The Galveston Diet: The Doctor-Developed, Patient-Proven Plan to Burn Fat and Tame Your Hormonal Symptoms

I began following Doctor Mary Claire Haver on TikTok when I found that I could relate to the information that she was sharing about weight gain, difficulty losing said weight and all of the side effects that come from menopause. What I really appreciated was that this book came from the author's personal experience with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and perimenopause, her own inability to get a doctor to listen to her and offer solutions, AND that she's a gynecologist herself. I don't think that I've ever purchased a book that I'm reviewing for my own personal copy. Most of these books are in a digitally-protected format that causes them to disappear from my e-book library after a certain period of time. But, I purchased this one before I had finished the first chapter because I feel like I've finally found something that offers solutions to the issues that I've been dealing with. Doctors worldwide continue to feed women a lie: calories in - calories out. This is not a valid, nor a scientifically-backed statement. Science proves that it's imbalances in our hormones that cause women to be unable to lose weight and to suffer from a long list of complaints that were previously blamed on menopause and with no solutions because "that's just the life of a menopausal woman". The Galveston Diet is not just a fly-by-night diet book. Mary Claire used her three step approach of intermittent fasting, anti-inflammatory nutrition, and fuel refocus on herself and many other women with a great deal of success before she decided to share her knowledge with the rest of us. She uses scholarly evidence to support her use of intermittent fasting, which is something that I didn't really understand before I read this book. I found it shocking at how the food industry has been using manufactured foods and chemical additives that increase the inflammation in our bodies and how that inflammation has been causing generations of fat, diabetic, unhealthy and sick people. Even more shocking is that the government allows this! I found The Galveston Diet to be a very easy book to read and to understand. Mary Claire lays out everything the reader needs to know, step-by-step, leaving very few questions on how to begin and how to succeed with this new eating pattern. She specifically explains each type of food or nutritional item, like vitamins and minerals, and how they are important or not helpful to a women's body. She gives list of foods that help women overcome inflammation and will support their healing. There are four weeks of menus (with included recipes) and shopping lists and two weeks of vegetarian menus and shopping lists as well as a maintenance plan and seven maintenance recipes that focus on anti-inflammatory nutrition with the right balance of macronutrients and micronutrients along with intermittent fasting to help reduce inflammation, increase weight loss, and ultimately improve health. Mary Claire included an extensive bibliography listing where she got her research as well as numerous resources for further information on how to help the reader move forward toward self-improvement. As a postmenopausal women with over 13 years post-hysterectomy, reading the first chapter of this book grabbed me and made me eager to get started in this lifestyle change and for the first time feel as if I can actually succeed in that change. So, yes, I highly recommend reading The Galveston Diet and I suggest you get a hard copy of the book instead of an e-book so you have it at hand to write in and highlight.

So much makes so much sense! Easy to read, thorough, and researched based! Read it cover to cover. Includes first 30 days meal plan (including one for vegetarian) and a plan to continue for life. One week update: I'm following the nutrition plan (including IF) but have yet to get enough exercise in. One step at a time I guess. First few days were headachy and I really wanted pasta lol but I got through it. Here's my results Lost 4.5 lbs lost 1 inch off my waist lost .5 inch off my hips much more energy, less brain fog, mood has stabilized, need less sleep, much less irritable - generally feel more like myself Here's what I've done: 1) I typed up a list of all the recipes and just pick one a day to menu plan the week and grocery shop based on the recipes that so it's planned and ready to go for dinner. I did the same for snacks. Picking 1-2 a day. My breakfast is huge so I can't get 2 snacks in always. 2) I eat the same breakfast everyday (1/3c - before cooked - whole oatmeal , with 2 T hemp hearts, 1 T flax seed, 1 T chia seeds, strawberries and 3 eggwhites with a cup of spinach - i do egg whites because I get plenty of fat the rest of the day. Also a probiotic and 1 tsp psyllium husk in a glass of water 3) I use My Net Diary to track macros - I plan out the whole day in the morning or the night before. I paid for the full thing - it was worth the extra money. 4) I ignore calories,I'm eating 300 more calories a day than when I was unsuccessfully dieting and killing myself with cardio and the weight is coming off now (calories is around 1700 a day so still reasonable but I'm not starving) 5) I drink 60oz of water a day (20 from bfast to lunch, 20 from lunch to dinner, 20 after dinner) 6) I intermittent fast - don't eat after 6pm and I have breakfast at 9 (so not quite 16/8 but maybe I'll get there) 4 week update I'm losing about .5 lb a week and I'm ecstatic to finally see the weight (even if it's slow) going in the right direction! I absolutely feel better and more like myself than I have in years. I will never go back to eating the way I was - I got ME back! 1) The nutrition plan has gotten much easier now that I'm used to it. I've also figured out that just keeping the diet low glycemic gives me more freedom. I downloaded an app for free that helps me figure out what low gl foods are (not low glycemic index, low glycemic load) and got a diabetic cookbook to give me more options. I'm also not afraid to have a spoonful of peanut butter at breakfast - so yummy. 2) Had a few very hungry nights now that I'm exercising a bit so I just ate a protein snack - I keep high quality turkey sandwich meat around and had a couple slices. No worries, I mostly don't snack so it's direction not perfection. Hope this helps you get started. Good luck everybody!

I ordered FOUR menopause/hormone help books, I read them all, and THIS is the most comprehensive and informational overall re: how to fight back with NUTRITION and INTERMITTENT FASTING. I will be implementing the 4 week program outlined in the book this coming week and will update this review then. UPDATE: April 24, 2023 - I have lost 12 lbs so far, husband lost 15, our 36 yr old son has lost 18 lbs. We “cheat” one day a week with a treat. We have found sugar free ice cream (Rebel) and low carb bread (Dave’s Killer) to help with cravings. (Names of all books I read below) Pros: * Written by a practicing ob/gyn who developed the program ON HERSELF * scientifically based with many credible sources sited * Detailed explanations of what is happening to our body and why, as well as how to combat it * NOT A DIET - this is not a temporary trendy fix but a permanent nutritional lifestyle * Clear and practical plan is laid out to balance hormones, feel good, and loose weight * 4 week meal plan/recipes/shopping lists with detailed nutrition information * Food is all normal foods that most people already like (nuts, dairy, meats, fruits, seeds and veg) NOT a bunch of costly supplements * Online community to interact with along the journey Cons: * Does not deal with specific plans to treat sexual or vaginal issues caused by loss of estrogen, so I took away ONE star * This will be a challenging COMMITMENT and a LIFESTYLE CHANGE for anyone who currently loves early morning breakfast, morning coffee with cream/sugar, pasta, bread, & potatoes. * Intermittent fasting is daunting (16 hours fasting and 8 hour eating window each day) * Starting out could be expensive if your pantry and fridge have to be replaced with whole foods (think food from the outer edges of the grocery store). * Everything is “make it from scratch.” If you are used to drive thrus, packaged snacks/meals, and eating out, this is gonna be an adjustment. * Book suggests “meal prepping” which is often impractical (for me) * Withdrawals from processed sugar is expected the first week (the book outlines the symptoms) and it’s “grin and bear it!” THE OTHER BOOKS I READ: (These are all great but dealt with different aspects of menopause, fell a bit short of this one.) 1. The Menopause Manifesto, Dr Jen Gunter (very medical, formal, pharmaceutical, lots of illustrated drawings, but doesn’t go in-depth into the nutritional aspect of combatting hormonal issues and also extremely liberal/political) 2. It’s Not You, It’s Your Hormones, Nicki Williams (This book is the most similar to The Galveston Diet, almost like a British copy cat of it, focusing on nutrition) 3. Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina, Dr Lauren Streicher (Great book by an ob/gyn and deals ONLY with sexual/vaginal issues and treatments)

"The Galveston Diet: The Doctor-Developed, Patient-Proven Plan to Burn Fat and Tame Your Hormones" is a groundbreaking approach to weight loss and hormonal balance. Dr. Mary Claire Haver's expertise as a gynecologist brings a unique perspective to the realm of dieting, focusing on the intricate interplay between hormones and metabolism. The book presents a comprehensive plan that not only helps readers shed excess fat but also addresses underlying hormonal imbalances that may contribute to weight gain. What sets this diet apart is its emphasis on sustainability and long-term health, with a focus on whole foods, intermittent fasting, and stress management techniques. Dr. Haver's compassionate and relatable writing style makes complex concepts accessible to readers of all backgrounds, making this book a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their health and well-being. Overall, "The Galveston Diet" offers a refreshingly holistic approach to weight loss and hormone optimization, backed by science and patient success stories.

Love, love, love this book/nutrition plan. After going through menopause and putting on almost 15 lbs of mostly belly weight I had just about given up ever trying to get back to my pre-menopausal weight/health. I’ve worked out/run my whole life but my GP doctor just told me it was the way it was for women who went through menopause. I saw a post on Instagram by Dr Haver and decided I’d give it one last try. I am so happy I did!. I’ve lost 8 lbs in a little over a month just by following this nutrition/workout/etc plan!!! I only have 5-7 more to go! Before reading this book, I was pretty frustrated, but it’s really simple and easy to follow and I love the meal plans / grocery lists (!!!!!) provided at the end. I’ve even convinced my best friend and two sisters to do it with me! We share a lot of our progress on line together. The bonding, support and encouragement from doing it together has made it even better. I’ll continue this for the rest of my life!

I do believe this diet has scientific backed advice and good ideas and can work and I am trying it, currently in week 4, my brain already feels clearer, but I have not seen any real weight loss yet, but I am still believing in it and will stick to it and will believe something will happen. My gripe is with the recipes, more thought and checking their practicality, expensiveness, and level of taste could have gone into these, because that is where it is going to fail for a lot of people who are not food savvy. Be prepared to make up your own recipe equivalents because the recipes are not for foodies who like wholesome tasty Mediterranean type foods. The recipes on the eating plan are for wealthy Americans, I live in Europe, that eat and live in a certain way that most other people do not and is rather unappetizing to someone used to a Mediterranean diet full of herbs, spices, fish (salmon and mackerel with healthy omega 3, it is sad that this is used so little in the recipes), vegetables and taste, the recipes are strange and unappetizing. And repetition of the same unappetizing dish makes it even worse, take week 4 where you eat the same EVERY day, pumpkin pancakes and some weird dish with spaghetti squash, turkey, bacon, spinach and goat cheese, not only is the combination unthinkably unappetizing, any foodie or chef will cringe at the idea, apart from that we do not eat spaghetti squash (who eats these stringy awful things when you have other wonderful pumpkin varieties, we do not even have that here) turkey or pork, nor is turkey even available in our country, the only food turkey is used in here is in dog food. For health reasons my family also do not eat any processed or smoked meats due to the presence of carcinogens like nitrosamines, a lot of the recipes uses these, for a qualified health professional recommending so much bacon in dishes I find contradictory. I miss so many nice veg and other healthy foods like aubergine, which we cook with a lot. A nice moussaka with lamb mince cooked with garlic, herbs and tomatoes, layered with a few slices of fried aubergine, top it with 300ml full fat Greek yoghurt beaten with 3 eggs and salt and pepper and more herbs, and finally a layer of grated cheese on top, which is exactly what I did to replace some of the turkey mince awful recipes. Imagine cucumber, raw onion and raw celery topped with mashed boiled eggs and mayonnaise for dinner, I cannot think of a worse punishment than having to eat that, I will be burping cucumber, raw onion and celery for hours after that. I replaced this with an omelette with fried onions, a few halved cherry tomatoes and a handful of baby spinach, fry the onions until soft, add the cherry tomatoes and cook until it is wilted, add salt & pepper to taste, add half a teaspoon (or to taste) of finely chopped garlic & herbs in olive oil (I always have a pot in the fridge that I make over the weekend ready to use) add the baby spinach and fry for a minute or so until it is wilted, set aside, make the omelette with 2 eggs, beat the egg with a little salt (this is for one person, for 2 persons I make a large one in a large skillet with 4 eggs and halve it for myself and my husband), pour the egg in the pan and shake about until you can see the bottom has formed solidified, the top is still runny, then place under a preheated medium grill until the top is just set, do not overbake it will become too dry, add the spinach mix on one half, and top with home made mayonnaise mixed with 1to 2 teaspoons of zhoug sauce, depending on how spicy you like it. Fold the opposite halve over the spinach halve and serve. Home made mayonnaise and zhoug sauce are staples in our house, we make a batch of these each weekend as well as a pot of finely chopped garlic and herbs covered with olive oil ready to use, each dish will get a teaspoon or two of these readymade flavourings which are natural and healthy and saves you time during the week to have to chop garlic and herbs and saves time during the week. We mix zhoug sauce with full fat Greek yogurt for a dip or mix with mayonnaise or even hummus or even making a pot of fresh basil pesto or Chimichurri sauce over the weekend we also sometimes do which lasts for the week to add taste to dishes. The recipes also do not work, I have wasted a lot of very expensive ingredients on recipes in this book that do not work and tastes bad. For example, the chia pudding recipe in this book was simply awful and I wasted a lot of money on those expensive ingredients. The amount of moisture was not enough so it solidified after having been left overnight, I had to prepare it the night before because there is not enough time before work in the morning it has to stand for 3-4 hours, then I had to try and rehydrate it with more moisture, but it tasted awful, I was left with a huge bowl full and an entire packet of expensive chia seeds and nuts wasted, that nobody in my family wanted to eat and had to be thrown away.

The Galveston Diet was the right book at the right time in my life! My very vibrant and seemingly healthy sister passed away suddenly at 71 a month ago, it was a wake up call for me. At 57, I was starting to finally feel the effects of menopause and knew my nightly glasses of wine and eating (not poorly, but not optimally either) needed to come to a stop. I have never before read a book like this from cover to cover! Dr. Mary Claire Haver presents the important data that supports her plan in a way that everything just clicked for me. I have been on the plan for 3 weeks and I am sleeping better, my hip and shoulder pain has reduced at least 90%, energy level is notably increased, and stopping the wine was easier than I imagined...... and I'm just happy....don't feel any depravation only gratitude because I feel I've found the key to a new way of eating and living.

Contains a lot of good information

This is the information every woman needs to know. All women need to be given the information to help themselves since our Drs generally dont or can't give us this information because they don't know themselves. Well worth the investment to learn and understand what is happening as we age and how to give ourselves the best chances at staying healthy, balancing our hormones and enjoying life rather than suffering through this time of our life.

Maravilloso libro para comprender y contrarrestar los cambios de la menopausia

Ottima guida per la menopausa

Game Changer, every woman over 30 or 35 should have this knowledge. Doctors, Gym Trainers etc should know. Womens bodies have different needs. After having a healthy BMI all my life something had changed when I hit 40. Gym Trainers told me to work out real hard and leave the cardio. Some told me to count calories and eat a lot more. Some told me it is just calculating and eat less. Nothing worked for 5 years. I gained 10 kg. This finally started working after 3 weeks. It might be problematic for all who love bread and sugar. However I suffer reactive hypoglycemia and this fits me perfectly. I do not eat berrys apples bananas. And it works anyhow.

I borrowed this book from the library prior to buying. It has a lot of ideas of meals and snacks. Definitely a great resource for anyone going through perimenopause/menopause!