Weight management is rarely a one-size-fits-all solution, and many popular diets fail to consider individual challenges, including age-related hormonal changes. The Galveston Diet has emerged as a trendy approach tailored to perimenopausal and menopausal women seeking to counteract potential weight gain during this hormonally fluctuating time. While it targets a specific demographic, its principles can be beneficial for anyone.
What is the Galveston Diet?
The Galveston Diet was developed by Dr. Mary Claire Haver, an OB/GYN, initially for her patients in 2017 and later online in July 2018. It aims to help perimenopausal and menopausal women lose weight and alleviate hormonal changes like brain fog and hot flashes.
The Three Pillars of the Galveston Diet
The program comprises three key components:
1. Intermittent Fasting with the 16:8 Approach
This involves a 16-hour fasting period followed by an 8-hour eating window. Intermittent fasting, or daily time-restricted feeding, has been part of many religions and ancient traditions for centuries. Western medicine is now paying attention to it, with emerging research showing exciting results. During the fasting window, insulin levels decrease, inducing ketosis, where the body switches from using glucose (sugar from carbohydrates) as the main energy source to using stored fat (ketones) instead, supporting weight loss.
2. Focus on Anti-Inflammatory Foods
The diet emphasizes anti-inflammatory foods while eliminating processed foods and added sugars. This can benefit most people in managing their weight. Green leafy vegetables, salmon, and olive oil are examples of foods that help reduce chronic inflammation, which can lead to an overactive immune system.
Read also: Peri/Menopause Salad Recipe
3. Fuel Refocus: Macronutrient Tracking
This involves tracking proteins, fats, and carbohydrates with a recommended ratio for eliminating fat. The diet focuses on higher fats and proteins and a lower net carb ratio, without aiming for ketosis like the Keto diet. Trackers like Cronometer can help calculate the best macro ratio.
What to Eat on the Galveston Diet
The Galveston Diet focuses on anti-inflammatory foods. Chronic inflammation is often an underlying factor in many diseases. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates are encouraged. It is equally important to eliminate inflammatory foods like processed meats and refined flours.
The program emphasizes eating more proteins and healthy fats while reducing carbs, but it does not aim for true ketosis like the Keto diet. It allows for some luxuries, including a small pour of daily half and half, cheese, and grass-fed beef.
Meal prep is encouraged to ensure healthy food choices are readily available, a common tactic in various diets. Drinking 10-12 glasses of water daily is also recommended, as dehydration can intensify menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.
Foods to Enjoy:
- Healthy Fats: Olive oil, avocados, nuts, flax seeds
- Lean Proteins: Salmon, chicken, eggs
- In-season Fruit: Berries
- Reduced-fat Dairy: Greek yogurt, cottage cheese
- Vegetables: Leafy greens, eggplants, squash
- Legumes: Beans, lentils
Foods to Limit or Avoid:
- Processed and fried foods
- Processed meats with nitrates and nitrites
- Artificial ingredients, food coloring, or flavoring
- Foods with added sugar or high fructose corn syrup
- Refined flour or grains
- Processed oils (canola, vegetable)
Understanding Net Carbs
Lower net carbs generally come from foods higher in fiber. For example, if a bread has 20g of total carbohydrate but 7g of fiber, the 'net carb' is 13 grams. Higher fiber foods can be more satisfying, leading to reduced calorie intake.
Read also: Galveston Diet: A comprehensive review
Can You Drink Wine on the Galveston Diet?
Alcohol is not recommended for optimal results, but red wine is the best choice if consumed. Limit intake to no more than two beverages per day, ending at least one hour before bed. Red wine, associated with Mediterranean-style diets, has a better-for-you health halo due to its potential to mitigate heart-disease risk and inflammation-fighting polyphenols.
Dairy on the Galveston Diet
Dairy is allowed in small amounts. Half and half, certain cheeses, and full-fat Greek yogurt are permitted, focusing on dairy products that are unprocessed and sugar-free. Participants track their macros to enjoy staples like cheese and half and half while monitoring carbohydrate intake. Cottage cheese is a good source of protein, adding up to 20g in half a cup.
Is the Galveston Diet Healthy?
While it's best to discuss this diet with a healthcare provider, the low-carb approach is generally safe. The diet focuses on incorporating anti-inflammatory whole foods, fiber, healthy fats, legumes, lean proteins, and whole grains while minimizing added sugar and processed foods, which is known to improve overall health and aid in weight management.
The Galveston Diet vs. the Keto Diet
The Galveston Diet and the keto diet share similarities. The Galveston Diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet, where about 70% of calories come from fat, 20% from protein, and nine percent from carbs. This is the low-carbohydrate phase of the diet, with the duration varying for each person based on weight loss goals.
The Galveston Diet differs from keto in that it specifies the types of fat to consume, including healthy fats (olive oil, nuts, seeds) and excluding inflammatory ones (butter and red meat). The Galveston Diet may be a healthier option because it recognizes that the quality of the food matters just as much as the quantity of macronutrients.
Read also: Galveston Diet Approved Lunch Options
Sample Meal Plan
Here is a six-day meal plan:
- Day 1
- Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with veggies and berries
- Lunch: Grilled chicken breast over mixed greens and avocado
- Dinner: Shrimp with zucchini noodles
- Snacks: Cashews and strawberries
- Day 2
- Breakfast: Greek yogurt bowl with berries, almond butter, and chia seeds
- Lunch: Portobello mushrooms filled with ground beef
- Dinner: Spaghetti squash with ground beef and veggie marinara sauce
- Snacks: Hummus with celery
- Day 3
- Breakfast: Blueberry smoothie with collagen and spinach leaves
- Lunch: Beef burger without the bun, served over grilled veggies
- Dinner: Roasted salmon with asparagus and cauliflower rice
- Snacks: Cheese slices and sugar snap peas
- Day 4
- Breakfast: Plain Greek yogurt with chia seeds, walnuts, and raspberries
- Lunch: Salad with spinach, grilled chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, vinegar, and olive oil
- Dinner: Baked salmon with roasted asparagus
- Snack: Hard-boiled eggs with everything-but-the-bagel seasoning
- Day 5
- Breakfast: Veggie omelet cooked in avocado oil with a side of berries
- Lunch: Bell peppers baked with lean ground turkey, and zucchini topped with diced avocado
- Dinner: Spaghetti squash with lean ground turkey and crushed tomatoes
- Snack: Baby carrots dipped in Greek yogurt-based tzatziki
- Day 6
- Breakfast: Chia seed pudding with crushed almonds and blueberries
- Lunch: Salad with spring mix, grilled shrimp, red onions, avocado, and olive oil drizzle
- Dinner: Cauliflower rice taco bowl with lean ground beef, peppers, and guacamole
- Snack: Celery sticks with almond butter
Pros and Cons of the Galveston Diet
Pros:
- No calorie counting required
- Focus on healthy eating and exercise habits
- May prevent late-night eating
- Can be adapted for plant-based eaters
Cons:
- Limited clinical trials or research
- Intermittent fasting may not be suitable for everyone
The Galveston Diet: A 7-Day Plan for Resetting Metabolism
The Galveston Diet combines anti-inflammatory foods, strategic intermittent fasting, and hormone-conscious macros to reduce inflammation, stabilize blood sugar, and support natural fat burning.
What to Eat and What to Limit
Emphasize these foods:
- Wild-caught fatty fish
- Grass-fed meats
- Organic eggs
- Leafy greens
- Cruciferous vegetables
- Berries
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Olive oil
- Avocados
- Fermented foods
Limit these foods:
- Refined carbohydrates
- Added sugars
- Processed foods
- Vegetable oils high in omega-6 fats
- Gluten-containing grains
- Alcohol
Maximizing Results
- Fasting Window: Start gradually, extending your natural overnight fast by 1-2 hours each day until you reach 16 hours.
- Hydration, Sleep, and Stress: Drink half your body weight in ounces of water, prioritize quality sleep, and incorporate stress-reduction techniques.
- Meal Prep: Dedicate 2-3 hours weekly to preparing proteins, washing vegetables, and portioning healthy fats.
- Supplement Support: Consider omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, magnesium, and probiotics.
Adjusting the Plan to Fit Your Hormonal Stage
- During Perimenopause: Focus on stabilizing blood sugar, increase healthy fat intake, and consume magnesium-rich foods.
- After Menopause: Limit carbohydrates, emphasize protein intake, and eat more bone-supporting nutrients.
- If You Have PCOS or Hypothyroidism: Include spearmint tea and cinnamon, and eat inositol-rich foods.
Potential Health Benefits
- Weight Loss: Multiple studies have shown that intermittent fasting and low carb dieting, components of the Galveston diet, are effective for weight loss.
- May Fight Inflammation: Intermittent fasting reduces inflammatory markers, and low carb diets may help reduce inflammation and combat inflammatory conditions.
- May Reduce Disease Risk: Intermittent fasting and low carb diets have been shown to protect against various lifestyle illnesses.
- May Promote Healthy Blood Sugar Management: Studies have shown improved blood sugar management with very low carb keto diets.
Potential Drawbacks
- Potentially Low in Fiber: Very low carb diets tend to be low in dietary fiber.
- Restrictive Nature: People who find extremely low carb diets restrictive may be unable to follow the Galveston diet long term.
Galveston Diet Macros
On the Galveston Diet, youâll consume more fat than is generally recommended by nutrition organizations. However, fat quality is important, specifically in terms of the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. While the typical American diet reflects a ratio of closer to 20:1, in this macro diet for menopause, you are encouraged to get as close to a 1:1 ratio as possible. Youâll also decrease your intake of carbs significantly and consume a moderate intake of protein each day.
When you start the Galveston diet, youâll consume about 70% of your daily calories from healthy fat, 20% from lean protein, and about 10% from nutrient-rich carbs. As a basis for comparison, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommends getting 20-35% of your calories from fat, 45-65% of your calories from carbohydrates, and 10%-35% of your calories from protein.
With the higher fat intake, the Galveston Diet macro balance is similar to the ratio for a ketogenic diet. But the goal of the Galveston Diet is not to get into ketosis. The higher fat and lower carb intake is designed to help you cleanse your palate and get rid of cravings for sugary, processed foods while also prioritizing fat-burning in the body.