Protein, Fiber, and GLP-1 for Fat Loss

So I mean, there's massive amounts of research out there showing the positive effects of protein as a way— is basically kind of like nature's Ozempic. Plus remember, not just is it doing this, is it improving both satiety and cravings. You also get a thermic effect from protein more than you do from carbs and fat. So about 20 to 30% of the calories from protein when you eat it are utilized in metabolizing it, in assimilating it, in muscle protein synthesis. Compare that to negligible for fat. You eat fat, it's very easy to store it as fat. And carbohydrates, you use about 5 to 10%. So there you go. That alone, if all you did was take some of the food that you were eating from carbs or fat and replace it with protein, not only would you not be as hungry, but you'd also have a little bit better metabolic effect. The other thing that protein is key for is muscle preservation. Here's the thing, you've probably heard about these drugs causing muscle wasting. It's actually not the drugs, it's the diet. If you look at any poorly designed diet, caloric restriction with not optimal protein, it can cause anywhere from 25 to 50% muscle loss. We know that protein helps maintain muscle mass during weight loss and supporting metabolism. So maintaining, or better yet, increasing muscle as you're losing fat is key. So what do we do with this information? Make sure that you're eating protein first. The reason I have people eat protein first is then I know that they got it in. When you eat it first, you're not going to be as hungry. You'll make better food choices. You'll have that better thermic effect of food. So I have an Eat Protein First Challenge. It's 7 days and free that you can grab at jjvirgin.com/7day, number 7, and it will take you through exactly how to do this and calculate how much protein you need. Now we know that protein and fiber work together, so fiber is the next one. There was a study in 2022, it was a review article published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition that explained how dietary fiber helps control appetite. Now there's a variety of ways it does this. It increases satiety because it promotes a feeling of fullness. It reduces overall calorie intake because of this. It also slows digestion. Now we know GLP-1 slows digestion. Well, fiber does this too. And what's great about this is it's a way— it's a very great way to keep your blood sugar balanced because that means you're going to get a more gradual release of glucose into the bloodstream. It also lowers ghrelin levels. And if ghrelin's high, you're hungry. This is a hormone made in the stomach that tells your body to eat. When you have fiber, it slows down stomach emptying. It also is great for your gut microbiome. Fermentable fiber specifically supports the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, which can produce short-chain fatty acids that support, again, the production of GLP-1 and PYY. And one other thing it does is it adds some bulk to your diet, which is fantastic because now you're going to feel full without the extra calories. I've got a great little sheet that I'll put in the show notes on my top fiber foods, but I'll tell you a couple of them. I love berries for the win. I try to eat 2 cups of berries every single day. Legumes can be another great one, and One you might not have thought about that's really great in fiber, avocado. So not only is avocado got great fats and it's got glutathione, it's a rich fiber source too. So look at how you can get your fiber levels. The— turns out the average American's eating somewhere in the 5 to 14 grams a day. We want to be hitting 30 grams and up. Look how you can do that. And if you're using the Cronometer app, which I love to do, you can actually track your fiber intake too. If you're starting low, make sure that you increase over time, not overnight. Now, water's such an easy one. Drinking water before meal can help you eat less, help you feel more full, help you reduce overall food intake. Now, I will tell you, full disclosure, one of the things I've changed my mind on is I used to tell people, do not drink water during the meals because it can impair digestion and lower stomach acid. Not true. Reversed my opinion on this when I went and dug into all the research. It turns out that it's the opposite. Water can help break down food. It can allow for better absorption of nutrients and slow down digestion. But if you're drinking any high-calorie drinks, just swap it out with water or sparkling water. And I love my sparkling water, and I'll throw in some of my Electro Replenish, and it just tastes like a soda. And that is how you can reduce your overall calorie consumption, and you won't miss it. So often we are not hungry, we're thirsty. It's like we've got this overactive hunger mechanism and an underactive thirst mechanism. So always try drinking water first. When you feel like you're hungry, have a glass of water or two and see what happens. And you can always throw a little bit of fiber into that water as well, because one of the cool things with water is you got no calories there. Water is going to add volume without the calories, right? So you'll feel full without having added in extra energy. Now, something that I become a little bit obsessive on is allulose, mainly because I met the guys who created RX Sugar and they showed me all the research on on this amazing rare sugar. So allulose is this low-calorie sweetener, and what's cool is it doesn't raise blood sugar. So you don't get the calories, you don't raise blood sugar. In fact, it actually has the opposite effect. It's really interesting what happens with RX Sugar is you can take 10 to 15 grams of RX Sugar before you eat, and it actually can lower the blood sugar response to your meal. So there was a 2022 study that was published in the Nutrients journal that found that allulose suppresses hunger-associated feeding in mice and inhibits hunger-promoting neurons, which could be great and possibly counteract obesity and diabetes. So I tell you what I'll do. I got all of their syrups. They have vanilla and chocolate and caramel. I mean, so these are amazing and they have plain. So sometimes I'll make like a mocha in the morning with my coffee or I'll put it into my smoothie. So I get my 10 to 15 grams there. The other thing I like to do is they have these things called Swelthy Snacks. And they are fiber and allulose. So a great thing for GLP-1 and dark chocolate, and that might be my little chocolate treat for the day. So give that one a try. And the dosing to get that GLP-1 effect is about 10 to 15 grams. You can also cook with it. So it's been how I've been making dairy-free cheesecakes and puddings and my avocado mousse. I've been using allulose, so give that one a try. Now, acromancia was the company Pendulum, and they did a lecture on acromancia. And the minute I heard this lecture, I was like, okay, this is in my regimen. So it is a probiotic strain that can promote the secretion of GLP-1. And I've been really thinking about this, going, why are these drugs working so well? And could it be that we are not producing GLP-1 like we need to? Because GLP-1 does a whole host of great things in the body beyond just, you know, the satiety signaling. Turns out that if you're insulin resistant, if you've got fatty liver, which we now know 25% of people do— most people don't know they do— if you've got any kind of poor metabolic health, you're obese, you will have impaired GLP-1 secretion. So this is one of those ways I look at and go, you could rehab your gut using Akromancia. It's got— beyond raising GLP-1, it's got a bunch of other benefits. Improves your gut barrier function, so it can help with leaky gut, it can lower inflammation, it can help get your gut microbiome healthy, and it can improve metabolic function and reduce fat storage. So I am all in on this one. I've been taking it since last December. There was a 2019 randomized double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study that published in Nature Medicine that examined how taking Akromancia mucinifila affected metabolic parameters like insulin sensitivity and body weight. And while the study didn't specifically focus on appetite control, the improvements in insulin sensitivity and reductions in body weight suggest that supplementation with Akromancia might indirectly influence appetite by affecting metabolic processes related to hunger and satiety. Now, the other one that I started taking alongside Akromancia kala kurkuma. Turns out that in New Zealand, the government worked on this product for 10 years. They spent $30 million on this, and what they discovered was that it acted like a GLP-1, but short-acting. This will work for a couple of hours, but a couple of hours is pretty amazing. So they had a 2019 randomized controlled trial that was published in Nutrients that found that taking these bitter hops extract— this is what they have the patent on— during a 24-hour water-only fast significantly reduced reduced hunger, and those who took the bitter hops extract felt significantly less hungry during the later hours of fasting compared to those who took the placebo. Additionally, the usual increase in hunger around lunchtime was absent in those taking the bitter hops extract. It can help with feelings of fullness and reduce overall calorie intake, and it stimulates GLP-1 secretion. It also can improve blood sugar control because it can help regulate blood sugar levels and prevent those, you know, roller coaster spikes crashes that will also increase hunger and cravings. But what's also cool is it enhances digestive health by promoting healthy gut function, which of course can then contribute to better appetite regulation. So yes, I started taking these too. Like, wouldn't you, hearing all that stuff? I've been taking 2 before each meal.