GLP-1: What Your Body’s Already Doing (Before the Injection)

And the part almost no one is actually explaining

Writing about this wasn’t on my list, but lately I’ve been hearing the same thing over and over:

“I’m thinking about a GLP-1.”

It’s being considered for weight, for fertility, for general wellness, for hormones…

Basically: GLP-1s for everything. Everywhere you turn right now, it’s GLP-1 this, Ozempic that.

But for whatever reason, I’ve especially been hearing it for this last one. To regulate hormones. I think that’s the one that brought me here… to my computer to start drafting this one up.

And the other big piece that brings me to write this is what I’m *not* seeing.

I’m not seeing many people slow down long enough to say:

“Hey, your body actually makes GLP-1 on its own. Here’s what that means. Here’s how to work with it.”

So that’s all this is.

Not an anti-medication post.

More of a “let’s understand the system so we have options” post.

So… what even is GLP-1?

GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) is a hormone your body makes mostly in your gut.

Tiny cells in your intestines (L-cells) release GLP-1 after you eat. Once it’s out, it basically starts a message “cascade” with your other organs.

Very simplified, GLP-1 is talking to a few main places at once. In the pancreas, it suggests your body to make more insulin and dial down glucagon, which is a big part of why blood sugar and insulin sensitivity improve. In the brain, it turns up the “I’m full” signals and turns down the constant food chatter, so you feel satisfied sooner and think about food a little less. In the stomach and gut, it literally slows down how quickly your stomach empties, which helps you stay full longer (and is also why nausea or constipation can show up on the meds). And in liver, muscle, and fat tissue, it helps your body handle glucose more smoothly, store less in places we don’t want it, and use energy a bit more efficiently in the background. So, if we pull back a bit, a big chunk of the GLP-1 story is that it helps your body become more insulin sensitive.

That’s a huge reason these meds can feel powerful for weight loss and why they’re being used in fertility. Insulin sensitivity is deeply tied to ovulation, sex hormones, and whether your body feels safe enough to reproduce.

So the meds everyone’s talking about (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound, etc.) are basically super-charged GLP-1-like signals, given by injection. They work because your body was wired for GLP-1 in the first place.

Here’s what has to happen for your GLP-1 system to work

This part gets skipped a lot.

Those L-cells in your gut don’t just randomly release GLP-1. They respond to glucose in the gut, the health of your microbiome, bile acids and fat digestion, and the kinds of foods and fibers that actually make it to your intestines.

If any of these pieces are off, your GLP-1 system is going to struggle. Not because your body is “broken,” but because the environment it’s reading feels a little off…maybe a little more chaotic than it prefers. Maybe like your home on some most days? Anyone else?

Ultimately, here are a few things that I find incredibly important to note:

1. Though teeny tiny in size, your microbes are basically really big hormone helpers

When your microbiome is in a decent place and you feed it well, gut bacteria ferment fibers and resistant starch into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like acetate, propionate, and butyrate. Those SCFAs press on receptors (if you like names: GPR41/43) on the L-cells and basically say: “Hey, there’s food down here. A little GLP-1 would be great.”

If gut health is off (low diversity, lots of inflammation, almost no fiber coming in), that whole “SCFA → GLP-1” conversation doesn’t really happen.

2. Bile acids matter (especially if you’ve had gallbladder issues)

When you eat fat, your gallbladder releases bile. Those bile acids can activate another receptor (TGR5) that also nudges GLP-1 release.

If bile flow is sluggish, fat digestion is off, or you’ve had your gallbladder removed…and digestion has a slightly different type of support… that may be another signal to GLP-1 not coming through clearly.

3. Protein + nutrient-dense food can be helpful

Dietary protein (including tryptophan and other amino acids), along with healthy fats and complex carbs, also talk to those L-cells. When digestion is working and the microbiome is somewhat stable, GLP-1 gets supported in the background.

So from a root-cause lens, the question becomes less: “Do I need a GLP-1 med forever?” and more: “What would it look like to make it easier for my body to use the GLP-1 system it already has?”

And because it’s me… yes, light matters too

I’m not going to turn this into a full light lecture, but circadian rhythm absolutely plays in:

GLP-1 secretion is timed. Insulin sensitivity is timed. Appetite hormones are timed. Your body expects certain signals (light, dark, food timing, sleep) to line up.

So things like getting actual morning light in your eyes, not eating super late every night, giving your gut some real breaks between meals …don’t just “support wellness” in a vague way. They help metabolic hormones (including GLP-1) show up when and how they’re supposed to).

This is the part I find hopeful: it doesn’t have to be as complicated as the internet makes it out to be. You can support GLP-1 by gently working on gut health, food quality, rhythm, and light. Without feeling guilty for not being able to follow those long and overwhelming protocols…or for your life looking like a wellness retreat (and don’t get me started about those ☺️).

Ok, and now for a few simple ways to support your own GLP-1 system

This is not medical advice. If you’re on a GLP-1 med, talk with your provider before changing anything. These are the “low-drama” levers I think about with clients who want to work with their biology. You do not need to do all of these. One or two is a win.

1. Give your microbes something to work with

Think: plants…things with color… your gut can actually tolerate.

• Add a little fiber to meals you’re already eating:
  Pair some cooked veggies, beans or lentils (if they agree with you). You can sprinkle on chia, ground flax, sauerkraut, pickled onions, etc., as toppings.

• Add in some resistant starch here and there:
  Cooked and cooled potatoes, rice or oats, slightly green bananas, or a small resistant starch supplement if tolerated.

The goal is small and steady, not “I ate zero fiber for 10 years and now I’m eating 40g overnight.” That can backfire big time. You’re giving your microbiome the ingredients it needs to make SCFAs that trigger GLP-1.

2. Try a gentler approach to snacking

You don’t need a strict eating window, but you can:

• Let your body finish one meal before stacking on the next. In fact, there’s something called the MMC (migrating motor complex) that I like to envision as your personal “street sweeper”. It cleans out your stomach and part of your small intestine every few hours, but it has to start over whenever there’s a food interruption.

• Leading to the next goal: aim for real breaks (3–4 hours) between meals when you can. Sometimes it takes time to build up to this. Listen to your body here :).

• *Notice* what happens when you’re not constantly grabbing a bite

This helps blood sugar, appetite hormones, and GLP-1 signals pulse more cleanly instead of always being “on”.

3. Support bile flow and digestion

(especially if you’ve had gallbladder issues)

Here are some real-life ideas:

• Include some healthy fat instead of going ultra-low-fat all the time (olive oil, avocado, egg yolks, sardines, etc.). Fat is good. It is needed. Our hormones are literally built on it.

• Use bitter foods to gently cue bile: arugula, dandelion greens, radicchio, lemon water, ACV…

• If you don’t have a gallbladder, this is where working with a practitioner on digestion support (bile, enzymes, stomach acid) can be huge.

Better bile leads to better fat digestion, which means more bile-acid signaling to those GLP-1-making L-cells.

4. Take one small step for inflammation

Inflammation in the gut makes everything harder: GLP-1, insulin, leptin, thyroid, all of it.

Instead of a full food overhaul, I always suggest starting tiny:

• Swap one ultra-processed snack for something closer to real food.

• Add color once a day (berries, dark leafy greens, purple cabbage, beets).

• Watch how certain foods make you feel over a few days (bloat, mood, energy), without judgment. It’s just data.

It really, really is about the tiny steps. By doing these things gradually, you’re slowly making the gut a calmer, more responsive place for hormones to do their job.

Here’s where meds can make a lot of sense

GLP-1 meds absolutely have a place. They can be life-changing for some people. Especially with diabetes, significant insulin resistance, high cardiometabolic risk, or when other supports haven’t been enough.

I’m not here to tell anyone to stop a prescription...or that there’s not a place for one.

What I am saying: These meds work because they plug into a system you already have. That system is deeply connected to gut health, digestion, circadian rhythm, and how you eat and live. Even if you’re on a GLP-1, supporting your gut and rhythm is still foundational, not optional.

And if you’re not on a med but you’re GLP-1-curious because of all the benefits you’re hearing about, it’s worth knowing: You do have ways to gently support your own GLP-1 production that don’t require an injection. They’re not dramatic. But they are real, and they are effective.

They’re the slow, boring changes that build better insulin sensitivity, more stable hormones, and a metabolism you can actually live with for years.

I know…certainly not as flashy. BUT, a lot more sustainable.

xx,

Dinah