Episode 75
On a GLP-1 - You Should be on the Mediterranean Diet Also
Weight Loss Surgery and Mediterranean Diet to GLP-1 and the Mediterranean Diet
For years, I have guided my weight loss surgery patients toward the Mediterranean diet. Why? Because it’s not only delicious and sustainable, but it’s also backed by decades of science. Now, as GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Zepbound transform how we approach obesity, the question arises again: what should people eat while on these powerful drugs? The answer, as it turns out, remains the same.
GLP-1 medications have undeniably revolutionized weight loss. These drugs, originally developed for diabetes, have rapidly gained fame for helping individuals shed significant amounts of weight. They work by reducing appetite, slowing stomach emptying, and altering hunger signals in the brain. Many patients simply cannot achieve sustained weight loss with diet alone, and for them, GLP-1 drugs are life-changing.
However, while these medications help people lose weight, they do not address everything. Weight loss is only part of the equation. Nutrition still matters deeply. Without nourishing your body properly, you risk missing out on crucial benefits such as inflammation reduction, cardiovascular protection, and cognitive preservation.
The Mediterranean Diet
This is exactly where the Mediterranean diet shines. For decades, in fact, over 70 years, researchers have studied this dietary pattern. More than 13,000 scientific publications support its benefits. It’s not just about eating "like people in the Mediterranean." Rather, it’s about embracing a carefully studied set of foods, in specific amounts, shown to optimize health outcomes.
For example, the diet emphasizes:
- Around 9 ounces (250 grams) of fruits daily.
- Plenty of vegetables and whole grains.
- Healthy fats, especially from olive oil.
- Lean proteins, particularly fish and legumes.
- Limited red meat and alcohol.
Studies Showing the Diet Works For Health
The science is clear. The PREDIMED study demonstrated significant reductions in cardiovascular events among followers of this diet. The EPIC studies have shown lower overall mortality, reduced cancer risk, and enhanced longevity. Furthermore, other research consistently links the Mediterranean diet to better insulin sensitivity, lower diabetes incidence, and reduced Alzheimer’s risk.
So, how does this all connect to GLP-1 medications? Simple. If you are using GLP-1 drugs, you are already taking control of your weight. Why stop there? Combining these medications with a Mediterranean diet maximizes your health benefits. While the drugs help you eat less and lose weight, the diet ensures that what you do eat is packed with nutrition, anti-inflammatory compounds, and essential nutrients.
Examples of the Diet in Real Life
In practical terms, adopting this diet does not have to be complicated. For breakfast, try Greek yogurt topped with fresh berries, or overnight oats with fruit and nuts. For lunch, enjoy a salad filled with leafy greens, chickpeas, avocado, and stone fruits, drizzled with olive oil and lemon. For dinner, think grilled salmon or chicken, paired with quinoa or farro and plenty of colorful vegetables.
Ultimately, GLP-1 drugs and the Mediterranean diet are not competing solutions — they are complementary tools. Together, they support not just weight loss, but whole-body health.
If you are on a GLP-1 medication, remember this: losing weight is important, but being healthy while losing weight is essential. The Mediterranean diet remains the gold standard, helping you do both.
Don't forget your vitamins
If you are on a GLP-1 medication, please take a daily multivitamin. There are plenty of them out there, but you need these daily. Especially the B-complex. I like this one from YouTheory.
Transcript
>> Dr. Terry Simpson: Foreign.
Speaker:You've probably heard about GLP1 medications
Speaker:like ozempic and Zeppelin. Initially developed for
Speaker:diabetes, they have become significant
Speaker:for weight loss. Here's an
Speaker:essential truth. These medications are
Speaker:necessary for many people because people
Speaker:can't sustain weight loss through
Speaker:diet alone. In spite of what many
Speaker:gym bros will tell you today,
Speaker:we're going to tell you how you should eat if
Speaker:you're on a GLP1 medication. Now,
Speaker:we've covered some of this ground before, but
Speaker:never with such a verb.
Speaker:I am your Chief Medical Explanationist, Dr. Terry
Speaker:Simpson, and this is for
Speaker:Q4Q where we make sense of
Speaker:the madness, bust a few myths, and teach you a little bit
Speaker:about food as medicine.
Speaker:GLP1 medications have revolutionized weight
Speaker:loss and they will continue to do so.
Speaker:However, a critical question often remains.
Speaker:What should people eat while they're on these
Speaker:medications? Unfortunately, we have clear evidence based
Speaker:answers. While GLP1 drugs might help
Speaker:manage weight effectively, good nutrition
Speaker:is vital, especially when
Speaker:you have perceptibly inability to eat
Speaker:as much as you did before. Medication
Speaker:alone while delivering weight loss doesn't deliver
Speaker:optimal health, but combining it with a nutritious
Speaker:diet amplifies the benefits and ensures
Speaker:overall wellness. Weight loss is important,
Speaker:but we also aim to be healthy in the process.
Speaker:We discovered this during the time when I was doing weight loss
Speaker:surgery. It seems that I would look around
Speaker:and say, what is the optimal diet for people who've
Speaker:had weight loss surgery? And there were
Speaker:thousands of answers. Many weight loss surgeons had their
Speaker:own versions of diets and recipes,
Speaker:often falling into some low carb or keto
Speaker:ionosphere. And then I went to
Speaker:culinary medicine school and spent
Speaker:hours researching the various diets. Not
Speaker:from a perspective of, uh, the books that you
Speaker:find in a bookstore, the popular stuff you would
Speaker:see online. But what does the evidence
Speaker:actually show us? And it became
Speaker:very clear that the Mediterranean diet remains
Speaker:unmatched in providing long term health benefits.
Speaker:The diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains,
Speaker:legumes, lean proteins, healthy fats like olive oil,
Speaker:and even a little moderate wine consumption,
Speaker:enhances the benefits of my weight loss
Speaker:surgery patients. And now we're seeing
Speaker:the benefits in those patients on GLP1
Speaker:medications. We've talked extensively about the
Speaker:Mediterranean diet on 4Q and I invite you to go back and listen
Speaker:to those where we've highlighted its structured
Speaker:nutritional guidelines, such as consuming 9 ounces
Speaker:or 250 grams of fruits and vegetables daily,
Speaker:limiting red meat and alcohol, and prioritizing
Speaker:monounsaturated fatty acids.
Speaker:Numerous studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet reduces
Speaker:inflammation, decreases cardiovascular
Speaker:risks, improves cognitive function
Speaker:and lowers diabetes risks. For instance,
Speaker:there was a prediment study demonstrating the
Speaker:significant reduction in cardiovascular events,
Speaker:the Lyon Heart Study, which showed that people who had
Speaker:a heart attack their first heart attack had a
Speaker:reduction of almost 75% about getting a
Speaker:second heart attack by following a, um, Mediterranean diet.
Speaker:There was something called the EPIC study, which showed that there
Speaker:was a decrease in overall mortality, improved
Speaker:cancer outcomes and enhanced longevity among
Speaker:those who had the Mediterranean diet. Research
Speaker:has consistently shown improved cognitive function, reduced
Speaker:Alzheimer's risk, and associated with
Speaker:better insulin sensitivity and diabetes
Speaker:control. So you're probably wondering, where do
Speaker:I start? And there are some practical
Speaker:examples. Here's how you can incorporate a
Speaker:Mediterranean diet. For example, breakfast. You might consider
Speaker:some Greek yogurt toppled with fresh berries or one
Speaker:of my favorites, overnight oats with some mixed berries and
Speaker:fruits. You don't need too much of this, but
Speaker:not only will you feel better and have a good start to your day, but
Speaker:increasing fiber allows your guts to
Speaker:feel good and thank you. Lunch could be a colorful salad
Speaker:of leafy greens, chickpeas, tuna, avocado
Speaker:and stone fruits like peaches or nectarines
Speaker:drizzled with olive oil and some lemon juice.
Speaker:Dinner might be something simple like grilled salmon or chicken
Speaker:with quinoa or farro, along with some steamed or
Speaker:roasted vegetables like broccoli, asparagus or
Speaker:zucchini. Okay, one of those I actually
Speaker:like. These examples make adopting the
Speaker:Mediterranean lifestyle manageable and delicious. When I
Speaker:say one of those I might actually like, it's true there are many
Speaker:vegetables I don't like. Fortunately, there
Speaker:are plenty of vegetables out there, and that means
Speaker:that you aren't limited to what you find in the
Speaker:Mediterranean. For example, you might think rice is
Speaker:Mediterranean. It's not. You might think tomatoes are
Speaker:Mediterranean. Clearly it's not. But those are
Speaker:fruits and vegetables and whole grains that are beneficial
Speaker:in long term studies.
Speaker:So while GLP1 medications like Ozempic
Speaker:and Zeppelin effectively manage and treat
Speaker:obesity, pairing them with a Mediterranean
Speaker:diet optimizes your health, amplifying
Speaker:anti inflammatory and cardioprotective and anti cancer
Speaker:effects. With over 70 years of research and
Speaker:more than 13,000 scientific
Speaker:publications supporting it, the Mediterranean diet
Speaker:isn't just about regional cuisine.
Speaker:It's a scientifically validated approach
Speaker:detailing specific foods and amounts to
Speaker:boost overall health. So you won't just be
Speaker:losing weight, but you'll actively enhance your
Speaker:overall health. GLP1 drugs have
Speaker:revolutionized weight management, but true
Speaker:health emerges when combined with a nutritious,
Speaker:balanced diet. Not another protein bar,
Speaker:not another protein shake. And the Mediterranean diet, uh,
Speaker:clearly stands out for long term health improvements.
Speaker:Remember, it's not just about shedding pounds, it's about
Speaker:becoming healthier in the process.
Speaker:And don't forget to add a multivitamin
Speaker:to your list of things. If you're taking GLP1
Speaker:drugs, it is essential to be able to get
Speaker:adequate amounts of nutrition. And if you're
Speaker:not, Mediterranean diet. And adding a
Speaker:multivitamin is a just about, uh, belt
Speaker:and suspenders approach. Thanks
Speaker:for joining me on 4Q. Don't forget
Speaker:to subscribe, share and stay hungry for knowledge that
Speaker:is. This podcast has been
Speaker:researched and written by me, Dr. Terri
Speaker:Simpson. And while I am a physician, I am not your
Speaker:physician. Before making any changes, especially
Speaker:when on, um, the GLP1 drug, please check with your
Speaker:physician and a registered dietitian.
Speaker:Not with a chiropractor, not with an eastern trained
Speaker:physician. We were distributed by our friends at
Speaker:Simpler media and the Pod God. My good friend,
Speaker:Mr. Evo Terre
Speaker:until next week. Thanks for listening, thanks for
Speaker:subscribing, and thanks for saying the kind words on all
Speaker:of those different places. You'll find me in my podcast.
Speaker:Until then, have a Good week. I'm Dr.
Speaker:Simpson. Goodbye,
Speaker:de Evo.
Speaker:I discovered overnight oats with
Speaker:a little bit of apple sauce or apple
Speaker:juice added to it. It's
Speaker:delicious. You ought to give it a try sometime.
Speaker:I am on board the overnight Oats
Speaker:Ch train. Um, but I hadn't considered putting other
Speaker:stuff into it. Experimentation
Speaker:shall ensue.
