Lose Weight, Feel Better -- YOUR Way

It's All A Matter Of Personal Choice, Says Dr. Dean Ornish In His Book, "The Spectrum"

(CBS)  Many of us made a New Year's resolution to lose weight and feel better.

In his new book, "The Spectrum," Dr. Dean Ornish introduces a plan he's devised to help you achieve your goals, in your very own way.

It's Ornish's first book in a decade and in that time, he says, a real consensus has emerged in the medical community about what's good for you and what isn't. For instance, we know that you should eat lots of good carbohydrates and keep your bad carbs to a minimum. The same goes with fats.

He notes he's been on the front-lines of the diet wars for the past 10 years, fighting with espousers of diets or eating programs that really don't work. Ornish says his regimen, "The Spectrum," does.

As part of our series "Weapons of Mass Reduction," Ornish discussed "The Spectrum" with CBS News:

YOU'RE NOT A BIG BELIEVER IN DIETS. WHY IS THAT?

The whole idea of a diet is that it constrains you. When following a diet you have to avoid certain foods. And this is not good for your psyche. No one likes to be told that they can't eat something - and then, when they do eat the forbidden food, they begin to feel guilty. So instead of a diet, you want to take up something like "The Spectrum," which enables you to occasionally indulge in less healthful foods without feeling badly.

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO'VE TRIED MANY TIMES TO LOSE WEIGHT, BUT JUST CAN'T SEEM TO STICK TO IT?

I say that you can do it. There have been studies that have shown that people can lose weight and keep it off. If you're having trouble keeping off the weight, you may want to look more deeply at yourself and ask questions such as, "Am I depressed? Do I eat as a way to make myself feel better?"

IN "THE SPECTRUM," YOU OUTLINE A PROGRAM TO HELP PEOPLE FEEL BETTER AND LOSE WEIGHT. THERE ARE THREE COMPONENTS TO THE OVERALL PROGRAM. THE FIRST IS A "NUTRITION SPECTRUM." WHAT IS THAT?

I have categorized foods from the most healthy to the least healthy and encourage people to eat foods from the healthiest group, but not beat themselves up if they eat from less healthful groups.

NEXT IS THE "STRESS MANAGEMENT SPECTRUM."

Everyone needs to keep his or her stress levels to a minimum. Stress isn't good for us. There are even studies that show it can negatively impact your health. So the thing you are going to want to do is take part in some stress-busting activities, including meditation or yoga. It's also important to have a lot of intimacy in your life, since that relaxes you and just makes you feel better.

THE THIRD AND FINAL SPECTRUM IS THE "EXERCISE SPECTRUM."

You don't need to run marathons, you don't need to go to the gym five times a week, you just have to be as active as you can and not be hard on yourself if there are days when you don't have the desire to do some moderate exercise.

TO READ AN EXCERPT OF "THE SPECTRUM," click here.

For details on Ornish's approach, and on the three components, go to Page 2.

[tmonta1]

''Raw Foods''? I somehow can''t imagine my favorite rice and pasta dishes that way...I have no doubt it works :)

All these experts talk about carbs and calories, but the true answer is "Raw Foods" and no one talks about it.

[simplefit]

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