{"id":671,"date":"2024-08-27T14:33:54","date_gmt":"2024-08-27T14:33:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.reflexmd.com\/?p=671"},"modified":"2025-04-21T22:53:27","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T02:53:27","slug":"taking-glp-1s-here-are-the-new-rules-of-lunch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reflexmd.com\/blog\/healthy-eating\/taking-glp-1s-here-are-the-new-rules-of-lunch\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Lunches When You\u2019re Taking a GLP-1"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An estimated 12% of adults have tried GLP-1 for weight loss, according to KFF<\/a>, a health policy research group. If you\u2019re one of them, you\u2019ve likely experienced positive results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can be challenging, though, to plan meals while you\u2019re taking GLP-1. For one thing, your appetite may not be fully suppressed at first. That could lead you to eat a little too much. And the bigger your portions, the more likely side effects like nausea are to occur.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe name of the game is small, frequent meals,\u201d says Jaclyn London, MS, RD, <\/a> author of Dressing on the Side (and Other Diet Myths Debunked): 11 Science-Backed Ways To Eat More, Stress Less, and Feel Great About Your Body<\/em>. \u201cTry eating a quarter of what you previously ate.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That amount will end up feeling just right, most likely. A European study<\/a> found that after a patient starts GLP-1, control over cravings really amps up at week 20 on average, and that desire for both savory and sweet foods has powerfully declined by that time as well. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which brings us to lunch. Specifically, the best lunches when taking GLP-1. What\u2019s the right way to eat or pack a healthy lunch that keeps you nourished and propels your weight loss progress? Below, answers to five key questions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does GLP-1 reduce appetite?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration<\/a> defines GLP-1 as a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. GLP-1s perform the same function as a hormone called GLP-1. When you consume food, GLP-1 gets released in your GI tract and signals your body to increase insulin, lowering your blood sugar.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GLP-1 also gives you a sense of fullness and reduces your appetite by sending signals to your brain. It can also shift how your body perceives the qualities of food. New research<\/a> finds that GLP-1 can actually change taste sensitivity in women, so they no longer crave the taste of sweet foods.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another new study<\/a> found that patients taking GLP-1 feel less desire for salty or spicy food, dairy products, and starch.<\/p>\n\n\n