Who is Dean Ornish?
Dean Ornish is a doctor whose primary claim to fame is that he has come up with a diet that seems to accomplish the reversal of heart disease and blockages to the organ without a person having to undergo any surgical procedure, or to go on a regimen of drugs. His diet works by allowing the body's natural fat burning mechanism to operate at the highest levels of efficiency.
What Can You Eat in His Diet?
The Dean Ornish diet allows you to eat as much of the following categories of foods as you want: beans and legumes, fruits, grains and vegetables. A person on the Dean Ornish diet may also eat limited quantities of non-fat dairy products and even some desserts that are sugar-free. However, the diet forbids the consumption of any kind of meat, fish, oils, nuts, sugar and alcohol. Sticking to this plan, you will derive less than 10 percent of your calories from fat, without the need to track your portions or to count calories.
Why Does it Work?
The Dean Ornish diet works because the high-fiber content of the foods you are eating will slow the absorption of food into your system. In addition, it keeps your blood-sugar levels at a constant level. The combination of these two things allows you to burn calories at a quicker rate than a normal person who eats the same amount of food. In other words, the Dean Ornish diet allows you to eat enough to feel full, yet with a nutritional breakdown that promotes a faster metabolism, and hence, added weight loss.
Is There a Catch?
The primary drawback of the Dean Ornish diet is the extremely limited menu you have to choose from. It is a healthy diet, but those who are not used to a diet that is essentially vegetarian in nature may not have the willpower to stick to it. According to Ornish's book, "Eat More, Weigh Less," his diet requires the average person to decrease the usual fat intake by 30 percent. Without also changing one's lifestyle to include both exercise and meditation, the diet may not work for you.
The Diet of the Future?
In addition to improving health by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, some research has shown that the Dean Ornish diet can also reduce the advancement of certain cancers as well, and if followed to the letter, may one day make certain medical procedures, such as angioplasty, obsolete.
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