Getting Rich Is Easy... Start Here

Dear Reader,

If you’re anything like me, COVID turned you into a bit of a health nut.

Granted, I’ve always been interested in diet and nutrition and consider myself an amateur nutritionist, and I really enjoy geeking out about what certain foods and supplements do to the body.

Now if I could just stick to my own advice…

But what really amazed me about the mortality numbers that came out during the pandemic was the co-morbidity.

Being overweight was 100% a risk factor of dying from the disease.

In fact, it increases your chances of "all-cause mortality" — that’s just a fancy term for dying from anything in general.

The good thing about the pandemic was that it kicked off a new health trend.

After all, a healthier populace is a healthier country.

By the way, I truly believe that our health as a nation — mental and physical — is of the utmost importance for our national security.

In ancient Greece, Lycurgus, who became the king of Sparta, believed that to have a successful society, citizens needed to be healthy, disciplined, and physically fit.

It was these elements that would increase a person’s self-control and self-worth.

Unfortunately, humans will always look for a shortcut to the prize.

And when there’s any mention of a health trend, Big Pharma will look for a way to exploit it and profit big-time, disregarding the actual health of the populace.

Enter the realm of designer weight loss drugs.

You’ve probably heard of Ozempic or Wegovy…

Those are brand names for semaglutide, a medication used to treat Type 2 diabetes. Now, semaglutide belongs to a class of drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. These medications work by mimicking the effects of the naturally occurring hormone GLP-1, which helps regulate blood sugar levels.

According to the experts, Ozempic is typically administered by injection, and when used in conjunction with diet and exercise, it can improve blood sugar control in adults with Type 2 diabetes. It can be used either alone or in combination with other diabetes medications.

The primary benefits of Ozempic include lowering blood sugar levels and reducing the risk of cardiovascular events in certain patients with diabetes.

One of the other benefits is that it can promote weight loss.

That is more of a side effect of the drug…

But it lit a fire under the weight loss community, and it was bolstered when celebrities started speaking about it.

Celebrities like Elon Musk, Amy Schumer, and Tracy Morgan have all reportedly used the drug to help shed unwanted pounds.

Musk Tweeted that his secret to looking healthy was “fasting and Wegovy.”

Amy Schumer admitted on a talk show that she tried Ozempic but had to stop taking it because it made her feel “so sick.”

Tracy Morgan hilariously said on the Today show, “I ain’t letting it go… It cuts my appetite in half. Now I only eat half a bag of Doritos.”

But here’s where the problem started… Doctors began pushing the stuff on their patients struggling to lose weight, which led to a shortage in the drug for people with diabetes who really needed it.

The manufacturer of the drug, Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO), didn’t care…

Its share price has skyrocketed from the boost in demand.

In the last five years, the company’s stock is up more than 340%.

But if you just take two seconds to understand how the drug works to combat weight loss, you begin to see that it’s not necessary at all.

You see, like I mentioned above, semaglutide works on the GLP-1 receptor in the central nervous system and brain. When GLP-1 is activated, it leads to a decreased sensation of hunger. The receptor also slows down the emptying of the stomach, which helps to reduce the speed at which food moves through the digestive system. This effect contributes to a feeling of fullness and can help control appetite.

So that’s the gist of it.

Seems like a lot of trouble to go through just to trick your body into thinking it’s full, especially when there are other more effective and proven ways of doing the exact same thing.

For instance, ghrelin is a hormone primarily produced in the stomach and, to a lesser extent, in the small intestine, pancreas, and brain. It plays a crucial role in regulating appetite and energy balance in the body. Ghrelin is often referred to as the "hunger hormone" because its levels typically increase before meals and decrease after meals.

That feeling of hunger is simply the hormone levels increasing in the body. One way to counteract that hormone is to drink a simple shot of apple cider vinegar. This simple trick decreases hunger levels and regulates blood sugar levels — sounds a lot like Ozempic, doesn’t it? 

But there’s no money to be made by Big Pharma in apples…

Also, a diet high in protein will increase satiety — the feeling of being full — after meals.

A lot of the time, when we eat processed food and refined carbs, we keep eating because these foods don’t promote satiety. Things like greek yogurt, chia seeds, nuts, red meat, and fish will leave you feeling full and satisfied for longer.

Not to mention, drugs like Ozempic can reportedly lead to reduced strength and bone density. As we age, our bone density tends to decrease anyway because of a loss of healthy, lean muscle. Adding Ozempic into the mix can likely contribute to osteoporosis and even death…

There’s a lot of good research out there about how everyone, but especially older adults, should be taking creatine in order to sustain and increase muscle mass, which strengthens our bones. Creatine has been studied for hundreds of years as a supplement and is reportedly incredibly safe and can boost muscle and brain function, among other health benefits. 

And if you need more evidence that weight loss drugs aren't the way to go, the FDA warned this year that Ozempic can cause ileus, or a blockage in the intestines, which can cause necrosis.

I don’t know about you, but I’ll take apples over necrosis any day.

At the end of the day, there are no shortcuts; it’s all about the journey.

Same goes for investing.

One way to get a head-start on that investing journey is to sign up for our latest newsletter, the R.I.C.H. Report.

Angel Publishing Founder and President Brian Hicks has come out of retirement because right now he sees a "generational buying opportunity" in the markets.

Get access to his newest stock pick, as well as inspirational content to navigate these trying times, by signing up today.

You can access the report right here.

Stay frosty,

Alexander Boulden
Editor, Wealth Daily

Check us out on YouTube!

After Alexander’s passion for economics and investing drew him to one of the largest financial publishers in the world, where he rubbed elbows with former Chicago Board Options Exchange floor traders, Wall Street hedge fund managers, and International Monetary Fund analysts, he decided to take up the pen and guide others through this new age of investing.

Alexander is the investment director of Insider Stakeout — a weekly investment advisory service dedicated to tracking the smartest money on the planet so that his readers can achieve life-altering, market-beating returns. He also serves at the managing editor for R.I.C.H. Report, a comprehensive service that uses the highest-quality investment research and strategies that guides its members in growing their wealth on top of preserving it.

Check out his editor’s page here.

Want to hear more from Alexander? Sign up to receive emails directly from him ranging from market commentaries to opportunities that he has his eye on.