Pegan Diet, Is It Right For You?
When it comes to eating well I like paleo. I like intermittent fasting. I like keto green. I like vegan. But what I actually love is muscle testing food to see specifically what your body’s biofeedback is and creating a diet specifically for you. When muscle testing it’s surprising to see the results. Sometimes it’s vegan except yes to cheese but not milk. It’s because the fermentation process of cheese allows the person to have it. Sometimes when muscle testing it’s paleo without the fruit because even fruit sugar is too much sugar for that person. It’s wonderful to get these specific results when muscle testing. So when Dr. Mark Hyman came out with a new book called The Pegan Diet Paleo + Vegan = Pegan I was definitely intrigued just like when I loved Dr. Anna Cabeca’s book Keto Green came out I was super excited because I knew there had to be a healthier way to do keto. Yet again, keto green is not for everyone because maybe you don’t do well with cruciferous vegetables.
Just like all the other ‘diets’ published there is not one specific diet for everyone but I did enjoy reading The Pegan Diet and how Dr. Hyman simplified great nutritional advice in 21 principles which I will summarize below.
1.Use food as your Farmacy
He goes into details of exactly how food is medicine and eating the right types of food can support your immune system, hormones, circulation, digestion, energy, and detoxification system. He also explains how eating healthy fats helps support every single cell in your body.
2. Eat the Rainbow
Pegan diet is double the fruit and vegetables compared to the US dietary guidelines which says 3 cups a day. The optimal amount should be 6 to 8 cups of fruit and veggies a day. A serving is usually 1/2 cup so this is 12 to 16 servings a day. If you know me well enough you know that I think fruit servings should be limited to one or two servings a day depending on the muscle testing so the rest should be veggies. Dr. Hyman’s goal in this chapter is to show you all the different benefits one can get when eating a variety of fruits and vegetables and even breaks it down in a chart listing all the different colored foods with their phytochemicals and benefits. There is a list of red foods, orange foods, yellow foods, etc.
3. Follow the 75% Rule
Fill 75% of your plate with non-starchy veggies. If you aren’t sure what a non-starchy vegetable is we have a chart in the office and can give it to you next time.
4. Eat the Right Beans, Whole Grains, Nuts and Seeds
A handful or two or nuts and seeds is good but they have to be raw and soaked overnight and then lightly toasted for better digestion. That is why we carry sprouted almonds and sprouted grainless granola and sprouted cashews in the office. Nut flours should be eaten minimally for it is too highly processed. Non-starchy beans are good and should be only 1/2 cup per day and include lentils, lupine beans, peas, snow peas, black eyed peas, mung beans and traditional organic soy products. Soak the dried beans for a few hours or overnight and not from a can. Can also be cooked in a pressure cooker instead with a sheet of seaweed for extra nutrition. He suggests kombu. Stick to 1/2 to 1 cup whole grains a day. If you have gut dysbiosis, want to lose weight or auto-immune disease take a 3 week holiday from grains and notice how you feel.
5. Eat Your Meat as Medicine
Eat only quality meat. If you aren’t sure what that means, read my blog on grass-fed meat. Life Without Bread is a book going into detail how a diet rich in animal protein can be beneficial. The book is based on 40 years of research from the 1950s through 1990s, before the quality of meat went downhill so I recommend that if you eat meat that it has to be good quality. Pegan Diet book explains how studies show that grass-fed, regeneratively raised meat cooked the right way can give good nutrition but meat is a side dish no the main entree. Good quality meat can be hard to find. Here is what I have used.
6. Be Picky About Your Poultry, Eggs and Fish
Again it’s about quality. Eat pasture raised chicken, turkey, duck and eggs when possible. Pasture-raised is even better than organic. Pasture-raised eggs can be found in grocery stores but to get pasture-raised chicken, turkey or duck I need to go to a farmer’s market. Stick with low-mercury, wild fish, three times a week. Be careful with shellfish. It’s hard to get wild. If you can’t get wild eat fish farmed with sustainable, restorative or regenerative practices. Checkout www.cleanfish.com to learn more. For online options my favorite resources for quality fish is thrivwemarket.comand butcherbox.com
7. Have Fats with Every Meal
Fat is your friend. When I started eating more healthy fats I became stronger and more energized. The right fats can make you healthy and lean. They are also good for the brain and heart. The wrong fats can be deadly. Unlike sugar, which is all bad, fats are complicated. For a list of healthy vs. non-healthy fats just email me and I can email you back a chart or give a handout at the office. It’s all about eating the right type of fats. We need fats to survive. Every cell is made of fat. Every nerve is wrapped in a layer of fat. Our brain is 60% fat. Our hormones are made of fat. To make it easy stick with organic avocado oil, organic extra virgin olive oil and coconut or MCT oil and do not eat fats with sugar or starch.
8. Avoid Dairy (Mostly)
Dairy is not an essential food group. A lot of people are dairy sensitive. Consume only full fat dairy products. Low-fat dairy is harder to digest. If you do muscle test well for dairy goat and sheep dairy is healthier. The best cow milk is A2 milk. Grass-fed butter and ghee is different than cheese and milk and can be fine to use.
9. Eat Like a Regenetarian
Shop local and organic. Join a CSA (community-supported agriculture) program if you can. Go to localharvest.org to find one in your area. Shop farmers’ markets too. End food waste as much as you can. Look for ROC (regenerative organic certified) label on your food. Limit your use of plastic. We do so much plastic detox in the office. Plastic is a huge source of infertility and other hormone concerns.
10.Treat Sugar Like a Recreational Drug
White refined sugar is addicting and for better health really should not be ingested. Brown sugar, cane sugar high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols are also toxic. Yes I eat sugar but it’s in limited amounts and includes stevia, coconut sugar, honey, and maple syrup. Other options are monk fruit and agave but my body tends not to like them so I stay away.
11. Don’t Rely on Coffee and Alcohol
Even if you muscle test well for alcohol it should be limited. We also muscle test coffee separate from caffeine to see if a patient can do either. Green tea really has the most health benefits of any caffeinated beverage. Your beverage of choice should always be water.
12. Leverage Personalized Nutrition for Optimal Health
This is where Healing Arts and muscle testing shine. We also work with functional medicine doctors when patients need blood work.
13. Cleanse, Detox and Reset Wisely
Dr. Hyman gives a specific 10 day cleansing diet to help detox and reset your body. To also help cleanse your body he suggests eating your last meal at least 2 hours before bed and at least 12-14 hours between diner and breakfast. Part of good health is good sleep. He suggests committing to a bedtime daily and turning off electronics at least 45 minutes before bed including the TV. I usually suggest 30 min.
14.Assess the Risks and Benefits of a Vegan Diet
Whether you are vegan or not 75% of your plate should be non-starchy vegetables. Eat green leafy vegetables, cucumbers, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, etc. if you test for it. Make sure you are eating protein-rich vegan foods including lentils which are the highest source of protein for any plant. Adding a protein shake is easy. Try one made with pea protein or hemp protein. Over the last couple of years there have been some really good ones that have come out. Take supplements as needed, especially vitamin B12 and iron.
15. Eat for Gut Health
Health is all about having good gut flora. No matter what your health concerns are bad gut flora is playing some sort of role. Bad gut flora drives inflammation which is at the root of all chronic disease and obesity. In this chapter is a recipe for a gut healing shake with colostrum, prebiotic, probiotic and collagen. His steps for healing the gut are similar to mine and are 1. Weed 2. Seed 3. Feed. Weed out and kill bad gut flora using supplements and eating no sugar. Sugar will feed the bad gut flora. Seed is eating probiotic-rich foods like sauerkraut and kimchi and taking a probiotic. Feed is eating fiber-rich foods for prebiotic benefits so the good bacteria can grow.
16. Eat for Longevity
To have a solid foundation for living as healthy as possible for as long as possible the Pegan Diet has 4 points. 1. Keep your fasting blood sugar to 70-85mg/dL. If it’s higher than this remove all sugars, including healthy ones, and refined starches from your diet, including gluten-free breads, pasta, all rice and potatoes. Stress can also cause blood sugar to go up so meditate, deep breathing, yoga or other relaxing techniques. 2. Eat protective, disease-fighting foods. These include green, leafy vegetables, organic, wild blueberries, organic broccoli and green tea. 3. Build muscle. The older you are the harder it is to build muscle so build muscle now and lift weights to keep the muscle you have. 4. Incorporate intermittent fasting. I suggest intermittent fasting only if you muscle test for it because it’s not for everyone. He suggests doing a 24 hour fast once a month as well. Some of my patients muscle test well for and get good results with fasting 24 hours once a week.
17. Eat to Boost Mood
The number one thing that will help boost your mood is to not let your blood sugar go up and down. Keep your blood sugar balanced with eating frequent healthy meals with healthy fats. Eat brain-boosting foods such as fish, nuts, seeds and green tea. Lastly, work with someone to see what nutrition you may be lacking (this is where we come in) or at least start with a multi vitamin made from organic food.
18. Make Healthy Eating Affordable
Plan ahead and go grocery shopping. It costs more to pick up food on the go. Taking your lunch to work with you will save so much money. If you don’t cook just make it easy with salads. You could also learn to cook 4-5 meals and cook extra so you have leftovers for lunch the next day. Track your spending habits. Shop at discount stores. I have a routine of shopping at 3 different grocery stores to meet all my family requirements as cheaply as possible plus then thrivwemarket.com and the CSA.
19. Feed Your Kids What You Eat
Families who cook and eat together build healthy habits that will last a lifetime. It’s exciting when we splurge on the weekends eating out and Sunday night my 13 year old asks for a salad. She knows what she is missing. Children, even more than adults, enjoy and require routine. Pretend Soup is a cookbook that has kid-friendly recipes from whole foods if you want ideas. If your children are already eating gluten, sugar and dairy you don’t need to do a big overhaul. Make small changes with them and they may not even notice. Don’t announce the pancakes are gluten-free. Just make them and see if they even notice. Start babies with avocado at 6 months old. Pediatricians are recently recommending 4 months old but I would wait. Start with avocado because it is the closest thing nutritionally to breast milk. Then stick with veggies for as long as you can. Introduce fruit at 10 months just because it’s so sugary and you want them to not crave sugar.
20. Make Healthy Habits Stick
If your family is not on board tell them you need time to take care of your health and that you hope they will support your decision for you to do it for yourself. Talk to your friends and see if there is anyone that can support you there. At least you know you have us to support you through the changes and making them healthy habits for life. Study habit change can also be empowering. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg or Tiny Habits by B.J. Fogg are recommended.
21. Start the Pegan Diet Today
Last but not least, start the Pegan Diet! The end of the book is filled with recipes. I made the Morning Quinoa Berry Bake and we loved it, kids included. He suggests 1/3 cup healthy sweetener but I did without because of the shredded coconut and fruit I thought it was sweet enough.