Natural Ways to Increase GLP-1: Part One

The majority of my 1:1 clients are women struggling with weight management through peri-menopause and menopause. They often personally know other women on weight loss medication, but prefer not to go that route.

GLP-1 medications are useful in some circumstances, but the good news is that there are many ways to increase GLP-1 naturally through diet and lifestyle tweaks.

Glucagon-like Peptide 1 is a hormone produced in the intestinal cells in response to a meal. It helps to reduce blood sugar and regulate appetite by signaling for insulin release so that blood sugar is taken up into the cells and slowing digestion for satiety.

There has been an increase in research around this topic, so I'm going to break this into four bite sized posts.

For today, let's look at specific foods to include that can help to increase natural GLP-1 increases.

Fiber: particularly soluble fibers, help to raise GLP-1. These include vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains. Some of the best sources of soluble fiber include:

• oats, barley, lentils, chickpeas and beans

• vegetables especially broccoli, brussels sprouts, asparagus, carrots, peas and turnips (check out this full list of the fiber content in vegetables).

• fruits including apples, pears and avocados

• nuts and seeds, such as pumpkin seeds, almonds, chia and flaxseed

Protein rich foods: Aim to include a protein rich food at every meal, such as:

• beef, turkey, chicken, pork

• salmon, fish, shrimp or other seafood

• eggs

• yogurt

• beans or lentils

• tofu or tempeh

Healthy fats also increase GLP-1 release and slow the process of emptying the stomach. Good choices include:

• avocados

• nuts and seeds

• olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil

• fatty fish including salmon, trout, sardines, anchovies

Next in this series, we'll look at the best timing of meals, GLP-s link to circadian rhythm, and the connection to gut health.