Behind the beauty of public figures lies a personalized regimen. [Their Health Aesthetics] looks at the diets, exercise routines, treatments, beauty and fashion of talked-about figures as everyday lifestyle information.

(Newsis)
(Newsis)

Actor Ki Eun-se, 43, has revealed a homemade morning juice they drink to manage weight gained after a trip. The drink is made by blending banana, avocado, blueberries and almonds together. Ki called it a "natural Mounjaro," but the juice does not actually produce the same effects as the obesity treatment drug of the same name.

In a video posted Sept. 3 on their YouTube channel "Ki Eun-se's House," Ki said, "I think I gained about 2 kilograms after coming back from a trip. I'm going to start dieting today." They then said, "I'm going to make a natural Mounjaro," and blended banana, avocado, blueberries, almonds, low-fat milk and allulose together.

After drinking the finished juice, Ki recommended it as a simple breakfast, saying, "It's perfect to blend and drink on a busy morning commute."

Blending fruit with nuts boosts fullness -- but too much makes a high-calorie drink

Each ingredient Ki used contains nutrients that can be useful in a weight-management diet.

Banana provides carbohydrates, dietary fiber and potassium, while blueberries are relatively low in calories and contain antioxidants such as anthocyanins. Avocado and almonds are rich in unsaturated fat and fiber. Almonds in particular contain protein as well as fat, which can help sustain fullness longer than eating fruit alone.

Research has also examined how nuts affect satiety. A research team at the University of California, Los Angeles gave 95 overweight or obese adults either mixed nuts or pretzels as a snack and tracked their weight changes.

Participants went through a 12-week weight-loss program followed by a 12-week weight-maintenance program. Both groups lost weight, with no significant difference in the amount lost. However, after 24 weeks, the group that ate nuts reported greater fullness than before the study began.

Adding low-fat milk provides both protein and calcium. Using allulose instead of sugar helps maintain sweetness while lowering the calorie load. If using almond milk instead of dairy milk, it is best to check whether the product is unsweetened, since sugar content varies widely by brand.

However, just because these are healthy ingredients does not mean they can be added without limit. Using several bananas can raise sugar content and overall calories. Because avocado and almonds are also nutrient-dense, adding too much can push the calorie count of a single drink higher than expected.

A smoothie made by blending whole fruit, unlike juice that extracts only the liquid, has the advantage of retaining a substantial amount of dietary fiber. But because a blended drink can be consumed faster than food eaten by chewing, it is better for weight management to decide the portions of banana, avocado and nuts in advance.

'Natural Mounjaro' is just a figure of speech -- it works differently from obesity drugs

The term "natural Mounjaro" that Ki used is closer to a playful nickname for a homemade health juice. It does not mean the drink actually works the same way as the obesity treatment drug Mounjaro.

Tirzepatide, the main ingredient in Mounjaro, is a drug that acts on GIP and GLP-1 receptors. It helps reduce weight through several mechanisms, including curbing appetite and food intake and slowing the rate at which food leaves the stomach.

By contrast, the fiber in fruit and the fat and protein in almonds and avocado can help control portion size by slowing digestion and sustaining fullness. This may sound similar in that both can result in "feeling less hungry," but it is an entirely different concept from the physiological action of a pharmaceutical drug.

Ki Eun-se: 'Low-carb, high-fat is my 10-year body secret' -- but what about the long term?

Ki has previously cited a low-carb, high-fat diet as the eating method they have long maintained. On the ENA program "X the League," aired Aug. 2, Ki said, "The secret to keeping my body the same for 10 years is exactly low-carb, high-fat."

A low-carb, high-fat diet cuts carbohydrate intake while raising the proportion of fat. When carbohydrate intake drops sharply, stored glycogen in the body is used up along with the water stored alongside it, which can cause relatively fast initial weight loss. Fat and protein can also help reduce overall intake by sustaining fullness for longer.

However, when it comes to long-term weight-loss effects alone, it is difficult to say a low-carbohydrate diet is necessarily superior to a low-fat diet.

A Stanford University research team divided 609 overweight or obese adults into a healthy low-carbohydrate diet group and a healthy low-fat diet group. The team then compared their weight changes over one year. Average weight fell by 6.0 kilograms and 5.3 kilograms, respectively, but the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant.

In weight management, choosing what kind of food to eat matters as much as simply cutting carbohydrates or fat. For fat, it is better to focus on unsaturated fat found in nuts, olive oil and fatty fish rather than the saturated fat common in butter and processed meat.

There is also no need to cut out carbohydrates entirely. Reducing sugar and refined grains while eating an appropriate amount of whole grains, legumes and vegetables can help prevent shortfalls in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Ultimately, what determines the success of a diet is not the name of a particular eating method. It is the amount and quality of food a person can sustain over the long term.


rainbow@heraldcorp.com