GLP-1: Can You Support It Naturally?

If you’ve heard the words GLP-1 everywhere lately, you’re not imagining it. Ozempic, Wegovy and other GLP-1 medications have brought this hormone firmly into the spotlight, particularly when it comes to appetite, cravings, blood sugar and weight.

And GLP-1 already exists inside your body. Your body makes it naturally. GLP-1 is a hormone released in the gut after we eat, and it plays a role in feelings of fullness, appetite regulation and how the body responds to food and blood sugar.

There’s also an interesting connection between GLP-1 and the gut microbiome, which opens up a much wider conversation around food, gut health and metabolic health. Certain foods can stimulate the release of GLP-1, while some types of fibre are fermented by our gut bacteria and produce short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate. These can influence signalling between the gut and our wider metabolic systems.

So when we talk about GLP-1, we’re talking about much more than appetite. We’re looking at the food we eat, the health of the gut, blood sugar, hunger and fullness signals, and the communication happening between the gut, brain and metabolism.

Why GLP-1 is worth talking about in midlife

Women often say to me, “I haven’t changed that much, but my body seems to have.” And I think that captures something many women experience through midlife.

Hunger can feel different, cravings can become stronger and energy can be less predictable. Weight can start settling differently around the middle, and foods we’ve eaten for years can suddenly seem to affect us differently.

Looking at metabolic health as a whole gives us a much better picture of what may be going on. GLP-1 is part of this picture, together with blood sugar and insulin, muscle, hormones, sleep, stress, movement, the nervous system and the gut microbiome. They’re all connected.

Supporting your natural GLP-1 signalling

Food gives us a practical place to start. Protein at meals, plenty of fibre and a wide variety of plant foods can all form part of a way of eating designed to support appetite regulation, gut health and metabolic function.

Prebiotic foods such as onions, garlic, leeks and asparagus help feed beneficial gut bacteria, while fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi and miso can add another layer of support for the gut microbiome. Bitter greens, colourful vegetables and good-quality fats such as extra virgin olive oil can all fit naturally into this way of eating too.

Meal rhythm can make a difference as well. Creating some space between meals can support a healthier meal rhythm and gives us a chance to reconnect with genuine hunger and fullness cues.

The order we eat our food can be another useful tool. Starting a meal with vegetables, fibre and protein before moving into more carbohydrate-rich foods can help support a steadier blood sugar response. These are all simple shifts that can be built into everyday life without making food feel complicated.

Where fasting fits

Fasting can be another useful tool within the bigger metabolic picture. During a fasting period, the body gets a break from incoming food and has time to work with the energy already available to it.

Over time, appropriate fasting can help us practise moving between glucose and stored fat for fuel, which is part of becoming more metabolically flexible. What we eat when we come out of a fast is part of the process too.

Through my Fast Like a Girl coach training with Dr Mindy Pelz, there’s a strong focus on combining foods such as protein, soluble fibre, fermented foods and healthy fats when breaking a fast.

So the conversation becomes less about chasing the longest possible fasting window and more about creating a fasting and eating rhythm designed to support the body. Sleep, stress, nourishment, movement, muscle and the nervous system all help shape what that rhythm can look like for an individual woman.

A woman may feel fantastic with a particular fasting pattern during one stage of life and find that a different rhythm suits her better later. For me, this is where personalised metabolic health becomes so valuable. We can work with the body we have today.

What about GLP-1 medications?

GLP-1 medications can be valuable medical tools for some people, and conversations around starting, stopping or changing medication belong with the healthcare professional prescribing them.

Food and lifestyle give us another area we can work with. Supporting protein intake, fibre, gut health, muscle, movement, sleep, blood sugar regulation and our awareness of hunger and fullness all contribute to metabolic health.

Learning more about GLP-1 also gives us another way to understand some of the signals our bodies are sending us. The more we understand those signals, the easier it becomes to make choices with intention rather than feeling confused by changing hunger, cravings or energy.

Interested in going deeper?

I’m opening expressions of interest for a small six-week Natural GLP-1 Metabolic Reset for women who want to explore how food, fasting, gut health and everyday lifestyle choices can support their body’s own GLP-1 signalling and wider metabolic health.

If you’d like to know more about the first round, send me an email at hello.thrivewithlara@gmail.com with GLP-1 in the subject line and I’ll send you the details.

Body, Mind & Beyond