WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE?

What It’s Like To Be On Ozempic Long-Term

From Oprah to Sharon and Kelly Osbourne, Hollywood is coming clean about weight loss medication. But would you do it? Fiona Golfar has – this is her story, one year on.

‘So, how long are you going to stay on it?’ It’s a question I’ve got used to hearing over the past year. It’s nearly always accompanied by a raised eyebrow. I’ve been on weight-loss medication for a year. It’s changed my body, my mental health and my life. My answer to that question is, never; I have no intention of stopping anytime soon.

When I first heard about the ‘miracle’ drug Ozempic – designed for type-2 diabetes – which works by mimicking the action of a naturally occurring hormone, GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1), to delay the digestion process and thereby manage hunger, I was curious to know if this could work for me, someone who has struggled with weight issues for years, even more so after hitting menopause.

I started the course in December 2022, injecting the ‘pen’ into my stomach once a week as instructed (at first, I was so nervous I didn’t take the plastic nozzle off the top of the tiny needle and wasted a dose). I took 0.25mg and built to 1mg over several months, increasing the dose very slowly. I had looked into the side effects – nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation – and the possible health risks, but my rationale was they were risks worth taking.

Why Is Everyone Talking About Magnesium?

Devotees are raving about the health perks of magnesium, claiming it helps with everything from improving sleep to reducing anxiety.

What Does The Longevity Diet Look Like In 2024?

Ozempic may help with weight loss, but what can we do when it comes to getting proper nutrition?

Brand Spotlight: Clinique La Prairie Holistic Health

Building on 90 years studying the mechanisms of longevity, Clinique La Prairie offers a pioneering collection of Swiss-made vegan supplements. Created by a team of life-science experts, Holistic Health is the industry’s most sophisticated supplement, focusing on the fundamental pillars for a healthy living: immunity, stress management, anti-inflammation, rejuvenation and cellular longevity.

Ask The Expert: Olga Donica

Olga Donica, Longevity Innovation Director at Clinique La Prairie, answers all of our questions surrounding diet, supplements and exercise…

How does nutrition empower our health?

Nutrition is fundamental in shaping our metabolism and preventing diseases. It regulates almost all inner processes, with an impact on metabolic health, inflammation, gut health, repair processes and performance. Nutrients are used to build cellular membranes, to activate enzymatic systems, to enable electric impulses, to generate energy and to contribute to defence and protection.

What role does it play in cultivating longevity?

Any longevity intervention should start in the gut. Gut health is literally your passport to longevity, as gut microflora is central to regulating immunity, inflammation and homeostasis. The most surprising thing we’ve come to learn as a longevity clinic is how fast diet shapes an individual’s health. Your diet can shift the health of your cells in only six months, while other lifestyle interventions can take several years or decades to cause a positive impact.

Should we really be eating 30 different plants a week?

I would dare to say 30 plants a day! The number of different plants we eat per day is so important – and trust us when we say it’s easy to achieve. Start by never repeating an ingredient in your daily menu. You must keep cheating on your favourites: never use the same oil, same spice, same vegetable or same fruit in a day. Nutritional diversity brings a large amount of natural bioactive ingredients with strong therapeutic potential.

Is food alone enough?

Food is your foundation and comes first as medicine, but dietary supplements are a powerful yet complementary tool to up your wellbeing game. Every person’s health case is unique and will have different requirements for healing and optimisation. Planning an effective yet manageable supplement routine is both an art and a science.

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