You may be aware about popular diets like the vegan diet and keto diet. Well, pegan diet is another popular diet among health enthusiasts.
The pegan diet(Paleo-Vegan) was created by the physician Dr. Mark Hyman in 2014. It is a combination of the Paleo diet and veganism which creates a new way to stay healthy and lose weight.
WHAT FOODS CAN BE EATEN ON THE PEGAN DIET
The pegan diet has to do with clean eating. Foods that have undergone little to no processing.
Some of these foods are:
- Fruits
- Nuts, with an exception to peanuts
- Low starch vegetable and vegetables that are low on glycemic index like tomatoes, broccoli, carrot, and peas.
- Avocado and olives
- Seeds like pumpkin, flax and chia, not including processed seed oils.
- Coconut
- Meats like beef, chicken and pork, turkey, lamb etc.
- Eggs
- High fat and low mercury fishes like salmon, cod and herring
- Grains like brown rice, quinoa, oats and amaranth
It is however advised, that you restrict these foods if you have diabetes or any other condition that affects blood sugar control.
WHAT SHOULDN'T YOU EAT ON A PEGAN DIET?
The pegan diet is very flexible because it includes almost any food. However, there are some foods that are discouraged in the pegan diet.
Diary and gluten foods are highly discouraged. Processed foods that have additives to elongate their shelf life are also discouraged.
These are some of the foods that should be avoided in a pegan diet:
- Bread
- Pasta
- Granola
- Beer
- Cereals
- Cheese
- Yogurt
- Cow's milk
- Any food with additives, preservatives, coloring, and flavoring
These foods are avoided because of their impact on blood sugar in the body.
HEALTH BENEITS OF THE PEGAN DIET
The pegan diet can be beneficial to your health in many ways. Although, experts are saying they need more data to decide if it's good for you.
The fact that the pegan diet involves the intake of fruits and vegetables makes it beneficial to your health.
Fruits and vegetables are very nutritional. They're full of vitamins, fiber and minerals which are known to prevent diseases. The pegan diet also includes healthy fats from nuts, fish, seeds and plants which is beneficial to your heart health.
Also, the pegan diet is more of a plant-based diet, and a plant-based can really boost your health, lower your weight and reduce bad cholesterol in your body.
BOTTOM LINE
The pegan diet is great, but, it is a good idea to talk to a professional before changing your diet, especially if a plant-based diet is not what you're used to eating.
Make sure to consult your doctor, dietician, or nutritionist to help you plan your diet and find the option that is best for you.