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
The Ornish Spectrum www.ornishspectrum.com
Dr. Dean Ornish: Healing through diet