1. Read the Ornish Diet Books
Dr. Dean Ornish, the creator of the Ornish Diet, has penned several books that describe in detail the steps needed to follow his diet. The two most important books are Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease and Everyday Cooking with Dr. Dean Ornish: 150 Easy, Low-Fat, High-Flavor Recipes. These books can help you learn the basics of the diet and give you ideas on how to plan and customize dishes to fit into the plan.
2. Choose a Prevention or a Reversal Diet
Compare the two fundamental options of the Ornish Diet: the prevention diet and the reversal diet. Since the Ornish Diet was initially created to help lower cholesterol and improve the health of people with heart disease, the reversal version of the diet is very strict and focuses on reversing heart disease. This includes a firm 10-percent fat intake, meals that are based mainly on vegetables and other raw foods and little-to-no simple carbohydrates, such as alcohol or sugars. The prevention diet, on the other hand, is a little more flexible and can be customized according to your health risks, family history of heart disease and the amount of weight you want to lose.
3. Learn to Identify the Presence of Fat in Products
Since the Ornish Diet is based on a low intake of fat, it is important that you learn to identify the presence of fat in products. Names such oil, margarine and shortening all indicate the presence of fats in a dish. All oils, even olive and safflower, which are generally considered healthy, have an impact on your diet. The only type of fat recommended by the Ornish Diet is Omega-3 fatty acid, which can be found in flaxseed and soybean products.
4. Put the No-Meat Rule in Perspective
Though the Ornish Diet is based on going vegetarian, some people decide to eat a small amount of meat. If you plan to eat meat while on the Ornish Diet, consume as little as possible and stick to fish and poultry. You may do well to limit your meat consumption to once per week or less.
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