The Biology of Hunger: Our Natural GLP-1 and the Story Behind CaloCurb with CEO Sarah Kennedy

Why is it so hard to simply “eat less”? According to Sarah Kennedy, founder and CEO of CaloCurb, the answer has a lot to do with biology. In this episode, Staci & Missy interview Ms. Kennedy to explore the fascinating science of hunger, satiety, and the gut-brain connection—and how our bodies may actually fight back when we cut calories. Sarah shares the story behind CaloCurb, a natural appetite-management supplement that grew out of millions of dollars of New Zealand government-funded research into plant compounds and appetite regulation. We dig into the discovery of bitter taste receptors throughout the digestive tract and how stimulating them can trigger our own natural satiety hormones, including GLP-1, CCK, and PYY. Sarah explains how CaloCurb’s hop-derived ingredient, Amarasate, is designed to work with these pathways and how its approach differs from pharmaceutical GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy. We also talk about food noise, cravings, stress eating, hormones, intermittent fasting, protein as we age, and why our ancient biology isn’t necessarily well suited to a modern world where food is everywhere. It’s a fascinating look at why hunger isn’t simply about willpower—and how understanding our biology may help us work *with* our bodies rather than constantly fighting against them. Send us Fan Mail