When it comes to weight loss, there are a lot of ways to go — in both the whole foods and exercise arenas. Fad diets, trendy fitness routines… It can be overwhelming, to say nothing of the meal plans and supplements that have entered the wellness and weight loss markets in recent years. Who among us hasn’t tried keto and the Mediterranean diet plan (with varying degrees of success)?
The latest diet to get in the weight loss game is the Galveston Diet. According to its creators, it was designed to meet the specific health needs of women experiencing perimenopause and menopause. Here’s everything you need to know about the Galveston Diet.
Galveston Diet: Everything To Know
The Galveston Diet was created by Dr. Mary Claire Haver, an OBGYN who has spent her career caring for women at all stages of life. In her work as a board-certified OB/GYN, she’d heard countless stories from women experiencing weight gain during menopause — and then she experienced it herself. Soon after, she created a program to specifically meet the needs of menopausal women, for whom diet and exercise often aren’t enough. Here are a few of the Galveston Diet’s specifics.
Designed for Menopause
With new weight loss programs touted in magazines on social media daily, it can be hard to separate the truth from fantasy. Finding the diet that’s best-suited to your needs may require the help of a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Among these new plans is the Galveston Diet, which is specifically designed for women experiencing menopausal symptoms related to weight gain. It does not require the arbitrary avoidance of certain foods or an impossibly low caloric intake. Rather, it’s a weight loss program
that targets weight gain and obesity from the hormone changes associated with menopause. As such, it is exclusively curated for middle-aged women who are approaching or in this unique phase of life. As such, it can boost weight loss and help menopausal women navigate midlife with confidence.
Targets All Menopause Symptoms
The Galveston Diet targets more than just the weight gain associated with menopause. While it is, first and foremost, a weight loss program, it actually aims to relieve other symptoms relating to menopause. Because the focus is on hormone balance and management, women on the Galveston Diet may find relief from side effects like brain fog, difficulty focusing, and even hot flashes.
Focuses on Foods
Many diets focus on reducing calories and increasing physical activity. While this can be an effective way to lose weight, it doesn’t address the conditions that cause weight gain during menopause, like hormone changes and fluctuations. Additionally, because calorie restriction can be quite punishing, it may feel like you’re avoiding your favorite foods, only to see little or no results.
Instead, the Galveston Diet inventories the foods you eat and assesses the quality and quantity needed for your overall health and wellness during perimenopause and menopause. Put another way, it’s about the nutrients and anti-inflammatory benefits found in the right foods. The Galveston Diet advises steering clear of foods that specifically increase inflammation, but otherwise restricts very little
Uses Three Components
There are three practices you’ll follow on the Galveston Diet, and they work together to help you lose weight during menopause and feel better overall.
- It starts with intermittent fasting, which suggests eating all of your meals during an eight-hour window each day. This eating plan is referred to as 16:8, as you will spend the other 16 hours of the day fasting.
- The second element of the Galveston Diet is a focus on anti-inflammatory foods. This diet recommends cutting out most processed foods and foods high in sugar, and replacing them with foods that help fight inflammation, including leafy green veggies, olive oil, and fish.
- The final component of the Galveston Diet is referred to as Fuel Refocus. Using a tracker, you’ll count your macronutrients, giving you a better sense of the proteins, fat, and carbohydrates you consume in order to assist with meal planning. While this bears some similarities to the keto diet, it’s important to remember that the Galveston Diet isn’t about restricting or counting calories at any stage.
Encourages Water Intake
Several symptoms of menopause (like hot flashes) can actually be dehydrating and leave you feeling dizzy and light-headed. It’s why water intake is key to the Galveston Diet, which recommends drinking 10 to 12 glasses of water a day as a means of mitigating more intense menopause symptoms.
Includes Lots of Great Foods
The goal of the Galveston Diet, as mentioned earlier, is not restriction. Rather, it’s focused on foods that help fight inflammation and support you in your weight loss journey. To that end, there’s a plethora of delicious foods and ingredients that can and should be incorporated into your daily meals. These include all kinds of healthy fats, as well as legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and some dairy products, particularly Greek yogurt. You’ll have a lot of diet meal options that won’t leave you feeling hungry or deprived. That’s because these meals are packed with rich foods believed to increase satiety and promote women’s health.
Makes Simple Changes To Current Meals
While the Galveston Diet is not about restriction, there are a few things it recommends cutting or significantly reducing, largely because they may contribute to inflammation and exacerbate menopause symptoms. The good news is that these foods can be easily substituted with healthy, anti-inflammatory foods, so you get the same flavors without the side effects. Common foods to avoid on the Galveston Diet include processed foods; specifically, processed meats and vegetable oils, refined grains, and fried foods. You’ll also want to avoid foods with artificial dyes or added sugars and corn syrup, as these can worsen symptoms like hot flashes.
Nixes Alcohol
While alcohol isn’t a recommended feature of the Galveston Diet, you don’t have to cut it out completely. The diet simply suggests limiting alcohol intake and sticking to specific types of alcohol. Red wine is the best alcohol option for keeping on track with Galveston Diet weight loss goals. So long as they’re consumed at least two hours before bed, women can enjoy two glasses of wine daily.
Easily Adapts To Your Needs
The Galveston Diet may seem strict, but every element has its purpose. By following the list of suggested foods and avoiding foods that lead to inflammation, you’ll begin to feel relief from conditions and symptoms related to menopause, including weight gain. One of the biggest benefits of the Galveston Diet is that there is no restriction on calorie intake or even, really, the foods you eat. It’s not designed to be punishing or overly specific or to leave you feeling deprived of your favorite foods. Instead, it encourages menopausal women to consume meals with health benefits specific to their symptoms, and to use food as a means of reducing inflammation and other irritating side effects associated with menopause. This simple diet can be updated and changed as needed, so it fits your lifestyle and physical requirements.
Conclusion
Every woman is different, and there’s no one-size weight loss program for all of us. That’s why the Galveston Diet focuses on the weight gain challenges specifically associated with perimenopause and menopause symptoms. During these stages, extreme changes in hormones can lead to significant weight gain, and traditional practices — like eating less and exercising more — don’t affect real change. By focusing on foods that help to fight inflammation and suggesting reductions only in foods that exacerbate chronic inflammation, the Galveston Diet provides a simple and versatile framework for improving overall health. Better still, it may even reduce other menopause symptoms, like brain fog and hot flashes.
This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.
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