Jordan’s story of healing from Crohn’s Disease in his book, The Maker’s Diet was the beginning of our whole family’s ticket to health. Jordan tells how his severe bout of Crohn’s Disease led him all over the world to try various diets, medications and therapies to no avail. His amazing recovery was partly due to eating a bible-based diet. God gave the Old Testament Israelites certain “food rules” in order to keep them healthy and strong. Obviously in those days, there were no fridges or modern hygiene practices. The Maker’s Diet studies these rules, and other ancient foods mentioned in the bible in historical accounts:
Abraham brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared and set them before his visitors (Genesis 18:6-8).
Jordan encourages readers to eat the foods that the ancient Israelites ate as they were renowned as a strong and healthy people:
Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous…(Exodus 1:6)
As documented in the bible, the ancient Israelites only ate ‘clean meats’ such as beef, lamb, bison, chicken, duck and so on. Pork was listed in the Old Testament as an unclean meat. According to Jordan,
pigs are scavengers and will eat anything, including their own young and sick or dead pigs from the same pen. The pig’s stomach arrangement is very simple in design and function and it is combined with a limited excretory organ system. Four hours after the pig has eaten his polluted swill and other putrid, offensive matter, man may eat the same second-handed off the ribs of the pig.
Jordan lists other types of foods that were approved or not approved by God to be eaten by the ancient Israelites. One approved food being “every seed-bearing fruit”.
Jordan backs up this ancient wisdom with modern scientific evidence. He also consumed soil-based organisms as a probiotic, which he now produces and sells through his website at Garden of Life .
When I read The Maker’s Diet, I had many “ah-ha moments”. I had always followed the “low-fat, minimal meat, lots of whole grain foods” diet. But I had also heard that we need to be consuming “good fats”, whatever they may be? For the first time, my confusion over what fats to avoid or consume was erased, and the danger for my family in eating large amounts of non-sprouted grains made sense. Jordan explains why many carbohydrates are difficult to digest unless they are soaked, sprouted or fermented – these are all ancient methods of food preparation/preservation practised by many traditional societies around the world. Properly preparing grains converts the complex sugars contained in them into simple sugars that are easier to digest. Jordan also explains the workings of our digestive system and how important to our entire physical and emotional well-being it really is.
The Maker’s Diet brings awareness to the reader of the dangers of many of our modern routines and foods. Jordan advocates getting some dirt under our nails to increase our immune systems, but balances this with the importance of hygiene. He also touches on the importance of sunshine, the danger of too much aerobic exercise and many other immune suppressing or building habits.
Jordan’s book is an exciting and easy read, complete with a basic kick-start diet plan and nourishing recipes. It is a fantastic book for those who are “newies” to the world of traditional diets and natural living.
About the Author...
Kirsten and Nathan Archer live on the Gold Coast with two happy and healthy kids, a dog and seven chooks. They are passionate about organic living and love to share Nathan's story of recovery from Ulcerative Colitis in the hope that others will be helped. Their website, Digestive Health was started with that purpose in mind: to encourage people with digestive disorders towards recovery.
May 4th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
The makers diet was how I was introduced to Nourishing Traditions, as he refers to Sally Fallon’s book through out the book. I am so grateful for his explanations and then for pointing me in the direction of NT and then on to this website. My husband and I followed the makers diet (somewhat loosely) for a month and we were both shocked with how we felt and looked. Since that month we no longer eat pork or shell fish, and it’s been nearly a year since I’ve had shrimp or crab. I appreciated Jordan’s book immensely and I recommend several people start with that book and then on to NT.
May 5th, 2008 at 11:03 am
Sally has written about the issues involved with eating pork briefly here:
http://nourishedmagazine.com.au/blog/articles/pork-egg-whites-weight-and-fat-pasta-and-brine
She recommends, those who aren’t robust to avoid pork. This would explain why you all felt better after ceasing.
I tend to err on the side of caution myself, only eating truly pasture raised pork like Pasture Perfect Pork:
http://pastureperfect.nourished.com.au
I believe many of the religious rules around different foods, especially animals, have to do with the proper raising of them. Since Israelites found themselves, often in crowded quarters, farming pigs would have had to be confined, not healthful for the pig. The same can be said of the Hindu - beef rules. Many cultures around the world subsisted quite well with pork as part of their diet. Consider the Polyneasian hunter gatherers and and the Papua New Guinean mountain dwellers who breast feed their pigs.
It seems ‘civilisation’ is the problem, not the meat.
As for Rubin’s other suggestions, Essene bread is one of my favourite treats. I’d like to learn to make it some time, but grains seem altogether too much hassle for what they’re worth right now.
May 5th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
We also discovered Sally Fallon through Jordan Rubin. I heard him speak in Sydney over two years ago, bought his book, then my husband and I embarked on the 7 week plan. We stopped eating sugar for the first time, and removed a whole lot of processed foods from our diets….just to try it. I noticed many health benefits, and was telling friends, who then said I would like NT. I did, and becoming a member of the WAPF meant I could get enough information to understand what we had tried anyway with Jordan’s book. We too have not eaten pork or shellfish much since then. My husband comes from a family of prawn fishermen, so still has them occasionally. I can’t imagine there was too much ocean pollution back in the days of the Israelites, so can’t understand that one. Another book I often led to peole is _Real Food_ by Nina Planck, which is the author’s story of her discovery of ‘real food’ aka NT food, and the science behind it. It really draws you in, an provides the science behind the food.