What Should My Diet Be If I'm On Ozempic?

Ozempic is becoming an increasingly common medication that’s prescribed to those with type 2 diabetes when Metformin is contra-indicated or is failing to control blood sugar. It’s also common to be given it in addition to other diabetes medication. 

When combined with healthy lifestyle choices, Ozempic can be very effective at controlling blood sugar and achieving weight loss. Diet, in combination with exercise, is one of the most important aspects of Ozempic success—so much so that the term “Ozempic Diet'' is one of the buzzwords of the moment.

Everything You Want to Know about an Ozempic Die

• Food to avoid on an Ozempic diet
• Food you should eat on an Ozempic diet 

Food to avoid on an Ozempic diet

Ozempic (or, indeed, any other semaglutide, such as Wegovy) works very well—but it does have some potential side effects. The most common of these are nausea, vomiting, and constipation. The reason this happens is because Ozempic slows down the rate of digestion. Therefore, certain foods that naturally have a slower digestive rate stay inside your gut for even longer.

These foods are typically ones that can potentially cause gastric distress—even if you’re not taking a drug like Ozempic. Think foods with high fat content, high sugar, ultra-processed, or anything that might cause intestinal gas.

Examples include:

• Red meat
• Fried chicken
• Cheese
• Butter
• French fries
• Burgers
• Cookies
• Chips
• Raw and cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower
• Highly spiced foods

Other culprits include caffeine, fizzy sodas, and alcohol.

Food you should eat on an Ozempic diet

It won’t take long for you to work out which foods your stomach can’t tolerate when you’re taking Ozempic. However, rather than dwelling on what you can’t eat, take heart that you can use the slowed digestive rate to chow down on products that counteract the side effects. 

Examples include:

• Kefir
• Yogurt
• Kimchi
• Sauerkraut
• Oats
• Broth

It’s no surprise that all of these are high in probiotics—and this is what will help mitigate the gastric upset you might experience from the medication.

However, rather than getting hung up about what you should or shouldn’t be eating, it’s more important to consider how and when you eat as part of those healthy lifestyle changes mentioned earlier. 

• Don’t eliminate foods entirely: Instead, tweak your approach to food. Rather than eating two or three larger meals per day, split this up into six or seven smaller portions.
• Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water and eat foods with a high water content—such as soup.
• Eat slowly: It really does take 20 minutes for your brain to register when you’re full. Slowing down the rate of eating can help retrain yourself to stop overindulging. Chew slowly, take breaks in between mouthfuls, put down your knife and fork to have a drink of water… You get the picture.
• Limit foods that potentially upset your stomach: Rather than eliminating them completely, reduce the size of the portions.
• Cook starchy veg, rather than eating it raw: Love broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.? Cook it up to make it kinder on your digestive tract.
• Take a 10-minute stroll after eating: Nothing too strenuous—but a 10-minute post-meal wander can do wonders for both your digestion and your blood sugar levels.

Very importantly, take your medication as directed.

These guidelines are extremely general—it’s important to know that there’s no one-size-fits-all Ozempic diet. Keep a food diary and work out what does or doesn’t affect you. Over a few weeks, you’ll be able to identify pretty much any foods that you need to go easy on. You’ll also work out what does work for you.

Once you’ve done that, then carry on embracing your new relationship with food and the health benefits that go with it. You’ll be shopping for clothes a size or two smaller before you know it…

Combine an Ozempic Diet with a Healthy Lifestyle & Professional Treatments to Fasttrack Results

Ozempic, diet, and positive lifestyle changes can have a dramatic effect. Once the weight starts to drop off and you experience the multiple benefits of positive change then you may well look to professional treatments to refine your newly unveiled body beautiful.

Partnering with a talented dermatologist is key. Whether you need to reduce the look of stretch marks, spot-target those stubborn areas of fat that aren’t responding to your hard work, or simply discover what treatments are available, there’s no better provider than Bayou City Dermatology.

Find out what’s on offer at https://www.bayoucitydermatology.com/services and call today to chat with our expert clinical team.