Galveston Diet Review

I have been following the Galveston Diet (loosely), and I’ve put together some information and a Galveston Diet Review for you below.

A few months ago, up late and unable to sleep because of a million different reasons, I got sucked into an Instagram account about perimenoupause and menopause (ugh, getting old is hard). The account, run by Dr. Mary Claire Haver in Galveston, sounded like she was speaking to me and she quickly had me convinced myself that a new way of eating would change my life (I am an easy sell, Instagram marketers love me). I bought the book, I ate the food, and I’m here to tell you about it. Spoiler alert: so far, I’m a huge fan. 

What IS the Galveston Diet?

The Galveston Diet is an anti-inflammatory diet that is (in my non-nutritionist opinion) high in fat, low in carbs, and middle of the way in protein. The book gives you a long list of approved foods to choose from. You combine the foods with intermittent fasting (don’t be scared, there are many options if this is new to you – you do not need to go hungry!) and some supplements if necessary (I added a collagen and fiber supplement to my diet). You do not count calories, but you do count macros.

After you reach your goals (which might not be weight-related…you could be doing this to manage nasty hormonal issues and not have any interest in losing weight), the macros a change to include more carbs.

On this plan, you eat four times a day. At first I thought I was going to be starving. But because the food is high in fat and protein, it really fills you up. (as I write this, I had my first meal of the day two hours ago and I’m still not hungry)

I use an app called Lose It! to track my macros. However, if you follow the plan as it is in the book, the macros are already calculated for you. I wanted to learn how to do the plan on my own and needed to make some food substitutions, so I tracked on my own.

Galveston Diet Book Review

I want to talk a little about the book, and then about actually following the plan. Dr. Mary Claire Haver has a TON of information on her Instagram and website about hormonal changes women experience in the perimenopause and menopause phases of life. If this is you, I recommend giving her a follow for some good stuff! You will feel heard.

She released the book very shortly after I started following her. I have spent my whole life trying to escape diet culture but you know what?? Sometimes I need some guidance and I’ve accepted that. Maybe someday I will be an intuitive eater, but until then, give me help!

The Galveston Diet book is mostly a book about hormones as we age, what we can expect, and how we can address and relieve the discomfort it causes through addressing the inflammation in our bodies. There is lots and lots of helpful information about menopause, an explanation of why the Galveston Diet works, and then a 30-day meal plan with recipes and shopping lists at the back.

This book is an easy read. It’s easy to find what you need and refer back to it as needed (it’s in my kitchen and I use it all the time for meal planning and the recipes). 

I followed the meal plan for 30 days. I noticed that a couple of the recipes appear to be missing ingredients or an instruction (I think I had issues with two recipes out of the whole book). Overall, the recipes were extremely simple and straightforward, easy to make, and very very good.

Galveston Diet Results

I did not weigh myself before or after the 30 days I was following this program. However! I slimmed down. By day 3, I noticed I wasn’t feeling bloated. By the end of the month, everything in my closet felt better. My skin felt better (not as dry, a little more filled out). I did lose weight, but I can’t say how much because I didn’t keep track.

I didn’t have a hard time at all adjusting to this program. You may have read about when I did the 30 Day Gut Protocol – I reallllly struggled with that plan. It’s a low-fat, plant-based diet with lots and lots and lots of plants. My stomach hated the first week. And I never loved the food on the plan, which made it hard to keep it up. I had great weight loss results on that plan, but the cost was a lot of time and energy that went into meal planning AND my body took forever to adjust AND I didn’t love the food! If you are looking for a plant-heavy plan and you have or think you have food sensitivities, that might be a good option for you.

I followed the Galveston Diet for 30 days but it wasn’t perfect. If someone brings me a donut or offers me a glass of wine, I will take those things and enjoy them. But most of the time, I stuck to the plan. I do not feel like a donut (or three) “ruined” my results. This is real life here! I need donuts.

Galveston Diet Pros and Cons

Here are some pros and cons of the Galveston Diet (again – not from a nutritional or medical standpoint, but from a user point of views!):

Pros:

The food is good! 

The book is targeted towards women going through perimenopause and menopause and written by a doctor/nutritionist who has been there/done that. I feel like I can trust the information.

It’s easy to follow in “real life” – once you understand the rules, you can apply them to any restaurant meal or easily create your own recipes. 

You get lots of things like eggs, avocados, and macadamia nuts and honestly that is the “diet” for me.

There is a vegetarian option available.

The macros are already calculated if you follow the plan as-is.

Cons:

You may have a hard time if you have food sensitivities. This plan has a lot of dairy and eggs. 

There is not a vegan option that I am aware of, although once you learn the food list and the macros I think you could do this on a vegan diet (again: not an expert). 

There is a learning curve associated with tracking macros. I recommend using an app to track your food so you can learn as you go.

Is the Galveston Diet Book worth it?

In my opinion, if you are a woman of a certain age looking to manage hormonal issues and symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, this book is a worthy investment. For less than twenty bucks, you get lots of information about what you’re going through, plus a 30-day meal plan with recipes that you can try. 

Galveston Diet Resources

You can buy The Galveston Diet here.

You can visit Dr. Mary Claire Haver’s website here.

I am working on recipes! I need to go back and see which recipes I have that will work for this plan. But for now, these Chicken Sausage and Gouda Egg Bites are a great option.