Vegan runner’s blood studies give him the edge

He’s completed two of the 250km self supported 4-Deserts series in extremely hostile territory including the 40C heat of China.

More recently he’s developed an incisive business assisting vegans in sport

 “As many of us, I do get blood draws and other lab tests done on a regular basis and over the years the results piled up in a folder where they were collecting dust” he told us recently.  “The results were not connected and it was really hard to look at the larger picture. I also realized that a single bad lab result does not have to mean that there is something wrong with me, but rather that I just did not get enough sleep the night before, had too much food prior to the test or my overall stress level was higher at that point in time.”

“There are so many factors that can influence lab results that the only insightful way to look at results is when the dots are connected to previous results on a timeline. There were some apps from laboratories and health insurances where you can enter and view your results, but I could not find anything that was easy to use, helpful and laboratory- and insurance-agnostic.”

The holistic picture

Starting his own company to assemble and interpret the results he planned to give people insight into their results.

“It’s really helpful to look at a chart of your Vitamin D levels over the last 10 years and see how adjustments to your lifestyle affect levels. It’s also incredibly helpful to see how, for example, your lipid panel (especially your LDL cholesterol values) changes with eating a cleaner and more plant based diet. We provide scientific, evidence-based instant interpretations for 800+ biomarkers, so we cover a wide array of lab results such as blood tests, urine, gut and various hormone test panels from dozens of different laboratories.”

Ethical company

Ben’s also keen to ensure high standards in other aspects of the business activity.

Users are encouraged not to print their test results by ensuring they are stored on the company’s platform, which Ben estimates has saved hundreds of thousands of pages.

Electricity is minimised by using natural ventilation, public transport and walking.  Both Ben and his co-founder are long term vegan and they have encouraged their co-workers to do the same – estimating that they’re at around 60% currently.

As an active elite vegan athlete, Ben has also derived benefits for himself.

@It has helped me look at my health holistically. I really zeroed in on my inflammation markers (C Reactive Protein, Fibrinogen, various interleukin markers, etc). I then introduced a few simple routines into my life to counteract inflammation.

An example is my morning shot of turmeric, ginger, black pepper and kiwi. Learning more and more each day about the inner workings of our complex bodies, I became more aware of the delicate interplay between diet, physical exercise, stress management and social life. Focusing just on one piece of the puzzle might give you short-term gains, but neglecting the other areas of your life will have a direct impact on your health.”

Still running

Anyone thinking that this means that he has moved away from endurance challenges would be mistaken.

“I have my two remaining desert traverses next year. I’m crossing the Namib desert next April and Antarctica next November. I’m still on track to become the first vegan 4Desert champion and will keep you updated on the progress.

“In the meantime I’m training, mainly on sand these days and fine-tuning my equipment.” 

We’ve brought you this article to keep you up to date on Ben’s activities.  We don’t take a cut of any business the business receives,  or any other benefits.

Ben’s company

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