Dietician shares 6 cheap foods that work like Ozempic to curb appetite
Slimming injections have ushered in a new era in the war on obesity. The treatment spurs weight loss by mimicking the actions of a hormone released in the gut after eating - GLP-1.
As well as telling the pancreas to make more insulin, the GLP-1 hormone feeds back to the brain and makes us feel full - stopping patients from over-eating.
But the jabs are not without side effects, with users commonly complaining of nausea, constipation, and diarrhoea after taking the medication.
Yet, Maria AbiHanna, a Dubai-based dietician said six certain food groups 'can do the same thing naturally, without the nausea'.
The first, healthy fats, includes foods like avocados, nut butters, and fatty fish like mackerel.
Despite often being seen as 'bad', she said, a small amount of fat is an essential part of a healthy balanced diet and prove beneficial for weight loss.
These fats help the body absorb key minerals and vitamins, such as vitamin D, and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Protein, meanwhile, specifically eggs, Greek yoghurt, and edamame beans, can help people feel fuller for longer and 'turns off cravings before they even start', she added.
One serving of Greek yoghurt boasts an impressive 20g of protein, whilst three large eggs pack in 18g.
Guidelines suggest that most adults need around 0.75-1g of protein per kilo of body weight, which is around 45g for women and 55g for men or two portions of meat, fish, nuts or tofu per day.
High-fibre foods, such as chia seeds, lentils, and oats, equally have a similar effect, Ms AbiHanna said.
Fibre is a type of carbohydrate found in plants that can help regulate digestion and curb huger pangs.
Unlike other carbohydrates, fibre isn't easily broken down in the gut and absorbed by the body as sugar.
Rather, it travels down the gut, through the intestines, slowing down digestion and keeping blood sugar steady.
Chia seeds expand in your gut, while lentils and oats pack fibre and resistant starch for long-lasting satisfaction, she said.
Recent studies have also found that dieters who have fibre rich diets report greater weight loss than their peers.
One 2023 study published in the journal Science, found those who followed a high-fibre diet lost more weight than those on a control diet, despite their overall calorie intake being similar.
Another food group Ms AbiHanna suggested was leafy green vegetables such as broccoli or cucumber to every meal, 'to feel fuller on lower calories'.
Loading up on these high-volume, low-calorie options, such as leafy greens and cucumbers, will trick the body into feeling full as the stomach stretches, she said.
Only specific carbohydrates, however, will have a similar effect as GLP-1s, she noted.
Slow-burning carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes and quinoa, digest more slowly, helping to maintain energy levels without the dreaded sugar crash.
'Think long-term fuel, not fast-burning fire', she said. 'If it stabilises your blood sugar, it stabilises your hunger.'
For this reason, certain snacks also work well.
For anyone looking to lose weight, she advised opting for green tea or matcha to help suppress hunger pangs, or fat-fibre combinations like apple slices with nut butter to ward off sugar cravings.
'This isn't about dieting or willpower', the nutrition expert said. 'It's about working with your biology, not against it.'
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The Sun
36 minutes ago
- The Sun
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The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
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The Sun
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- The Sun
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The investigation exposed the ease of obtaining the fashionable diet drugs on the booming black market and, despite being confronted about the illegal sale on hidden cameras, Tudo has now started openly selling them again. Less than 24 hours ago, he posted an image of a slim model in white underwear with bottles of Mounjaro underneath and wrote the caption: "Available at great price #mounjaro." He also then posted an image of a Mounjaro injection pen to his 72k followers with the words: "#mounjaro. Very effective." When we asked Tudo about him continuing to sell Mounjaro over Instagram, he said: 'Why don't u go after the pharmacies which sells hundreds or thousands of pens without prescription [sic]? "It's no me do does wrong , it's these big companies, pharmacies and suppliers who sells to everyone who pays pharmacies accept fake prescriptions or without prescription [sic]." Asked to provide evidence that he was a qualified prescriber, Tudo refused to respond. Weight loss drugs can only be lawfully supplied when prescribed for someone by an appropriate practitioner – such as a doctor, a nurse or a pharmacist-independent prescriber - after a detailed health assessment. Mounjaro - which has been linked to 33 deaths in the UK - is approved for adults who are classed as "obese", so with a BMI of 30 or more, or those with a BMI of 27 or more who also have weight-related health conditions. I went on fat jabs but the hair loss was unbelievable so I quit - I'd rather be chubby with hair than skinny and bald However, earlier this year our reporter - who has a BMI of 21 - contacted Tudo through a mobile number on his Instagram account, which he uses to advertise Mounjaro and Ozempic. She told him she weighed nine-and-a-half stones, a size small dress size, and wanted to shed at least one stone before going on a holiday. She was not asked her height or her BMI. She was also not asked for her name or address. Tudo, 47, advised that a dose of 5mg 'is enough' and said to travel to his studio near King's Cross Station in London, where he would supply the drug. Once at the address, a woman, who did not speak English, led us up a staircase and handed over a brown paper bag containing the pen - which holds four injections of the drug, to be taken once a week for a month. With no consultation or explanation of how the prescription drug works, our reporter messaged Tudo saying: 'I don't know how to take it.' He replied: "Send u a video. It's so easy." The hairdresser then sent a YouTube tutorial video on how to self-inject. Asked if it would have any side effects, he replied: "It depends on each person, usually no." When we later confronted Tudo about the illegal sale, which was filmed using concealed cameras, he said: 'I don't even have Mounjaro here.' Pressed on how he prescribed the drug, which has been linked to 'deaths' without the necessary qualifications or even asking our undercover reporter for a name, he said: 'Deaths? No. Just a few overdoses.' Harley Street doctor Sophie Shotter, who has been practising for 16 years, said it was "terrifying' and a "risk to public health" that The Sun had obtained the drug without any medical consultation. Everything you need to know about fat jabs Weight loss jabs are a hot media topic at the moment, with hundreds of success stories from people who shed the pounds. In March 2023, the NHS announced it would make Wegovy, a drug made by Danish firm Novo Nordisk, available on prescription to thousands of obese Brits. It contains the drug semaglutide, which is said to have helped reality star Kim Kardashian and Twitter boss Elon Musk lose weight. Wegovy, which helped a third of people reduce their weight by 20 per cent in trials, is now available from pharmacies like Boots. How do they work? The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less and therefore lose weight. To do this, semaglutide mimics the role of a natural hormone, called GLP-1. GLP-1 is part of the signalling pathway that tells your body you have eaten, and prepares it to use the energy that comes from your food. London GP and founder of Dr Zoe Watson, said: 'Your body naturally produces an appetite regulating hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1. 'These jabs work by regulating your appetite, which can lead to eating fewer calories and losing weight.' Aren't they diabetes drugs? Semaglutide, the active drug in Wegovy, was originally sold under the name Ozempic specifically for diabetes patients. But people started noticing it helped suppress their appetites, stopping them eating as much and helping them shed the pounds. Novo Nordisk then developed Wegovy, which contains the same chemical but at higher doses specifically to aid weight loss. Wegovy is not prescribed for diabetes patients. Can I get them? Wegovy is offered on prescription to obese adults given specialist weight loss treatment. The NHS currently also offers a similar drug called Saxenda, or liraglutide. Both are only available throught specialist weight management services, which means you have to be referred to clinics led by experts. GPs can't prescribe them on their own, Dr Watson said. The jabs have to be taken as part of an overall programme to help with lifestyle changes and psychological support to get the best effect from the medication prescribed. Are there any risks? Like all medicines, the jabs do not come without side effects. Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea. Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.' Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia. What other options are there? Mounjaro (brand name for tirzepatide) also came onto the market in early 2024. Like Wegovy, tirzepatide stems from a drug originally designed to treat diabetes. The weekly injection helped overweight people drop more than two stone in 18 months. It is available with to order with a prescription online from pharmacies including Superdrug and LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor. It works in a similar way to Wegovy and Saxenda, but is more effective. Dr Mitra Dutt from LloydsPharmacy says: 'Based on clinical trials, 96 per cent of people were able to lose more than five per cent of their body fat using Mounjaro. In similar trials, 84 per cent of people lost more than five per cent of their body weight on Wegovy, and 60 per cent on Saxenda. 'Mounjaro works by activating two hormonal receptors (GIP and GLP-1), which enhance insulin production, improve insulin sensitivity, and work to decrease food intake." After examining the pen at her Harley Street practice, Dr Shotter said: "This is a controlled, prescription-only drug. "This is a UK-approved pen, so this has not been smuggled into the country. "It is a huge concern, because, how has it appeared on the black market in the first place? "If you [our reporter] came into my surgery asking to go on a weight loss drug, immediately the answer would be, 'No.' "If you lost one to two stones, you could drop into a low BMI category. "This is not what the drug is intended for and it is, quite frankly, terrifying that you've been able to buy it. And not just that, it is the fact, you've been placed on a higher dose. "If a patient came to me who did qualify because of their weight, then I would have a thorough consultation with them. 'I would possibly run blood tests to ensure it is as safe as possible and to make sure there are no underlying liver or pancreatic problems. "This man has not even asked you your name, so how is the drug being prescribed? It is impossible that this is legitimate. "It is a genuine risk to public health and especially dangerous to those with eating disorders. 'These drugs carry risks to your health and your mental health, especially to those who suffer from eating disorders.' 9 9 9 9 The rise in the 'dangerous' black market availability of weight loss injections is being increasingly seen by eating disorder charities in the UK. After being informed about The Sun's investigation, Tom Quinn, Beat's Director of External Affairs said: "We're incredibly concerned that it's so easy to access weight loss injections on the black market. "Medications which cause weight loss can be very attractive to people with eating disorders, and can contribute to these dangerous mental illnesses getting worse. "They pose severe health risks, especially if they are easily accessible without prescriptions. "Weight loss injections are very serious medications with severe side effects such as vomiting and nausea, which can contribute to an eating disorder developing, or make it worse. "We also have concerns about what happens after somebody stops taking these drugs. If somebody gains weight after their prescription finishes, this may trigger feelings of guilt and shame, which could increase the chances of an eating disorder developing. "More action needs to be taken to prevent these drugs being so easily accessible. 'And it's vital that there is more education so that people are aware of how dangerous it is to abuse medication in order to lose weight. "For those with binge eating disorder, losing weight won't help a person recover from an eating disorder. 'While it may bring their BMI down in isolation, it will do nothing to address the root cause or symptoms of the eating disorder – and could make things worse. "Doctors and pharmacies must make the general public aware of these dangers, and ensure that prescriptions are only possible after stringent health checks." BLACK MARKET Medicines bought on the black market that have not been through rigorous safety testing bring additional risks. The market leaders Mounjaro, which contains tirzepatide, and Ozempic, which contains semaglutide, are administered via injection of pre-filled pens. They work by mimicking the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1, which is released after eating, and suppresses a patient's appetite. The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommends semaglutide for adults who have at least one weight-related comorbidity and a body mass index (BMI) score of at least 35, or a BMI of at least 30 and meet criteria for referral to a specialist weight management service. A Lily spokesperson said: "Patients should only use Mounjaro (tirzepatide) when prescribed by a licensed healthcare professional and prescriptions should be fulfilled and supplied only by registered pharmacies and providers. Any tirzepatide offered without a prescription or for purchase on social media or black market is unlawful. These products are either fake or being 'resold' by an individual who obtained them through illicit means. Both practices put patients at risk. "Counterfeit, fake, and other unsafe products that are sold in a manner that falsely represents their authenticity, origin, or effectiveness are dangerous. These black-market products are often made in unsanitary conditions, which is especially dangerous for sterile injectables, like tirzepatide. "They may contain the wrong ingredients, contain too much, too little, or no active ingredient at all, or contain other harmful ingredients. No one should ever risk putting them into their bodies. "Lilly has taken steps to help address the risks posed by the proliferation of counterfeit, fake, and unsafe products across the world, including working with regulators and law enforcement, and identifying and removing fraudulent or unsafe content online and on social media — and we will continue to pursue all available avenues to combat fake and black-market medicines. "But our efforts alone are not enough. We applaud the MHRA's warnings on the risks of unsafe fake weight loss pens and the risks of buying medicines online without a prescription, and we welcome their continued partnership in the fight against counterfeit and illegal medicines. "We call upon regulators and law enforcement across the globe to take action against those who threaten the health and wellbeing of patients by selling fake or unsafe medicines." 9 9
