With diet options like vegan, vegetarian, keto and paleo, many of you must have tried it all and found some good things here and some good things there and wished you could combine a few favorites to make your own customized diet. Now you can, with the pegan diet that combines vegan and paleo.
Features of the Pegan Diet
Conceptualized by Dr. Mark Hyman, the pegan diet combines the best features of the vegan and paleo diets to provide optimum nutrition to its users.
While the vegan diet, which is based solely on plant-based foods, provides nutrients like vitamins, antioxidants and fiber, it can often lack omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and some other nutrients. There is often criticism that vegans may not get enough protein too, but many vegans hit back saying plant-based foods provide all the nutrition their bodies need.
The paleo diet, on the other hand, has gained a lot of popularity over the past few years and is based on the concept of eating foods that were available during prehistoric times, the paleolithic age to be precise. The diet includes naturally occurring meats and fish, honey, fruits, some starchy and non-starchy vegetables, nuts and seeds.
The diet leaves out dairy, grains and beans and may have a low-glycemic index diet to help reduce the fluctuation in blood sugar levels. But this diet again may not provide certain essential nutrients like fiber.
Hence, Dr. Mark Hyman picked the best attributes from the vegan and paleo diets to introduce the pegan diet that has the “best aspects of each” for optimum health benefits.
According to him, this diet is not a quick fix for weight loss or improving your health, it is a lifestyle change just like any other diet you choose. And, when followed diligently, this diet may help you lose weight and support heart health.
Basics of a pegan diet
- The diet incorporates mostly plant-based foods and recommends deeper colored, non-starchy vegetables. About half a cup of sweet potatoes or winter squashes are considered OK, but not too much potatoes.
- Fruits, especially berries, can be consumed but not in large quantities. Try to keep melons and grapes to a minimum.
- Avoid processed sugar in any form; this means that you may have to stay away from your favorite cookies, breakfast cereal and ice creams. You could have an occasional treat, though.
- Try to eat clean and fresh ingredients, not products covered in pesticides or those that are genetically modified.
- Avoid oils like sunflower, canola and corn and pick nut and seed oils like avocado oil, sesame or even walnut oil.
- Gluten is best avoided as it has the tendency to disrupt gut health even in those who are not sensitive to it. Gluten-free grains like black rice, teff and quinoa can be consumed in small portions.
- Try to add lentils to your meals but keep the starchy beans to a moderate amount (up to one cup a day).
- Incorporate healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids and fats found in avocados, olive oil, eggs, organic coconut oil and grass-fed meat.
- If possible, avoid or at least minimize the consumption of dairy. You may have occasional helpings of yogurt, cheese and ghee if it doesn’t upset your system.
- Meat should be your side course, not the entrée. It is recommended to consume 4 to 6 ounces of meat per meal. Similarly, if you choose to eat seafood, make sure you pick low-toxin types like wild-caught salmon, anchovies and sardines that are harvested sustainably.
With these guidelines in hand, you can now decide whether a pegan diet will be right for your dietary needs.
The content of this Website is for informational purposes only, is general in nature and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and does not constitute professional advice. The information on this Website should not be considered as complete and does not cover all diseases, ailments, physical conditions, or their treatment. You should consult with your physician before beginning any exercise, weight loss, or health care program and/or any of the beauty treatments.
References
Hyman, M. (2018, February 27). This Weird Diet Is Actually The Healthiest, According To One Of The Country’s Top Functional Docs. Retrieved from https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/what-is-the-pegan-diet
