Your Best Shot: The Truth About GLP-1s and Natural Weight Health Hormones

🎙️ Registered dietitian Ashley Koff joins Dr. Pedram Shojai to unpack the truth about GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy. While these drugs mimic hormones our bodies naturally produce, they don't solve the root cause of why our own weight-health hormones aren't functioning properly. Ashley explains how gut health, the vagus nerve, stress, and digestive function all play crucial roles in our body's natural hormone production. She shares her personal journey from childhood obesity to understanding that healing weight health isn't about what you eat or avoid—it's about optimizing your body's operating system.

🎯 What You'll Learn:

• Why GLP-1s are biosimilar hormone replacements that stay active 24/7 (vs. natural hormones working 2-5 minutes)—and why they don't address the root problem
• The two key reasons our weight-health hormones aren't working: digestive system damage and inflammatory cascades blocking hormone delivery to receptor sites
• The Pizza-Making Framework: Crust (digestion/hydration), Sauce (nutrition), Cheese (lifestyle), Toppings (supplements/medications)—why GLP-1s are great toppings on bad pizza
• The 3-Hour Pit Stop Strategy: Moving beyond daily totals to consistent intervals for breathing, bathroom, movement, nutrient-balanced meals, and mental reset
• Why protein absorption matters more than protein consumption—and how eating 150g daily with poor digestion creates inflammation, not muscle
• Ashley's gastroenterologist insight that changed everything: "It's not what you're eating or not eating—your digestive system doesn't have what it needs"
• GLP-1 Activators as alternatives: Amarasate (hops from New Zealand) increases GLP-1 and PYY by 600% naturally while you fix the root cause
• The Proton Pump Inhibitor problem: Most people prescribed PPIs actually have LOW acid (not high), creating downstream B12, calcium, and protein breakdown issues

🔑 Key Insights:

"It's not what you're eating or not eating—your digestive system doesn't have what it needs to function." - Ashley's gastroenterologist

"GLP-1s slow digestion and delay gastric emptying for 24 hours. These medications can exacerbate underlying digestive issues. There's no free lunch."

"Every diet focuses on what to eat, missing the underlying operating system. Fix the root cause, and weight loss, energy, and appearance follow naturally."

"On a 1-10 stress scale, digestion shuts down at 7 or above. Even superfoods won't help if you're not absorbing nutrients."

"Protein going into your body doesn't equal protein to muscle. Excess undigested protein causes inflammation—especially when GLP-1s delay gastric emptying."

💡 Action Steps:

• Take the sweet taste bud test: Bite into an apple, rate sweetness 1-10—this reveals if you're overusing non-nutritive sweeteners
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