In this article, you’ll find detailed instructions for everything you’ll need to do on your test day. The timing of these tasks is very important and can impact the accuracy of your results.
Overview
Wake up, remain fasted, and avoid exercise
Do your gut health test (today or over the next few days)
Eat your breakfast set meal (within 15 minutes)
Fast and avoid exercise (4 hours)
Eat your lunch set meal (within 15 minutes)
Fast and avoid exercise (2 hours)
Do your blood test
Mail your blood and poop samples
Step-by-step instructions
1. Wake up, remain fasted, and avoid exercise
Fast for at least 8 hours before eating your breakfast set meal.
You can drink plain still water, black coffee, or plain tea (without sugar, sweetener, or milk) during your fast.
Do not do any strenuous exercise (e.g. running, brisk walking, cycling, yoga) until after your blood test (6 hours after eating your breakfast set meal).
2. Do your gut health test
Follow the in-app and/or printed instructions to collect your poop sample.
If you can’t collect your sample today, it’s fine to try again tomorrow.
3. Eat your breakfast set meal
It's important to eat the entire pack for accurate results.
You may have plain still water, black coffee, or plain tea (without sugar, sweetener, or milk) with your set breakfast meal, but nothing else.
When you’re ready to eat your breakfast, follow the in-app instructions.
Log when you start eating the breakfast set meal in your app by scanning the barcode on the pack after reading through the in-app instructions.
4. Remain fasted and continue to avoid strenuous exercise for 4 hours
Please don’t eat or drink anything (except for plain still water, black coffee, or plain tea), or exercise until after your blood test.
This is important for us to measure how your body responds to the standardized test meals.
5. Eat your lunch set meal exactly 4 hours after breakfast
It's important to eat the entire pack for accurate results.
You may have plain still water, black coffee, or plain tea (without sugar, sweetener, or milk) with your set lunch meal, but nothing else.
When you’re ready to eat your lunch, follow the in-app instructions.
Log when you start eating the lunch set meal in your app by scanning the barcode on the pack after reading through the in-app instructions.
6. Remain fasted and continue to avoid strenuous exercise for 2 hours
Please don’t eat or drink anything (except for plain still water, black coffee, or plain tea), or exercise until after your blood test.
This is important for us to measure how your body responds to the standardized test meals.
7. Do your blood test exactly 2 hours after eating your lunch set meal
Your blood test allows us to measure your blood fat response to the standardized test meals.
Read through the printed instructions ahead of time so you’ll feel well prepared for this test.
Please follow the instructions in your app and/or printed instructions.
Here are a few tips for completing your blood test:
Be prepared. Set aside at least 15 minutes before your blood test is due to get everything in order so that you won’t feel rushed.
Drink loads of water. Being well hydrated helps your blood flow and makes the test much easier. We recommend drinking at least 1-2 glasses of water the night before and 1-2 glasses of water 30 minutes before your blood test.
Stay warm! This helps with blood flow and will make the test easier. Wear warm clothes, wrap yourself in a blanket, or have a hot shower before your test.
Get the blood flowing in your body by swirling your arms around. A few seconds of light movement that elevates your heart rate can help. It can be helpful to remain standing for the duration of the test.
Make sure to wash your hands with hot water and soap before you start. do not use hand sanitizer as this will affect your results.
8. Mail your blood and poop samples to the lab
To return your blood sample: Place your blood test tube into the blood sample return bag. Seal your blood sample return bag. Place it in the prepaid return mailer box marked with 'Blood Test Return Box'.
To return your poop sample return: Place your sample tube in the plastic clamshell. Place the clamshell into the prepaid return mailer box marked with 'Gut Health Test Return Box'.
Send your return mailer boxes back to us via Royal Mail (if in the UK) or USPS (if in the US). You can do this by placing the boxes in your nearest mailbox or post office on the same day you complete your test.
If the mail is not running that day, it is fine to send it the following day.
You did it, way to go!
After completing your blood test you can now eat, drink, and exercise again as you wish.