What Should You Know About The Pegan Diet?
The basis of the pegan diet is the consumption of plant foods. It is in fact a combination of the paleo diet and the vegan diet, in which you eat some animal products. The paleo diet is the diet that would follow the eating habits of our Paleolithic ancestors.
What is the pegan diet?
The pegan diet was developed by American nutritionist Mark Hyman. The main thing that the paleo diet has in common with the pegan diet is that it does not include ultra-processed foods.
However, it’s not just about eating the same food our ancestors did, but the way they ate it. This is the reasoning behind avoiding products like:
- highly refined foods
- cold cuts and sausages
- ultra-processed products
As we said before, the pegan diet is all about eating only foods of plant origin, but it also means making sure it’s not ultra-processed foods. Therefore, food such as tofu or tempeh would also not be allowed.
The keys to the pegan diet
The success of this diet comes from its ingredients. That’s because they must be natural and free of chemicals and genetically modified organisms. Also, 75% of the food must be plant-based and of natural, ecological and sustainable origin.
Healthy fats are necessary because they play a fundamental role in the health of the body. Avocados, coconut oil, nuts or extra virgin olive oil are more than welcome. Healthy fats provide essential fatty acids, among other things.
Only 25% of the food should be of non-vegetable origin. The meat must come from grass-fed animals, the fish must be wild-caught and the eggs must be organic.
Legumes are strongly encouraged, especially lentils. People following this diet should eat one cup of legumes per day. They should also eat gluten-free grains such as:
- Quinoa
- amaranth seeds
- oats that are not contaminated with gluten
- maize
- rice
- millet
In addition, sugars and refined grains must be eliminated as much as possible. This is because the excessive consumption of sugars and fast carbohydrates increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.
In addition, the pegan diet discourages dairy and suggests replacing it with plant-based drinks such as soy or oat milk.
The benefits of the pegan diet
This diet does not exclude any ingredient that is important for the well-being of your body. So it provides you with everything you need to have enough energy and function well with a careful balance of ingredients. We list the most important properties below.
It balances blood sugar and insulin
This is a low glycemic index diet, so it balances your insulin and blood sugar. This is because it contains little to no refined flour and carbohydrates.
Following the pegan diet is said to help improve symptoms of diabetes, stress, anxiety and other diseases associated with blood sugar disorders.
It regulates cholesterol
The effect of this diet on cholesterol levels also reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. This is partly due to lower meat consumption. It also improves inflammation thanks to the contribution of omega 3 fatty acids, which you can find in:
- flax seed
- salmon
- nuts
It contains few toxins
This diet promotes the consumption of local, ecological and non-toxic products and the respectful treatment of animals. It can also help you lose weight and keep it low.
Is the pegan diet healthy?
The question is whether the pegan diet is really healthy and whether it can help you lose and maintain optimal weight. The main problem with this diet is that it may be too strict because it is a combination of both a vegan and a paleo diet.
In addition, it also limits the consumption of legumes, some proteins of plant origin and any kind of ultra-processed foods, even if it is minimal. Consult a nutritionist before making a decision to follow it.
Conclusion
Remember, there is no evidence to date that this type of diet has any benefits over other, less strict diets. Despite the benefits, the other two diets on which the pegan diet is based (paleo and vegan) are less strict and may be more appropriate in the long run.
