This year, one of the top hot dieting trends is the Pegan Diet. It’s making health, wellness and weight loss headlines across the internet. What’s not to love? After all, the Paleo diet is criticized for not including enough vegetables. Vegan diets are criticized for not containing enough protein. This brings them both together. But is it really as good as so many articles have promised?
What is the Pegan Diet?
The Pegan Diet is meant to combine the best of the Paleo Diet and vegan diets. The claim is that it promotes better overall health and will even reduce the risk of diabetes – or improve the condition among those who have it. A new report has also indicated that it could be one of the better diets for supporting weight loss and improving the microbiome in the gut.
Of course, it’s a very good idea to recognize that the Pegan Diet is a relatively new concept and researchers have yet to investigate its outcomes in any realistic way. Therefore, all the claims made about the health benefits of this diet should be taken with care. While the claims may be true, they’re based on speculation or anecdotal evidence. There has yet to be substantial, reputable pure science to back them up.
How to Follow a Pegan Diet
Following a Pegan Diet means you’re going to be sticking to an eating strategy of only plant-based products. This means that you won’t have most animal products or animal by-products. The idea is that you will be eating only what you would be able to obtain as a gatherer, not a hunter.
That said, unlike a traditional vegan diet, some animal-based products are still allowed. This usually consists of certain meats and fish. It also allows for very small amounts of processed sugars and oils, though those are mainly supposed to be avoided.
What Do You Eat if You’re Following a Pegan Diet?
Three quarters of your diet will be made up of plan-t based nutrients if you’re following a Pegan Diet. Overall, any fruits and berries you eat should be low on the glycemic index and only small amounts of starchy veggies should be permitted. The goal is to keep your blood sugar levels from spiking and crashing. On the other hand, you can eat lots of non-starchy veggies.
You can eat fatty fish (not just any seafood) and flax seeds, as well as unsaturated fats such as nuts, seeds and avocados. Some ghee or butter is allowed, though that should also be kept to a small amount.
