Weight Gain, Menopause, and Inflammation

Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a female hormone specialist and founder of the Galveston Diet, admits that there were no menopause or nutrition modules in her medical school training and says we need more research on the hormonal changes that women undergo during perimenopause and menopause.

• That appears to be true because most of the information being released in this space comes from female health practitioners who are undergoing these changes themselves and sharing what they’ve learned with their patients and others.

• The Women’s Health Initiative study which was stopped in 2002 really put a stop on research into these issues, to the detriment of women worldwide. Millions of women abruptly went off of their hormonal replacement therapies because of that somewhat faulty study.

One-third of all females experience menopause symptoms but many don’t get treatment. There still is zero education in the medical community in the diagnosis and treatment of perimenopause.ost often these symptoms are treated with birth control pills.

• Besides hot flashes, night sweats, and weight gain, women often experience brain fog, vaginal atrophy (dryness and pain during intercourse), as well as osteopenia and osteoporosis, caused from weakening, porous bones.

• Vaginal estrogen has never been shown to increase breast cancer risk so taking the vaginal estrogen for vaginal dryness and atrophy is still ok, according to Dr. Haver. She adds that estradiol works for everyone and vaginal estradiol cream is not dangerous. (However, this health coach suggests you check with your own health practitioner before starting any new health protocol!)

The Galveston Diet is based on three pillars:

1. Practicing Intermittent Fasting

2. Avoiding Inflammatory Foods

3. Fueling the body with Quality Protein and Healthy Fats

A study released in 2020 in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition noted that obesity is not an energy balance disorder (i.e., too many calories) but actually a hormonal disorder affecting fat storage and metabolism regardless of how much you eat! (i.e., its not our fault!)

• In perimenopause/menopause, your blood sugar increases, resulting in increased insulin resistance, and increased cortisol, all of which contribute to fat accumulation and disrupted sleep.

• Fat accumulates around the tummy comes because of hormonal dysregulation, too many carbs, and too little estrogen. (The fat under your arms—bat wings—is more often the result of lost collagen (we lose 30% of our collagen in menopause).

Intermittent Fasting: lowers inflammation, allows for autophagy, the removal of dead or damaged proteins, and lowers insulin and glucose levels. Hydration and good sleep will help you to be able to maintain intermittent fasting.

Anti-inflammatory Foods: A diet focused on vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds, legumes and beans, and lean protein will provide good nutrition to lower inflammation. Adding flax meal, walnuts, and omega 3 fish or fish oils are other good ways to boost anti-inflammatory processes.

Important Nutrients to get from Food or Supplements:

• Fiber. This should mostly come from food but you can use psyllium husks to boost your daily fiber intake. You should aim for a minimum of 25 grams a day, up to 35 grams. There are 12 grams (almost half your daily goal) in one avocado so it is not too hard to reach your goal.

• Collagen. This protein is very important to help avoid wrinkles and osteoporosis.

• Omega 3 supplements. These are a good idea for everyone, particularly if you don’t not eat a lot of cold-water, oily fish, like salmon and sardines.

• Vitamin D. Many people are deficient in this vitamin because we don’t spend enough time outdoors without sunscreen. Dr. Haver suggests a Vit D combo with Vit K or even Omega 3. You should shoot for a Vit D level of 60 or above.

• Probiotics. A study has shown that people lost more belly fat and their blood pressure improved when they went on probiotics. Dr. Claire Haver likes the Garden of Life brand.

• Turmeric. Pairing turmeric with black pepper helps with bioavailability. Turmeric is good against hot flashes, joint pain and other osteoarthritic pain.

• Magnesium. So many of us are deficient; half of Americans are only getting 50% of what we need. Magnesium oxide is good for motility. Magnesium threonate crosses the blood brain barrier is good for mental health, sleep, and anxiety. Magnesium glycinate is stored in the bones and is good for blood levels. Great ways to get magnesium in our diet are through pumpkin seeds, leafy greens, and dark chocolate.

The Importance of Protein, Healthy Fats, and Exercise

For fueling the body, you want to avoid processed carbs and sugars and eat more non-starchy vegetables, quality protein, and good fats. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Heart Association agree that Americans eat too much added sugar. We should aim for no more than 25 grams/day.

• Here are some examples of starchy (sweet potato; potatoes; beets) vs non-starchy (cauliflower; green beans, broccoli, leafy greens) vegetables.

• Healthy fats include nuts and seeds and oils from those. The goal is to eat more unsaturated vs saturated fat.

• You should aim for 1-1.5 gram of protein for every kilogram of body weight.

A vegan/vegetarian diet has many health benefits compared to the Standard American Diet (SAD), including fewer hot flashes, but some people really struggle to get sufficient protein with detrimental effects in muscle maintenance.

• Dr. Haver suggests that the brain likely knows the difference between animal protein and protein powders. She argues that meat includes all the amino acids we need and is good for us. We can’t get some of the amino acids are body needs from protein powders (whey is probably the best of the powders).

Good snacks include protein, fiber and good fats: Greek yogurt with walnuts and fruit; hummus and veggies; nut butters with apples.

• Dairy can sometimes be inflammatory for those people with allergies to milk protein or who are lactose intolerant. Parmesan cheese can help boost dairy calcium and protein without causing too many issues because very low in lactose.

Exercise is definitely part of the Galveston Diet for midlife women. She suggests not to exercise to get skinny but to move your body to have strong hearts, bones, muscles, and brains and to enjoy mood-boosting endorphins.

• Dr. Haver argues that we have to focus on resistance training and balance training even more as you age. Zumba or limited High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) in short bursts is especially good.

• Stretching, cardio and strength training are all important. Aim for 150 minutes of cardiovascular training a week, at least 3 sessions a week. Strength training should be 2 times a week. The key is to decrease visceral fat while increasing muscle mass.

**Content provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is derived from an information from an interview with Dr. Mary Claire Haver of the Galveston diet. It is not to be considered medical advice.**