The Ornish Diet: Can It Improve Health and Aid Weight Loss?
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The Ornish Diet: Can It Improve Health and Aid Weight Loss?
It
involves making comprehensive lifestyle changes and following a low-fat,
plant-based diet filled with fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes.
However,
it also restricts several healthy food groups and may increase your risk of
nutritional deficiencies without proper planning.
This
article reviews the Ornish Diet, including whether it improves health and aids
weight loss.
What is the Ornish Diet?
The
Ornish Diet is a plan developed by Dr. Dean Ornish, a physician, researcher,
and founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito,
California.
The plan
is essentially a low-fat, lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet that
focuses on plant-based ingredients like fruits, veggies, whole grains, and
legumes.
Other
foods are also permitted on the plan, including soy products, egg whites, and
limited amounts of non-fat dairy.
According
to the diet’s creator, simply switching up your eating pattern can promote
weight loss and reverse the progression of chronic conditions like prostate
cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
It’s said
to work by activating health-promoting genes while reversing aging at
a cellular level.
How to follow the Ornish Diet
Unlike
many other fad diets, the
Ornish Diet is straightforward and easy to follow.
There is
no need to count calories or track your nutrient intake, and no foods are
completely off-limits as part of the diet, aside from most animal products.
However,
meat, fish, and poultry are not included in the diet, and high-fat foods like
nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils are permitted only in limited amounts.
Fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and soy foods are key components of the
Ornish Diet and should comprise the majority of your meals.
Egg
whites are also permitted, and up to two daily servings of non-fat dairy
products like milk and yogurt can be enjoyed as well.
Healthy fats should
make up about 10% of your total daily calorie intake and mostly come from
naturally occurring fats in whole foods like whole grains and legumes.
Three or
fewer servings of foods like nuts and seeds can also be eaten per day. However,
it’s important to keep in mind that the serving sizes are very small, and one
serving should contain fewer than 3 grams of fat.
Also,
caffeinated beverages, refined carbs, sugar, alcohol, and low-fat packaged
foods should be limited as part of the diet.
In
addition to making changes to your diet, it’s also recommended to get at least
30 minutes of moderate exercise daily to optimize results.
Benefits
The
Ornish Diet may be associated with several health benefits.
May aid
weight loss
The
Ornish Diet emphasizes nutrient-dense ingredients like
fruits, veggies, and plant-based proteins, making it an excellent option if
you’re looking to lose weight.
According
to one study in 20 people, following the Ornish Diet for 1 year resulted in an
average weight loss of 7.5 pounds (3.3 kg), which was greater than other
popular diets like Atkins, Weight Watchers, and the Zone Diet.
Similarly,
another 1-year study found that 76 participants who followed the Ornish Diet
lost an average of 5 pounds (2.2 kg).
Furthermore,
other studies show that switching to a vegetarian diet could aid weight loss.
In one
study in 74 people with type 2 diabetes, following a vegetarian diet for 6
months was significantly more effective than a low-calorie diet at promoting
fat loss.
Aids
disease prevention
Promising
research suggests that the Ornish Diet could help prevent chronic disease.
In fact,
studies show that vegetarian diets may be associated with a lower risk of heart
disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Other
studies have found that vegetarian and vegan diets may
be linked to a lower risk of certain types of cancer, including stomach,
colorectal, prostate, and breast cancer.
What’s more, one small study in 18 people compared the effects
of three popular diets, including the Ornish Diet, over 4 weeks.
The
Ornish Diet reduced levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL (bad)
cholesterol, and inflammation, all of which are risk factors for heart disease.
Flexible
and easy to follow
Unlike
other diet plans that require you to carefully count calories or
track your nutrient intake, the Ornish Diet requires minimal effort and is
relatively easy to follow.
According
to the diet’s creator, aside from certain animal products, no foods are
completely off-limits on the plan — though some ingredients should be limited.
Even
certain prepackaged convenience items like veggie burgers or whole-grain
cereals are permitted in moderation, provided they contain fewer than 3 grams
of fat per serving.
Given
that the diet is not overloaded with complicated rules and regulations, it’s
easy to stick to in the long run.
Potential downsides
Though
the Ornish Diet is associated with several potential benefits, there are some
downsides to consider.
For
starters, it’s very low in healthy fats,
with less than 10% of total daily calories coming from fat.
Most
health experts and regulatory agencies recommend getting around 20–35% of your
total daily calories from fat to help optimize health.
Healthy
fats like mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids can protect against heart
disease, reduce inflammation, support brain function, and ensure healthy growth
and development.
Additionally,
it’s important to keep in mind that removing meat and certain animal products
from your diet can increase your risk of nutritional
deficiencies.
In fact,
studies show that vegetarian diets tend to be lower in important nutrients like
protein, calcium, vitamin B12, and zinc.
Monitoring
your intake of these key vitamins and minerals and enjoying a variety of
nutrient-dense fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes can ensure that
you’re able to meet your needs while following the Ornish Diet.
You may
also opt to take a multivitamin,
which can help fill any gaps in your diet to prevent a nutritional deficiency.
Foods to
eat and avoid
The
Ornish Diet is a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet that encourages a variety of whole
foods, including fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
Foods to
eat
Here are
some foods that you can enjoy as part of the Ornish Diet:
- Fruits: apples, bananas,
oranges, kiwi, grapefruit, berries, pomegranate, melons, pears, apricots
- Vegetables: broccoli,
cauliflower, kale, cabbage, peppers, garlic, onions, spinach, zucchini
- Legumes: kidney
beans, chickpeas, lentils, black beans, lima beans, pinto beans
- Whole grains: quinoa,
amaranth, buckwheat, barley, farro, brown rice, oats
- Protein
sources: tempeh, tofu, egg whites
- Herbs and
spices: garlic, cumin, turmeric, coriander, cilantro, parsley,
cinnamon, nutmeg
Foods to
limit
The
following foods are also permitted in limited amounts on the diet:
- Nuts and seeds (3
or fewer small servings per day): walnuts, almonds,
cashews, pecans, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds
- Low-fat packaged
foods: whole-grain cereals, whole-grain crackers, veggie
burgers
- Caffeinated
beverages: up to one cup of coffee or two cups of black tea/decaf
coffee per day
- Dairy products (2
or fewer servings per day): non-fat yogurt, skim milk
- Fats: olive oil,
avocados, coconut oil,
butter, vegetable oil, canola oil, olives
- Refined carbs (2
or fewer servings per day): white pasta, crackers, biscuits,
white bread, pancakes, flour tortillas, white rice, honey, agave, brown
sugar, white sugar
- Alcohol (up to 1
serving per day): wine, beer, liquor
- Processed
foods: high-fat convenience meals, baked goods, fast food,
potato chips, pretzels
Foods to
avoid
Here are
some of the foods to avoid on the diet plan:
- Meat: beef, lamb, goat,
veal
- Seafood: salmon, mackerel, tuna,
anchovies, sardines, shrimp, lobster
- Poultry: chicken, turkey,
goose, duck
- Egg yolks
Sample menu
Here’s a
sample 3-day menu for the Ornish Diet.
Day 1
- Breakfast: tofu scramble with
tomatoes, onions, garlic, and peppers
- Lunch: brown rice with
black beans and steamed broccoli
- Dinner: lentil
veggie stew with roasted Brussels sprouts
Day 2
- Breakfast: egg white omelet
with mixed veggies
- Lunch: bell peppers
stuffed with beans, bulgur, tomatoes, onions, kale, and spinach
- Dinner: chickpea
curry with couscous and a side salad
Day 3
- Breakfast: oatmeal with
strawberries, blueberries, and cinnamon
- Lunch: zucchini noodles
with pesto and cannellini bean meatballs
- Dinner: teriyaki
tempeh with quinoa and stir-fried veggies
The bottom line
The
Ornish Diet is a low-fat, lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet that claims to offer
substantial health benefits.
In
addition to being flexible and easy to follow, some studies suggest that the
Ornish Diet may help increase weight loss and protect against chronic disease.
However,
it’s also very low in healthy fats and may lack certain vitamins and minerals,
which can increase your risk of nutritional deficiencies.
Thus,
if you want to give the Ornish Diet a try, be sure to plan it carefully to
avoid negative health effects
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