Jordan Rubin and The Maker's Diet |
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This diet isn't a weight loss diet although it may cause weight loss in
some people.
When I first bought the book, THE MAKER'S DIET, I read a bit and put it down, tossing it off as - yet another - raw food, vegan diet. Recently, in finishing the research for the diet section on this site, I gave the book another chance and found that my early impression was somewhat erroneous but I retain mixed feelings about the book. The chapter on Rubin's history is very interesting especially about his history with severe illness which he was able to heal from using his own Maker's diet. The next chapters on the science behind the Maker's Diet are a bit rough to stomach. Rubin suggests things like eating soil to strengthen the immune system (he sells a refined version) and criticizes modern sanitation, forgetting that before modern sanitation, people did not have long lifespans and few of them survived childhood. You know, the days when a good case of the flu could easily kill hundreds of people. Although he does cite some of what he quotes, most of it is NOT from peer reviewed journals but rather naturopathic books and the like. Jordan Ruben was the son of a naturopathic practitioner and although he
was unvacinated and lived according to naturopathic standards of health,
he apparently had a complete immune system breakdown while in his
Sophomore year in college. Ruben never really goes
into what might have been the CAUSE of his illness except to say it had
something to do with the typical American diet.
The MAKER'S DIET starts with a 40 day program, in which the last part is what you are supposed to do for the rest of your life. The three points are:
Rubin advocates Omega III fatty acids and moderate amounts of meats, lots of veggies some raw but cooked is ok also. He also feels that reducing stress is a part of health (which is VERY TRUE and seldom even talked about in nutritional programs). The case histories he presents as a testimony to the strength of "the Maker's Diet" are believable. But then, let's face it, any deviation from the American diet makes someone feel better which is why people going on ANY program - you name it - tend to feel that program is the best. Ruben suggests exercise but like the other faith-based diets does not really go into detail about it. The book is interesting if not real science based and the section where he critiques the low carb, low fat and other "delete an entire food group" diets may be the best part. To learn more about this program, you can buy the book, THE MAKER'S DIET available in bookstores or Amazon, or else join as an online member of his website for $5 bucks a week. While THE MAKER'S DIET book is interesting, I don't think many people will want to go into the expense and trouble of this program. Jordan's website: http://www.makersdiet.com |
His symptoms included a very severe intestinal disorder, diagnosed
as possible Crohn's disease. He sought help from many
allopathic medical providers as well as many naturopathic practitioners
(70 of them, he states) but no one offered any real help, although he
followed their treatments compliantly. Finally in desperation (when
sent home in a wheelchair to die), he had a consult with an elderly man
who told him his problem was he was not living according to what God
suggests in the Bible. The idea intrigued him and he traveled to
California to study further with the man (whose name for some reason, is
not given in the book). The diet and health practices he learned, he
formulated into what we now know as "THE MAKER'S DIET" He got a
motorhome and lived by the
seashore around San Diego, eating a simple Bible based diet, excised the stress from his
life, started exercising and got well, he says, after 40 days of the new
regime. The photo shows Ruben at 111 lbs (left) and at his current
weight of 180 lbs.