What is the Pegan diet?
Posted on: 04/Apr/2018 12:42:58 PM
In the growing list of diets, a new fad, known as Pegan is gaining popularity. The diet is a crossbreed of two popular diets - paleo and vegan.
Vegan diet relies solely on plant-based foods and paleo takes pride in heavy meat consumption. Here is more.
It is a relatively new diet founded by Dr Mark Hyman in 2015. According to Hyman, Food is more powerful than any drug to reverse disease. The diet is a hunter-gatherer style of eating where one needs to add plenty of the plant-based food like the vegans do, but avoid processed foods like the paleo diet, to get the ultimate health hybrid.
Pegan diet based on the 75/25 rule, where 75 percent of their diet consists of fruits and vegetables and the remaining 25 percent should be of protein and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.
People following the diet should avoid starchy veggies such potato, sweet potato, corn and go for non-starchy ones. For protein, the diet encourages people to choose a combination of animal and plant-based foods. Healthy fats can also be added to the diet which includes, omega-3 rich sources, found mostly in fatty fish, olive oil, nuts, and avocado. It encourages having local, organic and sustainably sourced foods when possible.
Pegan diet followers need to exclude all dairy products like milk, butter, cheese, and yogurt, just like a vegan diet. However, dairy alternatives or plant-based milk products such as almond milk and soy yogurt are allowed but just one serve a day.
Wheat-based products are excluded. However, gluten-free grains such as quinoa and brown rice are allowed but only sparingly. Pegan diet also discourages artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners in the food.
