01/17/2026
Healthy Tip Saturday: What are GLP-1 injections and how can I stimulate production of my own, naturally?
First of all, GLP –1 agonists are a class of medications to treat type two diabetes and obesity.
GLP stands for glucogon-like peptide. They work by stimulating the pancreas to release insulin which reduces the gut‘s production of glucose, and by slowing gastric emptying during digestion.
Did you know that your body produces this hormone naturally in the gut when food reaches your intestines?
The difficulty I’m seeing with my clients is that many times these medications are prescribed without efficient counseling or support.
What I find alarming are the long-term concerns of hair loss, muscle loss, and slowing down of metabolism. Studies have shown that people are losing up to 40% of their muscle mass while on these medication’s. The more muscle mass you lose, the lower your metabolic rate falls. This makes it metabolically harder to maintain any loss.
The minute you go off them and increase your calories (and your appetite will return), you will increase your weight, especially if your initial caloric intake was too low.
There are cases where these medications, in my opinion are definitely appropriate. However, there are cases where I think safe weight loss can be achieved by naturally stimulating your own GLP -1. 
I will share here some tips that stimulate production of your own hormone which will encourage weight loss and help to maintain it.
1- With any weight loss program you start, begin with getting a DEXA -scan. This will show you your percentage of body fat and muscle mass which is measured in pounds. Ideal for women is 30% body fat or less, and for men, 25% or less. Monitor these trends with your program. A good program will keep your muscle mass the same or higher as your fat percentage goes down.
2- Stop snacking! Try to eat 3 to 4 meals per day. Frequent snacking, especially of highly processed foods  stimulates your pancreas to release insulin. Long story short, the more insulin you have circulating in your blood, the more fat you will store.
3- Combine your carbs with high protein and high fiber with all of your meals.
4- Make your gut Microbiome more diverse by eating not just high fiber foods, but healthy fats, like extra-virgin olive oil, salmon, avocado, etc.
5-Regular exercise is key! Did you know that walking 15 minutes after your meal will lower your blood sugar?
6-Preserve and build more lean muscle by doing resistance training 2 to 3 times per week.
7-Make sure to eat 90-120 grams of protein per day, spread out through the day. This amount would be less if you had kidney disease and or Parkinson’s disease.
8-Eat fermented foods to improve your micro biome, like sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, etc. a healthy Microbiome supports insulin sensitivity. It is medically proven that certain gut bacteria stimulate intestinal L-cells to release GLP-1 .
9-Get at least seven hours of sleep per night. This will keep your hunger hormones balanced.
10- Make sure to eat adequate calories per day. Consuming to low of an amount will lower your metabolic rate to a point where you store fat.
11- Intermittent fasting of just 12 hours stimulates production of GLP-1 .
There are tips that are helpful for those of you just starting these weekly injections that will help you get through and even avoid many common side effects. Message me if you’d like to team up with me as your coach but remember that those who find lasting success with these synthetic medications achieve and maintain the fat loss and muscle retention with their behavior, not just because of the medications!
Be well!
Diana Modera Wellness Coaching
