Sunday, January 10, 2010

'Diet' is NOT a four-letter word...

As I begin day 3 of The Maker's Diet, I find myself in several discussions about it.  Most people are curious as to how it is going - which is great! - though it is a little too soon to tell if I have gotten any real benefit out of it.  Others ask about the various details - rules and regulations - of the diet.  One thing that is extremely unique about The Maker's Diet is that it is not primarily intended as a weight-loss program.

The word 'diet' has a lot of negative connotations in today's society.  This is largely - if not entirely - due to the numerous fad diets that simply do not work or the highly restrictive diets that may work but are so hard to follow that most people drop off of them.  In fact, the word 'diet' simply refers to what you eat on a regular basis whether affected by societal trends, food sources, or traditions.  The American diet that many of us 'follow' is, in fact, a 'diet' - though not a very healthy one.  'Going on a diet' is really an erroneous phrase as it would literally mean that you are going to start eating as opposed to not eating anything.

As such, The Maker's Diet is simply what the people would have prepared and eaten in a way that would have been available in biblical times - no microwave, no teflon, no high-fructose corn syrup, no partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, etc.  Sure, it goes a little deeper than that, but that is essentially it.

One thing that stands out with The Maker's Diet is that, as it is not primarily a weight-loss program, it is not focused on calorie counting.  In fact, when I read the book, I was somewhat surprised but the complete lack of any mention of portion control or calories.  This is NOT a low-fat diet.  Actually, consumption of fat is encouraged in order to better absorb vitamins A and D.  However, it should also be noted that biblical laws are intended to be observed - i.e. no gluttony.  Some form of fasting is suggested on occasion.  One reviewer noted: "It is amazing that by eating what God intended you to eat, you will have the body that God intended you to have."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

So true. 'Diet' has such negative connotations, but it really is just 'what we eat'.