk, Randox Health has a test to provide you with the insights you need to make the changes your wellbeing deserves. You can see our entire range of health tests on our website here at randoxhealth.com
Don’t let your good health become a myth. Get in touch with us today through our social media channels or send us a message here.