Ornish Diet

While many weight loss diets are low-fat, some fall into the category of being very low fat (where only 10-20% of the calories come from fats).

Dr Dean Ornish wrote a book called Eat More, Weigh Less. The diet he prescribed is basically vegetarian.

Dean Ornish’s Diet Outline

Meat, poultry, and fish aren’t recommended. The only dairy allowed is fat-free yogurt, milk, fat free cheeses, and egg whites.

Foods not allowed are; all fats, oils, nuts, seeds, avocados, refined carbohydrates (including sugar, white rice, and white flour).

Other than these ‘banned’ foods, the diet allows you to eat all you want without any weighting or measuring. What’s left is predominantly fruit and vegetables, and grains.

Sample Meal Plan

Breakfast
Whole grain cereal with fat-free yogurt
orange juice

Lunch
Baked potatoes stuffed with fat-free cheese and spinach
Broccoli
Potato salad with fat-free dressing
Green salad and fresh fruit

Dinner
Bread with tomatoes and capers
Wholemeal pasta with vegetables
Peaches in wine

Drinks
Water, tea, coffee, skim milk, juices.

Too Restrictive?

All extreme or restrictive diets are difficult to follow. They also run the risk of depriving the body essential nutrients and minerals. Restricting fish, nuts, and seeds immediately cuts of any source of Essential Fatty Acids such as Omega-3.

It is good to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, but current research into nutrition and causes of obesity is beginning to show us that cutting out all fat is not necessarily the way to go.