You have been learning what needs to be done but this entire process feels like a sentence more than a beautiful self discovery journey.
Often we hear that the growth of our entire being happens in the journey to our destination. So shouldn’t you enjoy it? Also with more science out on how hormones dictate how our fat is stored, we can eat food that can provide the RIGHT programming for our body to metabolize the sugar instead of storing it.
Keep reading to see how you can romanticize it, be confident that our steps are rooted in science and make this weight loss journey a true treat!
The GLP-1 Hormone Science
Quick rundown of what does hormone does.
Stimulated by food–>Increases Production of Insulin–> Increases usage of glucose for our cells (move it from our bloodstream and utilize it for energy instead of glucose being stored as fat!).
Here’s a picture to describe the process in a informational picture on GLP-1.
So girl our job is simple! We need to fully comprehend how to increase GLP 1 production in our system!!
If you’re fighting lethargy, gained weight recently and perhaps even a low libido.
Let’s get our energy in check with giving the targeted materials (food) for our body factory to be working efficiently.
GLP-1 Triggers
Below are all the macros, nutrients and supplements that really bring the GLP-1 Hormone concentration by 2-4 fold. (References for each point is cited below the point).
1. Lipids (GLP-1 loves Healthy Good Fats!)
GLP-1 really increases with monosaturated fats & DHA! So you’re going to be looking for extra virgin olive oil, regular olive oil, eggs, fish, macadamia nuts, and avocado.
Specifically monounsaturated fats (MUFA) are great for improving your glycemic tolerance. MUFA’s stimulate the secretion of this antidiabetic hormone GLP-1!
The L-cell in the intestines that absorb nutrients had enhanced sensitivity which indicates GLP-1 hormone is secreting more. So swap out the vegetable oil with avocado or olive oil!
And when it comes to how much to include it is suggested in a 2000 caloric diet, no more than 200 calories should come from it, and overall fat consumption should be within 25-30% of your daily calories (inclusive of mono and polyunsaturated fats).
MUFA Study linked here!
2. Dietary Fiber (GLP-1 works best with Viscous Soluble Fiber)
Dietary fiber or prebiotic fiber improves the state of metabolic dysregulation. Our goal is to eat fermentable fiber (soluble fiber) so that it can bring the food stimuli to the intestines.
How Fiber Helps Stimulate GLP-1 Hormone
Because what happens is the viscosity of the food is increased when soluble fiber is involved. This viscosity makes it so that digestion is much slower. And the slowness of the food traveling allows the proper food stimuli/nutrients to be brough to the L-cells in the smaller intestines which then secretes GLP-1 hormone allowing for the L-cells to take up the nutrients and increasing the fullness feeling to the gastric system and satiety to the brain! As opposed to the fast freddy glucose that just zips through the smaller intestines
3. Protein
Branch Chain Amino Acids in a sufficient quantity are favored by GLP-1!
L-Glutamine and Leucine increase the GLP-1 plasma concentration.
Dietary sources of L-glutamine include plant and animal proteins such as beef, pork, poultry, milk, yogurt, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, raw spinach, raw parsley, and cabbage.
L-glutamine, is available by itself, or as part of a protein supplement. These come in powders, capsules, tablets, or liquids.
Standard preparations are typically available in 500 mg tablets or capsules. You should L-glutamine with cold or room temperature foods or liquids. Be careful not to add it to hot beverages because heat destroys glutamine.
You can find leucine in essentially dairy products, red meat,
I try to drink raw milk with my coffee now (just 2 TB) to get that leucine and fat that I need.
4. Resistant Starches
I learned that resistant starches act much like prebiotic fiber which is essential in slowing down digestion and activating that GLP-1 hormone naturally!
Resistant Starches to look for are RMD (Resistant Maltodextrin), Psyillium Husk, and Xanthum Gum. I take Hilma (Daily Prebiotic Fiber with Digestive Enzymes).
And it contains digestive enzyme so you can actually process the fiber and are not violently bloated if your body is not used to that much fiber (6g). Mind you, a person of my weight (165lbs) should be taking 28 g of fiber daily.
This definitely helps get the fiber in so I’m not constantly weighing leafy greens and eating 5 apples a day.
And from my experience, it keeps my tummy flat and from being bloated after meals. So I feel way more confident throughout the day.
I currently take this resistant starch/prebiotic fiber tasteless powder with my Greek Protein Yogurt in the evening or Morning Overnight Oats. I mix it in and don’t even it taste it. It just makes the texture a bit thicker.
Journal Weekly What’s Working For You
Get an ornate journal with pages that inspire you to free flow write in it. And then write weekly about how the week went. Write the following:
Where did you falter? Did you substitute high sugar/low fiber items with low sugar/high fiber foods? (beans instead of bread)
When did you thrive? What helped you? Did you come prepared to the grocery store?
What were your pain points? What was difficult for you?
Was there anyone else that caused you to derail or stay on track?
You’re trying to do research on yourself so you can crack your own code. Everyone’s triggers and body makeup is different. So we need to see how our body reacts to our actions and how our impulses get in the way. And if we are care enough about ourselves to fortify our own resolve.
Fiber and Protein Tracker
I would suggest either FatSecret App for tracking your fiber and Protein because it actually shows your daily macro percentages and meal macro breakdown without having to pay for the premium.
Below you will see my Friday breakdown. It also helps me keep track of my sugar throughout the day. Sugar is not GLP-1 friendly because too much of it does cause insulin resistance as you may know–essentially making your cells no longer take in the sugar in the bloodstream (due to overabundance) and that ends up being stored as fat.
Bluetooth Weigh Scale & Bluetooth Tape Measure
So I am a firm believer in weighing yourself every day so you can record what kind of foods or activities essentially make you retain water. And also what kind of eating habits (front-loading your heavier meals) causes water retention and eventual weight gain.
You are only taking in the data, and letting it record in the app. And at the end of the week you can adjust your habits. Do that for the first two weeks and then you can go back to a once a week weigh in.
I use Arboleaf Smart Scale. I like the sleek design and the metrics accurately match what I got done at a nutritionist’s BodyScale fat analyzer. It uses the same the electric pulse technology to detect the water flow in my body–to determine hence how “dense” I am (body fat, muscle weight etc).
And below is the exact body tape measure I got so I can keep track of my waist to hip measurements mainly (and also my biceps to see my progress at the gym with all that bench pressing!)
You are Your Own Scientific Study
So overall the goal is to see if all the above GLP-1 friendly eating is truly going to have an effect on you. And you are your own study! So intake that data seriously! And try to do so without being hard on yourself.
Try to dissociate from it and consider yourself an active participant who needs to stay the course in order to see if the GLP-1 friendly food habits are actually noteworthy variables!
You can do so by introducing them in small quantities and work your way up moderate-optimal quantities for your body.
Structure and adapt your self study as you see fit for optimal consistency and true results!
