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The Ornish Diet Defined

April 13, 2011 Print This ArticleShare

Author: Michael Greeves

The Ornish Diet was created to reverse heart disease with specific and dietary along with lifestyle changes. By following the Ornish Diet you will be improving upon your diet and nutrition and at the same time naturally reversing cardiovascular problems that at one time were thought to be irreversible.

The Ornish Diet is an extremely low fat diet combining yoga and meditation along with a social support group and the eliminating cigarettes. The Ornish Diet is followed by many people with heart disease. It is also sometimes referred to as a lifestyle choice diet.

The diet and nutrition guideline to follow when choosing the Ornish Diet is that you will consume 10 % of calories as fat which means a ratio of polyunsaturated fat to saturated fat. A person will also consume 70 to 75% of their calories as complex carbohydrates and then 15 to 20 % of calories as their protein. A person also will limit the consumption of cholesterol to no more then 5 milligrams per day and consume only whole grains, fruits and vegetables along with legumes or beans and peas in unlimited quantities. Meat and dairy except for egg whites and non fat milk and nonfat yogurts are eliminated from being eaten and you do not have caffeine or are to eat any sugars and salt however, you can in moderation have alcohol but it is normally discouraged.

People that have a diet and nutrition that is high in cholesterol and saturated fat have high blood pressure and are at risk of heart disease.

There are a wide variety of diet and nutrition choices that are acceptable on the Ornish Diet. Items for breakfast can include oatmeal or fresh berries even buckwheat pancakes. For your lunch time meal choices such as black bean chili or a tossed green salad are excellent choices. A snack could include things such at banana bread and your dinner choices could be along the lines of whole wheat pasta.

The Ornish Diet program will not only assist those in the reversal of their heart disease but also will be of great benefit to those that want to prevent the onset of heart disease.

It is not a recommended diet for people such as women that are pregnant as well as for women that are lactating nor should a person with special nutrient needs along with children or adolescents follow the Ornish Diet because it is deficient in such areas as calcium, iron and vitamin B12.

It is highly recommended with the Ornish Diet to incorporate exercise as it is with any diet. Exercise keeps up your metabolism and will prevent your blood sugar from increasing. Making an effort to moderately exercise at least thirty minutes of is something to keep in mind and you can do this by using a machine or by even taking a brisk walk. Also include meditation or yoga into your regime this will also reduce the stress level that many of us have every day.


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