I have jokingly called the diet I recommend the Pegan Diet, making fun at the diet wars after being on a panel at a conference with a paleo doctor and a vegan cardiologist who were fighting. I said, "If you are vegan and you are paleo, then I must be Pegan." Upon reflection I realized that paleo and vegan diets are identical except for where to get protein (animals or grains and beans). The Pegan Diet is an inclusive, flexible frame that is built on the principles of quality, food is medicine, and personalization. It is designed to be low glycemic (low in starch and sugar), rich in good fats, anti-inflammatory, detoxifying, hormone balancing, energy boosting, and gut healing. It is nutrient-dense and rich in longevity phytochemicals, polyphenols, antioxidants, and microbiome-healing fibers. It is designed to regenerate both human and planetary health, which are inseparable.

 

"The Young Forever Longevity Diet" by Dr. Mark Hyman

 

Eat lots of plants. About three-quarters of your plate should be covered with veggies. Aim for deep colors. Stick with mostly non-starchy veggies. Winter squashes and sweet potatoes are fine in moderation. Choose organic and regenerative when possible. Use the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen guides by the Environmental Working Group (ewg.org) to choose the least contaminated fruits and vegetables and save money.

Lighten up on fruits. Low-glycemic fruits are best, so stick with berries, all citrus fruits, apples and pears. Enjoy sweeter fruits only occasionally, such as melons, and higher-glycemic-index fruits. Always eat the whole fruit and avoid fruit juices. Think of dried fruit as candy and keep it to a minimum.

Load up on foods with healthy fats. Whole foods such as nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocados, pasture-raised eggs, and small wild fatty fish such as sardines, mackerel, herring, anchovies, and wild salmon contain good fats. For oils, use extra virgin olive oil (at low or no heat), avocado oil (for higher-heat cooking), and organic virgin coconut oil.

Add nuts and seeds. They help with weight loss, diabetes, and heart disease and provide minerals, protein, good fats, fiber, and more. Almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, and pumpkin, hemp, chia, and sesame seeds are all great.

Think of meat and animal products as condiments or, as I like to call them, "condi-meats"- not as a main course (which should be colorful vegetables). Servings should be palm-sized. Plant-based meals are great, as long as the protein comes from whole foods, not processed powders bars, or fake meat. However, to get adequate protein for muscle synthesis as you age, you will need to supplement with animal protein and/or Amino acid supplements or vegan protein powders with added amino acids..

Buy animal products that have been regeneratively raised, grass-fed, or organic when possible. They are nutritionally better for you and they are better for the planet. They are also rich in phytonutrients from all the wild and diverse plants the animals consume.

Choose pasture-raised eggs. They are an affordable source of protein and vitamins-including B12 , which you can't get from vegan diet-minerals, antioxidants, and more.

Eat fish that is low in mercury and toxins, high in good fats, and wild-caught or sustainably raised. Sardines, herring, anchovies, mackerel, and salmon all have high omega-3 and low mercury levels. Check out Seatopia (seatopia.fish) or the Environmental Working Group's Consumer Guide to Seafood (ewg.org) for those that are sustainably harvested/raised and low in toxins.

Eat only whole grains (not whole-grain flours) and avoid gluten, especially from American dwarf wheat. Since all grains boost blood sugar, only eat 1/2 cup to 1 cup per day, and choose low glycemic, gluten-free grains like black rice, quinoa, teff, buckwheat, or amaranth. Try heirloom grains like Himalayan Tartary buckwheat or ancient forms of wheat like einkorn, emmer, or farro.

Eat beans. Lentils are best. Stay away from big starchy beans as staples. Beans contain fiber, protein, and minerals, but some people don't digest them well, and the lectins and phytates in beans can inhibit mineral and protein absorption. If you digest beans without a problem, then up to 1 cup a day is okay.

Avoid sugar and other foods that spike blood sugar and insulin, such as flour, refined starches, and carbohydrates. Treat sugar in any form as an occasional treat. Your body can't tell the difference between a bagel and a bowl of sugar once it gets below your neck. Liquid sugar calories (from soda, energy drinks, sweetened teas, even fruit juice, etc.) cause increased hunger, obesity, and death. Stay away.

Eliminate most grain, bean, and seed oils. That includes canola, sunflower, grapeseed, and especially corn and soybean oil. Small amounts of expeller or cold-pressed nut and seed oils like sesame, macadamia, and walnut oils are fine to use as condiments or for flavoring. Avocado oil is great for higher-temperature cooking.

Avoid or limit dairy. Conventional dairy is bad for the environment and most people don't digest it well. Dairy has been linked to inflammation, cancer, osteoporosis, autoimmune conditions, allergic disorders, digestive problems, and more. I recommend avoiding it, except for the occasional grass-fed dairy from yogurt, kefir, grass-fed butter, ghee, and even cheese if it doesn't cause problems for you. Try goat or sheep products instead because they are raised on grass and their milk contains A2 casein, which is less likely to cause inflammation and digestive problems. And always go organic, grass-fed, and ideally regenerative. Some companies now produce regeneratively raised A2 cows' milk, which may be better tolerated. Some nut milks are fine, but watch for added sugar, gut-damaging thickeners, and higher-glycemic oat milks (which also contain gluten unless labeled "Certified Gluten Free"). Make your own from nuts soaked in water.

Reduce foods that have been contaminated with pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, and hormones, and ideally avoid GMO foods. Look for foods raised or grown in regenerative ways (good for the Earth and for humans), if possible. Check labels for chemicals, additives, preservatives, dyes, artificial sweeteners, or other nonfood ingredients. If you wouldn't find it in your kitchen for cooking, you shouldn't eat it.