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The Diet Wars #2- The Dean Ornish diet

THE DIET WARS by JR Tillotson Our diet series, which began with the May, 2005 Villager, continues this month with advice from Dr. Dean Ornish.  His heart-healthy diet has had wide-ranging influence on the way food is processed in the US and on what many Americans eat. Dean Ornish, MD is president and director of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, assistant clinical professor of medicine at University of California, San Francisco; he is a graduate of Baylor College of Medicine, completing his internship and residency at Massachusetts General. The Dean Ornish diet Dr. Dean Ornish stunned the health world a few years ago with a regimen that reversed damage from heart attack. Many people first heard of it when he appeared on the hour-long Nova, the PBS science series. Dr. Ornish says, "We were able to show that even severe heart disease often can be reversed when people make bigger changes in diet and lifestyle than were previously recommended. We focus on heart disease since it's the leading killer of men and women in the US, but the benefits of changing diet and lifestyle go far beyond that." Describing the diet he recommends as "fairly restrictive" because that's what it takes to reverse heart disease and other illnesses, he says stress management is an important part of his regimen. Stress makes arteries constrict and clot blood faster, which, in turn, may cause a heart attack. Dr. Ornish recommends that you immediately quit smoking and start to exercise in moderation. He says just walking 20 or 30 minutes a day can reduce premature death by 50% or more. He also recommends stretching, breathing techniques, meditation and imagery associated with Yoga. "The last and perhaps most important part of the program" says Dr. Ornish, "involves love and intimacy." Studies show that people who feel lonely and depressed are more likely to get sick and die prematurely than those who have strong personal and community connections. The Ornish-friendly pantry excludes high fat foods, refined carbohydrates and excess salt. You are discouraged from consuming meat, fish, fowl and egg yolks. Low fat dairy products are permitted in moderation and dieters are encouraged to use soy-based meat substitutes. High fiber grains, fruits and vegetables are the stars of the Ornish diet. In his books he enlists the help of leading chefs to design often elaborate and tasty vegetarian meals. Eat More, Weigh Less, Dr. Ornish's 1993 cookbook (Harper-Collins $15), contains 250 heart-healthy gourmet recipes. In recent news, McDonald's, the well known fast food franchise, hired Dr. Ornish to design a fruit cup to give Mickey D's customers an alternative to the artery-assaulting items the chain is famous for. We are told the concoction contains grapes and walnuts in lowfat yogurt. Customers we spoke with said it tastes pretty good. For much more information, go online and google "Dr. Dean Ornish" to choose among hundreds of articles. NEXT TIME: The South Beach Diet. J.R. Tillotson, a writer, illustrator and long time river villager, welcomes comments and food questions from our readers.

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