Amazon.com
Miracle cure stories abound when it comes to natural healing. A super nutrient reverses cancer after chemotherapy has failed. A Chinese herb lowers high blood pressure in a patient with heart disease after being dismissed as quackery by doctors. Jordan S. Rubin’s account of returning from the medical abyss, however, includes an original twist. After several years of battling Crohn’s Disease, which included a small fortune spent on both conventional and alternative treatments, as well as trips abroad in search of help, Rubin weighed only 111 pounds and, at just age 21, thought his life was over. At the urging of his father, a naturopath, he contacted an obscure nutritionist in California promoting a diet based on the teachings of the Bible. Yes, we’re talking what Jesus ate: kefir, lamb, sprouted breads, eggs and meat from free-range chickens, and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Rubin also started to pray and added a new powder supplement containing homeostatic soil organisms (HSOs) to his diet. Four months later he weighed 170 lbs and was on the road back to his former athletic and healthy self. Inspired by his experience, and now with advanced degrees in nutrition and naturopathic medicine, Rubin has crafted The Maker’s Diet. While the faithful will surely find the book of interest, Rubin’s command of the scientific issues underpinning his recommendations may also appeal to those more accustomed to studying food labels in search of what to eat than ancient religious texts. --Patrick Jennings
From Publishers Weekly
After nutritional consultant Rubin (Patient Heal Thyself; etc.) nearly died from an inflammatory bowel disease that caused him to lose 50 pounds and suffer severe pains, he devised an approach to health that combines wholesome eating with a heavy dose of faith. Indeed, while Rubin presents scientific evidence of his plan's effectiveness and detailed lists of recommended supplements and foods, the diet's religious aspect is fundamental. The 28-year-old Rubin bases his diet on a "Biblically-correct lifestyle," recommending the consumption of organically grown foods and frequently referring to the Bible on matters ranging from personal hygiene ("If the Maker has a preference, it might be the use of ritual bathing that combined bathing... with sprinkling") to getting tattoos ("Scripture warns against piercing the skin"). To help readers avoid disease and live healthily, Rubin lays out a three-stage plan. The first stage-somewhat restrictive, akin to South Beach-prohibits virtually all commercial dairy products, chlorinated tap water, many fats and oils, and all carbohydrates ("While it is true that the people of the Bible consumed a diet that contained liberal amounts of... carbohydrate foods, they were higher-quality, lesser-processed carbohydrates, therefore much easier to digest"). More foods are introduced in subsequent weeks, and those following the diet may eventually incorporate red meat, carbs and saturated fats into their regimens. Rubin's program will be difficult for many, as it calls for drastic changes in the way they go about their lives. However, his approach is unique and provides a refreshing, holistic antidote to many of today's fad diets.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
