How has the whole “eat less, move more” mantra for weight loss been working for you? Many people, menopausal women among them, find that something is lacking with that technique.
In response, OB-GYN Dr. Mary Claire Haver developed a different diet plan aimed at middle-aged women. What is her Galveston diet, as it is called, and can it work for you? Let’s find out.
Diet and Hormones
Female hormones can go a little crazy around menopause time and one of the unfortunate side effects is stubborn abdominal weight gain. Aside from the obvious cosmetic downside, abdominal weight gain also leads to a higher risk of diseases like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other unpleasant illnesses.
Dr. Haver reasoned that hormones have a hand in causing this weight gain. Thus, it’s reasonable to assume that hormones need to be part of the solution as well.
Putting Hormones to Work
Instead of just relying on the basic “calories in, calories out” equation, Dr. Haver developed the Galveston diet to also affect the body’s hormones. In essence, she wants to put them to work for you instead of against you.
The diet focuses on three main points that are supposed to cause this phenomenon.
1. Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition
Inflammation isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Acute inflammation is part of the body’s normal immune response for fighting infections and promoting healing.
However, chronic inflammation is a contributing factor in several illnesses that are major killers in our society. These include:
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Obesity
- Cancer
- Respiratory illnesses
The Galveston diet focuses on not only eating foods that don’t cause inflammation but also actively choosing foods that fight inflammation. These include many types of fruits and vegetables.
2. Intermittent Fasting
The second component is 16/8 intermittent fasting. This means you can eat for 8 hours of the day and must fast for the other 16.
This schedule not only tends to lower the number of calories consumed but also reduces inflammation and protects against heart disease.
3. Fuel Refocus
The final component is called fuel refocus. Dieters are to refocus from the typical American high-carb diet and get most of their calories from fat. The general balance is 70% fats, 20% protein, and 10% carbs.
The Galveston Diet and Health
The Galveston diet hasn’t been extensively studied. However, there are proven benefits for intermittent fasting and a low carb diet does seem to help many people lose weight.
As always, before starting a new diet, we recommend chatting with your doctor to ensure the best diet for your health.
