In 2013, the Omni Diet emerged as an alternative to the heavily processed Western dietary patterns often linked to the rise in chronic diseases. Promising to boost energy levels, alleviate chronic disease symptoms, and even facilitate a weight loss of up to 12 pounds (5.4 kg) within a mere two weeks, the Omni Diet has garnered attention. While some experts critique its restrictive nature, numerous individuals have reported positive outcomes, sparking curiosity about its potential efficacy. However, it's crucial to distinguish between the Omni Diet and the Omnitrition Diet, as they represent distinct programs with differing approaches.
This article provides an in-depth exploration of the Omni Diet, encompassing its benefits, drawbacks, and the scientific evidence supporting its claims.
Understanding the Omni Diet
The Omni Diet was developed by registered nurse Tana Amen, following her personal journey through chronic health issues and a battle with thyroid cancer at the age of 23. By her thirties, Amen faced a range of health problems, including hormonal imbalances, insulin resistance, elevated cholesterol, and persistent fatigue. Dissatisfied with endless medications, she took charge of her health and formulated the Omni Diet.
Initially drawn to a vegetarian lifestyle, she realized that her insulin and cholesterol levels weren't improving, and many vegetarian foods she consumed were highly processed with unnatural ingredients. She then experimented with a sugar-free, grain-free, animal-protein diet. While this improved her energy levels, she felt she was missing essential nutrients from plants.
Ultimately, she embraced a balanced approach incorporating both plant and animal foods in moderation, akin to a flexitarian diet. The Omni Diet emphasizes a 70% intake of plant-based foods and 30% protein. Although protein is a macronutrient found in both plant and animal sources, the diet primarily focuses on lean meats.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
While the diet welcomes both plant and animal products, it imposes several restrictions. Dairy, gluten, sugar, soy, corn, potatoes, and artificial sweeteners are among the prohibited items. Amen asserts that following the Omni Diet has transformed countless lives by reducing inflammation, alleviating or eliminating chronic disease symptoms, optimizing brain function, and promoting satiety without deprivation.
Core Principles
The Omni Diet revolves around the following key principles:
- 70% Plant-Based Foods, 30% Protein: The diet emphasizes a high intake of vegetables, fruits, and other plant-based foods while incorporating lean protein sources.
- Elimination of Processed Foods: The diet encourages the consumption of whole, unprocessed foods and discourages the intake of refined sugars, unhealthy fats, and artificial ingredients.
- Regular Exercise: Physical activity is considered an integral component of the Omni Diet, with recommendations for incorporating daily exercise routines.
- Supplementation: The diet advises the use of supplements, such as vitamin D, magnesium, probiotics, and omega-3 fatty acids, to address potential nutrient deficiencies.
- Lifestyle Changes: The Omni Diet promotes a holistic approach to health, encompassing healthy cooking habits, mindful eating practices, stress management techniques, and gratitude exercises.
The Three Phases of the Omni Diet
The Omni Diet is structured as a 6-week program divided into three distinct phases. The first two phases are more restrictive, while the third phase allows for a gradual reintroduction of certain foods.
Phase 1: Transitioning Away from the Standard American Diet (SAD)
The initial phase of the Omni Diet focuses on transitioning away from the Standard American Diet (SAD), which is typically characterized by a high intake of processed, high-fat, and high-sugar foods.
Key guidelines for Phase 1 include:
Read also: Walnut Keto Guide
- Adherence to Permitted Foods: Consume only foods allowed on the diet, avoiding those on the forbidden list.
- Limited Fruit Intake: Restrict fruit consumption to a 1/2-cup serving (approximately 90 grams) per day.
- Dessert Restriction: Avoid desserts and other restricted items.
- Meal-Replacement Smoothie: Incorporate a daily meal-replacement smoothie, ideally the Omni Diet green smoothie.
- Regular Protein Intake: Consume protein every 3-4 hours.
- Water Consumption: Prioritize water over other beverages.
- Sauna Visits: Visit a sauna twice per week to detoxify the system.
During the first two weeks, the diet should consist of 30% protein (primarily lean meats) and 70% plant-based foods. Smoothies should have a 4-to-1 ratio of vegetables to fruit, or ideally no fruit at all. They should also include a healthy fat and at least 20-30 grams of protein. The book provides recipes.
The diet recommends drinking 50% of your body weight in ounces of water daily (but no more than 100 ounces per day). For example, a 150-pound (68-kg) person should consume 75 ounces (2.2 liters) of water per day.
Finally, Amen encourages followers of the diet to take daily supplements, such as vitamin D, magnesium, probiotics, and omega-3. She also promotes a line of supplements developed by her husband, Dr. Daniel Amen.
Phase 2: Continued Restrictions with Added Exercise
During the second 2-week phase, Phase 2, you’re encouraged to continue with the rules of Phase 1 but allowed to eat unprocessed desserts that don’t contain any added sugar or white flour. The book provides a list of examples, such as dark chocolate.
In addition, you’re expected to exercise daily. The book recommends starting with 30 minutes of walking per day and gradually increasing to a 30-minute full-body workout, which is provided in the book.
Read also: Weight Loss with Low-FODMAP
Phase 3: Gradual Reintroduction of Foods
This 2-week phase allows more flexibility in terms of food choices and is the last phase of the program. As long as you’re following the diet 90% of the time, 10% of foods from the non-permitted list are allowed but discouraged.
If you must indulge, Amen recommends following the “three-bite rule,” which involves taking three bites of a forbidden food, enjoying it, and throwing the rest away.
Alcohol is allowed to be reintroduced but discouraged. You can drink up to two 5-ounce (150-mL) glasses of wine per week but must avoid any alcoholic beverages that contain sugar or gluten, such as beer or mixed cocktails.
You’re allowed to enjoy foods during times of celebration, such as a wedding, birthday, or anniversary. However, you’re expected to plan ahead and only select one forbidden food that you can enjoy. Still, it states that you shouldn’t feel guilty about your choices.
This phase should be followed for a least 2 weeks but ideally indefinitely.
Foods to Include and Avoid on the Omni Diet
The Omni Diet emphasizes the consumption of whole, unprocessed foods while restricting certain food groups.
Foods to Include
- Non-Starchy Vegetables: Arugula, artichokes, asparagus, avocados, bean sprouts, beets, bell peppers, bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, purple/red cabbage, cauliflower, celery, chard, chicory, collard greens, cucumbers, eggplant, fennel, garlic, green beans, green onions, jicama, hearts of palm, leeks, lettuce. Aim to eat 9 cups of vegetables each day.
- Lean Protein: Choose meats and poultry that are organic, grass-fed, free-range, hormone-free, and antibiotic-free. Women 3-4 ounces with each meal, men 4-6 ounces with each meal (approximately palm size).
- Healthy Fats: Approximately 9 or 10 grams (100 calories) for women, 10-13 grams (90-120 calories - 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon nuts, 2 ounces avocado) for lunch, 15-20 grams (1 tablespoon olive oil, seeds, and avocado on salad, plus minimal amount of oil for cooking) for dinner.
- Small Amounts of Fresh and Frozen Fruits: Berries are particularly encouraged.
- Superfoods: Raw cacao powder, cacao nibs (preferably organic), wheat grass, green mixes, bee pollen, aloe gel, maca root powder, acai berries or acai powder, pomegranate or pomegranate powder, camu camu berries or camu camu berry powder, lucuma powder, or goji powder.
Foods to Avoid
- Dairy Foods: Milk, cheese, cream, yogurt, ice cream, etc.
- Grain-Based Foods: Cereal, rice, oatmeal, wheat, barley, rye, corn. Foods that contain gluten - bread, pasta, tortillas, etc.
- Soy and Foods Containing It: Including soy milk and soy creamer. Avoid soy-based foods such as protein bars, powders, oils, snack foods, and foods containing soy or soy byproducts.
- Sugar and Sugar Alcohols:
- Limit Legumes: Dried beans and lentils - e.g. black beans, chickpeas/garbanzo beans, kidney beans, red beans, dried split peas, white beans. Also hummus.
- Limit Quinoa, Buckwheat, Amaranth: Use them as you would a condiment, in very small amounts.
- Vegetables: White potatoes.
- Carbohydrates: All simple carbs (e.g., breakfast cereals, instant oatmeal, most breads, and white flour, sugar, pasta, and rice), and grains (e.g., barley, corn, rye, and wheat).
- Animal Protein: Pork, ham, commercially raised beef and poultry, farm-raised fish, and all processed meats (e.g., bacon, luncheon meats, pepperoni, and sausage).
- Plant Protein: Soy-based foods (milk, protein bars, protein powder, oils, and byproducts, etc.)
- Corn-Based Products: High fructose corn syrup, corn oil, popcorn, cornstarch, and corn chips.
- Processed Food: Baked goods (e.g., croissants, donuts, and muffins), cakes and cupcakes, candy, chips (potato, veggie, and nacho), cookies, fast food, frozen dinners, nutrition bars, and sugar-free foods and candies.
- Sweeteners: All processed sugar (brown and white sugar, agave, and processed maple syrup), artificial sweeteners (e.g., aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose), jams, jellies, and marmalades.
- Beverages: All types of juice (even 100% juice), energy drinks, lemonade, fruit punch, and regular and diet sodas.
- Condiments: Any that contain restricted ingredients (e.g., barbecue sauce, ketchup, and soy sauce).
- Genetically-Modified (GMO) Foods: All GMO foods should be avoided.
Potential Benefits of the Omni Diet
The Omni Diet offers several potential benefits, primarily stemming from its emphasis on whole, unprocessed foods and lifestyle modifications.
Weight Loss
One of the main claims of the Omni Diet is that it can help you shed 12 pounds (5.4 kg) in 2 weeks. The Omni Diet focuses on whole, minimally processed foods and emphasizes protein. Eating more fiber-rich vegetables, healthy fats, and proteins has been shown to encourage weight loss by promoting feeling fuller on fewer calories.
Since the diet has a large list of restrictions that includes many ultra-processed foods that are high in fats and sugars, you’ll likely be eating fewer calories than before you started. Also, adding more exercise to your routine further promotes a calorie deficit.
However, despite the emphasis on avoiding dairy, gluten, and grains, limited research demonstrates that doing so is necessary for weight loss. In fact, most research suggests that the most successful weight loss programs focus on eating fewer processed foods and eating greater amounts of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, rather than eliminating certain food groups or macronutrients.
Despite the positive changes to their diet, the rapid weight loss most people on the Omni Diet experience isn’t due to just losing belly fat but rather a combination of losing water, fat, and muscle mass.
When a person eats fewer calories, they begin using stored energy known as glycogen, which holds onto large amounts of water - 1 gram of glycogen holds 3 grams of water. As the body burns glycogen, it releases water, leading to a rapid decrease in weight.
Moreover, a small amount of muscle loss may also occur. Considering muscle also holds onto water, this may lead to additional water loss.
After this large and rapid drop in weight, most people experience a smaller and more steady weight loss of around 1-2 pounds (0.45-0.9 kg) per week, which is due to the body adjusting to the change in calorie intake and number of calories burned.
However, most medical experts agree that losing weight too quickly can be risky and ultimately lead to weight regain. Therefore, it’s best to focus on slow, gradual weight loss.
Nonetheless, increasing your daily exercise, eating fewer processed foods, and opting for healthier food choices are positive changes that can lead to meaningful weight loss over time.
Emphasis on Whole, Unprocessed Foods
The Omni Diet largely focuses on consuming a diet full of whole, unprocessed foods. Most health experts agree that limiting your intake of ultra-processed foods is beneficial for health, as these foods tend to be high in unhealthy fats, sugars, and empty calories.
Eating a diet full of vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats is linked to better health outcomes, such as a lower risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, inflammation, and certain types of cancer.
In fact, one large study that followed 105,159 participants for a median of 5.2 years found that for every 10% increase in calories from ultra-processed foods, they had a 12% and 13% increased risk of cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease, respectively.
Therefore, any diet that promotes consuming more whole, unprocessed foods will likely benefit your health.
No Calorie Counting
As long as you follow the 70/30 diet guide, you aren’t expected to count calories on the Omni Diet, which focuses on the nutrient quality of each meal, rather than its calorie count. Since most foods on the diet are high in fiber and protein, they may help you control your hunger and food intake, as they take longer to digest. The diet also promotes an intuitive approach to eating by allowing yourself permission to eat when your body signals it’s hungry.
However, intuitive eating is most successful when there are no food restrictions. Considering this diet has a large list of off-limit foods, it may increase anxiety surrounding food choices, and it ultimately ignores the premise of listening to what the body wants.
Focus on Lifestyle Changes
Unlike most diets, the Omni Diet encourages a holistic approach to health. In addition to changing your diet, Amen provides healthy cooking tips and teaches readers how to make healthy food choices, read labels, and exercise portion control. She also encourages regular exercise, practicing gratitude, and stress-management techniques, such as meditation.
Claims Regarding Disease Risk Reduction
The diet in this book claims to reduce the risks for: acne, allergies, alopecia/baldness, Alzheimer’s disease, arteriosclerosis, arthritis, autoimmune disorders, bloating, brain fog, cancer (especially endometrial, breast, and colon), celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, dementia, depression, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, chronic diarrhea, eczema, fatigue, fibromyalgia, flatulence, food addictions, food cravings, gestational diabetes, gallbladder disease, gout, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, heart disease, high blood lipids (such as cholesterol and triglycerides), high blood pressure/hypertension, high blood sugar, high insulin, frequent infections, infertility, irritable bowel disease IBS, leaky gut syndrome / intestinal permeability, liver disease, lupus, menstruation problems, migraines, miscarriage, multiple sclerosis, nausea, nonalcoholic fatty liver, osteoarthritis, overweight/obesity, pernicious anemia, respiratory problems, rheumatoid arthritis, rosacea, skin rashes, sleep apnea, stroke, thyroid disease.
Potential Downsides of the Omni Diet
Despite its potential benefits, the Omni Diet also presents several drawbacks that should be considered.
Highly Restrictive
Although Amen promises to decrease feelings of hunger and deprivation, the diet has a long list of restrictions. To follow the diet correctly, you must eliminate or greatly reduce your intake of dairy, gluten, grains, sugar, starchy vegetables, beans, lentils, and all premade foods and desserts.
For most people, this leaves little room for flexibility and ignores other important aspects of eating, such as culture, tradition, and celebration. For example, beans and lentils make up a large portion of the diet for certain cultural groups, yet they’re highly discouraged.
The most successful diets are those that are affordable, culturally acceptable, and enjoyable - and can be followed long term.
Diet-Centered Messaging
Although the book claims to take a balanced approach, it encourages a number of concerning behaviors and messages.
For example, the “three-bite rule” limits a person to only three bites of a dessert or off-limit food. While the idea is to enjoy the flavor without the calories and sugar, this type of behavior does not embrace balance.
Moreover, the book regularly uses terms such as “toxin” and “poison” to portray foods as being harmful and bad, which further perpetuates the “good versus bad” mentality of dieting. Ultimately, this can promote feelings of guilt and a bad relationship with food.
In fact, those who describe food using moralistic terms, such as “good” and “bad” have been shown to have less healthy eating and coping behaviors, such as stress eating, than those who do not use those terms.
Due to the overly restrictive nature of the diet and its focus on vilifying food, it may lead to a negative relationship with food, especially in those with a history of disordered eating.
Expensive and Inaccessible
Amen recommends a long list of organic foods and supplements that are usually more expensive and inaccessible to many. In addition, she discourages inexpensive food items, such as beans, lentils, potatoes, corn, and dairy products, which are cost-effective and nutritious. This diet also requires regular use of a sauna as a detox - despite a lack of evidence that it will detox your body. Many people do not have regular access to a sauna or cannot afford it financially, making this lifestyle even harder to achieve.
Sample Omni Diet Recipes
While the Omni Diet book provides detailed recipes, here are a few examples of meals and snacks that align with the diet's principles:
- Breakfast: Smoothie with pure coconut water as the base, protein powder, spinach, berries, and avocado.
- Snack: Two tablespoons of hummus with celery sticks.
- Lunch: Salad with grilled chicken or fish, mixed greens, avocado, olive oil, and seeds.
- Dinner: Baked salmon with roasted asparagus and Brussels sprouts.
tags: #omnitrition #diet #recipes