Ozempic and its many weight-loss cousins are getting a lot of press these days, so here’s some helpful information that I gleaned while researching Dr. Jason Fung’s theories for this article, What If Eating Is the Key to Weight Loss?
As you remember, Dr. Fung drew attention to the important role hormones play in terms of hunger. This hormone factor explains why Ozempic can help with weight loss.
Our bodies naturally produce GLP-1 hormones that help regulate appetite. Ozempic, while not a hormone itself, nevertheless activates GLP-1 receptors in the body, including those in the brain’s appetite center. By activating these receptors, Ozempic causes appetite suppression, a reduction in hunger and increased feelings of fullness–all of which lead to a reduction in calorie intake.(1)
But do we have to rely on a pharmaceutical to activate our GLP-1 receptors? Could we “make our own Ozempic” by simply increasing our natural GLP-1 hormone levels?
“Turns out, the answer is yes – you can increase your body’s production of GLP-1 with your diet,” says Frank Duca, who studies metabolic diseases at the University of Arizona.(2) And it’s easy: “Foods high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats can trigger the release of GLP-1. Think whole grains, nuts, eggs, and vegetables.(3)
Of course, this only makes sense. Otherwise, how could we have survived all these centuries without Ozempic?!! We would have over-eaten ourselves to death!
Hmmm. . . all this sounds a lot like the Real, Whole Foods Approach that I shared in The Lazy Person’s Guide to Healthy Eating. Remember the part about eating a wild and delicious diversity of foods? That’s the key to ensure that you get some good GLP-1 foods — along with all the other foods you need for all the other functions the body is handling, without you even knowing it!
(1) From https://diet.mayoclinic.org/us/blog/2024/how-does-ozempic-affect-hormones/ Also: https://www.thefastingmethod.com/videos/2024/1/14/how-ozempic-works-for-weight-loss
(3) From https://www.healthline.com/health/foods-that-increase-glp-1
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