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The Galveston Diet

Anti-inflammatory food and a gentle daily fasting window, built with midlife in mind.

By Camille McLaughlin, RDN, LD, registered dietitian nutritionist

The Galveston Diet was created by Dr. Mary Claire Haver, an OB-GYN, for women navigating the weight and body changes of perimenopause and menopause. It rests on three ideas working together: a daily intermittent-fasting window (commonly 16:8), a plate built from anti-inflammatory whole foods, and a “fuel refocus” that leans your calories toward healthy fats and protein while easing off refined carbohydrate and added sugar.

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How it works

You eat within a set window each day (often the eight hours between late morning and early evening) and fill that window with anti-inflammatory foods: fatty fish, olive oil, leafy greens, colorful vegetables, berries, nuts and seeds. You shift the balance of the plate toward protein and healthy fats and away from refined starch and sugar, which is where the “fuel refocus” comes in.

✓ What you'll eat

  • Fatty fish like salmon and sardines, for omega-3s
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds
  • Leafy greens and a wide range of colorful vegetables
  • Berries and other lower-sugar fruit
  • Quality protein at every meal

✕ What you'll limit

  • Refined carbohydrates and added sugar
  • Ultra-processed foods and sugary drinks
  • Alcohol, which tends to worsen midlife symptoms for many

Who it's a good fit for

Women in perimenopause and menopause who are dealing with midlife weight shifts, stubborn belly fat, and inflammation, and who like the structure of an eating window paired with a clear food philosophy.

A dietitian's note

This isn’t a medical treatment, and intermittent fasting isn’t right for everyone. If you’re pregnant, have a history of disordered eating, or take medication that needs food, talk with your provider before starting a fasting window. Our Galveston plans draw on the same anti-inflammatory recipes as our Anti-Inflammatory and Mediterranean plans, paired with a fasting schedule you set.

Common questions

What fasting window does Galveston use?
Most people follow 16:8, sixteen hours without eating (mostly overnight) and an eight-hour window during the day. You can ease into it by shortening your window gradually.
Is it only for women?
It was designed around women’s midlife hormonal changes, but the underlying pattern (anti-inflammatory food, protein-forward meals, less refined carb) is sound for anyone.
Will this help with hot flashes and night sweats?
Maybe indirectly, but I would not count on food alone for those. When the Menopause Society reviewed the nonhormone options, dietary change did not have enough evidence behind it to be recommended for hot flashes, though weight loss did make their list. Easing off alcohol and added sugar settles symptoms for some people and costs you nothing to try. If hot flashes are wrecking your sleep or your days, that is a conversation with your gynecologist or a menopause clinician, and our menopause plan covers the food side more broadly.
Do I have to do the fasting part?
No. The three pieces are meant to work together, but the anti-inflammatory food and the shift toward protein and healthy fats do most of the work, and they stand up fine on their own. If a 16:8 window leaves you lightheaded, ravenous by evening, or thinking about food all day, shorten it or drop it. That goes double if you are pregnant, have a history of disordered eating, or take medication that has to be taken with food. Three meals a day of this food is still doing Galveston in every way that counts.

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