About Dean Ornish's Program

Dean Ornish is a doctor who is highly respected in the medical field due to the advances in eliminating heart blockages. Heart blockages used to be thought of as a problem that was impossible to get rid of without the assistance of medication or surgical intervention. Dean Ornish promotes a healthy diet that is high in fiber and low in fat. His diet is a vegetarian one.

High Intake

• Dean Ornish's program proposes that in order to lose weight and be healthy, one must not only limit calories, but you must watch exactly what types of foods you consume, as well. Ornish believes that high intakes of the following foods are beneficial to both heart health and weight loss and maintenance: vegetables, grains, legumes, beans and all kinds of fruits.

Moderate Intake

• There are also certain varieties of foods that Ornish believes it's all right to consume, but should only be consumed in moderation. These foods include either low-fat or non-fat commercial products, such as frozen prepared meals or even low-calorie ice cream sandwiches. Another type of food that can be eaten in moderation is any type of nonfat dairy product. Examples of nonfat dairy items are nonfat cheese, sour cream and yogurt and egg whites.

Avoidance

• Ornish also strongly advises avoiding certain types of foods, as well. Some foods he thinks should be avoided are all meats (including fish--his diet regimen is a vegetarian one), olives, alcoholic beverages of all kinds, avocados (high in fat), any oils or foods containing oils, sugar and foods with sugar extracts, seeds, nuts, dairy products (with the exception of nonfat dairy), and commercially made foods that have over 2 grams of fat.

Physical Fitness

• Ornish is also a strong advocate of physical fitness. He believes that a low-fat diet is not enough to help people become fit and healthy. He strongly suggests that people engage in a minimum of half an hour of exercise on a daily basis. If that cannot be done, then one hour of moderate exercise approximately three times a week should suffice. He also encourages stress-relieving exercises, such as meditation and yoga.

Advice

• Ornish advises smart eaters to be very aware of food labels when grocery shopping. This is due to the fact that many commercial products that claim to be either low-fat or non-fat are at the same time extremely high in sugar. The main thing to do is avoid any food that is labeled with sugar as the first ingredient listed (that means there is more sugar than any other ingredient mentioned).