What is the Ornish diet and what are its benefits and its consequences? Dr. Dean Ornish's diet was originally constructed as a means to combat heart disease and to foster an overall healthier lifestyle. In recent years, the diet has been discovered to have a remarkable difference on reducing the risk of cancer, hypertension, and diabetes.

Simply put, the Ornish diet is high in fiber, low in fat and vegetarian so that weight loss will be guaranteed. And to help realize one's fitness goals, Dr. Ornish also supports regular exercise performed three days a week as well as implementing some regular means of relaxation. This could mean yoga, or even a massage, but stress needs to be minimized in order for one to truly be in control their weight and well-being.

Not only is the Ornish Diet different in that it attempts to refurbish all aspects of your life, but also unlike other dieting methods, Dr. Ornish asks not to restrict calories, but for one to simply be be aware of the foods that are consumed. In fact, very aware. Foods are assigned to one of three categories, foods to eat all the time, foods to eat sometime, and foods to eat none of the time. As far as foods that should be eaten often and whenever hungry, beans, fruits grains, and vegetables all fall into this category. Foods that should be eaten in moderation would include nonfat dairy products and nonfat or low-fat commercial products. For foods that should be avoided, meat of all kinds, oils of all kinds, avocados, olives, nuts and seeds, full dairy, simple sugar and its derivatives, alcohol, and anything commercially prepared that has more than 2 grams of fat per serving. Unfortunately, the excluded foods are too exclusive for anyone, in my opinion, and especially exclusive for any physically active individual in particular. Since complete protein sources are completely removed from the diet and they are necessary for the rebuilding of one's muscle fiber after a hard workout, then the body will be unable to patch up everything, strengthen, and grow as is desired.

Another complaint other than the fact that the diet is extremely difficult for most people to stick to is the fact that fat so heavily restricted. Even the good unsaturated fats that are found to actually protect the heart from coronary disease are all but omitted. Certainly, one of the more beneficial aspects of the Ornish diet is its advocation of eating around the clock in order to keep the metabolic rate up so that more calories will be burned for longer periods of time. Furthermore, since the diet is also high in fiber, one will feel satiated for longer since fiber slows down the digestive process, thus preventing overeating. In short, Dr. Ornish has created a wonderful concept in an effort to completely revitalize one's life, unfortunately, he has chosen a path that is too restrictive and too difficult for many to maintain over a long period of time.