Low Fat Diets

Eating Low Fat

Eating a low-fat diet may not be an effective way to lose weight. The Women's Health Initiative Dietary modification Trial, an eight-year research study on low-fat diets, revealed that eating a low-fat diet did not help women lose weight nor did it protect against breast or colorectal cancer, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Rather than focus on following a low-fat diet, decrease your consumption of saturated fats such as fatty meats and some dairy products and increase consumption of unsaturated fats, like salmon and walnuts.

Ornish Diet

Cardiologist Dean Ornish created the Ornish Diet in 1990. The Ornish Diet restricts your fat consumption to just 10 percent of your daily calories. In contrast, the United States Department of Agriculture recommends that 20 to 25 percent of your daily calories come from fat. The Ornish diet includes large amounts of whole grains, fruits, legumes and vegetables. Sugar and sweeteners are prohibited, as are refined carbohydrates. The diet includes an exercise component, and Dr. Ornish also recommends daily meditation.

Pritikin Diet

The Pritikin diet was originally created in 1984 by Nathan Pritikin, a nutritionist. After his death, his son Robert picked up the mantle, publishing the "New Pritikin Program" in 2007. Like with the Ornish diet, fat consumption is limited to just 10 percent of your daily calories. The newest iteration of the Pritikin program also includes calorie density. Pritikin encourages you to eat food that has fewer calories per pound; for instance, a pound of lettuce will have fewer calories than a pound of chicken. The Pritikin plan also promotes the consumption of plant-based, fresh, unprocessed food.

DASH Diet

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet was designed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to help people with hypertension, or high blood pressure. The DASH diet limits your intake of fatty foods to two to four servings per week. The DASH diet also encourages increased consumption of nuts, seeds, lean meat, fish, poultry, vegetables, fruits and whole grains.