If you are looking for a new diet without the rigid constraints of a vegan or Paleo diet, the up-and-coming Pegan diet, also known as the paleo-vegan diet, may be right for you. 

What is The Pegan Diet?

The Pegan diet, featured on The Dr. Oz Show, and noted as one of the “hottest new diets” in Redbook magazine, combines qualities of the vegan diet and the Paleo diet.

The diet, created by Dr. Mark Hyman—a doctor, blogger, and author—allows a more flexible, affordable meal plan, which may ease inflammation and aid weight loss.

While the traditional vegan diet is plant-based and eschews all animal products, the Paleo diet follows a strict “stone-age” meal plan and avoids modern, processed foods. The Pegan diet combines the two, allowing dieters to eat nutritious, unprocessed, sustainably made meals that may contain fruits, vegetables, and small amounts of meat.

However, the diet avoids sugar, chemicals, dairy, gluten, and large amounts of animal products that could cause inflammation.

Dr. Hyman notes that each Pegan dieter’s approach should be personalized to fit her or his lifestyle and medical needs.

Can You Eat Meat on The Pegan Diet?

Pegan dieters may eat limited amounts of meat in a sauce, or as a side dish or condiment. Fish or sustainably farmed meats, like grass-fed beef, are encouraged as they provide protein and omega 3s.

Dieters may eat up to two eggs with breakfast.

Restrictions in The Pegan Diet

• Beans should be limited since they may cause bloating and other digestive discomfort.
• Eating dairy and gluten is discouraged.
• Whole grains that do not contain gluten or affect blood sugar can be eaten sparingly in Pegan meals. 

Powerful plant compounds in these seasonings help fight cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, while working to relieve pain and the discomforts associated with seasonal bouts of colds and flu.

That’s why you’ll find many of your favorite seasonings on the supplement shelf and even in personal care products.

Fresh Herbs and Spices Are More Potent

For best results, store culinary herbs and spices in airtight containers away from heat and humidity.

To be sure what’s in your spice rack is fresh, rub a little seasoning between your fingers. If the aroma is noticeably pleasant, it’s probably still fresh.

Toss any musty spices or those that smell like old grass clippings. In general, replace any seasoning after one year.

Ways to Use Herbs and Spices

• Add New Ingredients to Old Recipes

  For example, add a little cinnamon along with basil and oregano to your tomato dishes. Mixing spices in curries, rubs, and other traditional combinations may increase their potency. Their antioxidant activity survives even boiling for 30 minutes.

  Many herbs and spices—like ginger, oregano, and thyme—help fight foodborne pathogens to prevent those annoying digestive “bugs” that no one wants to deal with.

  Others, like turmeric (containing curcumin, which gives curry its yellow color), have been shown to be protective against alcohol-related liver damage.

• Drink Herbal Tea

  In addition to culinary uses for these healing botanicals, herbal teas are a great way to enhance your health. Try drinking two cups of antioxidant-rich herb teas daily to help slow the aging process.

  Enjoy ginger, lemon balm, oregano, peppermint, rosemary, sage, spearmint, and thyme in teas.

• Make Your Own Herbal Infusions

  Consider making your own herbal infusions using fresh spices like cardamom:

  1. Lightly smash 1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons of cardamom pods.
  2. Put in a teapot, cover with 3 cups boiling water.
  3. Steep for 10 minutes.

  This spicy tea will kill bad breath, ease nasal congestion, and soothe an upset tummy as it relieves gas.

• Try Botanical Infusions

  While you’ll find herbs and spices in natural drinks, botanical infusions (also called tisanes) are also making their way onto store shelves.

  Lighter in taste and gentler in their actions, these beverages make a fresh—and refreshing—way to support your health.

Popular Healing Herbs and Spices

These are some of our favorite natural remedies.

You’ve stuck to your resolution to exercise more this year, and now you’re eyeing a 5-kilometer race later this spring. Maybe it’s a local downtown run on Memorial Day or a Fourth of July race in a nearby city.

Here’s a schedule that will prepare you to run the whole race, and maybe to be a little bit competitive about it. But the training—and the race itself—ought to be an enjoyable experience. Always run at a pace that feels comfortable.

Working Up to 5k

Let’s assume that you’ve been walking a lot and jogging a little, so you’re in reasonable condition. The first week of training will be a step forward, so plan on running three days and walking on the others.

This plan will have you ready to run steadily for at least 30 minutes after eight weeks. That should get you to the finish line. (5K is 3.1 miles, so a 10-minute-per-mile pace will have you on target. If your speed is more like 12 or 15 minutes per mile, you might need a few walking breaks to complete the race.)

I recommend that you vary your training courses. Choose a traffic-free area when possible, such as a park or a high school track. If the course you’ll be racing on is hilly, then make sure some of your training runs are too.

1. Phase One: Base Training

   Think about minutes rather than miles. You’ll run at a comfortable pace on three nonconsecutive days for these first four weeks, with walking breaks to extend the distance you cover. Walk for 30 to 45 minutes on at least three of the other days. Finish every workout with a few minutes of walking.

   1. Week 1

      1. Run 5 minutes; walk 10; run 5
      2. Run 7 minutes; walk 10; run 5
      3. Run 5 minutes; walk 5; run 5; walk 5; run 5

   2. Week 2

      1. Run 5 minutes; walk 10; run 5
      2. Run 8 minutes; walk 10; run 5
      3. Run 5 minutes; walk 5; repeat two more times

   3. Week 3

      1. Run 6 minutes; walk 4; repeat two more times
      2. Run 10 minutes; walk 5; run 5; walk 5; run 5; walk 5
      3. Run 5 minutes; walk 3; repeat two more times

   4. Week 4

      1. Run 12 minutes; walk 5; run 6
      2. Run 6 minutes; walk 3; repeat two more times
      3. Run 12 minutes; walk 5; run 6

2. Phase Two: Building Confidence

   You’ll run a bit longer in this next four-week phase, but keep up with those walks on alternate days. You’ll probably be ready to run for 30 minutes at the end of this phase. Leave at least five days before the end of this phase and your race, taking a couple of easy runs before competing.

   1. Week 5

      1. Run 15 minutes; walk 3; run 6
      2. Run 5 minutes; walk 2; repeat two more times
      3. Run 10 minutes; walk 5; run 10
      4. Alternate 5 minutes running and 3 minutes walking for up to 40 minutes.

   2. Week 6

      1. Run 16 minutes; walk 4; run 4
      2. Run 6 minutes; walk 2; repeat two more times
      3. Alternate 5 minutes running and 3 minutes walking for up to 40 minutes

   3. Week 7

      1. Run 20 minutes; walk 3; run 6
      2. Run 8 minutes; walk 2; run 6; walk 2; run 6
      3. Run 12 minutes; walk 5; run 12
      4. Alternate 6 minutes running and 2 minutes walking for up to 40 minutes

   4. Week 8

      1. Run 24 minutes; walk 3; run 6
      2. Run 8 minutes; walk 2; run 6; walk 2; run 6
      3. Alternate 6 minutes running and 2 minutes walking for up to 40 minutes

3. Phase Three: Adding Speed

   More advanced training involves “speedwork,” which means shorter, faster runs at least once a week.

   After eight weeks of training, you’ve built a strong foundation. But speedwork puts added strain on the muscles and joints, so proceed with caution. Be mindful of pain and take time off if necessary to heal. But if you’re ready for the next step, incorporate some interval training.

   I’ll refer to distances on a track, but you can do these on any flat surface. (One lap around a standard high school track is 400 meters.)

   You’ll follow much the same plan as in phase two, but substitute 400- or 800-meter “interval sessions” for the second workout of each week. You’ll also want to make your long run of the week a little longer, so add 2-4 minutes to that first workout.

   1. Week 9

      1. Run 18 minutes; walk 3; run 6 minutes
      2. Run 400 meters; rest for 1 minute. Do this six times. The pace should be faster than anything you’ve done so far, but not so fast that you have trouble completing the workout.
      3. Run 10 minutes; walk 5; run 10
      4. Alternate 6 minutes running and 2 minutes walking for up to 40 minutes (do the running portions a little faster than you did in earlier weeks).

   2. Week 10

      1. Run 20 minutes; walk 4; run 5
      2. Run 800 meters; rest for 1 or 2 minutes. Do this four times.
      3. Alternate 6 minutes running and 2 minutes walking for up to 40 minutes

   3. Week 11

      1. Run 24 minutes; walk 2; run 6
      2. Run 400 meters; rest for 1 minute. Do this eight times.
      3. Run 12 minutes; walk 5; run 12
      4. Alternate 8 minutes running and 2 minutes walking for up to 40 minutes

   4. Week 12

      1. Run 28 minutes; walk 4; run 4
      2. Run 800 meters; rest for 1 or 2 minutes. Do this five times.
      3. Alternate 8 minutes running and 2 minutes walking for up to 40 minutes

4. Stepping It Up

   Thinking about winning the race? Best of luck.

   Your natural inclination (driven by adrenaline) may be to run too fast at the beginning of the race. Tell yourself to stick to your normal training speed. If you feel great after a mile or two, feel free to pick up the pace. And have fun!

   You can find more advanced training schedules at Nike.com and RunnersWorld.com. If soreness from overtraining slows you down, be sure to read “Your Anti-inflammation Plan.”

When a person with this autoimmune disease ingests gluten (a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and triticale), the immune system responds as if the body is in danger and attacks the lining of the small intestine. The damaged intestine is no longer able to properly absorb nutrients, which can lead to many health problems including malnutrition, anemia, premature bone loss, multiple sclerosis, and even cancer.

About one in 133 people has celiac disease, but most—about 97 percent—remain undiagnosed. Unfortunately, it takes an average of nine years to get a correct diagnosis, partly because the disease mimics other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, spastic colon, thyroid disease, colitis, and gastric ulcers. Symptoms include diarrhea and/or constipation, abdominal pain, gas, irritability, anemia, bloating, joint pain, mouth sores, depression, fatigue, and tingling in the feet and legs.

If the lining of the gastrointestinal tract becomes damaged enough, large food molecules can escape and cause problems associated with leaky gut syndrome, including allergies and a taxed liver. Although rare, severe liver damage or even liver failure can develop.

Those most at risk for celiac disease are people with a family history of it, those with Down syndrome, anyone with Type 1 diabetes, people with endocrine disorders (such as thyroid and Addison’s diseases), men and women with fertility issues, and those with other autoimmune disorders, including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. The disease can manifest at any time in the life cycle—from childhood to old age—and is sometimes triggered by stressful situations such as pregnancy, childbirth, and surgery.

What to Do

If you think you have celiac disease, ask your doctor for a blood test. Keep consuming food containing gluten before the test so that the results don’t come back as normal. If you’ve gone gluten-free for a long period already and are reluctant to reintroduce gluten, genetic testing may be a better option.

If your blood test is positive, a small-bowel biopsy should be arranged to confirm the diagnosis and determine intestinal damage. Continue to eat a diet containing gluten until the biopsy, after which you can embark on a gluten-free diet. Also, be sure to have your blood levels tested for iron, folic acid, vitamin B12, and calcium deficiencies that may have resulted from the disease. 

Sometimes testing shows no signs of intestinal damage. Such people may be diagnosed with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS).

Surviving & Thriving with Celiac Disease

There’s no known cure for celiac disease, but it can be managed by adhering to a strict, gluten-free diet. Mills that process oats may handle gluten-containing grains. Always buy oats certified as gluten free. A small subset of celiac patients experience inflammatory reactions to pure oats and must avoid even certified gluten-free oats as a result. Additionally, some people with celiac disease may be lactose intolerant, so avoiding cow’s milk may reduce symptom flare-ups.

Children with celiac disease often experience short stature and delayed puberty, but studies show that adopting a gluten-free diet usually leads to a rapid catch-up in growth. One study of Turkish children with the disease reveals that going gluten free leads to quick gains in weight and height, but early diagnosis and adherence to a gluten-free diet are essential for long-term growth.

Research shows that people with celiac disease have less beneficial bacteria (which aid in digestion) in their systems than control groups, and it appears that a gluten-free diet may result in a further reduction of beneficial gut flora.

The antioxidant capacity of celiac patients has also been found to be significantly reduced, mostly because of a depletion of the enzyme glutathione. More research needs to be done to pinpoint food and supplement regimens such as probiotic therapies that might be beneficial for those with celiac disease.

Sudden Increase?

Some people write off as hype the recent media flurry about gluten-free issues as well as the influx of gluten-free products now available. But celiac disease is increasing worldwide—and it’s not just because more doctors are aware of the disease and test for it more frequently.

One study compared blood samples taken from 9,133 young adults stationed at Warren Air Force Base between 1948 and 1954 with 12,768 recent blood samples from gender-matched subjects in Minnesota. Only .2 percent of the blood samples collected 50 years ago indicate undiagnosed celiac disease. In the more recent samples, the incidence was more than four times greater.

Experts don’t know why celiac disease is becoming more common. Some believe it may be due to changes in the way wheat is grown and processed. “The reasons for the increasing prevalence of celiac disease over time will need further study,” researcher Alberto Rubio-Tapia, MD, told Reuters Health. “The most likely explanation may be environmental.”

It may also be because gluten—present in so many processed foods—now saturates our diets. Another explanation is that the increasingly germ-free environment of modern life may be causing more allergies, asthma, and abnormal immune system reactions, although this doesn’t explain the growth of celiac disease in developing countries.

Wondering if your digestive system is on track and healthy? Looking at your stool can give you some evidence. Here are a few color and shape guidelines to keep in mind.

What Does the Color of My Poop Mean?

• Brown and Snakelike

  A healthy poop will be dark brown with minimal other tones. It will often look like a snake or log while sinking to the bottom of the bowl.

• Beige or Yellow

  These fairly common shades, that often come with lumpy or floating stools, can indicate that something in your diet isn’t being digested properly. Oftentimes, these shades can be caused by diseases like Crohn’s or celiac, or an issue like lactose intolerance. However, if you don’t have an intolerance, it could also be a sign of too much fatty food in your diet.

• Colorless, Clay-like, or Pale

  These shades are usually caused by liquid laxatives or medications that color aspects of your body before an X-ray. However, in some rare cases, regular poops with this shade can hint that the liver is not producing enough bile—which makes feces brown.

• Green, Orange, or Purple

  In most cases, this is a sign that you’ve been eating a lot of foods that naturally have one of these shades — such as greens, blueberries, or carrots. 

• Red or Black

  While this can commonly be caused by red or dark-colored foods, regular occurrences could hint that it’s from blood in your stool. If you regularly see these shades, or experience pain while defecating, be sure to call a doctor.

• Green or Black (with No Matching Foods)

  If you see green poop regularly or haven’t been eating greens, you might want to consult a doctor to ensure the green feces isn’t actually bile. Similarly, you should also call a doctor if you’re seeing regular purple poop as it can be a sign of blood in the stool.