24 January, 2015
Introducing The “Pegan” Diet
I have to say, this is kind of how we have been eating – its really just the paleo diet with less meat. And since I’ve been diagnosed with some gout issues, my doctor has sworn me off of beans, so we’ll just have to eat more meat. How sad. 🙂
When it comes to nutrition, the mind-boggling mix of advice can make anyone’s head spin. Should you eat whole grains, or avoid gluten? Consume lean protein, or be a vegetarian? Go low-fat, or eat plenty of fat with every meal? It’s no wonder we’re all confused about what we should—or shouldn’t—eat.
The perpetual debate can be divided into two main (and seemingly opposing) camps: Paleo and vegan. Devotees of the Paleo (or “caveman”) diet, consume foods that our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate: meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, and fruit. Grains, legumes, sugars, processed foods,and most dairy products are forbidden. A vegan diet, on the other hand, consists of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and seeds—and prohibits anythingthat comes from an animal.
Followers of each are staunch in defending the benefits of their diet, and science isn’t much help when it comes to differentiating between the two. Studies show both Paleo and vegan diets can help with weight loss, reverse diabetes, and lower cholesterol. How can you tell which is best for you?
“Although they may sound completely at odds, the truth is Paleo and vegan diets have more in common with each other than either have with the standard American diet,” says Mark Hyman, M.D., director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine and author of the forth coming book, The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Cookbook (March 2015).
“The foundational principles of both diets—real whole, fresh food in its natural state free of processed ingredients, refined carbohydrates, and additives—are the same,” Hyman explains. “Designed correctly, both a Paleo and vegan diet can provide health benefits like weight loss, lowered cholesterol, and reverse diabetes.”
Hyman decided to seek some middle ground and combined the two opposing diets together. “Taking the best, most healthful qualities of both diets, I wanted to create an eating style that combines the best of two worlds,” Hyman says. The result: Paleo-Vegan, or “Pegan” diet.