Can The Pegan Diet Help You Lose Weight? Check Out This!

Created by Dr. Mark Hyman, the Pegan diet is a combination of two popular vegan and paleo diet trends. According to Dr. Hyman, Pegan diets promote better health and balances blood sugar levels in the body. It also reduces inflammation in the body.

Is It Possible To Lose Weight With The Pegan Diet?

Whereas almost every diet content is proven healthy, some people still believe that Vegan diets are the most effective diets to lose weight. In today’s article, we will point out those points which focus on the plus point of the Pegan diet and how it is different from other styles. Also, how you too can lose weight easily by following the Pegan diet. So let’s start exploring this unique diet style little by little.

What Exactly Is The Pegan Diet?

The concept of the Pegan diet is quite new and was first introduced by Dr. Mark Hyman in the year 2014. The inspiration behind this specific dietary plan came from two of the fittest and health-conscious athletes in the world, Lebron James and Rich Roll. One is a famous basketball player, whereas the latter one is the five-time iron man marathon champion.

Lebron is famously known for following his Paleo diet, and Rich is famous for his ultra nutritious vegan diet. So, this inspired Hyman to mix these two diets with some personal needs in consideration to form the perfect diet according to him.

Just like every other diet, the Pegan diet too has many rules which need to be followed. Below is the summary of what it consists of:-

It follows an easy to remember 5-4-3-2-1 style

• 5 daily servings of Vegetables
• 4 daily servings of Carbs
• 3 daily servings of Proteins
• 2 daily servings of Healthy Fats
• 1 daily serving of Dairy substitute

Perks Of Following Pegan Diet

Hard work pays off and following the Pegan Diet is very much rewarding. This is because the Pegan diet has a very significant effect on those who want to lose weight quickly. The Pegan diet is filled with fiber-loaded vegetables and satiating fats, which does more than a single positive effect on the body.

First, the high protein and fiber-rich food items remain in the stomach for a longer period. This means one feels less hungry than normal since food is hard to digest and keeps the stomach full for most of the day. And the second advantage of high protein is that it helps build muscle in the body. This helps in the healthy growth of the physique and also more energy consumption daily. Therefore, less hunger and more energy consumption eventually have a positive effect on your weight loss journey. 

What Food Items Are There On The Pegan Diet Menu?

The Pegan diet is more inclined towards whole food items or items that have gone through little to no artificial processing. This means almost everything is 100% organic.

1) Vegetables and fruits

Now, the very first thing that a Pegan diet consists of is plants. Green vegetables and fruits constitute a large part of the diet. Almost 75% includes green vegetables. These may include green leafy vegetables, Low Glycemic fruits, berries, and other non-starchy fruits and vegetables. The plan consists of very low starch since it focuses a lot on minimizing the consumer’s blood sugar levels.

2) Lots of proteins

Even though the Pegan diet focuses more on plants for energy, proteins also have a very big share in the system. And protein consumption is highly encouraged if you are following the Pegan diet judiciously. But, it is also said that these proteins should be animal-based which may create a problem for a few people out there. But in any case, you must take a good amount of protein, it doesn’t matter if you eat non-vegetarian food or not.

3) Minimal fats

Fats highly frown upon nutrients when it comes to losing weight. But while following the Pegan diet, it is advised to ingest a minimal quantity of fats at least into the body. Sources of such good fats can be:-

• Coconuts
• Avocados
• Seed oils
• Nuts
• Olives etc

4) Whole grains

Since starch intake is prohibited in the Pegan diet, only a limited choice of grains is allowed in the list. This is because the diet concentrates a lot on blood sugar and gluten balancing in the body. And even if you consume, it is advised that you reduce it as much as possible. 

What All To Avoid During Weight Loss?

Since the Pegan diet is a merger of two different diet styles, it is much more flexible than any other diet. But even though you can modify it, it contains a lot of food items that are said to be banned from the list. These food items include:-

• Dairy- any type of yogurt, milk and cheese needs to be cut down immediately. Food items that are made from sheep/goat milk are still permitted but only in very limited quantities.
• Sugar – Any type of added sugar source must be cut down from your plate. 
• Food additives – Artificial preservatives and oils and colors should be avoided at all costs.
• Gluten – Gluten containing food items such as grains must be avoided
• Legumes – Legumes increase blood sugar levels. Hence, one should avoid and reduce its consumption.

What Must Be Followed?

The basic requirement the Pegan diet asks for is discipline. The plan itself is not that hard and one can easily complete the whole journey if he/she is even 10% concentrated on reaching their goals. Many sample diets and menus are already available on the internet for your reference.

In case you become curious and want to know more about the diet. It is advised that you must research paleo and vegan diets first. Understand those two diets and then start researching what all are there in the Pegan diet system.