Foods to Avoid While on Saxenda

Last updated: 02-09-2024

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If one wants to use Saxenda UK for losing weight, then it’s essential to eat right foods that can complement the drug. Saxenda is categorized among the GLP-1 receptor agonists which work by reducing appetite in addition to slowing food digestion.

But as with anything else, there are exceptions and consuming some foods can make it work less efficiently or cause more severe reactions. Therefore, in an effort to ensure that you get the best result out of your Saxenda taking experience and your overall weight loss endeavor, we have come up with a guide as to what you should not eat while on this drug.

What is Saxenda?

Saxenda is an anti-obesity drug, which helps in weight control for the long-term basis with approval of the FDA to be prescribed for those patients who are 12 years old or older. Its active substance is liraglutide, a once-weekly GLP-1 analogue, a peptide that helps in controlling eating behavior by suppressing meals and appetite and prolonging the gastric-emptying time.

Saxenda belongs to a class of drugs that help to control the appetite by way of attaching to GLP-1 receptors in the brain to decrease hunger and improve satiety which in turn results in loss of weight due to reduced calorie consumption. Saxenda has been found to cause major weight loss when taking combined with proper diet and exercise by clinical trials.

Dosing instructions and injection sites

Self-injected at the dose of 0.5 ml once a day using a prefilled Pen.
Injection sites include the thigh, the upper arm or the abdomen.
Possible to use before or after meal of during the day without any health risks.
It is recommended that dosage is gradually built up weekly so that possible side effects may be reduced.

Precautions and side effects

Common side effects: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain.
It is recommended to Consult a healthcare provider before begin with, especially for patients with other diseases or taking other medicines.

What to eat when taking Saxenda?

It is worth to note that diet is compulsory for the weight loss process that is associated with Saxenda. This refers to the process of taking many food products which contain nutrients that are essential in the body.

Balanced nutrition

A good nutrition regimen when using Saxenda should have:

Fruits and vegetables: Among the nutrients they offer are vitamins, minerals, and fibres that help in boosting up your immunity and they also can help you through out the day without taking more snacks.
Whole grains: Carbohydrates such as quinoa, brown rice or wholemeal bread should be taken more often than other foods because although during processing most of the nutrients are lost, they provide a steady and constant energy source.
Lean proteins: These are crucial in muscle repair and boosting of the immune system; therefore foods that should be included in this category include Salmon, chicken breast without skin and egg white.
Healthy fats: These should be sources of monounsaturated fats, which may consist of inclusion of avocados; nuts inclusive of almonds, cashews or pistachios among others.
Dairy products and fermented foods: Some examples include milk which contains calcium important in formation of strong bones and also good bacteria required in the small intestine.

Calorie management

Since Saxenda is useful in the management of hunger, one has to choose foods that help in making one feel full. The high fiber foods including fruits, vegetables and whole grains helps in slow digestion thus avoiding over eating due to boredom as the energy levels are permanently high.

Example meal plan

Breakfast: Eating natural food means combining natural foods in their natural form and no preparation such as; Greek yoghurt with berries and chia seeds.
Lunch: Non-seasoned grilled chicken served with mixed lettuce leaves, sliced cherry tomatoes, and cucumber slices complemented with a standard vinaigrette.
Dinner: Grilled or baked salmon accompanied with cooked quinoa and broccoli florets.
Snacks: An apple cut into thin rounds served with almond butter; carrots cut into sticks served with hummus.

Foods to avoid when taking Saxenda

Although there are no specific foods that you need to stay away from completely while taking Saxenda, certain kinds of food can interfere with your weight loss or make side effects worse. Here is a list of some foods you may want to limit or avoid:

High-sugar foods and drinks

Suggested sweets, cakes, carbonated soft drinks and sweet fruit juices as they contain a lot of added sugars that can lead to the rapid increase in blood sugar level that negates any possible Saxenda benefit. These types of food are also rich in energy giving substances hence can contribute to weight addition.

Fried and fatty foods

Fatty-fried foods like chips or pizza and fast foods comprised of red meats, which are rich in saturated fats, take longer time to be broken down in the stomach hence lead to uneasiness in the GI system including feeling sick (nausea) and difficulty in digestion (indigestion). Further, these meals increase the possibility of developing heartburn or acid reflux which are the side effects that are likely to occur in patients taking Saxenda.

Alcohol

It is not necessary to eliminate alcohol but it is advised to minimize it because it decreases blood sugar when combined with Saxenda increasing the risk of hypoglycemia. Consuming a lot of alcohol can also lead to overeating and this leads to over weight persons developing.

Artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols

Sucrallse, saccharin, erytrihol and other artificial sweeteners as well as sugar alcohols disrupt the gut bacteria leading to gastro intestinal complaints. Hence it is advisable to use them as little as possible or even not use them at all.

High-sodium foods

Some fast foods such us soups, snacks with high salt content or even processed deli meats are known to cause bloating apart from the digestion related complications. Same it has been indicated that a client who acknowledges to taking a lot of salt in his or her diet is likely to suffer from hypertension not to mention other related ailments.

Conclusion

In order to get the maximum benefits from the use of Saxenda and at the same time minimize the consequences, it is necessary to eat consciously. In this way, it can support your general wellbeing in addition to assisting your weight loss attempts by consuming fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, lean protein & healthy fats.

When on Saxenda consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian for individualised advice and counselling as outlined above.

References