Recently Dr. Mark Hyman, MD wrote on his blog about some recent discoveries he made regarding the health benefits and risks of fats, and research that he used in his book “Eat Fat,Get Thin.” His thoughts on fats lead him to propose a diet that he calls the “Pegan Diet.”
In his book, Hyman challenges some myths that society has regarding fats and the impact they have on our health. These include the following:
- Research shows that there is no direct connection between saturated fats and heart disease on its own. Heavily processed carbohydrates though do have a link to heart disease.
- Butter is neither healthy for you nor a food to be blacklisted.
- Low fat diets don’t lower cholesterol, especially if you substitute fat for carbohydrates.
These findings lead Hyman to recommend what he calls the “Pegan Diet.” The name is derived from a combination of the Paleo Diet and a vegan diet. It comprises of:
- Eating a diet mainly composed of vegetables, which he advises should consist of 75% of your meals, with 2-3 dishes per meal.
- Consider meat a treat, not a main course. He calls meat a “condiment.”
- Include in your meals fats that contain omega-3 which can be found in avocados, nuts (except peanuts), extra-virgin olive oil, and from animals that have been raised organically and are grass-fed.
- Avoid dairy products, gluten, and processed food. Basically, if it has a label, don’t eat it.
Dr. Hyman also goes into detail in his blog piece about research into fat consumption, weight loss, and heart disease. Specifically, he notes how in his book “Eat Fat Get Thin” that he made mistakes when referring to research that didn’t have a, “fair comparison” of participants when it came to weight in the two study groups as well as lipid markers.
Overall though, Dr. Hyman advocates that a diet that is plant-based and has healthy fats can help with weight loss. Want to know more?
Read the full article here: Fat: What I Got Wrong, What I Got Right.
