In the world of weight loss, the options are as diverse as the latest workout trends. With so many options, it can be confusing as to which diet is best for your body type, your long-term good health and your wallet! Amidst the buzz of prescriptions and medications like Ozempic, there's a natural and affordable alternative – the HCG diet. Let’s explore the benefits of the HCG diet, an alternative approach that's turning heads and helping people shed pounds. Right now is the best time to discover a whole new perspective on weight loss – one that's as natural as it is effective!!
What Is Ozempic and How Does it Facilitate Weight Loss?
Summary - The Bare/Skinny Bones (dangerously skinny) of Ozempic Physiology
Ozempic, also known as Semaglutide, is a prescription medication that helps those with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar. Ozempic mimics a hormone (GLP-1) that has been shown to control appetite, helping you feel full for longer. This results are a reduced caloric intake which leads to weight loss. If you have diabetes, Ozempic can be a two-pronged solution for blood sugar control and weight loss combined.
How SAD (Standard American Diet)
Type II Diabetes is already a negative response to the SAD Diet.
What is the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
Type I Diabetes is when your body doesn't produce insulin. Without insulin, you're like a child standing outside your parents house without a key in a blizzard. The warm house is right in front of you, but you cannot get in. The same is true of insulin. Insulin is the key that unlocks the energy within a carbohydrate. It opens the door to all the benefits that lie within - in the case of insulin it is carbohydrates - energy. That's why Type I Diabetics must ALWAYS monitor their insulin levels. If Glucose (carbohydrates) begin to accumulate in the blood (without a key - insulin), then the body is deprived of energy while at the same time extra-ordinarily hyperglycemic (in short, hymperglycemia means your blood is filled with garbage).
Type II Diabetes is when your body was once capable of producing insulin, but because of such a poor diet filled with sugar and carbs, the body has now become immune to its own insulin, thus making it ineffective so the key no longer fits. Type II Diabetics are locked out.
Ozempic provides an alternative key. Actually, that is being polite. It jimmies the lock. It undercuts what is already a dysfunctional process. It mimics the insulin that a Type II Diabetic already cannot recognize because it has been so over-produced, thus regulating blood sugar levels and appetite. Does this sound sustainable to you?
So why is Ozempic the weight loss option for Hollywood Celebs?
You get results, but at what cost? For one, the actual cost - the financial cost. It can cost up to $1500 per month. If your goal is to lose 30 pounds, that's $50 per pound.
Additionally, the results are not exactly immediate. They can take a few months for your body to accommodate its new and manufactured way of regulating appetite and blood sugar.
It's also highly invasive. Needles are painful and can cause infection.
More importantly, the long-term results are entirely unknown.
All said, HCG is also a way to outsmart human physiology. So what separates it from Ozempic? First of all, you're already a user of HCG. Not knowingly, but extremely high concentrations of it were coursing through your blood stream for nearly 9 months.
What is HCG?
HCG is a naturally occurring hormone (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) that is activated during pregnancy. It has been shown to help with weight loss by curbing appetite and using stored fat for energy, while preserving muscle mass. It is available without prescription and is relatively inexpensive to purchase. When HCG supplements are teamed up with a special low-calorie diet, known as the HCG diet, the effect is a revved-up metabolism that helps your body burn fat more efficiently.
Comparing the HCG Diet vs Ozempic for Weight Loss
Ozempic and generics like Wegovy and Rybelsus are prescription-only medications. They are administered by injection into the belly on a regular basis. Studies have shown that it may take several months for the weight loss to kick in and the weight often returns after stopping the treatment. Additionally, Ozempic is expensive, often costing thousands of dollars for a 6-month treatment series while HCG drops, pellets and HCG patches range from $50 to $100. Side effects are common with Ozempic, ranging from nausea and vomiting to mild or even dangerous GI disturbances.
It is important to keep in mind that you have already been exposed to massive concentrations of HCG when you were in the womb and also while pregnant. If you've ever taken a pregnancy test, it is the presence of the HCG hormone that indicates a positive test. Your body is well-equipped to recognize and handle the much smaller amounts of HCG that are a part the HCG diet.
How Does HCG Facilitate Healthy Weight Loss?
As a primitive defense mechanism, the human body is programmed to store away calories in the form of fat. Why? To protect the ourselves from famine and long winters. Conditions that no longer affect our survival today.
However, when a woman becomes pregnant, that physiology gets flipped upside down. Her growing baby needs a 24/7 calorie source to grow and mature. That's when HCG levels spike.
HCG is produced by the placenta and acts on a gland in the brain called the hypothalamus, which in turn, regulates the thyroid. The thyroid acts to rally the metabolization of stored fat to provide calories for the growing baby. In the absence of a pregnancy, when you supplement with HCG, these calories are used to sustain you on your HCG diet protocol.
This is why you can reduce your caloric intake to half of your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), because you are consistently being supplied with additional calories from stored fat. Not only is this healthy and targeted weight loss, allowing you to maintain muscle mass while strictly losing from unwanted store fat, it also works to satiate you. So once you achieve ketosis, you are not hungry when on your HCG diet. The ketone calories from your stored fat do not produce an insulin response, thus messaging to your body that you have sufficient calories.
The human body is complex! If you wish to learn more about the physiology of weight loss, more significantly, why some are more pre-disposed to gain weight while others do not, I invite you to check out my book, HCG 2.0 - Don't Starve. Eat Smart. And Lose.
More on the History of the HCG Diet
Dr. Simeons, the medical doctor who originated the HCG Diet over 80 years ago, was NOT a weight loss specialist. He was an infectious disease specialist. He worked in many 3rd world countries and he became astonished with the fact that extremely malnourished women could still give birth to healthy, full-weight babies. In researching this, he found the HCG hormone to be responsible for this phenomenon.
HCG taps into the fat reserves, even in the case of malnourished women, so that the growing fetus can survive and thrive in mum's womb. It's brilliant. Human physiology is resourceful, right?
This is the foundation of the HCG Diet. This is why it's not a fad diet. It's not a trendy diet that will fizzle and fade like the South Beach Diet, or the Duke Diet, Caveman Diet or the Atkins and/or Paleo Diet. It is truly sustainable weight loss. That said, there are concepts of both the Atkins Diet and the Paleo Diet that I've used to improve upon the original HCG Diet and make it worthy of 20th century participation. In fact, eWellness Magazine called HCG 2.0 the best diet you've never heard of.
The HCG Diet Is Also More Affordable than Ozempic - And More Convenient!
HCG is available without prescription. It can be taken orally or through our innovative nasal spray delivery system. It can also be absorbed transdermally via our HCG Patches that are also loaded with additional fat-burning, appetite-suppressing supplements like African Mango, Garcinia Cambogia, Green Tea Extract, and Raspberry Ketones.
HCG is a naturally occurring hormone that the body recognizes and can assimilate easily. HCG supplements from InsideOut Wellness are inexpensive and many dieters experience weight loss right away on the HCG diet. In fact, the most exaggerated weight loss on HCG 2.0 occurs in the first 10 days to two weeks. Why? Credit the loading phase of HCG 2.0. It is an ingenious way to outsmart our human physiology into releasing excess calories from our stored fat.
The HCG diet aims to melt away fat while keeping your muscles intact, so you end up looking toned and fit. Many people report dropping weight fast at the beginning of the HCG diet, giving them a boost of confidence to stick with it.
Compare the Side Effects and/or Risk Factors of HCG vs.Ozempic- a potential dealbreaker?
HCG:
There are no established risk factors and side effects related to the HCG diet.
HCG is often prescribed for fertility-in much larger amounts than the HCG diet provides- because it stimulates FSH (follicle stimulating hormone). However, if you are currently on birth control, take extra precautions.
Ozempic
Gastrointestinal Issues:
Common side effects of Ozempic include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. These symptoms can be bothersome, especially in the initial stages of treatment. While they often improve with time, some individuals may find them persistent.
Risk of Hypoglycemia:
Ozempic is typically used in combination with other diabetes medications, and the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) may increase when it's taken with insulin or sulfonylureas. Individuals on Ozempic should be cautious about maintaining stable blood sugar levels.
Thyroid Tumors:
Studies in rodents have suggested a potential risk of thyroid tumors with long-term use of semaglutide aka Ozempic. However, it's essential to note that the relevance of these findings to humans is not fully understood. Continuous monitoring and further research are necessary to clarify this potential risk.
Pancreatitis:
There have been rare reports of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) associated with the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists, including Ozempic. Individuals should seek medical attention if they experience persistent severe abdominal pain, which could be a sign of pancreatitis.
Allergic Reactions:
Some individuals may experience allergic reactions to Ozempic, leading to symptoms such as itching, rash, or difficulty breathing. Seek immediate medical attention if you observe signs of an allergic reaction.
Injection Site Reactions:
As Ozempic is administered via subcutaneous injection, there may be localized reactions at the injection site, including redness, swelling, or itching.
Kidney Issues:
In some cases, GLP-1 receptor agonists have been associated with renal function decline. Regular monitoring of kidney function is important for individuals taking Ozempic.
If you're on the weight-loss journey and you would like to learn more about effective and affordable alternatives to injections and expensive medications, you’ve come to the right place!
About Dr. Zach LaBoube
I'm currently practicing in Singapore. I am a managing partner with Total Health Chiropractic. Singapore sits right in the middle of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and western diagnostic or allopathic medicine which is also where chiropractic fits in. This makes a very well-received health care option in Singapore.