The Ornish diet is a form of diet advised to those people who are trying to lose weight and are also suffering from some heart-related issues. This diet was originally designed by Dr. Ornish; an American physician and researcher. It is actually based on a purely vegetarian diet along with some amount of exercise so that it can help in the reduction of stress and also can help people in losing some extra weight. For this diet chart, Dr. Ornish has made a food list which is divided into five categories of food items. Group 1 food items are considered as the healthiest foods for the heart’s health and Group 5 includes food items that are not so healthy.

The Ornish diet essentially recommends which food items should be eaten and what a list of food items may include:

• Whole grains
  Better heart health is mostly associated with the consumption of a good amount of whole grain food items. Therefore, you can find various meal ideas in the recipe book of the Ornish diet made up of whole grains like bread, pasta, and many more items. You can prepare a lot of recipes with these ingredients when following the Ornish diet.
• Fruits and vegetables
  Fruits and vegetables are allowed in most of the healthy diets and in this one too you must maintain a steady diet of fresh fruits and vegetable. As we all know these food items are a great source of different nutrients and a great amount of fiber content. Also, with the consumption of fruits and vegetables, you can limit the intake of saturated fats which are not good for the health of the heart.
• Legumes
  Another important food item that you can include in the Ornish diet are legumes. About all of the various types of legumes are very good for heart health and they also taste very good, making them a diet favorite.

Food items which you must not eat while following the Ornish diet are as follows:

• Processed foods
  There are several fried and processed food products which are full of fat, such as packaged pastries, potato chips, and ice creams. All of these food items are not good for the heart and hence, must be avoided.
• Animal products
  As we all know the Ornish diet is mainly based on vegetarian food items. Therefore, you must avoid eating animal products while following the Ornish diet as these products contain a high amount of saturated fat. An excessive amount of saturated fats is bad for the heart.
• Alcohol
  The Ornish diet is designed to focus on the heart health and hence, you can have a glass of red wine every now and then. But you must stick to limiting the consumption of alcohol to only one glass and not more than that as it can be harmful if your heart is weak.