CASE STUDY: How Mark Optimised His Metabolism and GLP-1 Treatment via Testing and Data

The Challenge: The Executive Trap

At 55, Mark's professional success was at an all-time high, but his metabolic health was under strain. His schedule of high-stakes meetings, frequent travel and late-night emails left little room for traditional health routines.

He faced a few overlapping issues:

• Metabolic risk: his GP had flagged elevated HbA1c and rising blood pressure on routine blood work, alongside a waistline that no longer fit his tailored suits.
• The GLP-1 transition: while his new prescription was suppressing his appetite, Mark struggled with decision fatigue around food, often skipping meals only to over-rely on caffeine and low-quality snacks during long workdays.
• Time poverty: with a schedule that changed by the hour, Mark needed an approach that worked with his lifestyle, not against it.

Swipe table to view more info.

The scenario	The goal	The risk
Mark, 55, senior executive	Reduce metabolic risk and support energy	Chronic disease progression and burnout

IN SHORT
This illustrative case shows how combining standard GP blood work with gut and metabolic testing can support a busy professional in managing metabolic risk alongside GLP-1 treatment, without a rigid diet.

The vivaBALANCE Approach: Precision Over Guesswork

Rather than a rigid diet, Mark was given a testing-informed framework. His GP's blood work (HbA1c, blood pressure, lipids) established his baseline metabolic risk. Alongside that, vivaBIOME (stool-based microbiome sequencing) and vivaMETABOLITE (urine-based metabolic assessment) were used to identify what was actually driving his day-to-day symptoms.

1. What the testing revealed

vivaMETABOLITE testing indicated markers associated with metabolic inflammation, consistent with his "on-the-go" food choices, even though portions were small. It also flagged specific nutrient gaps linked to his afternoon energy crashes and brain fog.

2. The Flexible Eating Guide

Using these results, a flexible eating framework was built for a time-poor executive, rather than a rigid meal plan:

• Situational choices: a simple system for choosing better metabolic options at business lunches, dinners, or airport lounges.
• Protein-first eating: prioritising high-quality protein to help maintain muscle mass (relevant while on GLP-1 medication) and support satiety.
• Building body awareness: learning to distinguish stress-driven hunger from genuine metabolic hunger.

The Illustrative Outcome

By integrating testing-informed choices into a busy lifestyle, this scenario illustrates change over 12 weeks:

Swipe table to view more info.

Metric	Before	After 12 Weeks
HbA1c (via GP blood test)	Pre-diabetic range	Improved, within healthy range
Daily focus	Brain fog and afternoon slump	More sustained mental clarity
Weight management	Fluctuating and frustrating	-8kg, more consistent

Ongoing metabolic markers, including HbA1c, continued to be monitored with his GP throughout.

"The testing took the guesswork out of it. I stopped wondering why nothing was working and started following an approach built around my own results. It's not a diet, it's a way of making faster, better-informed choices."

— Mark (illustrative scenario)

Why It Worked

1. Testing-led insight: gut and metabolic markers helped explain the "why," which made the day-to-day choices easier to follow.
2. Built for a busy schedule: the flexible eating framework was designed to hold up through travel and long workdays.
3. Broader than the scale: the focus stayed on markers relevant to long-term metabolic health, not just weight alone.

See what's actually driving your metabolic markers
A vivaINSIGHT test combines vivaBIOME and vivaMETABOLITE to show your gut and metabolic picture alongside standard GP blood work. vivaBALANCE 360 retests at 4 and 9 months to track change over time.

vivaLAB's services are designed to support health optimisation and are not a substitute for medical advice. Consult a qualified health practitioner for individual health decisions, including any changes to medication or supplementation.