Reverse Heart Disease the Ornish Way
Dean Ornish's program is the first, in a randomized trial, shown to start reversing heart disease using lifestyle alone, no drugs or surgery. It comes down to four habits, eat well (whole-food, plant-based, low-fat), move more, stress less and love more; Medicare now covers it as the first lifestyle program recognized in five-year follow-up data for reversing heart disease.
Eat well: build meals around whole plants A whole-foods, plant-based diet: mostly fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans and soy in their natural forms. Keep it low in fat and sugar, and low in animal protein and refined carbs. On the strict reversal version, total fat is roughly 15 to 35g a day.
This is the eating pattern rated number one for heart health by U.S. News every year from 2011 to 2017. It lowers the cholesterol and inflammation that build plaque.
Move more: about 30 minutes a day Around 30 minutes a day of moderate activity like brisk walking, plus some gentle strength work. Pick something you enjoy so you actually keep doing it.
You do not need to train like an athlete. A modest, steady amount of movement most days improves circulation, blood pressure and mood.
Stress less: a daily calm-down practice Set aside time each day for stress management: meditation, gentle yoga, stretching and slow breathing. Even a short daily practice counts.
Chronic stress keeps your body in fight-or-flight mode, which raises blood pressure and strains the heart. Calming it down protects your arteries.
Love more: invest in your relationships Make real time for the people you care about, and lean on a support group or community while you make these changes. Loneliness and isolation are a genuine health risk, not just a sad feeling.
Ornish points to research that lonely, isolated people are several times more likely to get sick and die early. He calls connection the part of the program people underestimate the most.
Track your progress with your doctor Do this alongside your doctor, not instead of them. Keep an eye on cholesterol, blood pressure, weight and blood sugar, and never change or stop heart medication without medical advice.
The program is powerful, but it works best as a partner to good medical care. Your numbers show it is working and keep you safe.
Heart disease is not about a single number, so this works on several fronts at once.
View sources
Medicare coverage decision for Dr Ornish's intensive cardiac rehab program (CMS)
Ornish Lifestyle Medicine (official program site)
Can lifestyle changes reverse coronary heart disease? The Lifestyle Heart Trial (Lancet, 1990)
Intensive Lifestyle Changes for Reversal of Coronary Heart Disease, 5-year results (JAMA, 1998)
Not medical advice. This page is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical care. Consult a qualified clinician before changing your health routine.
Independent curation. YourProtocol is an independent platform. This protocol is based on the publicly available work of Dean Ornish and is not created, reviewed, endorsed by, or affiliated with Dean Ornish or Preventive Medicine Research Institute.
Is this for you
- Anyone with heart disease or strong risk factors who wants to do everything they can with lifestyle
- People who would rather try intensive lifestyle changes before, or alongside, more procedures
- Anyone who wants a simple, proven framework: eat well, move more, stress less, love more
Cautions
- This is education based on Dr Ornish's published work and program, not medical advice. If you have heart disease, work with your cardiologist.
- Never stop or change heart medication on your own. Any medication change is your doctor's decision.
- This is a big change to how you eat. If you take medication for blood pressure, blood sugar or cholesterol, your doctor may need to adjust doses as your numbers improve.
- The strict reversal diet is very low in fat. If you are pregnant, underweight or have other conditions, get personalized guidance first.
- Ornish's program is lifestyle-first and sells no supplements or products. Nothing here is something to buy.