diet,” explains Webb, whose daughter also has cystic fi brosis. Cutting out grains was a game-changer in “calming down his gut, where most of immune response lies,” says Webb. “He is now off asthma medication and the number of allergens he suff ers from has dropped from seven to two.” Webb’s family eats bountifully from


their backyard garden, complemented by meat and produce from local farmers’ mar- kets, where she can be certain the foods were produced sustainably and humanely. “I use meat to fl avor soups or accent veg- etables, rather than as the star of the show. I like to focus on real fl avors, using lots of garlic, herbs and spices,” says Webb. Murray, author of T e Everything


Pegan Diet Cookbook: 300 Recipes for Start- ing—and Maintaining—the Pegan Diet, follows that diet, a mash-up of paleo and vegan regimens that focuses on whole, fresh and sustainable food high in healthy fats and vitamins. T e Pegan diet eschews refi ned sugar and highly processed foods, while allowing meat, poultry, fi sh and eggs, as well as gluten-free grains, legumes and dairy products in small amounts. “T is diet can be helpful to diff erent


people in so many ways,” says Murray. “For people with diabetes and blood sugar dysregulation, this high-fi ber diet can


Start with familiar plant-based foods you already enjoy, and ease into trying new foods, whether tempeh or lentils.


~April Murray


help lower blood sugar and insulin levels. Heart health will improve, as you’ll be eating less animal products, which can be high in cholesterol and saturated fat. Many individuals also fi nd themselves losing unwanted weight as they get fi lled up so quickly with these whole foods.”


Plant-Based Nutrition


Made Easy While some worry about getting suffi cient nutrients on a largely plant-based diet, nu- trition experts say these fears are unfound- ed. “People think they need to calculate ev- ery nutrient, but if you eat a plant-centered, whole-foods diet, you will get every vitamin and mineral you need to thrive,” says Ocean Robbins, co-founder of the Food Revolu- tion Network and author of T e 31-Day Food Revolution: Heal Your Body, Feel Great, and Transform Your World. Legumes, nuts and seeds are all healthy, abundant sources of protein and iron.


Plant-Based Primer N


avigating the lexicon of plant-based diets can be tricky, and choosing a


diet even trickier. Here’s a brief guide to some of the commonly used terms. Flexitarians eat a mainly vegetarian


diet, but will consume meat on occasion. Pegans (a term coined by Dr. Mark


Hyman, who follows the diet) focus on eating vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, meat, fi sh and eggs, while avoiding dairy, grains, legumes, sugar and pro- cessed foods. Pescatarians like radio host Howard


Stern eat fi sh, seafood and other forms of animal products such as dairy, but don’t eat other forms of meat such as chicken, beef or pork.


Plant-based diets, followed by celebri-


ties like Ben Stiller, consist mostly or entirely of foods derived from plants, including vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and fruits, with few or no animal products. Vegans don’t consume any animal


products, including eggs, dairy, honey or gelatin. Famous vegans include Ellen DeGeneres, Betty White, Beyonce, Bill Clinton, Madonna and Venus Williams. Vegetarians refrain from meat


and seafood, but will consume dairy or other animal byproducts such as honey. Well-known vegetarians include Albert Einstein, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Doris Day, Jane Goodall, Kristen Wiig and Prince.


March 2020 19


Reed Mangels, author of Your Complete


Vegan Pregnancy: Your All-in-One Guide to a Healthy, Holistic, Plant-Based Pregnancy, busts the myth that cow’s milk is a must for growing bones. “Calcium, vitamin D and protein are the nutrients we usually associ- ate with bone health. One easy way to get all three is a soy-based or pea protein-based plant milk that is fortifi ed with calcium and vitamin D,” says Mangels, adding that green vegetables like kale, bok choy, collards and broccoli are great sources of calcium. “‘Eating the rainbow’ is great way to


make sure you’re consuming a variety of nutrients,” off ers London-based Ben Pook, who co-authored the cookbook So Vegan in 5 with his partner Roxy Pope. “Many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants bring their own distinctive colors to fruits and vegetables, so preparing colorful meals is a simple way of getting as many nutrients into your diet as possible.”


Getting Social Dietary changes can be challenging to navigate initially, particularly when faced with social situations ranging from family gatherings to cohabitation. Having a good plan going into such situations can help ease the transition, say experts. “Never show up to an event hungry. You will be more likely to make a good decision if you


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