Your body already makes its own GLP-1, and your gut has a lot to do with it
Everyone is talking about GLP-1s right now. It is in every feed, every headline, it seems to be in every conversation. And I understand why. People are tired, exhausted, inflamed and they want to feel like themselves again.
Here is the part that does not make the headlines.
Your body already makes its own GLP-1. It always has.
What GLP-1 actually is
GLP-1 is a hormone your body produces on its own, mostly in your gut. It is part of the conversation your gut has with you every day. It helps you feel like you have had enough to eat, and it plays a role in steadying your appetite and the way your body handles energy after a meal.
You are not missing this hormone. You make it. The question I find far more interesting is this. What helps your body make it well.
The part your gut plays
This is where it gets good, because so much of that conversation starts with your gut bacteria.
When you eat whole foods with plenty of fibre, you are not just feeding yourself. You are feeding the trillions of bacteria living in your gut. Those bacteria ferment that fibre, and in return they make short chain fatty acids. One of them is called butyrate.
Butyrate is a little powerhouse. It is a source of fuel for the cells lining your gut, and it is part of how your gut sends signals to the rest of your body, including signals tied to appetite and fullness.
So the picture looks something like this. You eat fibre rich whole foods. Your gut bacteria turn that fibre into butyrate and other short chain fatty acids. And those become part of the daily signalling your body uses to feel steady, fed and settled.
The catch is that your bacteria can only do this if you feed them, and if enough of the right ones are there in the first place.
This is not about being against anything
I want to be really clear here, because this topic gets heated and I do not think it needs to.
I am not here to tell anyone what to do with their body or their health decisions. Those are personal, and they belong to you and the people who care for you.
What drives me is something simpler. I do not want food to get left out of the conversation. Food has always been part of how we support our bodies. It was here long before any of this, and it is not going anywhere.
So my invitation is simple. Before you decide food has nothing to offer, come and see what happens when you actually feed your gut well for a while.
Where to start
Start with the two things your gut loves most. Fibre, to feed the bacteria. And live cultures, to bring more of the good ones to the table.
My favourite way to do both at once is kefir overnight oats. Oats bring a specific kind of fibre called beta-glucan, which is beautiful food for your bacteria. Kefir brings the live cultures. You make it the night before, and it is waiting for you in the morning.
Everything you need to make the kefir at home:
Coconut kefir culture starter
Nine hand-selected live strains. One culture makes batch after batch of your own kefir at home.
from $44.80
Shop nowKefir overnight oats
Serves 1. Takes five minutes the night before.
Ingredients
- half a cup of rolled oats
- three quarters of a cup of kefir, made with your own culture
- one tablespoon of chia seeds
- one teaspoon of honey or maple, optional
- a handful of berries
- a small handful of chopped nuts or seeds
Method
- In a jar or bowl, stir together the oats, kefir and chia seeds.
- Add the honey if you are using it, and give it another stir.
- Cover and pop it in the fridge overnight.
- In the morning, top with berries and nuts, and eat.
That is it. Fibre and live cultures, sitting together in one jar, doing the quiet work while you sleep.
Come and learn how to feed your gut, one simple meal at a time.
Join our list for recipes, gut health notes and first access to new blends, straight from me.
More recipes to try next
Gut seal slice, gut care that tastes like a treat 
Sleep tea gummies, for an easy wind-down 
Fermented sour cherry and apple pie 
Strawberry pancake muffins for the lunch box
Food has always been medicine. We just forgot to keep listening.
Kirsty x
This article and the information here are for general wellbeing and education, and are not intended to diagnose, treat or replace individual health advice. If you have specific health concerns, our naturopathic team can support you with a personalised consultation.
