Our Verdict
Many popular diet plans are designed for specific conditions and populations, including athletes, pregnant people and people with diabetes or heart disease. One such program, the Galveston Diet, is designed specifically for those in perimenopause or menopause who may be experiencing symptoms including sleep problems, weight gain and hot flashes associated with an aging reproductive system.
The Galveston Diet focuses on intermittent fasting and takes an anti-inflammatory approach to nutrition, which some research suggests can be effective for aiding in weight loss and overall health. However, the effectiveness of the Galveston Diet itself has not been studied. The plan can be expensive and difficult to sustain in the long term, although there’s a robust online community of members and coaches available for ongoing support.
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Key Features
- The program is designed to diminish unwanted symptoms of hormone fluctuations often experienced during perimenopause and menopause with anti-inflammatory foods, a restricted eating window and an educational curriculum.
- The diet prioritizes lean proteins and minimizes processed carbohydrates, with an emphasis on consumption of healthy fats. Daily intermittent fasting, with a recommendation of an eight-hour eating window and a 16-hour fast, is another important aspect of the program.
- There are three pricing options that include meal plans, educational videos and curriculum access.
The Galveston Diet was founded in 2017 by Mary Clare Haver, M.D., a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist who noticed that many of her menopausal patients struggled with stubborn weight gain. After years of recommending exercise and calorie restriction to her patients, it wasn’t until Dr. Haver experienced her own challenges with midlife weight gain that she realized her own advice didn’t work. She then decided to develop a medical nutrition program designed to help middle-aged women lose weight, taking an anti-inflammatory approach to nutrition.
The program is joined through the website where, depending on the membership level selected, there is access to its full online offerings, including a video library, downloadable meal plans and educational materials and group coaching sessions.
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The Galveston Diet at a Glance
- How it works: The Galveston Diet is a nutrition program that combines a diet of whole foods (similar to the Mediterranean diet) with time-restricted intermittent fasting. The value of the program resides in its coaching, education and community support elements.
- The cost: The program itself isn’t free, and the quality whole foods required, including lean meats, fresh produce and healthy fats, can make for an expensive grocery list.
- Scientific support: The program itself isn’t scientifically proven to reduce symptoms associated with menopause or help participants lose menopause-related weight, but it’s supported by scientific research that shows the components of the program, including a focus on anti-inflammatory foods and intermittent fasting, can contribute to weight loss.
How It Works
When signing up for the Galveston Diet via its website, there are three plans to choose from, each at a different price point. The one-time payment plans include the Galveston Diet curriculum, educational materials for finding hormone balance, fighting inflammation and weight gain, 13 weeks of meal plans and other digital tools. The monthly payment plan is ongoing and includes the same offerings as the other plans, plus coaching services.
The Galveston Diet focuses on the following three components.
Intermittent Fasting
Dr. Haver recommends a daily 16:8 intermittent fasting schedule, which means that a person fasts for 16 hours every day, and only eats during the eight-hour eating window. According to Dr. Harver, there are many benefits of fasting, especially when used long term, including significant weight loss, a boost to metabolism, enhanced mental clarity, increased energy, reduced insulin resistance (which in turn decreases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes) and decreased inflammation in the body.
While the Galveston Diet has not been studied specifically, Dr. Haver’s intermittent fasting recommendation for weight loss may have some scientific merit—emerging evidence shows the benefits of intermittent fasting for weight loss, cardiovascular health and improving physiological biomarkers of metabolic health[1]Malinowski B, Zalewska K, Węsierska A, et al. Intermittent Fasting in Cardiovascular Disorders-An Overview. Nutrients. 2019;11(3):673. .
An Anti-Inflammatory Approach to Nutrition
The program discourages processed, inflammatory foods and encourages those naturally packed with antioxidants. Chronic systemic inflammation is a key player in both midlife weight gain and many chronic diseases—according to Dr. Haver—who claims you can control, and even reverse, inflammation by utilizing these five tips:
Load up on anti-inflammatory foods including blueberries, apples, leafy greens, cold-water fish such as salmon and tuna, tofu, walnuts, flax seeds and chia seeds.
Reduce or eliminate inflammatory foods, including processed meats and trans fats, such as margarine, corn oil, high fructose corn syrup, deep-fried foods, artificial colors, artificial flavors and most processed foods. Limit or avoid simple carbohydrates, such as white flour, white rice, refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup.
Participate in at least 25 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times per week, plus 10 to 25 minutes of weight or resistance training four to five times per week.
Improve gut health by incorporating fermented foods such as tofu, sauerkraut, kombucha, miso or kimchi.
Manage stress by using meditation, yoga, biofeedback, guided imagery, journaling, exercise or other methods throughout the day.
Research suggests Dr. Haver’s focus on reducing inflammation through diet and lifestyle modifications can have major health benefits and reduce the risk of chronic disease. Chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases and respiratory diseases can be induced by chronic inflammation caused by infections, obesity, alcohol, tobacco and diet[2]Kunnumakkara AB, Sailo BL,, Banik K. et al. Chronic diseases, inflammation, and spices: how are they linked?. J Transl Med. 2018. .
A diet that is high in complex carbohydrates and unsaturated fats supports anti-inflammatory bacteria in the gut, research shows, while less healthy fats and simple carbohydrates fuel pro-inflammatory bacteria[3]Bennett JM, Reeves G, Billman GE, Sturmberg JP. Inflammation-Nature's Way to Efficiently Respond to All Types of Challenges: Implications for Understanding and Managing "the Epidemic" of Chronic Diseases. Front Med (Lausanne). 2018;5:316. . Following diets like the Mediterranean diet has been shown to reduce inflammation and lower the risk of metabolic diseases[4]Ahluwalia N, Andreeva VA, Kesse-Guyot E, Hercberg S. Dietary patterns, inflammation and the metabolic syndrome. Diabetes Metab. 2013;39(2):99-110. .
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“Fuel Refocusing”
Fuel refocusing refers to a shift in thinking from historic calorie-restrictive dietary practices to a deeper understanding of macronutrients and how they fuel the body. Dr. Haver explains that the body prefers to use carbohydrates for fuel, but it will burn fat instead if the body is fueled by healthy fats, protein and good carbohydrate choices. This phase consists of educating clients by explaining the science behind food and how it is processed for energy. Dr. Haver also puts her clients through “hormone bootcamp,” a deep dive into the science of hormones and how they affect the body, specifically as drivers of hunger and fat storage.
The Cost
There are three pricing options for participation in the nutrition program, including two, one-time purchase plans for $59 or $99 and a monthly membership for $49 that includes live group coaching. All plans include meal plans, shopping lists, a “hormone intensive” workshop and educational videos.
| Original Program $59, one-time fee | Program + $99, one time fee | Platinum Coaching $49 per month |
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What Experts Say
As with any new diet, it’s always best to consult your health care provider before starting the Galveston plan.
“Not everyone should try intermittent fasting, like women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, those taking diabetes medications or multiple medications and those with a history of eating disorders,” says registered dietitian Shannon Helfert, director of nutrition and wellness at Morrison Living in Washington, D.C.
Helfert is a big supporter of anti-inflammatory food choices, explaining that fruits, vegetables, legumes, lean proteins, fatty fish, nuts and seeds and unsweetened dark chocolate are often packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. Some studies show an association between a reduction in hot flashes and an improvement in energy with nutrition plans high in anti-inflammatory foods, she adds.
The Galveston Diet Experience
Because I’m familiar with programs that encourage whole food eating and intermittent fasting, I expected the Galveston Diet to be rather easy to follow. I was surprised, however, by the intensity of the free five-day meal plan.
The plan includes 10 recipes for meals and 10 recipes for snacks, each requiring an extensive ingredient list (which resulted in a $250 grocery store bill) and preparation time. I was particularly challenged by the expectation that I’d have to both prepare and eat these meals and snacks within an eight-hour window in order to abide by the intermittent fasting recommendation, which I found nearly impossible to pull off with a full-time day job.
By day three, I had to simplify the recipes down to their basic ingredients and resort to several “kitchen sink” omelets and salads in order to make timely use of my fresh ingredients. It seems to me that if you’re trying to encourage busy, middle-aged women to follow a meal plan that’s both doable and sustainable, simple “on-the-go” recipes and a shorter ingredient list would be imperatives for success.
Dr. Haver is an excellent motivational speaker and educator, and her passion for helping women find nutritional and lifestyle solutions to counter the negative effects of menopause is inspiring. The validation of common hormonal symptoms and commiseration with weight gain challenges, especially from a physician with similar struggles, is likely a rare and comforting experience for many women.
According to testimonials on the Galveston Diet website, the online community brings a support system to women who need accountability and validation. “This program and group is the first time I felt heard about my body in a very long time,” reads one testimonial, and another shares, “This great community helps keep me motivated.”
Understanding the physiology of menopause seems to be Dr. Haver’s secret sauce. Many women report weight loss, decreased pain and a reduction in hot flashes, according to testimonials.
A five-day trial wasn’t long enough for me to experience any weight loss effects or a reduction in unpleasant menopause-related symptoms. In fact, the lack of simple carbohydrates in those first few days resulted in headaches and fatigue, which I found to be disruptive and discouraging. But by day four, the low-carb headaches did subside and cravings reduced. Overall, I found the plan to be sound and sustainable and Dr. Haver a consistent and competent champion for women’s health.
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