5 natural Ozempic alternatives that can help fight food cravings
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Ozempic may sound like a quick solution for weight loss, but there are plenty of natural ways to help fight food cravings and lose weight without any health risks or extra costs.
The demand for weight management medications like Ozempic, a brand name for the medicine semaglutide, has skyrocketed in popularity in the past two years. It is a type of GLP-1 drug, which is a weekly injection that helps with weight loss and blood sugar management in people who have type 2 diabetes.
GLP-1 drugs increase the levels of incretins (hormones), which are naturally produced by the stomach when you eat. It works by helping your body to produce more insulin, which also reduces the amount of glucose produced by the liver, and slows down how quickly food is digested. This all helps to lower blood sugar levels and slows down how quickly food is digested. This means you can stay fuller for longer, and therefore eat less.
Treatments like Ozempic won’t be recommended to people unless they have a BMI of 35kg/m2 or more and have looked at other ways they can lose weight first. But increasingly, though the drug started as an anti-diabetic medication, more people are getting access to the drug for weight loss purposes. Charities have since warned of an increase in people with eating disorders accessing the drugs, and for people to be aware of the side effects, which include nausea, hypoglycaemia and vision changes.
But health experts say there are several ways that people can naturally control their feelings of hunger – constant thoughts and cravings about food in between meals – and lose weight without taking weight management drugs.
Making long-term lifestyle changes to your diet, sleep and daily routine can help you lose weight in a safe, steady way, and avoid the quick fix of fad or crash diets that are usually too challenging to stick with.
Gillian Killiner RD, a specialist dietician at 121 Dietician, told The Independent: “Alternatives to GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, can be achieved using a holistic, evidence-based approach focusing on satiety, hormone balance, and behavioural strategies and can be just as effective – without the unpleasant and potential dangerous side effects.”
“Natural approaches to appetite regulation and reducing ‘food noise’ are highly effective when tailored correctly.”
Here are five natural Ozempic alternatives:
Eating more protein
High-protein foods can help you turn down “food noise” because protein keeps you feeling fuller for longer and can help curb cravings. Protein also preserves muscle mass, which is essential for long-term metabolic health. According to the NHS, adults should eat one gram of protein for each kilogram of their body weight every day.
Protein-rich foods include lean meats, like skinless chicken breast, eggs, beans and nuts.
Dr Daniel Atkinson, a clinical lead at online healthcare company Treated said: “Eating a balanced diet, rich in a variety of fruit vegetables, fibre, healthy fats and lean protein can help with the weight loss you’re trying to achieve — by avoiding ultra processed foods and unhealthy trans and saturated fats, you can create the calorie deficit needed to lose weight.”
Fill up with fibre
Eating more fibre-rich foods, such as oats, flax seeds, beans, lentils, chickpeas and plenty of vegetables, is another food that slows digestion, stabilises blood sugar and promotes gut hormones that naturally regulate your appetite.
Exercise to beat cravings
Exercise can go a long way in helping you control your appetite. “Regular movement, particularly strength training and moderate cardio helps regulate hunger hormones like ghrelin and leptin while improving muscle mass and insulin sensitivity,” said Killiner.
Dr Atkinson recommends creating an exercise routine that mixes cardio work with strength training to burn fat.
“High-intensity cardio exercise, such as running, is a great way of burning fat. Strength training, such as weight lifting, can increase your muscle mass,” says Dr Atkinson. “This can ultimately impact your metabolic rate, which means you burn calories at a faster rate than you usually would.”
Managing stress
When you’re feeling low or anxious, it can be easy to reach for high-fat or high-sugar quick-fix foods
Dr Atkinson explained that being stressed or struggling with mental health can lead you to be bombarded with thoughts about food and cravings.
“This food can raise dopamine levels and provide you with temporary pleasure,” said Dr Atkinson. “But using food this way has little to do with satisfying your hunger, and is more about chasing positive feelings. The types of snacks, often junk food, that people usually turn to during these periods, often provide very little nutrition.”
Chronic stress increases cravings for high-calorie foods, but there are plenty of techniques for breaking the habit of emotional eating. “Free techniques such as mindful eating, deep breathing, and balancing blood sugars help break this cycle,” said Killiner.
Reducing sugar and carbohydrates in your diet can help you control blood sugar spikes, which can help you feel more balanced and less likely to experience both cravings and the subsequent crashes stress eating can cause.
Sleep hygiene
Sleep hygiene is the practice of establishing healthy habits and behaviours that can help you cultivate an environment that improves sleep quality, as well as your overall mental and physical health.
It may sound like stating the obvious, but prioritising a regular sleep schedule, and creating a relaxed space for you to wind-down in before bed can have a significant impact on improving your wellbeing and health. It’s important to reduce your screen time before bed, create a bedtime routine, link your bed with sleep (don’t spend too much time in there when you’re not sleeping) and stick to a similar bedtime each night.
“Poor sleep disrupts hunger hormones, leading to increased cravings and reduced willpower,” explains Killiner. “Prioritising quality sleep is critical for weight management.”
For anyone struggling with the issues raised in this article, eating disorder charity Beat’s helpline is available 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677. NCFED offers information, resources and counselling for those suffering from eating disorders, as well as their support networks. Visit eating-disorders.org.uk or call 0845 838 2040
