Eat More, Weigh Less
Dean Ornish, MD, is known in the medical community for reversing heart blockages through nutrition, which was once thought impossible without surgery or drugs. In 1993, he authored the book Eat More, Weigh Less: Dr. Dean Ornish’s Life Choice Program for Losing Weight Safely While Eating Abundantly. It quickly became a New York Times bestseller.
The Eat More, Weigh Less diet is a high-fiber, low-fat approach meant to spark weight loss and promote optimal health. This diet can be followed by meat eaters, vegetarians, and vegans – although less meat is encouraged. Dr. Ornish also emphasizes regular exercise and stress reduction. Beyond weight loss, this diet may prevent and sometimes reverse some forms of heart disease.
Dr. Ornish claims that with the right combination of food and exercise, weight loss may occur even when participants eat more frequently and larger amounts of food. He recommends that less than 10% of calories come from fat, and breaks the diet down into foods that should be eaten all of the time, some of the time, and never.
Foods to include:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Whole grains
- Egg whites
- Beans
- Non-fat dairy
- Nuts and seeds
- Healthy oils
Foods to include some of the time:
- Meat
- Poultry
- Fish
Foods to avoid:
- Full-fat dairy
- Sugar
- Alcohol
- Processed foods
- Refined grains
- Trans fats
Pros:
- High consumption of fruits and vegetables
- Considers primary food
- Honors bio-individuality
- May reverse heart disease and balance cholesterol
- Addresses difference between healthy and unhealthy fat
Cons:
- Very restrictive
- May be difficult to reduce meat
- Some may thrive on full-fat dairy
Sources:
Dean Ornish’s Eat More, Weigh Less
Review: Eat More, Weigh Less www.webmd.com (Links to an external site.)
The Ornish Spectrum www.ornishspectrum.com (Links to an external site.)
Dr. Dean Ornish: Healing through diet (Links to an external site.)
