The Ornish Diet

A heart-healthy diet for a better lifestyle

The Ornish diet promises better heart health along with slimmer waistlines by consuming fruits, vegetables, and grains and very little fat.

The Ornish diet was created by and named after Dr Dean Ornish, founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, California. It is based on the idea that basically a vegetarian diet can reverse the symptoms of heart disease, and coupled with exercise, can help in weight loss as well as reduce stress. A study was conducted to test the effectiveness of this diet where participants lost an average of 10 kg after five years and managed to keep the weight off.

The diet became revolutionary when it was first introduced in the early 90s and caught on with weight-watchers immediately as doctors, nutritionists and dieticians started recommending this diet for weight loss and also to heart patients. The diet has many high profile fans including the former President of USA, Bill Clinton.

Essentially a vegan diet it may seem very simple to follow with ingredients available easily. However, non-vegetarians may find it hard to avoid all meats, fish and poultry. The Ornish Diet even keeps egg yolks off the plate. Moreover, eliminating most fats from the diet may be difficult as it is the fats that add flavour to foods and make you satiated after eating.

The Ornish Diet recommends eating beans, fruits, grains and vegetables in any amount you wish to keep yourself full. It allows low-fat or non-fat dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt in moderation such that only 10% of calories consumed come from fat. The diet suggests altogether eliminating red and white meat, oils and any product containing oils including avocados, olives, nuts, seeds, sugar and full-fat dairy. To combat hunger pangs, the diet suggests eating small meals more often throughout the day, ensuring not to overeat at one time.

Along with dietary recommendations, the Ornish Diet also prescribes a few lifestyle habits to maintain a good health overall. Moderate exercise for 30 minutes, five times a week, stress-reducing activities like yoga, meditation, spending quality time with loved ones and kicking-off unhealthy habits like smoking or drinking alcohol in access.

By following the Ornish Diet, you eat fewer calories and maintain a lower fat consumption. Since the diet consists mainly of fresh fruits and vegetables, you don’t tend to overeat either. Coupled with regular exercise, the diet helps you shed weight and improves your blood flow. De-stressing helps you keep happy and avoid overeating due to anger, frustration or depression.

A typical schedule while following the Ornish Diet would include a breakfast of whole-grain cereals with fat-free yogurt and fresh fruit juice. Lunch could be baked potatoes, stuffed with fat-free cheese, spinach and broccoli, salad with fat-free dressing or with fresh fruits. Dinner would consist of bread, whole-meal pastas and peaches. Beverages that you can consume on this diet include water, tea, coffee, skimmed milk and fresh fruit and vegetable juices.

People following the Ornish Diet enjoy long-term benefits, as it gets you the recommended amount of fruits, vegetables and fibre needed for a healthy adult based on dietary guidelines. Moreover, low sodium also makes these meal plans a healthier choice for most adults.  

While having several benefits, the diet is very low in fat, iron and vitamin B-12, which is required for growth. Therefore, it is not suitable for young children, teenagers and pregnant or nursing women.

As this is a lifestyle-based diet, it is important to commit to it for a long period of time. If followed properly, the Ornish Diet has also shown evidence of reducing and even eliminating heart diseases in patients thought to be terminally ill. Fit, healthy and stress-free, a good lifestyle to adopt!