GLP-1: What Your Body Makes, What Medication Does, and Why You Do Not Need Another Food Rule

GLP-1 has become one of those health terms that seems to have appeared everywhere almost overnight. One minute most people had never heard of it, and the next it was being used to sell weight loss injections, supplements, GLP-1 diets, meal plans, powders, probiotics and all sorts of “natural alternatives” aimed at women in perimenopause and menopause. As always, there is often a small piece of truth sitting underneath the marketing, but that truth can become very distorted when it is turned into a catchy advert.

I wanted to write this blog, GLP-1: What Your Body Makes, What Medication Does, and Why You Do Not Need Another Food Rule, because I am seeing more and more confusing claims around GLP-1 medications and naturally occurring GLP-1. Some people are being told they can naturally raise their own GLP-1 through food. Others are being told they may naturally have low GLP-1 and that this explains why they struggle with appetite, cravings or weight. I have also seen claims suggesting some people have naturally high GLP-1, almost as though there is a “good” version and a “bad” version of this hormone.

For women in their 40s and 50s who are already dealing with body changes, poor sleep, cravings, low energy, brain fog, mood swings, anxiety, heavy or irregular periods, and the emotional load of midlife, this is not helpful. It risks becoming another thing to monitor, track, worry about and blame yourself for. I do not want women thinking they now need to optimise their GLP-1, measure their GLP-1, hack their GLP-1 or eat in a very specific way to prove they are doing perimenopause nutrition properly. Ladies, we have done enough of that already, and quite frankly, I think we are allowed to resign from the full-time unpaid job of trying to be good around food.

What is GLP-1?

GLP-1 stands for glucagon-like peptide-1. It is a hormone naturally produced by the body, mainly in the gut, particularly after eating. It is part of a group of hormones involved in appetite regulation, digestion, blood glucose regulation and communication between the gut, pancreas and brain. When you eat, your gut releases GLP-1 as part of a normal biological response. GLP-1 helps stimulate insulin release when blood glucose rises, helps reduce glucagon when appropriate, slows gastric emptying and contributes to feelings of fullness.

That all sounds very impressive, and it is. Your body is not sitting there doing nothing until a diet plan comes along to rescue it. It is constantly communicating, adapting and responding. However, naturally occurring GLP-1 does not hang around in the body for very long. It is broken down quickly by an enzyme called DPP-4, which means its effect is short-lived. This is completely normal. It does not mean your body has failed. It simply means natural GLP-1 and GLP-1 medications are not the same thing.

What are GLP-1 medications?

GLP-1 medications are medicines that act on the same receptor as the GLP-1 hormone your body naturally makes, but they are designed to have a much stronger and longer-lasting effect. Semaglutide is the medicine used in Ozempic and Wegovy. Ozempic is used for type 2 diabetes, while Wegovy is used for weight management in certain circumstances. These medications are often talked about in relation to appetite, food noise, blood glucose, weight management and metabolic health.

You may also hear tirzepatide mentioned in the same conversation. Tirzepatide is the medicine used in Mounjaro, and it works slightly differently because it acts on two gut hormone pathways rather than one. The two hormones are called GIP and GLP-1, but your reader does not need to remember those names. The main thing to understand is that these medications are designed to have a sustained effect in the body, which is very different from the short burst of GLP-1 your gut naturally releases after eating.

This is where a lot of the confusion comes from. When an advert says certain foods “boost GLP-1 naturally,” it can sound as though eating those foods could create the same effect as medication. That is misleading. Food can support your body’s natural fullness signals, but it cannot recreate the effect of a prescribed GLP-1 medication.

Natural GLP-1 and medication are not the same thing

Yes, food can stimulate GLP-1 release because that is part of normal digestion. Protein, fibre, fats and carbohydrates can all play a role in stimulating gut hormone responses after eating. But that does not mean your breakfast can recreate the effect of a prescribed GLP-1 medication. A bowl of Greek-style yoghurt, berries and seeds may be nourishing, filling and helpful for steady energy, but it is not homemade Ozempic in a cereal bowl.

This distinction really matters because women are being sold the idea that if they eat the right foods in the right order, avoid the wrong foods, take the right supplements and follow a GLP-1 diet, they can somehow unlock the same effect naturally. That is not what the evidence shows. Nutrition can support fullness, blood sugar stability, gut health, energy, mood and cravings, but it cannot replicate the sustained pharmacological action of GLP-1 medications. Both of these things can be true at the same time.

Claim: “You can boost GLP-1 naturally with food”

This claim is partly true, but it is often presented in a misleading way. It is true that certain nutrients and eating patterns can influence GLP-1 secretion after meals. Protein-rich foods, fibre-rich foods, healthy fats, whole grains, legumes, fruit, vegetables and fermentable fibres may all support appetite regulation in different ways. This is one of the reasons that balanced meals containing protein, carbohydrates, fibre and healthy fats can feel more satisfying than grabbing a quick sugary snack or skipping lunch and hoping for the best.

However, the important point is that stimulating your natural GLP-1 after eating is not the same as taking a medication designed to activate GLP-1 receptors for much longer. Your body’s GLP-1 response after food is short-lived and part of normal digestion. GLP-1 medications work at a very different level and for a much longer period of time. So, while it is reasonable to say that nourishing meals can support your body’s natural fullness signals, it is not reasonable to suggest that you can create the same effect as medication by eating a particular list of foods.

Claim: “Certain foods work like natural GLP-1 medication”

This is where I think the marketing becomes especially unhelpful. Foods can support appetite regulation, but they do not work like GLP-1 medications. A meal containing protein, fibre-rich carbohydrates, healthy fats and colour from plants can support fullness, steadier energy and fewer cravings for some people. That is valuable, but it is not the same as a prescribed medication that has been designed to act on GLP-1 receptors in a sustained way.

When foods are described as “natural GLP-1 medication,” it creates unrealistic expectations. It can make women feel that if they are still hungry, still craving sugar, still thinking about food all day or still struggling with weight loss in perimenopause, they must be doing something wrong. That is not fair, and it is not accurate. Food is powerful, but it is not a drug, and we do not need to pretend it is in order to value the role of nutrition.

Claim: “Some people naturally have low GLP-1 and nothing can be done”

This is the sort of claim that can sound scientific but leave women feeling completely powerless. The truth is more complicated. GLP-1 responses can vary between people, and they may be influenced by factors such as metabolic health, insulin sensitivity, gut function, meal composition, body weight, medication, surgery history and type 2 diabetes. However, it is far too simplistic to tell women that they have “low GLP-1” as though this is a fixed personal flaw that explains everything.

For most women, this is not something they need to measure, monitor or panic about. If you are struggling with cravings, appetite, weight gain or feeling out of control around food in perimenopause, it does not automatically mean your GLP-1 is broken. It may mean you are under-eating earlier in the day, not getting enough protein, not eating enough fibre, sleeping poorly, feeling stressed, dealing with fluctuating oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone, juggling too much, skipping meals, or eating in a way that is too restrictive to be sustainable. It may also mean there are medical factors worth discussing with your GP or prescriber, but reducing everything to “low GLP-1” risks ignoring the bigger picture.

Claim: “Some people naturally have high GLP-1”

Again, this sounds neat, but human biology is rarely neat. GLP-1 levels can vary depending on when they are measured, what someone has eaten, their health status and what form of GLP-1 is being measured. This is not a simple good-versus-bad hormone situation. Having higher or lower GLP-1 in a particular test or context does not tell the whole story of someone’s appetite, weight, metabolism or relationship with food.

This is why I feel so strongly about not turning GLP-1 into another metric for women to obsess over. We have already been told to track calories, macros, steps, fasting windows, blood glucose, sleep, body fat, protein, fibre, weight, inches, symptoms and goodness knows what else. For some people, tracking can be useful for a short time, but for many women it becomes exhausting. It can feed the belief that every mouthful needs to be analysed and every body change needs to be explained by a number. You do not need another scorecard to prove you are doing food properly.

Claim: “GLP-1 diets are the answer for perimenopause and menopause”

This one makes me particularly cross because it takes a real biological process and turns it into another set of food rules. GLP-1 diets are often promoted as though they are new, clever and hormone-led, but when you look closely, many of them are simply repackaged advice to eat more protein, more fibre, more whole foods and fewer ultra-processed foods. There is nothing wrong with those principles, but we do not need to dress them up as a hormone hack to make them valid.

A woman in perimenopause does not need to be scared into eating lentils because they might boost GLP-1. She can eat lentils because they are nourishing, filling, rich in fibre, helpful for gut health, supportive for blood sugar balance and genuinely useful in a busy life when you need food that keeps you going. She does not need to eat protein because it is part of a GLP-1 diet. She can eat protein because it supports muscle, energy, fullness, blood sugar balance and healthy ageing. She does not need to include healthy fats because an advert told her they activate a gut hormone. She can include them because they make food satisfying and support overall health.

Claim: “Supplements can act like natural GLP-1 medications”

This is another area where the marketing can get very bold. You may see claims around fibre supplements, berberine, probiotics, curcumin, omega-3, green tea extract, magnesium or quercetin being used to support GLP-1, GIP, insulin sensitivity or appetite. Some of these supplements may have interesting early evidence or may be useful in specific situations, but that does not mean they work like medication. A supplement affecting a pathway in a study does not mean it will create a meaningful medication-like effect in real life.

This is especially important because supplements are often sold to women who are tired, overwhelmed, uncomfortable in their bodies and desperate to feel like themselves again. That does not mean supplements are always bad or never useful, but they should not be sold as miracle fixes. They should not make women feel that if they are still craving sugar, still gaining weight or still struggling with food noise, they simply have not found the right capsule yet. Your body is not a failed project because a supplement did not change your appetite.

Claim: “GLP-1 medications are either a miracle or a moral failure”

This is another conversation that needs far more compassion. Some women are taking GLP-1 medications. Some are considering them. Some do not want to take them. Some cannot access them. Some are worried about side effects. Some feel judged for using them. Some feel judged for not using them. There is a lot of noise, and women are stuck in the middle trying to make informed choices while being shouted at by adverts, influencers, headlines and everyone’s cousin’s neighbour who suddenly has an opinion.

My view is not anti-medication and it is not anti-nutrition. GLP-1 medications can be clinically useful for some people and should be discussed with an appropriate medical professional. Nutrition and lifestyle support still matter whether someone is taking medication or not, but not because women need to earn their treatment or prove they are trying hard enough. They matter because eating enough protein, fibre-rich carbohydrates, healthy fats and colourful plants supports health, muscle, digestion, energy, mood, blood sugar stability and long-term wellbeing.

Where behaviour and habit change fit in

This is the part that often gets missed. Lots of women already know that protein, fibre, carbohydrates and healthy fats matter. They know balanced meals can help with energy, cravings and fullness, and they know that eating regularly may help them feel better. The problem is not always knowing what to eat. Very often, the problem is knowing how to make it happen in real life.

That “how” matters. It matters when you are exhausted, overwhelmed, waking at 3am, trying to get through the workday, looking after everyone else and making food decisions when your brain has already had enough. It also matters when eating is not just about hunger. Food can become comfort, reward, relief, distraction, pleasure, rebellion or the only quiet moment in the day. When that is happening, simply telling someone to eat more protein is not enough.

This is why my approach is not about handing women a list of the best foods for perimenopause and expecting everything to fall into place. Behaviour change matters. Habit change matters. Emotional eating, stress eating, food guilt, restriction, all-or-nothing thinking, perfectionism and years of diet culture all matter too. If food is meeting an emotional need, we need to understand that with compassion rather than judgement, because lasting change rarely comes from being harder on yourself.

My approach: nourishment over punishment

This is where my approach is different from the GLP-1 diet noise. I do not want women to swap calorie counting for hormone counting. I do not want them to stop obsessing over syns, points or macros only to start obsessing over whether every meal is raising GLP-1 enough. I do not want women weighing every morsel, tracking every mouthful, trying to be “good,” cutting out foods they enjoy, following strict and arbitrary food rules, or believing that nourishment only counts if it is perfectly optimised.

In my work with perimenopausal and menopausal women, the focus is nourishment over punishment. We look at what your body needs at this stage of life without turning food into another source of pressure. That may include protein, fibre, carbohydrates, fats, meal rhythm, cravings, energy, sleep, stress, alcohol, movement and real-life routines, but we look at them in a way that feels doable. The aim is not to create a perfect plan that only works when life is calm, your sleep is brilliant and nobody in your family needs anything from you. The aim is to help you build a way of eating that still supports you on the messy days.

Most women do not struggle because they do not know broccoli exists. They struggle because they are tired, overwhelmed and stretched thin. They are trying to work, parent, care, organise, remember everything, support everyone, manage symptoms, show up at work, keep the house running and somehow still find the energy to cook a balanced meal while feeling like their body has changed the rules without sending an email first. When you are living in that reality, another diet dressed up as a hormone hack is not the answer.

What women actually need to know

Understanding what is happening in your body can be incredibly helpful, but that information should never become another weapon to use against yourself. Cravings in perimenopause are not a character flaw, and a changing appetite does not mean you have failed. Poor sleep, stress, restriction, fluctuating oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone, inconsistent meals and years of trying to control food can all affect how hungry you feel, what you crave and how easy or hard it feels to make nourishing choices.

Protein and fibre can support fullness, but they do not need to become another obsession. Carbohydrates are not the enemy, and eating enough earlier in the day may be far more helpful than trying to survive on coffee, willpower and a lunch that would not fill a toddler. Food is allowed to be satisfying, enjoyable and realistic. You are allowed to eat for nourishment and pleasure, without earning it, compensating for it or turning every meal into a metabolic strategy.

Perimenopause nutrition should help you feel more supported, not more frightened. It should give you clarity without making you feel controlled. It should help you understand your body without making you feel as though every symptom, craving or body change needs to be fixed by another rule.

The truth about GLP-1

The truth about GLP-1 is much simpler than the marketing makes it sound. Your body naturally produces GLP-1 as part of digestion and appetite regulation. Food can support your body’s normal fullness signals, blood sugar stability and overall health. GLP-1 medications work differently from naturally occurring GLP-1 and cannot be recreated through food. Most women do not need to worry about having good GLP-1, bad GLP-1, high GLP-1 or low GLP-1.

What worries me is that GLP-1 diets are turning a normal biological process into another way of selling rules to women who have already spent years being told their bodies are a problem to solve. You do not need another hack, another strict plan or another advert making you feel as though your appetite, cravings or changing body mean you are broken. You need clear, compassionate support that helps you understand your body and nourish it in a way that fits your actual life.

How I can help

If you are in perimenopause or menopause and feel confused by weight loss in perimenopause, cravings, food noise, changing appetite, GLP-1 medications, GLP-1 diets or all the conflicting advice online, you do not have to work it all out alone. My approach is simple, realistic and rooted in nourishment rather than punishment. We look at what is going on for you, what your body needs, what feels doable, and how to build habits that support your health without dragging you back into restriction, guilt or obsession.

If this resonates with you and you would like support to find your forever way of eating, I would love to invite you to book a Complimentary Clarity Call. It is a chance for us to talk through where you are now, what feels hard, what you have already tried, and how nutritional therapy could support you through perimenopause and beyond. You do not need to arrive with a perfect food diary, a list of everything you have done wrong or a promise to be good from Monday. Just come as you are, and we will start from there. Click here to book.

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References and further reading

Bodnaruc, A. M., Prud’homme, D., Blanchet, R. and Giroux, I. (2016). Nutritional modulation of endogenous glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion: a review. Nutrition & Metabolism, 13, 92.

Ahrén, B. (2004). GLP-1 receptor agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Hormone and Metabolic Research, 36, 867-876.

NICE. Semaglutide for managing overweight and obesity. Technology appraisal guidance TA875. 2023.

NICE. Tirzepatide for managing overweight and obesity. Technology appraisal guidance TA1026. 2024.

NICE. Behaviour change: individual approaches. Public health guideline PH49. 2014.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Wegovy prescribing information, semaglutide injection.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Mounjaro prescribing information, tirzepatide injection.

Gilbert, M. P. and Pratley, R. E. (2020). GLP-1 analogs and DPP-4 inhibitors in type 2 diabetes therapy. Frontiers in Endocrinology.