WellnessNugget

With the New Year comes, a little more focus goes on personal health. Maybe things you have been putting off seem a little more important.

For a lot of people, losing a little weight is now on their radar, so you may be attracted to the easy option of using a GLP-1 drug like Ozempic and others. You might want to learn all you can about this approach before starting and you may want to look at drug-free options.

I would be the first to champion the use of any medication that would be effective in losing weight and reducing the risks of serious chronic diseases. But at what cost? All medications have side effects. With the runaway popularity of GLP-1 drugs, it might be important to ask the questions like what are the risks and is there a better way? This article is not to tell you what to do, but to let you know of trustworthy sources of reliable information.*

One in 8 American adults is taking a GLP-1 drug, and 12% of U.S. adults have used one, despite the high cost, according to a June 2024 poll. What’s less talked about is that 50-75% of people who start taking these drugs stop using them within a year.

A survey published in 2023 found that while 45% of U.S. adults were interested in the use of these treatments for weight management, this number declined to 14% when they were informed about gaining the weight back after discontinuing the therapy.

If you may be one of those individuals who stopped using this “miracle drug,” you might be looking for an alternative. There are so many voices giving health information that it is confusing. There is good information out there, but how do you weed through the junk to find it.

I would like to share with you one reliable source of health information that I recommend: NutritionFacts.org. You will find evidence-based research on most health topics. While I have found this site dependable, I encourage you to study it for yourself and, with the help of your health care provider, make informed decisions about the care of your health.

Here are also a few videos on GLP-1 and its effects:

1. A Plant-Based Diet for Weight Loss: Boosting GLP-1 and Restoring Our Natural Satiety Circuit
2. Using Prebiotics, Intact Grains, Thylakoids, and Greens to Boost Our GLP-1 for Weight Loss
3. Obesity: Is a GLP-1 Deficiency Its Cause, and How to Treat It Without Ozempic and Other Drugs
4. GLP-1 Weight-Loss Drugs Like Ozempic (Semaglutide): How Do They Work? Are They Effective?
5. Why Do Most Users Quit Ozempic and What Happens When You Stop?
6. How to Control the Side Effects (Including “Ozempic Face”) of GLP-1 Drugs
7. Is Ozempic (Semaglutide) Safe? Does It Increase Cancer Risk?
8. Comparing the Benefits and Side Effects of Ozempic (Semaglutide)

Some of these video articles are heavy on the science, so search through them until you find one that works for you, or go to YouTube and search “Michael Greger, GLP-1.” The content is presented in plain language so that it’s accessible to a general audience.

Become informed about the options. It is your body—and you only get one, so take good care of it. As always, do not change or start medications without the advice of your health care provider, but become informed of your options.

* The organizations and articles linked above are not affiliated with nor endorsed by the Rocky Mountain Conference or the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The information provided is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional with any questions regarding your health or medical conditions. Reliance on any information provided is solely at your own risk.

—Rick Mautz is the Rocky Mountain Conference Wellness Support director. Photo by Towfiqu Barbhuiya of Unsplash.

I have always known that making small steps is the best way to be successful when trying to make changes.  But I haven’t always followed that approach when giving health advice.

I guess I just get excited about all the great results people can enjoy when doing everything right.  But it seldom works well for most people. Our old habits are just so strong that they seem to pull you right back in.

If changes are made slowly, one step at a time, you are able to build new habits while still enjoying some of the things you love. Then, when the new habit is solid, you can begin to add a new best habit.

What you eat has the greatest influence on your health but is also the hardest to change.  Those yummy favorites just want to pull us back in, so let’s apply this positive approach to making positive choices that can last.

I want you to succeed, so let me introduce you to a great free resource that I respect, and it focuses on the principles of adding the good, rather than ripping away the food you love.  It is the Full Plate Living* program.

This type of quality programming is usually very expensive, but because it is a non-profit, it’s completely FREE! CLICK HERE to go to their website, click on the “Join for free” tab, and begin the best path to the health you have been wanting.

This is the first in a series on health, from Wellness Support. The new name for the Health Ministry, because I want to support you in your journey toward wellness.

* Please note that Full Plate Living is not affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Conference of Seventh-day Adventists or the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

—Rick Mautz is the Rocky Mountain Conference Wellness Support director. Photo by Alexas Fotos of Unsplash.