Dean Ornish Diet is for those who are experiencing heart disease symptoms. The diet is designed to reverse heart disease. The main focus of the diet is not to make you count the number of calories you intake daily. The primary focus is to eliminate a few foods from the diet and include healthy foods to make your heart come back on the path of health.
Dean Ornish Diet
The diet allows you to consume only 10% fat from the overall daily diet. You are strictly bound to eat healthy foods and banned from eating junk food. Red meat and chicken are also banned in this diet. You may find it hard to eliminate these foods in the first couple of months. However, you will soon be able to cut out on these foods and indulge yourself in healthy eating habits.
Dean Ornish Diet along regular exercise will enable you to lose excess weight while making your heart healthier. You can include fish and white meat in your diet to fight with the food cravings in the early part of the diet plan.
Foods to Eat
You are allowed to eat the majority of the food items. However, you should opt for more healthy foods in order to lose weight, stay fit, and prevent chronic diseases from developing. For this purpose, you may choose any of the following food groups in your diet.
- Group 1 Fresh fruits, veggies, legumes, skimmed dairy products, soy products, egg whites, and whole grains.
- Group 2 Nuts, oils, low-fat dairy products, stewed fruit, seeds, avocado, and decaffeinated drinks.
- Group 3 Processed carbohydrates, oils rich with saturated fats, dough food, cakes, sweets, margarine, and seafood.
- Group 4 Fried foods, offal, cream, red meat, yolks, hot-dog, and tropical oil.
Note: The groups have been ranked from the healthiest group to the least healthy group.
If you are highly health-oriented then it’s better for you to opt for group 1 foods. For those individuals, who already have a healthy lifestyle can go for group 2. You must avoid groups 3 and 4 in order to stay on the safer side. You may eat foods from groups 3 and 4 but keep in mind to eat a low quantity of foods that are present in these groups. It will help you against the accumulation of sugars, fats, and calories.
It depends on your genes that what type of foods and ingredients you should consume. There are people who eat all kinds of foods and still don’t gain excessive weight. On the other hand, some people need to stay careful in the selection of foods because they gain rapid weight. You may choose the group of your choice if your genes allow you to eat any type of food.
Benefits of Dean Ornish Diet
- It helps you reduce weight and bring your figure in shape.
- It is based on scientific research so it is proven effective.
- It offers alternative food solutions. You may opt for a different food group if one group does not work for you.