Customer Reviews

The Spectrum: A Scientifically Proven Program to Feel Better, Live Longer, Lose Weight, and Gain Health

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3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've been following Dr. Dean Ornish's work for many years. His books have helped transform my life for the better.

What I especially love about this book (which I think is his best by far) is that it provides a full spectrum of diet and lifestyle choices that are grounded in science (much of which he and his associates have conducted themselves and published in leading medical journals) yet it's easy to understand and fun to read.

Having been on and off many diets over the years, I like his "spectrum" approach because it doesn't tell me what to eat and do. Instead, it provides a range of choices that allow me to decide what's best for me. It treats the reader with intelligence, which I find empowering and motivating.

One of the main points of this book is that pleasure and joy are sustainable, not fear and guilt, and the recipes in this book (by Art Smith) really reflect that. Works for me!

I found this book to be engaging and helpful. It covers ways you can improve your nutrition, your exercise, your stress management, and your attitudes. Research shows that making improvements in all these areas can significantly prevent and even reverse medical conditions. Furthermore, the more you improve, the greater your results! (Exercise is somewhat of an exception, because you get 99% of the results by walking 30 minutes a day plus doing a bit of strength training.) Ornish stresses the importance of making improvements in all the areas. The concept of the "spectrum" increases the likelihood you will actually follow through on making improvements. For example, Ornish lays out 5 groups of foods, Group 1 being the healthiest, Group 5 the least healthy. You assess which of these groups' foods you are now eating, i.e. where in the spectrum you are now eating. Then you do what you can to move to a healthier position on the spectrum. Even moderate movements toward the healthier side of the spectrum will significantly help prevent disease, especially if you improve nutrition AND exercise AND stress management AND attitudes at least a little. You figure out where you are on the spectrums, and how much improvement you can do. You can make extreme improvements, i.e. move all the way over to the healthy end of the spectrum(s), which is advisable if you are aiming to reverse a medical condition. You can make moderate improvements which may be enough to prevent medical conditions. It's a user-friendly concept, enticing. I found the book a real eye-opener, and very interesting, almost fun to read, and inspiring. The general advice and the research were quite engrossing, I thought. I highly recommend it to anyone.

Dr. Ornish has written some landmark books including Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease; Eat More, Weigh Less; and Love and Survival. Within those books, you will find life-changing scientific perspectives:

1. With proper diet, your health will improve without drugs or surgery.
2. With nurturing relationships, you'll feel better and live longer regardless of your health issues.
3. You don't have to feel hungry to lose weight.

Since Dr. Ornish first wrote those important lessons, other researchers have found more reasons for hope:

1. With diet and exercise, even genes that could harm you will be re-set to be helpful.
2. The combined effects of healthy living can multiply into more joy, energy, good moods, and excellent appearance.
3. Many more diseases can be reversed with diet, exercise, relationships, mindfulness, and stress reduction.

In addition, Dr. Ornish has done his own new research showing that prostate cancer can be slowed and somewhat improved through healthier living.

The Spectrum combines these lessons into one book, one source of scientific references, and one way of living for the first time. If you want to live a healthy life that will take you to your full physical and mental potential, The Spectrum is that book.

I've met Dr. Ornish. In person, he's a kind, gentle man who wouldn't ever say a harsh word to anyone. In public, critics have challenged his past ideas about reversing heart disease by saying it's too hard to keep on his pathway.

The Spectrum responds to the critics by explaining how much flexibility we have in each of these areas, depending on what our current health is. For most people, you don't have to be extreme or rigid.

I am concerned about enjoying good health, and I was struck that I was already doing 80 percent of the program in The Spectrum. It wouldn't be hard for me to get to 90 percent of the ideal program, yet I don't really have any serious health problems (thank God!) even though I'm in my sixties.

If you do have a health issue (high cholesterol, overweight, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, prostate cancer, and breast cancer), there are specific sections suggesting what you should do.

The overall program is easy to follow. Foods are in various categories and how much you need to do of the other life-style management options is spelled out. It's much simpler than other books I've read in that sense.

If you cannot imagine how healthy foods can be attractive and tasty, Art Smith has contributed recipes and some photographs to help get you started in seeing other menu choices. It's not as much as a cookbook, but I'm sure you'll get the idea. I think that the more extensive South Beach cookbooks could be used to supplement these recipes.

Bravo, Dr. Ornish! You've done a great service through this book.

I highly recommend this book + DVD to anyone ready to make positive changes. I found this program very simple to understand and easy to follow. It is the kind of book that inspires you to take your life to a new level and you just can't stop reading it. I strongly believe that Dr. Ornish's book "The Spectrum: A Scientifically Proven Program to Feel Better, Live Longer, Lose Weight, and Gain Health" is a breakthrough achievement. This is preventive medicine at its best and it is already influencing millions of people everyday all over the world. In my opinion he completely deserves the Nobel Prize.
The book also has many interesting stories of Dr. Ornish's daily life with his family and explains how his patients are reversing heart disease.
I am a chocolate lover and I really like when he tells how much he enjoys eating some dark chocolate and still maintain the nutritional goals. I also immediately took his thoughtful advice of choosing canola oil instead of olive oil. Dr. Ornish knows why we take wrong decisions and in a very compassionate way he gives us scientifically proven tools to succeed.
The beautifully made DVD by Anne and Dean Ornish is filled with helpful and fun guided meditations that are perfect for harmonizing mind and body and to feel more relaxed. I must admit that I am a fan of them and I bought several copies to give to my friends and loved ones.

Dr. Ornish's work has always been primarily about health, not weight loss, and his most recent book is an excellent example of this. This is not a diet book; it's a book about healthy living.

Health can be a confusing topic, and it doesn't help that we're so often encouraged to view things in black and white. The theme of this book is that staying healthy is not an issue of good vs. bad, but instead involves a spectrum of behaviors and choices. The best choices for you depend upon who you are, and what is necessary for someone else might not be necessary for you. Your genetics play a substantial role, but they do not determine your health. For most of us, it is our choices that determine our health. The book defines a spectrum of choices for nutrition, stress-management and exercise, and it helped me to see more clearly what I need to live a healthy life.

I particularly appreciate the fact that Dr. Ornish's work is research-based. While it makes me angry that our mainstream healthcare is built around drugs and money, I do not believe that an alternative approach to health means throwing out good science! Many people are willing to make healthy changes in the way they live, but it's not always clear what those changes should be. Dr. Ornish provides considerable scientific data to help put things into perspective, in a way that is easy to read.

If you're really interested in living a healthier and happier life, I highly recommend this book.

I love this book. After reading so many books that are based on hype, it's so refreshing to find one that's based on scientific studies published in leading medical journals that prove it really works.

I'm especially impressed that Dr. Ornish talks to his readers with such respect yet is able to simplify complex concepts into prose that is simple and often even elegant without being simplistic.

The recipes are easy to prepare and, most important, taste great--not surprising since Oprah's personal chef, Art Smith, created them. This is the best book on health I've ever read.

I have just finished The Spectrum by Dean Ornish, MD. As the title of my review implies, you MUST get this book, read it, and adopt as many of its recommendations as you possibly can. I have read multiple "diet" books and been through all of the popular weight-loss programs in my 63 years, but none of them has been as scientifically-grounded as The Spectrum.

The Spectrum is NOT a diet plan but rather a spectrum of choices you can make along a continuum ranging from being a meat and high-fat-based couch-potato at the unhealthy extreme to a meditating, socially and physically-active vegetarian at the healthiest extreme. Ornish contends (and backs up each contention with solid science) that:

1. Most of us exist with an unhealthy lifestyle (poor nutrition, little if any exercise, spiritually-deplete, socially disconnected) that actually promotes disease, a lack of joy, and an earlier demise than is necessary;

2. Adoption of a healthy, active, spiritually and socially complete lifestyle promotes wellness, joy, and longevity but requires significant attention to nutrition, regular exercise, meditation, and social support;

3. You have a choice in how much change you want to make, but Ornish makes it clear why choosing the healthier road is always more beneficial to you;

4. If you already have disease, then living at the healthiest extreme gives you the greatest chance of prolonging your life and maybe actually reversing the progression of that disease.

The Spectrum overflows with facts and figures demonstrating the benefit of making the healthiest choices you possibly can. In fact it reminds me of the adage I once heard in medical school: Going to medical school is like trying to take a sip of water from a fire hydrant!

Okay, so this book tells you what you should do. Now, how difficult is it to make these changes? My wife and I began trying to turn the Titanic about a week and a half ago. Here's what we've learned so far:

1. Expect the change to take some time. This really is a substantial change for most of us. You are going to start eating better (less or no meat, less and better fat, more fruits and vegetables, more plant-based protein like soy and beans, higher fiber, longer food preparation time). Your grocery list IS going to change! You are going to start exercising. Start immediately, but don't plan your first marathon for next weekend. Begin meditating. My wife and I have not started this yet. We have talked about going to some yoga classes. Ornish promotes the notion of using yoga-based meditation. All of this takes time.

2. The changes we have made have been fun. My wife likes tofu more than I do. One big surprise has been tempeh. We had never had it before. Marinate it first, then cook it. Wow! It is very good. Textured soy that looks like hamburger is surprisingly good. I fixed chili using it, and it was great. We had already used quinoa. I fixed a dish combining it with the textured soy, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, added a bit of mustard and sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese: fantastic!

3. You never have to feel deprived. If you really want something like pizza or beef, have some. Just make it infrequent and don't overdo it.

4. While you don't really have to worry too much about portion size, try to be reasonable. The food is so high in fiber that you feel full sooner.

5. Neither my wife nor I love exercise, but we are doing it. I am up to 45 minutes most days of the week. This will be more difficult to continue than the diet choices. Begin by at least becoming MORE active.

So, are there any results in just a week and a half? YES. I have lost 12 pounds, my wife 4. I tend to be a big eater, and I have felt very satisfied. This is still the beginning of a life-long change in lifestyle. I don't want to bite off too much too soon, because I don't want to feel burned out. Overall, we like the changes we have made so far and look forward to more. We both think we can do this for the rest of our lives.

Well, I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that The Spectrum is one of the greatest, most important books I have ever read (it is up there with The Bible, The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, Plato's Republic, and The Goal by Goldratt). It really is that significant. As a physiologist and physician, I can tell you that the science behind this book is sound, and Dr. Ornish's interpretation of the evidence seems quite reasonable. I learned a lot. Did you know that contrary to widely-held beliefs, olive oil is only better than other oils but not best? Actually, canola oil is favored because of its low proportion of omega-6 fatty acids (omega 6's promote inflamation). Dean Ornish has performed a remarkable survey of the scientific literature and condensed it to a very enjoyable read, and one that will change your life, literally! Now, if only the health insurance industry would realize that prevention is much less expensive than the pound of cure...

If you read only one book this year, make it The Spectrum!

ADDENDUM 3-28-11: Weight loss stands (stuck) at 28 lbs.

I read Ornish's work first as a overweight teenager 10 years ago. I didn't know much about nutrition then but I knew that I could not lose significant amounts of weight on anything I had tried (jenny craig, trying to count calories, etc). I was extremely unathletic and failed my physical exam running test every year through elementary and middle school. I had always been pudgy and i thought i always would be. Wrong!

I started following the ornish plan when I was 15- the pounds came off week after week (about a pound a week) and i felt wonderful! it is not just a low fat diet- it is cutting out meat, high fat cheeses and dairy, sugar, white bread, white flour, etc. I felt so good i started running! for fun! i joined the cross country team and did pretty well. I lost over 30 pounds in just 6 months and looked amazing!

fast forward 10 years.. I feel off the wagon. I never gained all of the weight back, mainly because I learned a lot of healthy habits and still ran pretty regularly. One problem with the diet is adherence- it is actually easy the first few months because you are losing weight pretty fast and you feel great. it is just later when other people make it difficult (since you don't have weight to lose) and life generally gets in the way that adherence falls off. the scientific studies back my experience up.

BUT My Ornish experience really encouraged me to learn about health and I went to medical school. After gaining a few pounds from med school stress I decided to revisit my Ornish diet 10 years later. It still works! After 5 days I felt an amazing sense of energy. the pounds have come off steadily and I am feeling great again! I have also had the chance to study up on the research in school and I really do think Ornish, Esselstyn, Campbell, and McDougall have it right. Most of the studies where patients really followed their diet recommendations and adhered for a year show much better results than all of the other options (south beach, atkins, mediterranean, etc.). The only studies that support these other diets that I have read only compare them to a "low fat" diet- which is not at all what Ornish is- its a combination of low fat, vegetarian whole foods eating.

Note: I just bought The Engine 2 Diet (very similar to Ornish) and I like (and my boyfriend likes!) those recipes a lot. they are very filling and man-friendly. it is vegan instead of vegetarian which I actually am liking better.

Although "The Spectrum" does offer sound dietary advice unlike the dangerous & gimmicky fad diets of the past 10 years (Atkins, Zone, Meditteranean, Blood Type, etc.), it contained very little up-to-date dietary information that I was hoping for. Only 20% of this book directly discusses nutrition (with about 12 pages of charts showing what foods are in the good and bad ends of the "spectrum"). It seemed intentionally vague when it comes to helping you decide what to eat, in an attepmt to give the reader the feeling of "power of choice". "The Spectrum" tries to cover too many topics I found either un-important or un-intersting. About 50% of the book deals with the emotions, stress, science, meditation, love, etc., and is written in a manner much too "soft/gentle" for my taste. The remaining 30% (last two chapters) contains fairly involved recipes & cooking techniques, many of which seem way too time intesive for my busy life. The scientific studies backing Dr. Ornish's advise seems legit (regarding genetics & reversal of heart disease), and I respect what he has been trying to accomplish during his career.
I read "Eat to Live" (2003 by Dr. Joel Fuhrman) a few years back. It is a much better book in my opinion, and the best diet/nutrtion book I have read to date. It is based on very similar principles (although is more restrictive, especially with fish). It's information is presented in a more concise & useful manner, with a direct, no-nonsense approach (which I prefer and find more motivating). The simple concept of "nutrient density" just clicked with me. I have incorporated most of the principles of that book into my diet for the past few years with great results, and I often refer back to it every now and again. I guess I was hoping for something new and "fresh" to re-inspire me, but "The Spectrum" did not deliver.

The Spectrum: A Scientifically Proven Program to Feel Better, Live Longer, Lose Weight, and Gain Health The Optimal Diet: The Official Chip Cookbook
This is not your typical "Ornish" book. Dr. Ornish asks what do you want to achieve-lower cholesterol, disarm type II diabetes, lose weight, improve your good health, etc. and tells you how to get there using the "spectrum". The latest scientific research is presented is a simple and easy to understand manner. All who what to achieve better health need to read this book. The Optimal Diet Cookbook is a good accompaniment.