Forget Keto. The World is Going Pegan!

Just what is the Pegan Diet?

 

The Pegan diet, created by Dr. Mark Hyman, combines key principles from paleo and vegan diets based on the notion that nutrient-dense, whole foods can reduce inflammation, balance blood sugar, and support optimal health. If your first thought is that going Paleo and Vegan simultaneously sounds nearly impossible, you’re not alone.

 

Despite its name, the Pegan diet is unique and has its own set of guidelines. In fact, it’s less restrictive than either a paleo or vegan diet by itself. Major emphasis is placed on vegetables and fruit, but intake of small to moderate amounts of meat, certain fish, nuts, seeds, and some legumes is also allowed. Heavily processed sugars, oils, and grains are discouraged — but still acceptable in very small amounts.

The Pegan diet is not designed as a typical, short-term diet. Instead, it aims to be more sustainable so that you can follow it indefinitely.

 

The Pegan diet focuses strongly on whole foods, or foods that have undergone little to no processing before they make it to your plate. The primary food group for the Pegan diet is vegetables and fruit — these should comprise 75% of your total intake, and low-glycemic fruits and vegetables, such as berries and non-starchy vegetables, should be emphasized in order to minimize your blood sugar response.   Small amounts of starchy vegetables and sugary fruits may be allowed for those who have already achieved healthy blood sugar control prior to starting the diet.

 

This means the remaining 25% remains for animal-based proteins, which is encouraged. So, you’ll have a much lower meat intake than you would on a typical paleo diet, but still more than on any vegan diet. Also, the pegan diet discourages eating conventionally farmed meats or eggs. Instead, it places emphasis on grass-fed, pasture-raised sources of beef, pork, poultry, and whole eggs. It also encourages intake of fish — specifically those that tend to have low mercury content like sardines and wild salmon.

 

What about fats? Well, in this diet, they want you to eat healthy fats from specific sources, such as:

Nuts (except peanuts), Seeds (Except processed seed oils), Avocados and olives (Cold-pressed olive and avocado oil may also be used), Unrefined Coconut Oil, Omega-3s (Especially those from low-mercury fish or algae), and fats found in Grass-fed, pasture-raised meats and whole eggs.

 

Although most grains and legumes are discouraged on the pegan diet due to their potential to influence blood sugar, some gluten-free whole grains and legumes are permitted in limited quantities, but grain intake ( Black Rice, Quinoa, Amaranth, Millet, Teff and Oats) should not exceed more than a 1/2 cup (125 grams) per meal, while your legumes (Lentils, Chickpeas, Black Beans and Pinto Beans) intake should not exceed 1 cup (75 grams) per day. That said, you should further restrict these foods if you have diabetes or another condition that contributes to poor blood sugar control.

 

The Pegan diet is more flexible than a paleo or vegan diet because it allows occasional intake of almost any food. However, several foods and food groups are strongly discouraged, due to their perceived impact on blood sugar and/or inflammation in your system. These include most Cow’s Milk Dairy Products (exceptions made for sheep or goat’s milk in limited quantities), Gluten, High-Starch Legumes, Added Sugars, Refined Oils (Canola, Soybean, Sunflower, Corn), and Food Additives. Some of these foods are known to be unhealthy, while others may be considered very healthy — depending on whom you ask.

 

There are many well-researched reasons why the pegan diet may be good for you. For example, the emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables, which are some of the most nutritionally diverse foods out there.  They’re full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds known to prevent disease and reduce both oxidative stress and inflammation. The Pegan diet also emphasizes healthy, unsaturated fats from fish, nuts, seeds, and other plants that may have a positive impact on heart health. Furthermore, diets that rely on whole foods and contain few ultra-processed foods are associated with an improvement in overall diet quality.

 

Although the Pegan diet allows for more flexibility than a vegan or paleo diet alone, many of the proposed restrictions unnecessarily limit very healthy foods, such as legumes, whole grains, and dairy. Furthermore, arbitrary elimination of large groups of foods can lead to nutrient deficiencies if those nutrients aren’t carefully replaced. So, you may need a basic understanding of nutrition to implement the Pegan diet safely. And, for many people, getting a hold of and devoting time to preparing these specific foods may be a difficult, expensive, and time consuming.

 

The bottom line is, the Pegan diet, while rich in many nutrients that can promote optimal health, may be too restrictive for many people. You can give this diet a try to see how your body responds. If you’re already paleo or vegan and are interested in modifying your diet, the Pegan diet may be easier to adjust to.

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