Weight Management Support
While GLP-1 medications offer significant benefits for weight management, any major lifestyle transition requires proactive support to help your body adapt. Supporting your overall health can help prevent common side effects such as fatigue from shifting blood sugar levels, digestive discomfort, and potential nutritional deficiencies.
How GLP-1s Work
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a naturally occurring hormone produced in your small intestine that plays a vital role in regulating appetite and blood sugar.
It triggers the release of insulin from the pancreas to lower blood sugar after meals while simultaneously blocking glucagon release to prevent excess glucose from entering the bloodstream.
GLP-1's also slow the digestion process, allowing the food to remain in the stomach for longer signaling to your brain that you are full.
Three Key Areas of Health to Support Your GLP-1 Journey
Energy Support
Maintain balanced blood sugar levels and consistent vitality as your intake changes.
Supplements for energy support. Iron, Vitamin B and CoQ10 (Ubiquinol) are naturally found in foods like fatty fish, organ meats and whole grains, but decreased food intake can lead to deficiencies. Supplementing with these energy-supporting nutrients can provide consistency by filling in any gaps caused by a reduced nutrient intake.
B Vitamins: B vitamins are essential for energy-yielding metabolism in the body, as well as nervous system function and red blood cell formation. Overall they help in the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. They are water soluble vitamins so regularly need replaced in our bodies.
Ubiquinol 100mg: A crucial nutrient for both cellular energy production and antioxidant protection. Offers 100 mg of ubiquinol, the active, ready-to-use form of CoQ10.
Iron Complex: Helps maintain healthy iron levels to prevent fatigue. Offers 20 mg of elemental iron, plus vitamins C, B6, B12 and folic acid for absorption.
Get More Out of Your Meals
Eating less food means you need to make the most of every meal. By eating smaller, more frequent meals of nutrient-rich whole foods, you can keep energy levels up while getting the vitamins and minerals your body needs.
How to build your plate:
1. Start with a protein: Rich in nutrients like CoQ10, iron and vitamin B12.
2. Prioritize plant-based foods: Provide a wide range of essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
3. Increase fibre intake: Fibre-rich foods digest slower to provide a steady energy source.
Setting the Stage for Quality Sleep
High-quality sleep is critical for regulating cognitive function, recovering after exercise, and most importantly, replenishing energy levels. Here are some tips to get you ready for a restful night's sleep:
Turn the lights off, Set a comfy temperature, Put the screens away Do light stretching, Journal your thoughts and feelings Go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday Do breathing exercises Make sure your mattress and pillows are comfortable Read a book Try getting up as soon as you wake or within 10-20 minutes of waking
Bone health. Strong muscles, strong bones
Preserve bone density and structural strength during periods of weight loss.
The rapid weight loss that often occurs with GLP-1 medications can lower bone density by decreasing the structural demand on our bones. Combined with reduced intake of bone-building nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and vitamins D3 and K2, this can lead to conditions like osteoporosis. Your skeletal muscles, those that connect to your bones, have a direct impact on bone density. When these muscles contract, they create stress which stimulates healthy bone formation. Adding weight-bearing exercises like walking, running or resistance training 2-3 times a week can maintain your skeletal muscle and improve bone density. Foods like cheese, yogurt and fortified plant milks provide a sufficient amount of the calcium our bodies need to build strong bones. However, calcium doesn't work alone. Magnesium, vitamin D and vitamin K2 are also vital parts of the bone-building process.
Magnesium: Is essential for bone mineralization, regulating bone-building cells, and converting vitamin D into its active form to facilitate calcium absorption. Found in: leafy greens, legumes, nuts and seeds.
Vitamin D3: Is required to metabolize the hormone that increases the intestinal absorption of calcium. Found in: fatty fish, eggs, plant-based milks
Vitamin K2: Supports bone health by activating osteocalcin, a protein that binds calcium to the bone matrix. Found in: organ meats, egg yolks, fermented foods.Getting sufficient amounts of essential bone-building nutrients can be challenging with a reduced food intake. Give your body a consistent source of magnesium, collagen, vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 to support the maintenance of healthy bones and joints.
Magnesium Glycinate: Essential for over 800 functions, magnesium is critical for building strong bones. Our individual and targeted formulas deliver up to 200 mg of gentle, easily absorbable magnesium.
Collagen Active Joints and Body Balance: Provide structural support for your joints and collagen support for muscles during rapid weight change. Contains both types I and III collagen peptides.
D3+K2: These vital bone-building nutrients allow your body to absorb calcium and bind it to your bones. Offers 1000 IU of vitamin D3 and 120 mcg of vitamin K2
Gut health
Nourish your digestive tract to ease digestion and support overall nutrient absorption.
One of the main functions of GLP-1 medications is to slow down your digestion, which causes food to stay in your digestive tract for longer than normal. As a result, this can lead to gut-related side effects like nausea, vomiting and nutrient malabsorption. However, these effects can be mitigated by taking a few extra steps to care for your gut. The bacteria in our gut are vital for our health. They allow us to break down food more efficiently, prevent the buildup of bad bacteria or pathogens, and reduce symptoms like gas, constipation and bloating. Get a natural source of probiotic bacteria by adding fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi to your diet.
1 Bacteria produce enzymes
2 Enzymes break down large food particles
3 Bacteria digest small particles
Healthy gut bacteria are helpful but don't forget to feed them! High-fibre foods like mushrooms, onions, asparagus and lentils serve as food for your gut bacteria. In turn, they provide the cells in our intestinal lining with the beneficial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) they need. Plus, the added fibre helps regulate your bowel movements to ease constipation! Supplements for gut health:
Supporting your gut health can help mitigate the GI issues commonly experienced on GLP-1 medications. Magnesium is one of the essential electrolytes our body needs to maintain healthy hydration levels. Probiotics help restore balance to your gut microbiome to enhance digestion and prevent the buildup of harmful bacteria.
Staying hydrated
A reduced appetite can often decrease our fluid intake, so it's important to make sure you're keeping yourself hydrated. Our gut lining needs plenty of water to function properly, and water is also required for the digestion and absorption of nutrients. Healthy hydration levels can also help prevent constipation and other gastrointestinal symptoms.
