If it feels like “everyone” is suddenly on Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro, you’re not imagining it. I personally have many friends who have turned to the GLP-1 prescription injections in order to drop weight. Everytime I turn on the TV or look at my social media a celebrity or influencer has lost a ton of weight.
A year or so ago I was attending the premier of a documentary on Cyndi Lauper. (My husband had worked on it) I was walking across the lobby behind what I thought was a young person who was arm in arms with an elderly woman who was so fragile she could not walk unassisted. They stopped to look around, and that is when I gasped. This elderly, very fragile, pencil thin woman was none other than Sharon Osbourne. She was so thin and so fragile she looked like she had just walked out of a concentration camp. I had heard that she was experiencing a horrific GLP-1 side effect called “frozen stomach”.
“Frozen Stomach” is the lay term people use for drug-induced gastroparesis, which is a known and increasingly reported serious side effects of GLP-1 drugs. “Frozen Stomach” is caused by the overstimulation of GLP-1 receptors in the gut and nervous system which causes an extreme delay of the emptying of the stomach after eating.
The symptoms of “Frozen Stomach” include:
Persistent or severe nausea
Recurrent vomiting
Early satiety – feeling extremely full after a few bits
Bloating, abdominal distension, upper abdominal pain
Loss of appetite, aversion to food, rapid unintended weight loss
In severe cases, dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, malnutrition
Some people end up in the Emergency room
Intestinal obstruction/ileus: Cases of intestinal blockage and severe constipation have been reported with semaglutide.
Pancreatitis: Inflammation of the pancreas with severe, persistent upper abdominal pain radiating to the back, nausea, and vomiting.
Gallbladder disease: Gallstones, gallbladder inflammation, and need for gallbladder removal appear at higher rates in some users, possibly related to rapid weight loss and altered bile physiology.
Acute kidney injury: Dehydration from severe vomiting/diarrhea plus direct effects can stress the kidneys.
Thyroid tumors and possible cancer risk: GLP‑1 drugs carry an FDA boxed warning about thyroid C‑cell tumors (medullary thyroid carcinoma) based on rodent data; the true human risk is still being studied.
Diabetic retinopathy worsening: Rapid improvements in blood sugar can sometimes worsen existing diabetic eye disease.
Hypoglycemia (when combined with insulin or sulfonylureas): Can lead to dizziness, confusion, rapid heartbeat, and in severe cases seizures or loss of consciousness.
Severe allergic reactions: Angioedema, anaphylaxis, swelling of face/tongue/throat, difficulty breathing.
· Potential loss of lean muscle mass along with fat if people are under‑eating protein and not doing resistance training.
· Psychological dependence on the drug for appetite control, with weight regain after stopping if underlying lifestyle and metabolic drivers are not addressed.
Key Philosophical Issue: Symptom Control vs Metabolic Healing
GLP‑1 drugs are incredibly effective at suppressing appetite and improving glucose numbers, but they do not magically fix the deeper drivers: ultra‑processed diets, circadian disruption, chronic stress, toxin load, mitochondrial dysfunction, gut dysbiosis, and micronutrient deficiencies.
When you stop the injection, if the terrain hasn’t changed, weight and blood sugar usually creep back. For a naturopathic, root‑cause lens, these medications might be a temporary bridge for some very high‑risk patients—but they are not a long‑term substitute for metabolic rehabilitation.
There is good news. Your body already knows how to make and use GLP-1. There are certain foods, fibers, nutrients and lifestyle habits that can enhance your own GLP-1 signaling and produce similar effects that support better blood sugar control, more satiety, lower cravings, without forcing your system with a synthetic agonist.
Fiber before a meal
(In my 30’s I would drink a glass of Metamucil after dinner. This kept me satiated and helped my digestion move like clockwork the next morning, It also helped me stay at my ideal weight. I do NOT recommend using metamucil, there are many higher quality fiber drinks on the market now)
Today there are a lot of experts advising to have a fiber “pre-load” before a meal. Soluble fiber slows gastric emptying and glucose absorption, very similar to the way GLP-1 drugs blunt post-meal spikes.
Fermentation of fiber by gut microbes produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that stimulate GLP-1 release from intestinal L-cells.
Practical options for front loading a meal with fiber:
1-2 tablespoons of ground flax or chia seeds in water 10-15 minutes before eating. Be sure to chase with a full glass of water
Eat a salad full of chopped raw vegetables before the main meal.
Eat an apple before each meal
Take a high quality fiber drink 15-20 minutes before a meal
Consume 10-15 spirulina bits 15-20 minutes before a meal. This can create satiety, cut cravings, and may support your own GLP-1 System. I personally love that you are also incorporating a “superfood” into your daily regimen.
A study in 62 obese adults using 1 g/day spirulina for 12 weeks reported significant reductions in appetite, BMI, body weight, and total cholesterol.
WARNING: When adding fiber, whether it is a fiber drink, or lots of high fiber foods to your daily diet, you must start out with a small amount and work your way up. Some people jump on the fiber band wagon and then find they are constipated, or even worse they end up with a blockage.
Consider trying the Carbohydrate Addicts approach. This is where you eat very low carb for breakfast and lunch and then at dinner, for 1 hour you can eat normally. Read my post: My All Time Favorite Weight Loss Diet
· Berberine: Has GLP‑1–enhancing effects in some models and improves insulin sensitivity and glycemic control; it’s often called “nature’s metformin”
· Curcumin: May increase GLP‑1 and improve metabolic markers in small studies.
· Ginseng: Some evidence of GLP‑1 modulation and improved glucose metabolism.
· Wild bitter gourd (Momordica charantia): Human pilot work shows higher GLP‑1, smaller waists, and better blood sugar and lipids at about 4.8 g/day dried powder.
In his new book, Dr. Mercola explains how one microbe, Akkermansia muciniphila acts as the missing link between your gut and lasting fat loss. People with higher levels of Akkermansia are naturally leaner, less inflamed and more insulin-sensitive. He states that this microbe strengthens your gut linking and stimulates the release of GLP-1 at a fraction of the cost of GLP-1 drugs.
Adding an Akkermansia supplement is super easy and very affordable. This microbe is also associated with better cancer outcomes.
Weight issues were not a problem in the 1970’s
When you see photos of people in bathing suits at the beach today, most everyone has a weight issue. If you look at beach photos from the 1970’s almost everyone was slim.
I could write an entire article on how the level of toxicity has skyrocketed. The pesticides, the personal care products, medications and injections, the air we breathe and the water we bath in are all harboring invisible pesticides, synthetic ingredients, hormone disruptors, antibiotics, and addictive additives that have created a nation in crisis.
These toxins contribute to metabolic issues that make it hard to lose weight.
It is not easy to avoid these toxins, but you must do all that you can. You must read labels and you must limit your exposure. You also must gently detox on a daily basis, because if you don’t you will accumulate toxins and over time this will lead to health issues that are chronic like weight issues or even life threatening health issues.
Conclusion: Before you jump on the GLP-1 medication bandwagon, do your research. I have seen so many people get on these pharmaceutical drugs and end up feeling nauseous most of the time, which is no way to live. I have seen people lose weight, but they look frail and unhealthy. I have had people who end up with Thyroid Nodules that must be addressed. I have also seen many people get off the GLP-1 medications and immediately gain all the weight back and even more.
You can give some of the natural protocols first. You not only save money, you will avoid the possibility of being permanently injured by the severe side effects of GLP-1 medications.
DISCLAIMER: The information in this post is not meant to treat, cure or diagnose. When implementing any of the protocols always consult your health care provider first.
References:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-024-01931-z
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/13901-glp-1-agonists
https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/25/health/weight-loss-diabetes-drugs-gastroparesis
https://www.drugwatch.com/drugs/ozempic/side-effects/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-024-01931-z
https://www.goodrx.com/ozempic/semaglutide-side-effects
https://health.osu.edu/wellness/exercise-and-nutrition/activiating-glp-1-naturally
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0218543
https://www.goodrx.com/conditions/weight-loss/how-to-increase-glp-1-naturally
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.