GLP-1 Nutrition Support Package
The GLP-1 Nutrition Support Package is designed to help those taking a GLP-1 medication, such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, or a generic semaglutide, who want to maintain their lean body mass and bone mass and ensure adequate nutrient intake.
This structured program supports changing food choices, the development and maintenance of healthy eating habits, and helps you plan for the eventual discontinuation of GLP-1 medication.
What Services Are Included in the GLP-1 Nutrition Support Package?
The GLP-1 Nutrition Support Package follows our 4-stage Integrated Nutritional Framework.
1. ASSESS: Comprehensive Clinical Assessment
2. DESIGN: Individual Meal Plan
3. TEACH: In-depth Nutrition Education Session
4. SUPPORT: Professional Support for sustainable results
Add-on nutrition education is available for GERD/acid reflux, gout, migraines, kidney stones (oxalate & uric acid), and reducing the risk of hemorrhoids.
What is the Structure of Services in the GLP-1 Nutrition Support Package?
The GLP-1 Nutrition Support Package is made up of four separate services to ASSESS your needs, DESIGN your Individual Meal Plan, TEACH you your Meal Plan, and provide professional SUPPORT for sustainable results, broken down as follows;
1. In-depth Clinical Assessment: The first service in the package is an in-depth clinical assessment, which is broken into two parts:
a. The first part of the assessment includes a review of personal and family medical history, recent lab results, current medications and nutritional supplements, as well as your waist and hip measurements (10 minutes). Once the assessment visit is confirmed, we will send you the link to the Personal and Family Medical History Form to complete and return to us before the first visit.
b. The second part of the assessment is a comprehensive dietary and lifestyle review, where I will collect detailed information, including what you like to eat and when, food likes and dislikes, religious, cultural, or ethical dietary restrictions, and other factors that impact your health and weight, such as sleep habits and activity level (50 minutes).
2. Design of Individual Meal Plan: The second service in the package is the design of your individual Meal Plan, which will take the guesswork out of what, when, and how much to eat to ensure adequate dietary intake, bone density, and muscle mass. Your Meal Plan will take into consideration the information collected during the assessment, including other medications you may be taking, risk factors you may have, lab test results, food preferences, and food restrictions, if any.
Your Meal Plan will serve as a nutrition and lifestyle roadmap to bridge the gap between your health goals and an achievable, sustainable lifestyle. This is not a rigid menu; rather, it is a personalized framework designed to guide your food choices while allowing flexibility and variety.
A detailed, multi-page Meal Plan Summary handout will be prepared to accompany your Meal Plan, summarizing the content of what you will be taught during the upcoming Nutritional Education Session. This Summary will also serve as a reference for you as you implement your Meal Plan.
The turnaround time for completing your Meal Plan will be approximately 2 weeks from the time I receive any requested or missing information, such as any nutrition labels or pending lab test results.
3. Nutrition Education Session: The third service in the package is the Nutrition Education Session, which begins with you receiving your Meal Plan, as well as the detailed, multi-page Meal Plan Summary handout.
The visit will begin with a review of any existing risk factors, including weight, waist circumference, or out-of-range lab test results. It will be followed by step-by-step teaching of your Meal Plan, including food categories, serving sizes, number of portions, and how to make substitutions within each food category at each meal.
You will also be provided with specific dietary and lifestyle recommendations to help you achieve the goals that you set. Unless time doesn’t permit, the session will conclude with an opportunity to ask questions to clarify what you were taught.
4. Follow-up Visits: The fourth service in the package is follow-up, and you have two choices.
- Two half-hour follow-up appointments: each visit is for reviewing weight and waist circumference and answering questions about implementing the Meal Plan.
- A combined one-hour follow-up appointment: the first half hour is for reviewing progress, and the second half hour is used to adjust your Meal Plan based on requested changes or revised measurements.
How Much Does the GLP-1 Nutrition Support Package Cost?
The cost of the GLP-1 Nutrition Support Package is $510 (GST exempt), and to make submitting to extended benefits easy, receipts are broken down into the four individual services:
- Comprehensive Clinical Assessment ($150)
- Individual Meal Plan design ($120)
- In-depth Nutritional Education Session teaching ($120)
- Follow-up visits ($120)
What Happens Once I’m Booked?
Once your assessment visit is booked, your care will follow the four-stage Integrated Nutritional Framework outlined above.
ASSESS: We’ll send you a link to the Personal and Family Medical History Form to complete and return before your first appointment. If you prefer, we can email you a password-protected form to complete manually. We’ll then meet for your comprehensive dietary and lifestyle assessment.
DESIGN: Based on your assessment, your individualized Meal Plan will be developed.
TEACH: We’ll then meet for your Nutrition Education Session, where you’ll learn how to put your Meal Plan into practice.
SUPPORT: You’ll be able to book your follow-up appointments.
How Do I Get Started with the GLP-1 Nutrition Support Package?
The first step is to visit our Book an Appointment tab by clicking the button below. There you will have the choice to either complete the Intake and Service Option Form online and send it to us directly from our web page, or to download the form, complete it on your computer, and email it back to us.
Have questions before booking? Visit the FAQ page for answers to common questions about how soon you can get started, extended benefits, and billing. If you still have questions, you can contact us through the form at the bottom of the FAQ page.
Want to dive into the research?
Before we meet, you might find these articles of interest.
- Generic GLP-1s Have Arrived: What to Know Before Starting
- A Choice: Living With Diabetes, Seeking Remission From Diabetes
- Stages of Change and Why Most People Regain Weight Loss
Questions and Answers
Q: Do GLP-1 medications speed up natural bone turnover and lower bone mineral density?
A: Yes, clinical trials have found that semaglutide (the GLP-1 in the generic medications in Canada) significantly increases a biological marker of bone resorption, indicating bones are being broken down and that there is significantly lower Bone Mineral Density (BMD) at the lumbar spine, total hip, and tibia, which escalates the long-term risk for osteoporosis and fractures.
Q: How does appetite suppression on a GLP-1 medication result in nutrient deficiencies?
A: GLP-1 medications significantly delay stomach emptying, which causes a decrease in daily calorie intake by 16% to 39%. This drop in energy intake is accompanied by a significant decline in both macro- and micronutrient intake, commonly seen in depleted or inadequate nutrient levels of retinol, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, iron, zinc, folate, calcium, and magnesium after months on the medication.
Q: What are the current clinical protein intake recommendations for individuals taking weight-loss medications?
A: While taking GLP-1 medications, dietary intake of protein of 1.25 to 1.5 times the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is recommended, with a structured protein distribution of 25 to 30 grams of protein per meal, and at least 2-5 grams of leucine per day to preserve skeletal muscle mass.
Get Dietary Support on a GLP-1
I can help you minimize muscle and bone loss while ensuring you are taking in sufficient nutrients while taking a GLP-1 medication.
