Although it is known as being a diet, the Spectrum diet is not a diet per se. In fact, it is a way of life developed by Dean Ornish, a very respectable MD who is nowadays known all over the world due to the fact that he managed to discover and demonstrate that heart diseases can be easily reversed through a healthy lifestyle including a vegetarian diet low in sodium and fat.
The diet and lifestyle program that this doctor came up with can be easily transformed in order to suit everyone, reason for which millions of people have tried it and stuck to it in the end. Besides being able to reverse heart diseases, the Spectrum way of living can also help people lose weight and reduce the risk of getting prostate cancer and diabetes. It recommends the consumption of highly nutritious foods and it also praises working out on a regular basis and meditating.
What is most interesting about the Spectrum diet is that there are no rules which it imposes. There are no forbidden foods, and therefore no future guilt of eating something bad. This diet only encourages people to make some helpful changes in their lives in order for them to be happier and healthier.
In fact, in case you decide to follow this diet, you have to know that the program will be personalized and changed according to your own needs, preferences and most importantly, genes. For instance, in case you want your blood pressure to drop, this program will recommend you to consume foods that are closest to the spectrum’s healthier end.
Although it is possible for you not to be able to only consume those foods from the beginning of the program, you will get there in time and stay there as soon as you see that you will feel better and also look fabulous. By personalizing it, the chances of this so-called diet to work will increase.
As far as the Spectrum diet foods are concerned, all foods are included, but they can only be consumed to a certain degree. For example, in case your purpose is of losing weight, of preventing chronic disorders or of lowering your blood sugar, you will be asked to consume healthier foods in a bigger volume than less healthy foods.
The Spectrum diet has five different groups of foods that are classified from the healthiest to the unhealthiest ones. For instance, group one includes fruits and vegetables, legumes, soy products, egg whites, whole grains and nonfat dairy, while group five includes tropical oils, red meats, cream, egg yolks, organ meats, fries and fast foods.
On the other hand, the middle groups include avocados, low-fat dairies, seafood, concentrated sweets, high-fat animal products, cookies, pastries, and so on. Nonetheless, the purpose of this division of foods is to determine you to move from group five to group one, as the first one is the group able to make you gain the health benefits that you are in need of.
As soon as you find out where exactly you are on the spectrum, you will be able to advance towards the healthy continuum according to your needs and wishes. In order to do this, you can also follow the Spectrum diet recipes which include multigrain pancakes served with strawberry syrup, zucchini frittatas, vegetarian chili and multigrain griddle cake.