There are many different diets out there and chances are no matter how unique your body is there is a diet that can help you get to your optimal weight. There are two specific diets that many people have been raving about over the past few years: the paleo diet and the vegan diet.
Both of these diets bring something special to the table. The idea behind the paleo diet is that you only consume foods such as those that were eaten by early humans. The main sources of nutrients in this type of a diet is meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit, while dairy and grain products are to be avoided, same goes for processed foods. The vegan diet is very different. Those who follow the vegan diet exclude meat, eggs, and dairy products from their diet completely. In fact, all animal-derived foods are omitted from your diet if you are following the vegan diet. Both of these diets are only similar in one aspect: exception of dairy products.
While individually these diets seem to suit very specific needs, recently a new diet was created that takes the best of both of these diets and combines them into one revolutionary diet that many of you might think is impossible to follow.
What Is Pegan 365 Diet?
The Pegan diet is a combination of both paleo and vegan principals. It was created by Dr. Mark Hyman in 2015. The idea behind the diet is to use the strengths of the paleo diet and apply principals of the vegan diet into a single complete diet.
Some of you might instantly jump to conclusion and think that this diet is simply impossible and even counterintuitive to follow. However, we urge you to look into it a little bit more and you will soon realize that not only is this diet sensible but it is also much healthier than the Standard American Diet. All you have to do is establish a few key ground rules which you must follow and stick to them.
Pegan 365 Diet Paleo & Vegan Combination Weight Loss Diet Basics
While this diet does make a lot of sense and it does focus on the best of both paleo and vegan diets, it also does require some careful attention. Here are a few basics that you should observe when you follow the Pegan 365 Diet.
Pegan 365 Diet Shopping List
There are ten different food categories that you should be looking for when you are planning your meals for the Pegan diet. Always remember that dairy is off the table and the same goes for processed foods.
Fruits
You are allowed any fresh or frozen fruits. Apples, bananas, cherries, kiwis, dark berries, grapefruit, olives, mangos, oranges, pears, peaches, plums, pineapples are just some examples.
Healthy Fats
Always focus on healthy fat foods. Nuts can be eaten all around without limitations. Nut and seed butters are also allowed. When it comes to oil it is best to stick to coconut and olive only. Avocados and olives are also an excellent source of healthy fats. Remember that seeds such as flax, chia, pumpkin, and sunflower can all be added to the diet as well.
Protein Option (Paleo)
The protein should always come from grass-fed meat sources, eggs, wild game, and low mercury wild caught fish. This is absolutely vital to follow.
Protein Option (Vegan)
When it comes to vegan type protein options your best choices are beans, tofu, and tempeh.
Whole Grains
Everything should be 100% whole grains, this goes for bread and pasta. Brown rice is allowed as well. Buckwheat and oats are also a good choice. Lastly, Ezekiel bread is also acceptable.
Non-Starchy Vegetables
Pretty much any fresh nonstarchy vegetable is okay to buy and add to the diet. Beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, celery, cauliflower, daikon, eggplant, cucumber, tomatoes, all of these and more are allowed.
Starchy Vegetables
When it comes to vegetables that have a lot of starch in them focus on the following four: carrots, corn, sweet potatoes, and squash. Avoid regular potatoes.
Dairy Subs
If you are absolutely craving dairy type foods try to use non-dairy yogurt, nut milk, and nut cheese. These are all good dairy substitutes that should get your cravings under control.
Spices and Sauces
Focus on using these to add some additional taste to your meals: crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne, garlic, Dijon mustard, ground pepper, ginger, oregano, hot sauce, parsley, paprika, thyme, and rosemary. Notice that there is no salt on the list.
Sweeteners
Processed sugar is absolutely out of the question so if you need a bit of sweetness in your meals try to use honey, dates, vanilla, stevia, or maple syrup.
Pegan 365 Diet Recommended Foods
If you focus on these foods and avoid the temptation to sneak in something you used to indulge in, you should be able to stick with the diet without any problems.
5 Cups Of Vegetables Each Day
The cornerstone of this diet, and a healthy life for that matter, is eating plenty of vegetables. This diet isn’t an exception; in fact, it’s the focal point of this diet to consume mostly vegetables. Ideally, you want to eat at least 5 cups of non-starchy veggies every day. This doesn’t mean that starchy veggies are out but you should only eat about 2 cups of those per day and you should only focus on veggies like sweet potatoes, carrots, and squad. As long as you snack on mainly veggies and keep adding them to all of your meals, this shouldn’t be a problem to accomplish.
4 Carbs Per Day
Carb foods are usually considered to be grain-based products, which is true, but most fruits also have a very high amount of carbs in them. When following the pegan diet you can eat four servings of carbs per day. This should be a mix of grains and fruits, or one or the other. Just make sure that if you eat four serving of one, you don’t exceed your daily limit by accidentally snacking on the other carb type.
3 Serving Of Protein
Luckily for you, the pegan diet has plenty of options when it comes to protein, so adding 3 different servings throughout the day shouldn’t be an issue. You do have to remember that 1 of those protein sources should come from a paleo protein while the 2 others should be vegan. The vegan protein can come from seeds, beans, tofu, and tempeh; these are the most used options, while the paleo protein is usually eggs or grass-fed lean meats.
2 Healthy Fats Daily
Fats are absolutely essential to our diet; they ensure that our body functions properly. Furthermore, if you are looking to lose weight it is absolutely essential to add healthy fats to your diet. Ideally, you want to add about two serving of fats per day to your diet. Foods like olive oil, nuts, avocado, nut butters all of these are an excellent source of healthy fats and help greatly with your heart health and cholesterol levels. Don’t overdo it on the number of servings of these foods daily.
1 Non-Dairy Product Daily
Dairy products should be avoided at all times. The only thing you should consume is a single serving of a non-dairy product per day; it’s a lot healthier and better for you in the long run. Nut milk or non-dairy yogurt are both exceptional options, and don’t forget about nut cheese.
Reduce Alcohol
While small quantities of alcohol do show some benefits, you should reduce your alcohol consumption as much as possible. Most alcohols are pretty much liquid calories. They contain a lot of sugar and have a tendency to lead to weight gain, even if your diet is in top shape. The best thing to do is limit your alcohol intake to about 2 drinks per week. Also, when you do consume alcohol try to stick to its pure form instead of mixing juices into it which introduces even more calories into your system.
Desserts Are OK
Yes! This is a diet that allows you to have desserts, in moderation. While observing the pegan diet you should stick to two desserts per week. Obviously, you will have to stay away from dairy-based products but there are other options out there. Non-dairy ice cream is a good choice as well as dark chocolate.
Cheat Day
It is well known that controlling yourself is a lot harder if you completely cut everything out of your diet, besides there are all those special occasions that you might want to be a part of. The Pegan 365 diet gives you one cheat day per week. It is completely up to you when you want to have that cheat day, the only thing you have to keep in mind is to make sure not to go over your limit.
Exercise Is A Must
No matter how exceptional your diet is, if you sit on a couch all day the fat will just keep piling on. Physical activity is as vital as a proper diet plan. All you need to do is move. No need to go to the gym every day and work out for hours. You can choose to be active at home or at the nearest park. All you need is 30 minutes of proper exercise at least 3 times per week. This can be a walk around the block.
Pegan 365 Diet Summary
While this isn’t exactly one of the easiest diets to follow, then again which diet is, the results of following the Pegan 365 Diet are generally very promising. Combining the best of both vegan and paleo diets turns out to be a very good idea. Your body needs proper nutrition to function correctly and for a long duration. Even if you aren’t overweight and already are at your optimal weight, it might be a good idea to choose to follow this type of a diet.
There is one thing that you should remember, even though this diet is tailored as much as possible to a broad spectrum of people, it is still pretty unique. This means that some of you might need to alter it to meet your specific body needs. Because of this we strongly suggest that you talk to your doctor or a nutritionist to decide whether this diet is the right one for you or if you need to tweak it or alter it. Every person is different in their own way and so is their body.
