While some people like to keep it simple with a bit of good old-fashioned exercise and calorie-counting, when it comes to losing weight, many have recently been turning to weight loss drugs.
While Ozempic – the branded name for a drug called semaglutide - was designed to treat type two diabetes, it’s also been adopted as a weight loss tool, as it reduces appetite.
Several celebs have spoken out about using the drug, or others like it, including the likes of Amy Schumer, James Corden, Kelly Clarkson, and Kathy Bates, reporting varying degrees of success with the medication.
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Schumer, for example, was forced to come off it after experiencing horrific side effects, having ‘felt so sick’ that she couldn’t even play with her son.
And the pesky adverse effects aren’t the only downsides to taking Ozempic, as there are also a number of foods you have to avoid.
According to doctors, certain foods might prove ‘problematic’ - including one type that could lead to a very uncomfortable time on the toilet... Eek.
High-fat foods
The Ozempic website advises against ‘fried’ or ‘greasy’ foods, which is something experts also recommend staying away from.
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Dr Shauna Levy, a specialist in obesity medicine and medical director of the Tulane Bariatric and Weight Loss Center in New Orleans, told Today that greasy, high-fat foods tend to cause ‘a lot of diarrhea’.
"I’ve seen an almost dumping syndrome-like response in people taking GLP-1s when they eat simple carbohydrates and high-fat foods," she explained.
Roughage-heavy fruit and veg
It’s not just all the high-fat food, either, as any fruit and veg that contains significant roughage – or dietary fibre - is also a no-go.
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Dr. Christopher McGowan, an obesity medicine physician and founder of True You Weight Loss in Cary, North Carolina, told the outlet that this is because these foods are slow to exit the stomach.
Think stringy fruit and veg like pineapple and celery, or ones with a tough peel like apples.
Cruciferous vegetables
McGowan also advises against the likes of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, onions and asparagus, as these can also lead to excessive, unpleasant gas – not nice for anyone, but especially troublesome for anyone on Ozempic.
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Sweet food
Ozempic’s website tells users to try and steer clear of sweet foods, which Levy – who also recommends avoiding sugary drinks - says cause stomach aches.
Spicy food
Finally, Levy said any foods that can exacerbate acid reflux are also more likely to worsen reflux on GLP-1s (the class of drugs Ozempic falls under).
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This, she says, is all down to the fact such medicine delays gastric emptying, in turn causing acid reflux.
However, Levy said if you’re not someone who suffers from this, spicy food shouldn’t prove too much of an issue.
Anything else?
While it’s not a food, Levy also warned that alcohol could be a problem for Ozempic users.
“One, it’s just empty calories,” she explained to Today.
“Two, it tends to make people make decisions that they otherwise might not make.
“It could increase hunger, and the whole point of GLP-1s, or at least one of the points, is to decrease hunger. So it sort of negates their purpose.”
As with many things, she said booze should be fine in moderation, but some users may find they’re not able to tolerate it as well as others.
Topics: Food and Drink, Health, Ozempic
Jess Hardiman