Losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be challenging, with numerous diets and eating styles available. The Ornish diet, created by Dean Ornish, MD, in the 1990s, offers a unique approach. It’s a comprehensive program designed to reverse heart disease and improve overall quality of life through sustainable lifestyle changes. These include a very low-fat, plant-based diet, regular exercise, stress management, and social support. If you are drawn to vegetarian eating and a holistic approach to health, the Ornish diet might be right for you.
Core Principles of the Ornish Diet
The Ornish diet is characterized by its emphasis on plant-based foods and severe restrictions on fat and cholesterol intake. The core features are:
- Fat Restriction: Less than 10% of daily calories should come from fat.
- Cholesterol Limitation: Cholesterol intake should be limited to less than 10 milligrams per day.
Ornish Diet Food List: What to Eat and Avoid
The Ornish diet relies heavily on non-animal sources of protein (mainly legumes), fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Foods to Enjoy
- Fruits and vegetables
- Whole grains
- Green tea
- Legumes
- Nonfat dairy foods
- Tofu and other soy products
- Egg whites
- Limited amounts of alcohol and nonfat sweets
Foods to Avoid
- Added oils and fats
- Chocolate
- Caffeine, except for green tea
- Dairy foods containing any fat, including milk, yogurt, cheese, and butter
- Egg yolks
- High-fat plant-based foods, such as avocados, olives, and coconut
- Meat and poultry
- Nuts and seeds
- Seafood, including fish and shellfish
Weight Loss Potential on the Ornish Diet
While the Ornish diet doesn't explicitly focus on calorie restriction, most people naturally consume fewer calories due to the low-fat, high-fiber nature of the allowed foods. Studies suggest that the Ornish plan is moderately effective for weight loss compared to other popular diets.
Overcoming Weight-Loss Plateaus
Some individuals may experience a weight-loss plateau while following the Ornish plan. To overcome this, consider consulting a dietitian to better balance caloric intake and incorporate regular exercise. Exercise is a key factor in preventing weight loss plateaus.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
Advantages of the Ornish Diet
The Ornish diet offers several potential benefits:
Ease of Following
The foods allowed on the Ornish diet are readily available. Because you're not counting calories, you can eat until you feel full and even snack between meals.
Encouragement of Holistic Lifestyle Changes
Food is just one component of the Ornish program. The full program includes strategies to help you succeed, including a nine-week online course. This comprehensive approach emphasizes:
- Exercise, preferably 30 minutes per day
- Social support
- Stress management activities, such as meditation, yoga, and breathwork
Reduction of Heart Disease Risk
Dr. Ornish’s original research demonstrated the diet's ability to significantly improve coronary artery disease. The Ornish diet is recognized as a heart-healthy diet, helping individuals take control of their heart health by managing risk factors and lowering the risk of heart disease.
Potential Insurance Coverage
Some insurance companies may cover the nine-week diet and lifestyle program, particularly for individuals with specific heart conditions, Type 2 diabetes, or other chronic disease risk factors. For example, it’s a benefit under Medicare for people with certain heart conditions.
Read also: Walnut Keto Guide
Additional Health Benefits
Adopting the Ornish diet and losing weight can lead to other positive health outcomes. These may include improvements in overall well-being, increased energy levels, and enhanced physical function.
Disadvantages of the Ornish Diet
Despite its benefits, the Ornish diet has potential drawbacks:
Dietary Restrictions
Individuals who prefer to consume meat, including fish, may find the plan too restrictive. Eliminating all added fats and oils can also be challenging for some.
Potential Nutritional Deficiencies
The reduced fat intake on the Ornish diet may lead to deficiencies in essential nutrients, particularly healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids. The Ornish plan recommends a daily multivitamin and cholesterol-free omega-3 fatty acid supplement to address this. Other supplements are optional. Always talk with a healthcare provider before taking any supplements. Some may interact with other medications you’re taking or have other unintended effects.
Digestive Issues
The high fiber content of the Ornish diet may initially cause digestive problems such as bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and gas. However, the body usually adjusts over time.
Read also: Weight Loss with Low-FODMAP
Not Suitable for Everyone
It's essential to consult with a healthcare provider before starting the Ornish diet, especially if you have underlying health conditions or concerns.
Ornish Diet vs. Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet is another popular eating pattern that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. While both diets share similarities, there are key differences.
Differences
The Mediterranean diet allows for the consumption of foods not included in the Ornish diet, such as:
- Healthy fats, like extra virgin olive oil, seeds, nuts, and avocados
- Meat, mainly skinless poultry
- Limited amounts of red meat
- Egg yolks
- Moderate-fat dairy products
- Seafood, including recommended servings of fish per week
Lifestyle Aspects
The Mediterranean diet doesn’t specifically include the lifestyle aspects of the Ornish program, although exercise is encouraged and social support is foundational to Mediterranean cultures.
Integrating Herbs and Spices
Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease encourages using common herbs and spices to enhance flavor. Research on inflammation shows that even the addition of small amounts of herbs daily can make an impact on inflammation and your health. Spices have been shown to have among the highest concentration of protective antioxidant activity with active properties inhibiting cell damage and inflammation.
Specific Herbs and Spices
- Garlic: A study found that people who took 900 mg daily of garlic powder slowed the development of atherosclerosis.
The Ornish Program at Sarasota Memorial
At Sarasota Memorial, the cornerstone of the Ornish Program is a nine-week course, where participants learn from the experts about proper nutrition and effective exercise, practice stress reduction, get tips on meal preparation, and develop a social support system of fellow Ornish Program attendees.
Dr. Ornish's Perspective on Delicious and Nutritious Food
Dr. Ornish emphasizes that you don't have to choose between good food and good health. Gourmet chefs can create low-fat foods that are both delicious and nutritious.
Key Principles
- It's not the amount of fat that matters, but how the food is prepared.
- Low-fat foods can taste great if they're well-prepared.
Everyday Cooking with Dr. Dean Ornish
In "Everyday Cooking with Dr. Dean Ornish," Dr. Ornish presents 150 simple, yet extraordinary, recipes that use inexpensive, commonly found ingredients and follow easy, time-saving steps for making fresh, delicious, everyday meals. These recipes are organized into 45 seasonal menus to take advantage of the freshest ingredients.
Beyond Heart Disease
The implications and the applications of what we are doing go far beyond just reversing heart disease. Clearly, if you can reverse the progression of heart disease, then you can help prevent it. The most motivating reason for changing your diet and lifestyle, however, is not just to live longer or to reduce the risk of something bad happening years later--it's to improve the quality of life right now.
Improved Quality of Life
Many men report that their sexual potency improves. (Your heart is not the only organ that gets more blood flow when you change your diet.) Others find that their bodies start to smell and taste better--even their breath improves. Many find that they have a greater sense of equanimity, their asthma gets better, their arthritis hurts less, their endurance and stamina improve, and so on.
Sample Recipes and Meal Ideas
Homemade Enchilada Sauce
- Mix dry Mexican spice blend ingredients together: 2 T chili powder + ½ tsp cumin + ¼ tsp onion powder + ¼ tsp garlic powder.
- Heat on stovetop over medium heat, 1 cup tomato sauce, ¾ c water and spice blend.
- Thicken with thickening agent such as 1 flour, cornstarch or kuzu to desired thickness.
Other Recipes
- Blend all ingredients until smooth. (Use left over produce pieces or frozen produce.
- Add ingredients to sauce pan and heat.
- Place coated bread on heated skillet and cook until golden brown (about 1-2 minutes each side).
Healthy Eating While Traveling
Whether you are traveling for pleasure or work, you do not need to leave healthy eating at home. All it takes is awareness, a little planning, and a few good strategies to make eating on the road a healthy experience.
Tips for Healthy Travel Eating
- Scout your options and look for the salad, but be selective because salads are not always a healthy option.
- You can buy small packets of nonfat salad dressing, just fill a small container of Ornish homemade dressing such as a Balsamic Vinaigrette or Simple Italian Dressing, or buy a nonfat bottled dressing to pack and take with you on the road.
- Bring your own stash of Ornish Lifestyle Medicine food to ensure that you always have a healthy choice.
Resources for Finding Healthy Options
The Vegetarian Resource Group and the Happy Cow offers over 500 vegan restaurants and thousand more that offer many plant-based vegetarian meals across the US, Canada and the world.