An Ultimate Guide On Galveston Diet

A girl gets special care from her family during her periods, especially on her diet. And when she becomes a woman and prepares herself to give life to her children, she receives even more attention. She can also easily get access to guidelines on what to eat and what not to eat, for she could ensure the health of her child and herself.

However, When women approach middle age, this part is ignored, even though she needs more care and has to bring certain strict dietary rules before menopause. Yes, it would be their final lapse to put an end to the struggles of menstruation. But at the same time, it is one of the most important phases of their life where they have to overcome a lot of challenges. 

An Ultimate Guide On Galveston Diet

Since there is not much focus on providing women with the perfect diet during menopause, one real relief forum is the Galveston diet. It is specially designed for them to ensure they are getting proper nutrition and help them to avoid weight gain at the time of menopause. 

Galveston Diet, An Introduction

As women tend to put on weight at menopause, they need to watch out for their diet. In that case, with the help of the Galveston diet, they will be able to regulate their eating patterns in a healthy way to aid weight loss. This form of diet was invented by Mary Claire Haver, on her venture to find a solution for weight gain in women around the time of menopause. She created it by adding more lean protein and low carbs to ensure its nutritional richness. 

Does the Galveston Diet Really Work?

The Galveston diet is a specially formulated weight loss program that targets middle-aged menopause women and is created by Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a board-certified OB-GYN. In this diet plan, importance is given to what one eats. The eating pattern is ultimately a 16/8 intermittent fasting regime combined with low-carb, high-fat, and inflammation-fighting foods.

It is not like the regular diet plan in which the calorie is restricted. It primarily emphasizes when one should eat and what types of food need to be avoided to reduce the inflammation in the body.

The women who have been following the Galveston diet have witnessed positive results. However, there is no scientific evidence that supports the claim. More research and studies need to be conducted on the same. But the experts do support the fact that the aspects of the Galveston diet are linked to health benefits. It helps to reduce inflammation, improve blood sugar management, and aid in weight loss.

Foods To Add To Galveston Diet

In a nutshell, this specially designed diet includes intermittent fasting techniques and an ideal diet plan. The major concern in this diet is low carbs, healthy fats, and other nutrients. Let’s look into more detail to get a clear idea. 

Lean Protein

Saturated fats are completely avoided in this diet form. But instead, it gives more focus on lean protein. This will prevent women from gaining weight and other complications related to it. The lean protein sources included in this diet are:

• Eggs
• Chicken
• Turkey 
• Beef 
• Fish 

You are also restricted to take all the dairy products if you are into this diet, except, Greek yogurt. Just because it is rich in amino acids, twice more than normal yogurt. Besides, it will also give you minerals like calcium and probiotics. The only grain you are allowed to take is quinoa, as it can give you all the nine essential amino acids and help you to keep up with muscle strength. 

Veggies

Although you are allowed to eat veggies with this diet, it is limited to those with less starch and higher anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants. This means you can’t randomly choose a vegetable to add to your diet which you think is quite good for you. 

The veggies you can include in your diet are;

• Broccoli
• Celery
• Tomatoes
• Cauliflower
• Cucumber
• Spinach
• Zucchini, and the like.

Healthy Fats

This diet is combined with sources of healthy fats like 

• Avocado
• Nuts 
• seeds

Fruits

Fruits are yet another essential part of this diet. But not those with higher sugar levels, including;

• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• blackberries

What Are The Macros On The Galveston Diet?

The short form of micronutrient is “macro” It is broadly categorized into three types: protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Dr. Mary Claire has specially crafted the Galveston Diet to help women overcome menopausal symptoms.

The Galveston Diet consists of low carb, high fat, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant-rich foods. During this, one also drinks tea and eats fermented foods that are rich in probiotics.

Here is the list of the foods that you should take during your Galveston Diet:

• Fats: coconut oil, olive oil,  MCT oil, avocado oil, butter, ghee, and sesame oil
• Fruits: avocado, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries
• Proteins: chicken, lean ground beef, tuna, turkey, eggs, salmon, lean pork, trout, and shellfish
• Leafy greens: kale, lettuce, dill, spinach, and mustard greens
• Nuts: cashews, almonds, pistachios, and peanuts
• Vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, bell pepper, tomato, cucumber, onion, and carrots
• Seeds: flax, sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, and chia seeds
• Tea: black, green, oolong, and chamomile teas
• Dairy: cheese, plain greek yogurt, heavy cream, sour cream, and nut milk
• Fresh herbs: ginger, garlic, parsley, thyme, and basil

Here is the list of food items that need to be avoided during the Galveston Diet:

• Processed foods: fried foods, refined grains, and processed meats
• Food additives: artificial additives ( colors, flavors, and preservatives)
• Sweeteners: artificial sweeteners and added sugar.
• Alcohol: wine, beer,  and spirits
• Sugar-sweetened beverages: soft drinks, colas, sweet tea, and juice
• Vegetable oils high in omega-6 fats: sunflower, soybean, safflower, and corn oil

What Would Be The Ideal Eating Pattern And Time?

You might have guessed this should be excluded from pastries and other processed foods. Yes, indeed. But it restricts heavy carbs and gluten-rich foods too. 

Additionally, it gives great importance to when to eat rather than what to eat, since it also greatly influences weight gain. So you will be doing a daily version of intermittent fasting, by forbidding yourself from eating for 16 hours every day. And you will be free to eat during the remaining 8 hours. 

Fruits & Snags Of The Galveston Diet

Just like every coin has two sides, you can expect some benefits as well as drawbacks from this diet.

The benefits you can have from this diet form are; 

• It regulates weight gain
• It reorganizes your eating habits into healthy ones
• It will boost your metabolism

The drawbacks in following the Galveston diet include:

• It could not be affordable for everyone
•  Even though it helped a considerable number of middle-aged women, it lacks scientific evidence of its efficacy as no studies were conducted to bring proof for its success so far.
• It forbids a lot including gluten and ‘so called’ starchy vegetables

As a woman who looks forward to an effective solution to get rid of the weight you gained during menopause, you can just try the Galveston diet. But do consider examining yourself before you go for it, to avoid risks. Also, ensure to approach a nutritional expert to check whether it is ideal for you. 

Galveston Diet Before And After

Before Galveston Diet

The following things were noticed in women before the start of the Galveston Diet.

• Unhealthy eating habits.
• Obesity and overweight issues.
• Possibility of heart disease and inflammation.
• Blood sugar issues.

After Galveston Diet

After the Galveston Diet, the women would be noticing visible changes in their bodies. The changes noticed would be:

• It helps women adopt healthy eating habits.
• It helps to address the changes in metabolism post-menopause
• It will help fight inflammation.
• Help reduce any possible disease risk.
• Promote healthy blood sugar management.

It has been noticed that after the Galveston Diet, the inflammation, heart diseases, and diabetes were taken care of. However, more research is needed to examine the diet’s effects on the hormonal balance among menopausal women.

Galveston Diet vs A Mediterranean Diet

Contrary to the Galveston Diet, the Mediterranean diet traces its origin in Greece and Italy and dates back to 1980. Like the name, this diet is very popular amongst the Mediterranean countries and is based on the traditional foods that people used to eat.

The Mediterranean diet is not restricted to menopausal women and is well researched. The researchers noted that people who followed the Mediterranean diet were exceptionally healthy. Compared to average Americans, the people who followed the Mediterranean diet had a low risk of many lifestyle diseases.

However, the Galveston Diet is universal and is not just restricted to any particular border or region. People trying to follow the Mediterranean diet need to be careful as there are many countries around the Mediterranean sea, and people in different areas have different palettes and habits. Therefore, before starting the Mediterranean diet, one needs to be very careful with their food habits.

Studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet helps weight loss and prevents type 2 diabetes, strokes, heart attacks, and premature death. While for the Galveston Diet, more research needs to be conducted.

Before starting the Galveston Diet or Mediterranean diet, one needs to connect with healthcare professionals. In case of underlying health issues, the health care professionals will guide them accordingly.

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