Peganism: The Best of Paleo and Vegan Diets
A healthy and sustainable way of eating, Peganism cherry-picks the best bits of the paleo diet and veganism, making the diet trend kinder to animals. This post from Telegraph highlights the new diet fad that is not just healthy for us but for the planet too.
Veganism is, according to new reports, the best way to lose weight. But if the thought of giving up animal-based products forever makes you shudder, never fear – ‘peganism’ could be the regime for you.
The pegan diet involves cherry picking aspects from veganism and the paleo diet to create a healthy and sustainable diet, consisting of 75 per cent fruit and veg, 25 per cent animal protein and high-quality fat.
Those following the pegan diet do not eat dairy products or gluten and are only allowed very small quantities of sugar.
On his website, Dr Mark Hyman – the man who coined the term ‘pegan’ – wrote: “This way of eating makes the most sense for our health and the health of our planet. It is sustainable and kinder to animals.”
He adds that, if followed correctly, the diet can help to achieve weight loss, lower cholesterol levels, and lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
A recent study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine revealed that those on a vegan diet see higher levels of weight loss than people following other diets, including the Atkins diet.
The researchers found that diets rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables were more “effective than non-vegetarian diets for weight loss”.
Currently there are almost 10,000 posts on Instagram dedicated to the latest trend.
Nutrionist Sarah Flower says low carb diets that are also high in fats have often produced positive results with regards to ill heath: “The fact that this diet avoids processed foods completely makes it healthier. As with all variations of the paleo diet, they all avoid processed food, so whatever ratio of healthy fats and proteins you choose, it will still be much better for your health than a conventional western diet.
“However, as with all diets, interpretation is key and you need to know all about nutrition in order to choose the right foods to ensure a balanced diet. For example, this diet recommends little sugar and yet someone could consume high levels of fruit which will contain high levels of fructose. The 25 per cent of meat in their diet ideally needs to be the purest form of grass-fed produce, so I still can’t understand where the vegan link comes in.”
Source: Peganism: paleo plus vegan equals weight loss – Telegraph
