Ornish Diet - Diets Demystified

What: Plant-based vegetarian diet that is low in fat and high in complex carbohydrates and fibre. Created by cardiologist Dr Dean Ornish, he suggests that individuals consume less than 10 per cent of their energy intake from fat as it is the culprit for weight gain. It excludes dietary cholesterol and saturated fat, animal products (except egg whites and non-fat dairy products), nuts, seeds, avocados, chocolate, olive and coconuts. Oils are eliminated except for some canola oil for cooking, and oil that supplies omega-3 essential fatty acids.

The Ornish diet also prohibits caffeine but allows a moderate intake of alcohol, sugar and salt. There is no restriction on calorie intake, only on food types.

Is meat essential to a person’s diet?

Meat isn’t essential. A well-planned vegetarian diet has been consistently found to provide the full range of protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and fibre necessary for optimal nutrition. Since
vegetarian diets are generally high in fibre, low in cholesterol and saturated fats, they may actually be healthier than most meat-based diets, leading to a lower risk of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Lacto-vegetarians (those who consume dairy foods) and lactoovo vegetarians (those who take dairy food and eggs) can get a lot of essential nutrients from dairy and milk products. Vegans (those who
exclude all foods of animal origin, including eggs and dairy), however, may lack several essential nutrients in their diet like vitamin B12, iron, zinc and calcium as they eat only food of plant origin. They need foods fortified with these nutrients.

Fat consumption is restricted to less than 10 per cent of the daily calorie intake. This is much lower than the national recommendation of 30 per cent.

Fats play a vital role in maintaining healthy skin and hair, insulating body organs against shock, maintaining body temperature and promoting healthy cell function. They also serve as energy stores for the body. Fats are also an essential source of fatty acids and help our body absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. The current recommendation of less than 30 per cent fat from daily caloric intake is intended to meet basic essential fatty acid (EFA) requirements which range from three to five per cent of caloric intake. It also includes an allowance of 10 per cent of total calories from saturated fat, 10 per cent from
monounsaturated fats and 10 per cent from polyunsaturated fats.

Who are unsuitable for the Ornish diet?

Elderly, pregnant women and people with eating disorders should not attempt a very low fat diet. Those with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, elevated triglyceride levels and fat mal-absorption are also
unsuitable.