Dr. Oz: Is Pegan the New Paleo?
Dr. Oz talked about the new diet craze called Pegan. Dr. Mark Hyman, a frequent guest on Dr. Oz, is the inventor of this diet. He claims anyone who tries this can see a change in just 10 days.
Dr. Oz joked that Pegan sounds like “an embarrassing issue.” The Pegan diet is a combination of Paleo and Vegan, which might sound completely different, but they have more in common with each other than the standard American diet. Both diets are composed of whole, real, fresh food free of additives and chemicals. They both have health benefits like lowering cholesterol, reversing diabetes, and losing weight. Combining the best of both lets you have an easy diet and still keep the benefits.

Dr. Oz talked about the rules of the new Pegan diet, including using meat as a condiment, limiting beans, and cutting out gluten. (everydaypants / flickr)
Both Vegan and Paleo can be very restrictive. Dr. Hyman argues the Pegan diet is less restrictive and has more health benefits that lets you enjoy a wide range of foods.
Dr. Oz: What Causes Inflammation?
Dr. Hyman said that inflammation is caused by a high sugar, processed diet. Foods like added sugar, processed foods, dairy, gluten, and refined oils can cause inflammation. Eating too much meat can also cause inflammation. The Pegan diet helps calm inflammation.
Dr. Oz explained that everyone knows stress causes weight gain, but you can have stress in the body caused by diet.
Dr. Oz: Use Meat as a Condiment
The first rule of the Pegan diet is to “use meat as a condiment.” Dr. Hyman calls this a “condimeat.” You might be wondering this diet can still be vegan if it allows meat. I was wondering that, too. But no one asked Dr. Hyman about this.
Dr. Hyman said you need good meat. You need meat with low levels of antibiotics and chemicals. It should be sustainability raised.
Dr. Oz: No More Than a 1/2 Cup of Beans Per Day
Dr. Hyman also recommends not having more than a 1/2 cup of beans per day. Beans are full of fiber and protein, but they can also be starchy. This can cause high blood sugar in Diabetics and beans are also hard to digest for people who already have GI health issues.
Avoid the big beans like lima beans or kidney beans. Instead, try lentils and see how you feel with them.
Dr. Oz: Eat Less Grains
Dr. Hyman also wants you to restrict your grains to a 1/2 cup per day. You want to avoid gluten grains altogether. But you can eat grains like black rice and quinoa.
Dr. Oz explained that a 1/2 cup of cooked grains is the size of a light bulb. You can also use your palm to measure the right amount, because the size will vary according to the size of your body.
Dr. Oz: Eat Eggs for Breakfast
Dr. Hyman also recommends eating two whole eggs for breakfast. You might also notice that this isn’t allowed in the Vegan diet. Again, no one called Dr. Hyman out on this.
Eggs are full of protein, vitamins, and minerals. He explained that the new dietary guidelines have eliminated cholesterol as something we should restrict from our diet, so according to him, we should no longer worry about eating eggs. But this is the same guy who apparently thinks it’s okay to eat meat and eggs and still call yourself a vegan, so that information might not be right.
Dr. Oz: Eat Lots of Veggies
Dr. Oz talked to Robyn, a patient of Dr. Hyman. She’s been Pegan for six months. She was gluten and dairy free for 10 years and still wasn’t feeling well. She wasn’t regular and she still felt bloated.
Once she tried going Pegan, her acid reflux disappeared, her brain fog went away, and she became regular again.
Dr. Hyman explained that part of the reason this diet is so healthy is because of all the great veggies you’ll be filling up on with this diet.
Perle says
The Pegan diet is combination of both paleo (allows meat) and vegan (no meat etc) so no need to call him in anything.