A Crash Course on Pegan 365: Healthy Paleo and Vegan Eating All Year Round

The start of the new year often brings new health goals for many of us. These often surround more exercise and better nutrition to help kick us off in the right direction. Getting our bodies in check help us in every other aspect of our busy lives. How can we accomplish these new goals? Pegan 365 is a new diet that many are talking about, nutrition experts and doctors alike. But what is it exactly?

What is Pegan 365?

Pegan 365, otherwise known as the Paleo-vegan diet, is a combination of the best parts of a Paleo and vegan diet. Dr. Oz has been advocating for this diet to help promote a healthy lifestyle for anyone who's ready to change their health, but it's been around for a couple years already. As Dr. Oz describes on his website, a Paleo diet includes eating all clean foods, free of processing. These foods primarily include fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. To be strictly vegan means to exclude all meat, eggs, dairy, or any other foods stemmed from animals. So essentially combining the best of the two diets means to eat lean protein, fresh produce, refined carbohydrates, and dairy supplements. As registered dietitian Emily Kuberski said to POPSUGAR regarding the diet, "This eating lifestyle is easier to follow. When individuals attempt to go Paleo, they miss their grains, and vegans typically have a hard time getting their protein in. The combination of a Paleo-vegan diet makes eating healthy much easier to do for a longer period of time — if not indefinitely."

What Does Pegan 365 Include?

As Dr. Oz says on his website, ". . . just remember to eat 5+ cups of vegetables, 4 carbohydrates, 3 proteins, 2 healthy fats, and 1 dairy substitute every day to achieve your weight-loss goals." If you're a meat-eater, you won't have to give up meat to earn this healthy lifestyle. On top of the three meals, you'll also be able to eat two healthy snacks per day, too. Plus, you're allowed two alcoholic drinks and two desserts per week (thank goodness). And if you have a special occasion or are feeling especially deprived, you can have one cheat-day per week, at most. He encourages people to follow this all year long so that it becomes a habit, not just the first few months of the year. Dr. Oz's specific plan with examples can be found on his website.

What Are the Side Effects of Pegan 365?

In a CNN article, Caroline Cederquist MD, creator of bistroMD and author of The MD Factor, said, "By encouraging people to stick with plant-based foods and limit sugar, there's no doubt that the pegan diet is good for your health. Sticking to this hybrid plan has the potential to provide benefits such as lower cholesterol and a decreased risk of diabetes." However, Dr. Cederquist says that if it's weight loss you're after, he's discovered that lowering your calories and increasing our protein intake has had the best results. Overall, Pegan 365 is a healthy way of eating, and is bound to leave you feeling better in the long-run — ready to take on the new year and your life in a healthy way.