Episode 61 Why “Eat Less, Exercise More” Just Doesn’t Work As Women Age with Dr. Mary Claire Haver, Founder of The Galveston Diet


Frustrated with weight gain, as you approach or enter the end of child-bearing years? It’s a common problem for women. Yes, we are talking about perimenopause and menopause. And that same old advice - to eat less, exercise more - just isn’t working. Well, that’s what Dr. Mary Claire Haver - an OB-GYN who used to provide that same mantra to her patients - experienced herself. It set her on a journey to discover why and what women can do. Her program - The Galveston Diet - is born from her frustration, research, and experience. She explains it all on TBD, including the basic tenets of Intermittent Fasting, Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition, and Fuel Refocus. And although you may have to give up milk and sugar in your morning coffee, an avocado a day could be the trick to keep the doctor away.

Episode originally aired live on WVOX AM on June 6, 2023

Dr. Haver’s Bio:

As one third of women are currently in some phase of menopause, it is an essential aspect of women’s lives, yet so stigmatized and shrouded with shame and steeped in anxiety over aging that many women still don’t feel comfortable talking about their menopause journey with friends, family, and most crucially, their doctors. Kept in the dark, menopause becomes more difficult to understand and control, leaving many women to suffer in silence. Dr. Mary Claire Haver is here to change all of that. Recently the Board Certified OB-GYN has set TikTok alight with an unlikely subject---menopause---amassing nearly 2 million followers by posting advice for women going through it. Dr. Haver understands that women’s healthcare is in dire need of a change. So often, when women talk to their healthcare providers about issues such as weight gain, sleep changes, hot flashes, and mental health issues, they are dismissed with platitudes like "it's just your hormones" or it's "just your age," and given the advice to "eat less and exercise more." The problem has led Dr. Haver to develop The Galveston Diet, a three-pronged lifestyle plan that encourages fuel refocusing, intermittent fasting, and anti-inflammatory nutrition to manage hormonal symptoms, stabilize weight, and revitalize the body as it ages to provide benefits that will last a lifetime. Dr. Haver has always had a passion for learning and a strong work ethic. She is a graduate of Louisiana State University Medical Center, and completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Texas Medical Branch. In addition to her clinical work, she became an instructor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, has served as a Hospitalist, the Associate Residency Director and Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and is certified in Culinary Medicine by Tulane University School of Medicine.

The Galveston Diet

The Galveston Diet Book

Connect with Dr. Haver on Instagram

Connect with The Galveston Diet on Instagram

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Dr. Haver Recommends:

You Are Not Broken by Dr. Kelly Casperson (2022)

You Are Not Broken Podcast and IG account

Dr. Heather Hirsch on IG

Dr. Sharon Malone on IG

Additional Reading

The Intermittent Fasting Revolution by Dr. Mark Mattson (2022)

Dominus, Susan (2023, February 1, updated June 15) Women Have Been Misled About Menopause. nytimes.com

Gupta, Alisha Haridasani (2023, April 28, updated May 8) Study Shows the Staggering Cost of Menopause for Women in the Work Force. nytimes.com

Gogoi, Pallavi (2023, April 29) The weight bias against women in the workforce is real — and it's only getting worse. npr.com

Haupt, Angela (2023, May 1) 'Body Grief' Can Happen After a Weight Change. Here's How to Cope With It. time.com