Ozempic has become an extremely popular drug for non-diabetic people looking for quick weight loss results. Saying that, almost 90 percent of adults have insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, or diabetes.
What is Ozempic?
Ozempic (semaglutide) is a medication typically used to treat Type 2 diabetes. It belongs to a class of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists that mimic the effects of the hormone GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1) in the body.
GLP-1 is a hormone produced in the intestine that helps to regulate blood sugar levels by stimulating insulin secretion and reducing glucagon secretion. Glucagon is a hormone produced in the pancreas that raises blood sugar levels by stimulating the liver to release glucose into the bloodstream.
How Ozempic Works
Image credit Healthwatch
Ozempic works by activating GLP-1 receptors in the pancreas, which increases insulin secretion and decreases glucagon secretion. This leads to a decrease in blood sugar levels, which is beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes who have high blood sugar levels.
Ozempic affects glucagon by reducing its secretion from the pancreas, which helps to lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
Ozempic Side Effects
Unfortunately, the negative side effects and the financial cost of using Ozempic and other Semaglutide drugs for weight loss are to be considered.
Ozempic side effects include:
-
- Weight gain after stopping the medication
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Gallstones
- Kidney problems including kidney failure
- Swelling of the pancreas
- Increased risk of thyroid cancer
- Allergic reaction
- Hypoglycemia
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Blurred vision
- Confusion
- Slurred speech
- Numbness
Health Benefits of Weight Loss
Weight loss isn’t just about vanity; it can be a more critical health issue that relates to metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, thyroid conditions, osteoporosis, arthritis, brain fog, cognitive decline, cancers, and more.
Causes of Unexplained Weight Gain
When looking to lose weight and keep it off, there are a few factors to address. Many people become frustrated with “unexplained weight gain”, and that is what leads them to succumb to Ozempic as an answer for their lack of results.
However, there are many factors that cause unexplained weight gain, including the following.
Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance occurs when the body’s cells become less responsive to the hormone insulin, which is responsible for regulating blood sugar levels. When this happens, the pancreas produces more insulin to compensate for the decreased sensitivity of the cells. Over time, this can lead to elevated insulin levels in the bloodstream, a condition known as hyperinsulinemia.
There are several ways in which insulin resistance can contribute to weight gain:
- Increased appetite: Elevated insulin levels can stimulate the appetite and lead to increased food intake, particularly of high-carbohydrate, high-fat foods. This can result in a positive energy balance, where more calories are consumed than burned, leading to weight gain.
- Reduced fat burning: Insulin resistance can impair the body’s ability to burn fat for energy, particularly in the abdominal region. This can lead to an accumulation of excess body fat, particularly in the visceral fat stores around the internal organs, which is associated with an increased risk of metabolic disorders like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
- Impaired energy metabolism: Insulin resistance can also impair the body’s ability to use glucose for energy, leading to reduced energy levels and physical activity. This can contribute to a sedentary lifestyle and decreased calorie expenditure, further exacerbating the positive energy balance.
Leptin
Leptin is a hormone produced by fat cells that signal the hypothalamus in the brain to suppress or activate appetite and metabolism. The more food consumed and the more body fat accumulated, the more leptin is produced, signaling to the brain to suppress the appetite, increase the metabolism and burn more body fat.
However, when there is too much leptin, the signaling fails to work and the brain becomes “resistant” to leptin messages. In other words, it is like insulin resistance where the cells become “leptin resistant” the fat cells continue to produce an abnormally high amount and the receptors essentially downgrade their response. As a result, with more weight gained, more fat stores are accumulated, and the body thinks it is starving; hunger is insatiable.
Even though there is plenty of “energy” in the fat stores to burn, hunger is high and it is difficult to fight the unsatisfied appetite.
Hormonal changes
As we age, especially over the age of 40, both men and women tend to lose testosterone, which helps burn fat and build lean muscle mass and increases the bad estrogens, which leads to a slowed metabolism and increased fat gain. These hormonal changes are exacerbated when they are combined with the xenoestrogens coming from GMOs, non-organic food, dirty livers, Leaky Gut, and environmental toxins.
Radiation
Ionizing and nonionizing radiation from smart meters, 5G, smart devices, flying, x-rays, and more have increased exponentially compared to just 10 years ago. Radiation is known to cause cancer, leaky gut, weight gain, hypothyroidism, depression, anxiety, and even increased blood sugar. All of those factors can lead to weight gain.
Toxins
The toxins found in our food supply, environment, and water all put a heavy burden on the liver and kidneys to filter them out. As the filter systems or detox pathways become clogged, the liver is unable to break down fat molecules into usable energy and this can lead to unwanted fat accumulation in the body. Most of these toxins are estrogenic and encourage fat weight gain.
Hypothyroidism
As the toxins may be clogging the thyroid, the liver, and the detox pathways, the thyroid hormones aren’t able to convert from the inactive T4 into the active T3, leading to a slowed metabolism, fat accumulation, water retention, and constipation. Hypothyroidism is also connected to iodine deficiency, as iodine is known to help with boosting metabolism, fat oxidation, and fat burning.
OZEMPIC WEIGHT LOSS ALTERNATIVES
Ascent Diet Cleanse
The Ascent Diet Cleanse is a life-changing 30-day cleanse and detox weight loss program that effectively increases fat burning, metabolism, energy, and longevity.
The synergy between the supplements with easy lifestyle changes, free group coaching, and incredible support from Sara Banta, a natural health and supplement expert, creates a revolutionary health cleanse that resets your body, mind, and spirit to help you lose weight, and become mentally, emotionally, and physically stronger. As a result of these changes, you will keep the weight off, live with better energy, and feel a “shift” in your overall lifestyle.
The following supplements are included in the Ascent Diet Cleanse and work synergistically to maximize weight loss, improve insulin sensitivity, increase fat loss, and increase mental and physical energy. Furthermore, all of the desired benefits are achieved without any of the negative side effects experienced with diabetes drugs.
🍃 Accelerated Fast®™
Accelerated Fast®™ flips the body into ketosis, or fat burning, within 30 minutes and starts teaching your own body to burn its body fat for energy instead of seeking glucose or sugar.
Taking Accelerated Fast®™ is the most effective way to start burning excess calories, lower blood sugar, and insulin levels, and suppress appetite while maintaining high levels of stable energy.
As the body is utilizing ketones from Accelerated Fast®™ combined with intermittent fasting and a low-carb diet, insulin sensitivity improves, leading to weight loss and especially fat loss. Furthermore, ATP production, which is true cellular energy, increases significantly, leading to enhanced physical energy.
The additional ingredients in the Accelerated Fast®™ break down saturated fats into unsaturated fats; this will help burn the dangerous visceral fat around the belly and the liver fat that most people are looking to lose.
The more a person’s liver is defatted and unclogged, the more efficient the liver is in breaking down fat molecules into usable energy and burning the belly fat.
The liver is also where the thyroid hormone converts the inactive T4 into the active T3, and as the liver function becomes better, the thyroid works better, increasing metabolism and weight loss. When the thyroid isn’t functioning, digestion suffers and unexplained weight gain occurs.
Accelerated Fast®™ also includes a compound known as HMB which prevents muscle wasting which many people experience after the age of 40. With more healthy muscle tissue, more mitochondria with increased ATP are sustained in the muscle tissue and more weight loss is achieved.
Additionally, the Organic Mukul in the Accelerated Fast®™ is known to break down fats in the body and provide an energy spark to burn those fats that it breaks down. It also supports joint and muscle health. In Ayurvedic Medicine, it is known to have a “Hot” or “Fire” element potency, and in this formula, it is the “match” that lights the Keto process more quickly than any other keto supplement. Moreover, it further detoxifies the body and liver.
The Organic Trikatu heats up the digestive “fire”, thus allowing for extremely high absorption of Ketones and other cofactors, as well as increasing the metabolic rate.
Directions: Take 3-4 capsules in the morning on an empty stomach. Intermittent fast until you are hungry.
🍃 Acceleradine®
Acceleradine® increases ATP at the cellular level by 18 TIMES. As a result, it increases fat oxidation, metabolism, caloric burn, cognition, physical energy, wound healing, healthy apoptosis (destruction of diseased cells), and more. ATP is true cellular energy; when ATP increases, energy and fat oxidation increase, leading to weight loss.
Acceleradine® also helps improve metabolism and physical energy by supplying the necessary iodine for thyroid hormones. As the thyroid becomes optimized and the ATP is improved, weight loss goals will be achieved much faster.
Directions: Take 3 drops in water 3 times a day on an empty stomach. Increase the dose by 1 drop per dose per day until you get to 25 drops 3 times a day. If you feel a “buzz” then you can slow down the progression. Begin first thing in the morning. Wait at least 15 minutes to eat or take any other supplements.
🍃 Accelerated Thyroid™
Most people with unexplained weight gain have suboptimal thyroid function and metabolism. Accelerated Thyroid™ is the most comprehensive thyroid supplement that helps increase metabolism, fat oxidation, energy, and weight loss. Unlike any other thyroid supplement, Accelerated Thyroid™ is enhanced with scalar frequencies to detox the thyroid from heavy metals and radiation in addition to healing the thyroid.
Directions: Take 3-4 capsules in the morning. May be taken with Accelerated Fast®™.
🍃 Accelerated Cellular Detox® Powder
Accelerated Cellular Detox® Powder organic formula coats the stomach and intestinal lining, reduces inflammation, helps with bloat and regularity, and alleviates issues like Crohn’s disease and Colitis. It also soaks up all of the toxins throughout the day that can cause unexplained weight gain. As inflammation is decreased and weight-gaining toxins are soaked up, absorption of nutrients is improved and weight loss is improved.
Directions: Take 1-3 tsp in water or diluted juice at night before bed. May be sweetened with stevia, honey, or monk fruit and lemon or apple cider vinegar. TAKE AT LEAST ONE HOUR AWAY FROM PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION.
🍃 Accelerated Silver®
Accelerated Silver® enhances your immune system’s ability to devitalize foreign pathogens including viruses, bacteria, fungus, candida, and parasites; these may contribute to weight gain. By keeping the immune system strong, the body triggers anti-inflammatory processes, leading to optimal health; this encourages better gut health and weight loss mechanisms.
Directions: Take 1-3 tsp 3-7 times a day. Keep in the mouth for at least a minute and then swallow. May be used with a nebulizer without dilution for lung support, bronchitis, pneumonia, and more. May be used topically for ear infections, eye infections, skin rashes, and acne.
🍃 Quintessential 0.9.
Quintessential 0.9 is an Isotonic solution of organic ocean minerals diluted with natural alpine spring water that supports homeostasis, rehydration, and normal digestion while eliminating excess water retention. All of these factors lead to leaner and healthier body composition and support natural fat loss. It is composed of organic ocean minerals that are the same consistency as your blood plasma. It also consists of all the needed electrolytes and minerals. This 0.9 concentration can help replenish mineral and trace element levels, gently detoxify, and balance intracellular hydration while eliminating excess water retention
Directions: Take 1-6 packets during the day; put directly in the mouth without dilution and swish around for about 1 minute before swallowing.
🍃 Liver Flush Cleanse
The supplements in the Liver Flush Cleanse soften liver stones and prepare the liver to release those stones into the toilet! As a result, detoxification improves fat burning, thyroid health, weight loss, and metabolic rate. A liver flush 3-4 times a year is needed for optimal liver function, thyroid function, metabolism, and fat burning. With hundreds of stones sitting in your liver, it isn’t able to break down fats for usable energy, to detox the body of toxins that cause bloat and weight gain.
🍃 Laxa Comfort
Laxa Comfort gently and naturally stimulates bowel movements. Regardless of how constipated you are, this will make having 2-3 movements a day occur consistently. Constipation can inhibit weight loss and fat burning.
Directions: Take 1-3 capsules before bed. Adjust the dose until you achieve 2-3 bowel movements daily.
Berberine HCL
Berberine supports normal glucose and fat metabolism, keeping insulin and blood glucose low. When blood sugar spikes, then insulin spikes, leading to weight gain. Therefore, with Berberine, the body’s lower blood glucose and insulin encourages weight loss, just as with Ozempic. Berberine has been shown to be just as effective as Metformin without side effects. The HCL helps digestion which in turn, helps nutrient absorption.
Directions: Take 1-2 capsules with meals.
Leaky Gut Bundle
Leaky Gut is typically part of the reason for weight gain. The Leaky Gut Bundle works to heal Leaky Gut, eliminate bloat, increase nutrient absorption, and encourage weight loss.
The Leaky Gut Bundle includes:
🍃 MegaSporeBiotic
This probiotic blend helps recondition the gut instead of reseeding with a few probiotic strains that cannot survive digestion or colonize the gut.
MegaSporeBiotic helps control the “bad” bacteria that lead to bloat and dysbiosis and grow the “good” bacteria. It has been shown to help with E. Coli, Salmonella, H. Pylori, and more.
🍃 MegaPre
MegaPre is a prebiotic that reinforces the beneficial microbial changes created by MegaSporeBiotic™ to promote a strong and diverse microbiome needed for healthy weight loss.
🍃 MegaMucosa™
The mucosal system in the intestines contains 150 times more surface area than the skin, which makes it an essential element of the immune system that supports healthy immune function and digestion. MegaMucosa™ supports a healthy mucosal barrier, leading to optimal nutritional absorption and encouraging weight loss.
Additional Ways To Maximize Weight Loss
Stem Cell Activation Patches
The following tools will enhance results including fat burn, physical energy, mental focus, reverse age, improved digestion, further elimination of bloat, and elimination of excess water retention.
LifeWave X49 Patch
The LifeWave X49 is a patch that may reduce body fat while increasing muscle mass, increasing energy and recovery after exercise, improving cardiovascular function and focus, increasing muscle tone and strength, and strengthening bone density. The X49 enhances weight loss results when combined with the Ascent Diet Cleanse and Leaky Gut Bundle.
LifeWave Energy Enhancer Patches
The Lifewave Energy Enhancer Patch enhances caloric burn, fat loss, and metabolic rate. The patch is known to burn an additional 300 calories daily. They do this by increasing ATP production in the mitochondria, increasing fat oxidation, increasing heart rate variability, improving the bioelectrical measurement or “phase angle” or integrity of the cell walls, reducing inflammation, and increasing endurance.
As a plus, the Energy Enhancer Patches increase fat burning and muscle growth. They work synergistically with the Accelerated Fast®™ to effectively burn body fat and tap into an endless supply of energy. All of these factors work synergistically with the Ascent Diet Cleanse to increase the benefits. Additionally, adding these patches to the Ascent Diet Cleanse improves digestion and circulation which are essential for nutrient absorption that leads to a healthier gut.
LifeWave X39 Stem Cell Activation Patch
The X39 patch increases your own stem cell production and reset over 4,000 genes to a younger state, including the genes responsible for fat burning, preventing muscle wasting, and improving insulin sensitivity. As a result, it helps repair collagen in all tissues, heals Leaky Gut, activates stem cell production, and encourages apoptosis of cancer and diseased cells. It improves the overall energy of the body and organ balance. While using X39, weight loss and gut health results from the Ascent Diet Cleanse will be enhanced.
LifeWave Carnosine Patch
The Carnosine Patch will enhance energy and endurance, which will quicken the weight loss results from the Ascent Diet Cleanse. Carnosine is a naturally occurring antioxidant in the body, but it declines with age. Studies show carnosine plays a vital role in overall health, neuroprotection, and anti-aging.
Carnosine has also been shown to improve flexibility, strength, balance, and endurance. For athletes, carnosine has been shown to blunt the lactic acid effect that slows muscle and endurance progress. All of these factors may enhance the desired benefits of exercise and implementing the above-mentioned protocol.
Increase Protein Intake
Consuming 1-1.2 grams of wild animal protein per pound of desired lean body mass will not only satisfy your appetite, but simultaneously build lean muscle mass, eliminate bloat, heal the gut, and keep you in a fat-burning state. Not only will protein not turn into body fat, but it will trigger the hormone CCK that suppresses appetite, supports lean muscle gains, and increases glucagon, the “fat-burning” hormone.
Animal proteins including lamb, bison, deer, grass-fed beef, elk, wild salmon, arctic char, and other wild fish are complete proteins that include all of the essential amino acids, high omega 3 fatty acids, collagen, and essential vitamins like Vitamin D, E, and Vitamin B’s that are essential for lean muscle growth and efficient fat burn. Prioritizing wild protein in the diet will increase the glucagon-to-insulin ratio, which will trigger increased fat burn, weight loss, and insulin sensitivity.
Furthermore, abstaining from chicken, poultry, and conventional beef will minimize the amyloid burden in your body. Amyloids are proteins found in conventional meats that increase gut pathogens, trip up fat-burning mechanisms, and increase brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Limit Vegetables, Grains, and Beans
Some vegetables, grains, and beans have oxalates, sulfur, and lectins that cause bloat and weight gain. By eliminating all beans, all grains, and most vegetables except cucumbers, asparagus, artichoke, zucchini, squash, romaine lettuce, butter lettuce, and celery, you are eliminating the most common offenders.
Once the gut is healed and weight loss is achieved, you can start incorporating these vegetables again.
Exercise Around Meal Time
By engaging in low exertion exercise or walking before or after a meal, fat oxidation is increased, blood sugar is lowered, and stress hormones are reduced; all of these factors encourage healthy weight loss.
Eliminate Processed Foods
Processed foods are extremely hyper-palatable and blunt your normal taste buds, in addition to decreasing CCK. These processed foods have emulsifiers in them which extend their shelf life and bring together fat and water. However, those emulsifiers destroy the mucosal lining of the gut, causing the neurons to retract in the gut.
As a consequence, the signals from CCK are shut down and never trigger a suppressed appetite; as a result, you end up wanting to eat more. Moreover, your gut now fails to register the amino acids and fatty acids from the “healthy” food to signal satiety. They are limiting the gut’s ability to assess the nutrients and halt hunger. They also alter the brain’s ability to regulate dopamine which also impacts sugar cravings.
Eliminate Fake Sweeteners
Fake sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin, dextrose, maltitol, and others not only raise blood sugar, create an insulin response, and stimulate appetite for real sugar and carbs, but also wreak havoc on the gut microbiome. As a result, leaky gut surfaces and bloat, constipation, and malabsorption may ensue. Monk Fruit and Stevia are less problematic in limited amounts.
Use Acids
Adding lemon, lime, and apple cider vinegar may help blunt the blood sugar escalation. Not only that, but they don’t break a fast or kick the body out of ketosis during a fasting window.
Manipulate Ghrelin
This is the hunger hormone that initiates the hungry feeling, triggered by a low level of glucose in the blood. It activates neurons in the brain to trigger hunger. It can be adjusted by about 45 minutes per day. In other words, to adjust your meal time, start to move it by 45 minutes each day until the desired mealtime is reached. This is the amount of time neural circuits can handle the shifting of ghrelin signals.
Eat Protein and Fibrous Vegetables First
By starting the meal with wild animal protein, the appetite signals to control overeating become optimized, and the dense nutrients become registered efficiently by the gut. Moreover, this will slow the rise of blood sugar and insulin versus if carbs are eaten initially and spike the blood sugar. As you blunt the rise and fall of blood sugar, your appetite and cravings will be lessened.
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Sara Banta
Sara Banta is a Stanford University Graduate with a Degree in Economics and Psychology, and a certified Natural Supplement Expert & Graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Sara is the Founder of Accelerated Health Products and host of the health & wellness podcast, Accelerated Health Radio.