Dr Ornish Diet Review
Salad on Dr. Ornish Diet
Dr. Dean Ornish has created what’s called the Eat More, Weigh Less diet. If you have tried various diet and exercise programs with futile results, or are thinking of trying to diet, the claims that this program is heart-healthy and successful sound alluring. So what’s the buzz?
What Makes the Eat More, Weigh Less Diet Different?
The mantra for the Eat More, Weigh Less program is to consume foods low in fat, high in fiber, and mainly vegetarian. This, combined with 30 minutes of daily exercise and stress management techniques, improves a person’s metabolism and capacity to burn fat. It is not suprising that it also lowers blood pressure and cholesterol. All three components are important and proven to show remarkable results.
What can I eat on the Dr. Ornish Diet?
Unlike some diet programs, Dr. Ornish recommends eating certain foods until you’re satisfied, eating some others in moderation, and restricting other foods from consumption altogether. This way you’re not counting calories.
The unrestricted food group includes legumes, fruit, vegetables, grains and beans. The moderated foods include non-fat (or low fat) commercial products without sugar as an ingredient as well as non-fat dairy products. So what do you stay away from? Pretty much everything else – nuts, meats, oils, honey, alcohol, olives, and food with 2 grams of fat or more per serving. The end result is high fiber meals that keep you satisfied longer even if you eat smaller portions.
Peer Reviews
So what do the Medical and Nutritional communities think of this plan? The vast majority give Dr. Ornish diet reviews that compliment the scientific, health-centered approach of this program along with its simple to understand guidelines. Some reviews feel that following this diet can decrease things like heart disease and cancer too.
Participant Reviews
People who consider trying the Eat More, Weigh Less diet may find the dramatic change in their lifestyle a little daunting, not to mention the limited food options. The key, as with any such endeavor, is sticking with it long enough (several weeks) to see consistent results. Folks used to Western diets may quickly find themselves craving fats, which can deter their success. By comparison people who have already embarked on a vegetarian lifestyle find it easier to adapt to this program.
Another secret was uncovered and publicized by Dr. Ornish. Despite all odds, patients who did the strictest vegan diet, stuck to it better than those who followed the less strict vegetarian version. When they were interviewed, an interesting pattern emerged. Patients were able to do this because they saw dramatic results that they could never expect very quickly. For his very first group, Dr. Ornish recruited only people who survived at least one heart event, such as heart attack, stroke etc. Those who declined were a control group. People on a vegan diet started seeing results in one or two weeks, and this gave them motivation to continue.
People from the control group were almost all dead in ten years.
Patients from both vegan and vegetarian groups had much better survival rates. Not only longevity, but also quality of life improved. They were in much better health with blood pressure down, cholesterol down, angina disappearing and other good side effects.
This first experiment made young Dr. Ornish famous.
Summary
No matter the drawbacks, overall the medical community gives Dr. Ornish’s Eat More, Weigh Less the proverbial thumbs up as a healthy weight loss program that also helps keep the weight off for the long-haul.