The Most Important Diet You’ve Never Heard Of (Biblio Diet)

28:42I'll give an example of this. The Bible really highlights pomegranates and figs. Okay, when you're reading about fruit, and we know pomegranates are an amazing super fruit and so are figs. However, what would you eat if you were in the Caribbean and maybe you don't have as many of those foods? Well, maybe you're eating mango and papaya and watermelon and coconut, which have food, which have nutrients that are better for that environment. For instance, coconut water and watermelon are the most hydrating of all fruits. And then mango, papaya, melons, those are also gonna be very high. Those grow naturally in the Caribbean, just naturally grow there.

29:19Okay. Those fruits don't grow as much in the Middle East. Okay. So these people, they have their form of figs and pomegranates, but they're actually foods for that environment that allow them to be even healthier in that environment they're in. Does that make sense? If you're in Ireland, it's probably going to be potatoes and apples. Those foods that grow there more naturally in that climate. If you go to the Pacific Rim, more seaweed. Seaweed is not referenced in the Bible, but those are foods that bring great nourishment to the people of Japan. Right. So so I think just knowing that following the Bible, biblical diet based on principles, getting a lot of those foods in your diet, but then having whatever region you live in, because people don't fully understand this most of the time.

30:06Oftentimes we don't fully understand this, but eating locally is one of the greatest things you can do to be healthy, because those foods grow. God is so good. He's like, OK, you're living in the Caribbean islands. you're going to sweat more. You're going to get more sun. You need to be more hydrated. So I'm going to have foods grow like coconuts and watermelon in that region and pineapple to keep you more hydrated. Okay. Do you see? You see what I mean? And so it's important to understand that along with following a biblical diet. So I want to jump into the foods most referenced in the Bible.

30:46And these foods were unprocessed. They were nutrient dense. They were seasonal. They were highly anti-inflammatory. And the first thing to remember is foods were eaten seasonally in the Bible based on availability. So your diet would be changing regularly based on what's in season. Okay. Now this diet you're going to see is high in fiber, high in polyphenols, high in antioxidants, high in amino acids and healthy fats. And these are linked to longer lifespan and the reduced risk for disease. I would say this is like one step beyond the Mediterranean diet in a lot of cases. Studies show that diets resembling a biblical diet, like a Mediterranean diet, reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

31:29In fact, people who follow a Mediterranean diet, which is probably the closest thing to a Biblio diet, have a 25 % reduction in mortality, lower risk of cardiovascular disease risk by 31%, improved cognitive function, so reducing Alzheimer's risk by 33%, lower inflammation markers, lower oxidative stress markers, lower levels of obesity, lower levels of metabolic syndrome, lower levels of cancer. So much, much healthier people. And another question I might get is, what is the difference between a Mediterranean diet and a biblical or the Biblio diet? And I would say the real difference there is number one is the heart, right?

32:05You are eating to glorify God with a biblical diet. The other thing is the Bible is emphasizing things like eating red meat, where a Mediterranean diet really focuses on fish and no red meat alone. And so those are some of the, and then the Bible focuses more on eating clean, whereas you'll see a Mediterranean diet, there's quite a bit of things like maybe clams and shellfish and those on that diet as well. But there is a lot of overlap in things like they both emphasize extra virgin olive oil, They both emphasize wild-caught fish and a lot of produce. So there is some overlap there. Let's walk through the most referenced fruits in the Bible.

32:45Number one, one of the most referenced foods are figs. Figs are referenced at least 60 times. We know that figs, this is interesting in Roman culture, which Jesus really grew up in this interesting culture of Hebraic and of Roman. And in Roman culture, figs were known as the ultimate food for fertility. In fact, there is a principle, an ancient principle in nutrition, and it calls like supports like or like heals like. And if a food looks like an organ, it supports that organ. Figs were believed to look like testes or testicles. And then if you would open them up, there's all of these little seeds in it, which the ancients believed those were to support sperm.

33:26Now, it is interesting, according to recent studies, figs support sperm and prostate health in men and have loads and loads of benefits. It's one of the most antioxidant-rich foods, an amazing form of fiber, really, really good for the health of your gut microbiome, probiotics growing, colon health. But figs are referenced at least 60 times in the Bible. The next food here would be olives and extra virgin olive oil. mentioned at least 50 times in the Bible. They provide healthy monounsaturated fats and have anti-inflammatory properties. Also, when you look at high-quality olive oil, it's very high in antioxidants like oloropene and polyphenols.

34:12So when you're buying olive oil, it should taste a little kind of bitter. It should be full of flavor, a really, really strong flavor. And olive oil was used as the main cooking oil. It was also used in lampstands. It was used for anointing. In fact, there was an oil called the holy anointing oil, which was an olive oil base. And that's referenced in Leviticus 24.2. And so we see olive oil and extra virgin olive oil referenced many, many times there in the Bible. And we know I truly believe that olive oil is the healthiest oil you can use for cooking. Now, there was a study that came out a few many years ago where they said, well, olive oil has a lower smoke point.

34:54So it's not the best for cooking. A later study came out, this was just a few years ago that said, well, just because it smokes a little bit does not mean that anything is that that's going to be bad for you. It's not changing the fat itself. And so olive oil is still probably the best fat or oil for most cooking. Now I'm not talking about deep frying here, like you do falafels or a turkey in, but actually if you're sauteing vegetables or doing most cooking, even things like if you're making chicken Parmesan at home, olive oil is still the best oil. And I believe it is the single best oil to cook with for most people.

35:29The next best or what some people might do well with as well would be like a coconut oil would be the next best in my professional opinion. But again, olive oil, loads and loads of benefits there for your health and the healthiest oil that's referenced in the Bible. And then number three, pomegranates mentioned at least 20 times in the Bible, packed with polyphenols, which help reduce oxidative stress, boost cardiovascular help. You know, pomegranates are the number one food that is high in something called urolithin that can lead to something in your body called urolithin A. So pomegranates are very high in allergic acid.

36:03Allergic acid is a antioxidant that when it gets in your gut microbiome can be turned into urolithin A. And this is known as the best form of fuel for supporting mitochondrial health and something called mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy, which is the cleanup of your mitochondrial cells. And this is really good for energy and cell energy production and fighting cancer and reversing heart disease and overall just boosting your energy, supporting hormonal health. So pomegranates are maybe the number one longevity food in the entire world, according to some studies. Okay, so pomegranates are prized there in biblical cuisine and biblical medicine.

36:44And also they were a sign in the Bible and they're symbolic of righteousness and fruitfulness in your life. Okay, so a rich and fruitful life, pomegranates there. And that was a reference in Exodus 28, 33 through 34. Number four, raw and fermented dairy are referenced numerous, numerous times in the Bible. Now we see some sort of milk or cheese curds and those sort of foods are referenced at least 20 is the bare minimum. It's much, much higher than that. But the Bible references to things like cheese curds, things like milk. We know they provide a great source of protein and calcium and fats there as well.

37:23And it's important to remember that those cows in those days or those animals had something only called A2 milk. Today, most cows milk has A1 milk, which is highly inflammatory due to the genetic breeding. You know how historically we ate einkorn wheat or an ancient form of wheat, but then we hybridize the wheat to have way more gluten and other things that are inflammatory. Well, think about it. We've done the same thing to cows in our modern agriculture. We've taken cows, we've hybridized them, we've breeded them in a certain way to have produce more milk and for it to have more sugar in it.

37:56And that's genetically changed the milk of cows to now where it's more inflammatory to humans when we consume it. So when you're consuming milk from the Bible, it's organic. It's grass fed. It's raw. And in most cases, because they didn't have refrigeration then, it would have been fermented as well. And so you are getting a probiotic punch. You are getting high protein, loads of healthy fat, and vitamin K2, some vitamin D, loads of calcium, magnesium, all of these nutrients in this raw fermented dairy is referenced in the Bible. And the Bible actually talks about one of the things that talks about the richness of your life is a land flowing with milk and honey.

38:39Okay, if your land was fertile, if it was healthy, you'd have plentiful milk supply. It was the creamiest and richest of things. And the sweetest of things would be something like a honey. Okay, so we see this alluded to in the Bible. But we know that if it's in its perfect form, as it was in biblical nutrition, it has healing power. As I mentioned, one of my best friends, Jordan Rubin, Jordan had ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. You want to know the number one food he ate, almost the only thing he ate that cured inflammatory bowel disease. By the way, he was so sick, he lost 80 pounds and was in a wheelchair.

39:14Was so sick, they thought he was going to die. Got down to like 110 pounds when he was 195. He ate raw, organic, grass-fed goat's milk kefir or goat's milk yogurt every day. And actually Jordan met a man who was actually trained by Jack LaLanne. You remember the famous Jack LaLanne? Who was taught by Paul Bragg. You know the apple cider vinegar you like so much? It's called Bragg's Vinegar. That man was the mentor of Jack LaLanne. Jack LaLanne taught Bud Keith. Bud Keith taught Jordan Rubin how to eat a diet based on the Bible. And that's how Jordan reversed his Crohn's disease and autoimmune disease.

39:53And the things he ate the most were, number one was, as I mentioned, was this raw fermented dairy. And he also ate some other foods over time like bone broth and wild caught salmon and some other foods there as well. Okay, number five, raw honey. This is mentioned over 20 times in the Bible. It symbolizes nourishment, abundance, and divine provision. Honey exhibits strong antimicrobial activity. It also helps handle pathogens and breaks down biofilms and supports the growth of good bacteria like probiotics. Raw honey, it's also, when you look back at the food that can last the longest of all food, the food with the greatest longevity of itself is going to be honey.

40:37They went back to tombs 3 ,000 years old and found honey still good in the jars. Think about that. Any other food would disintegrate. Honey has a property to where it actually can keep the perfect level of moisture. This is why if you ever have a scar or you ever have an area where you have an open wound and you want to keep it from getting infected, use honey because it has antimicrobial properties. It was like ancient neosporin only 100 times better without the antibiotic side effects. OK, put honey on the area and honey maintains the perfect moisture level for it to heal. This is why it's also the greatest thing to reduce scarring because part of scarring happens because it doesn't have enough moisture or has too much bacteria in the area.

41:17It's not nourished enough. And so raw honey is the perfect thing for helping prevent scarring with injuries. It's great for so many reasons. But again, it was used as a form of medicine in the Bible and a form of something to help heal the body as well. But remember, not too much. It does have sugar. However, when you look at the studies, it affects your body way, way less in terms of a glycemic load than, let's say, even a coconut sugar or a cane sugar. Even those are organic. Honey is better. Honey is better than maple syrup. Honey is better than coconut nectar, has more benefits, and it actually acts in some cases as a natural immunization.

41:55Raw local honey has been shown in studies to reduce allergies over time because it has over 200 different types of pollen. When you consume it, it actually helps your body better adapt to local allergens, strengthening your immune system. So there's many benefits. and we know anyone from Samson referenced eating honey to being referenced in the book of Ezekiel and many other books in the Bible. We know John the Baptist, of course, ate raw locusts and honey as well there in the wilderness. Okay, number six, fermented or sourdough bread is mentioned over 400 times in the Bible. It was the staple of the ancient diet.

42:35Again, often sprouted and fermented, made from whole grains and typically grains like barley, spelt, wheat, and millet. And fermented grains support gut health. They increase nutrient absorption and may improve digestion. You know, grains have gotten a bad rap because grains are so different today than they used to be. 99 % of bread that you're buying in your grocery store today is white bread or wheat bread. And the wheat is hybridized. So it has very, very little level of nutrients. So here's what happens. One, when you buy grain, typically it's grown in soil that it has very little nutrients.

43:12So it's already low in nutrients. Then it's harvested and ground, but then it sits for a while. So then the nutrient goes down more. And then it's not sprouted and it's not fermented. And so there's all of these issues with grains. And it's sprayed with things like glyphosate. If you're doing real grain, you're harvesting it. You're then grinding it and making bread right away. Okay, so those grains are still alive and living. And then, again, right before you make the bread, they're soaked, then they're dried in the sun, so they sprout, which creates more nutrients. And then they're fermented, which actually breaks down the gluten and some of the sugars, starches in grains.

43:53And then, basically, you're absorbing everything in it. When you are consuming the grains today, because they're not fermented or sprouted, there's something called enzyme inhibitors. You might have heard of phytic acid or mineral blockers. Basically, all the minerals like iron are bound together and they pass through your digestive system and they're never absorbed. You just poop them right out. Okay. You never absorb them. Sprouting or fermenting unlocks all the nutrients, the iron, the B vitamins, the calcium, the magnesium, and unlocks them. And now you can absorb and digest those nutrients.

44:30Okay. So the bread you see referenced in the Bible or the bread that somebody's eating today that's very healthy is radically different. Even today when we're eating sourdough that most people make at home, it's typically made from maybe a wheat bread. But, you know, even when you're comparing wheat, the grains they were using at that time, like barley and millet, those are more nutrient dense most of the time than the others. So, again, I just want to say this, that this biblical bread was much, much more nutrient dense in a lot of cases. So number seven is fish, okay, of the most referenced foods in the Bible.

45:05Fish is referenced at least 20 times, especially in the New Testament. We know fish, of course, is an excellent source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, very easy to digest, loads of benefits there. Certain fish also have antioxidants like astaxanthin. So lots of benefits there. We see Jesus, the foods he's referenced eating the most are bread and fish, okay? And we see it both before his death and after his resurrection of him eating fish. And so we see this as an amazing food with loads and loads of benefits. One of the top foods my mom ate to heal from cancer was, in reverse her conditions, was wild-caught salmon.

45:44So fish is great. Number eight, red meat. Lamb, goat, beef. These are regularly mentioned in feasts and offerings. They're nutrient-dense. It's satiating. you know red meat if it's done right is really high in protein it's really high in healthy fats it's high in iron zinc and b12 so these are very good especially for women to help renew and rebuild their blood for men for strength and building testosterone so red meat is something people need to eat more of uh but again it's referenced oftentimes when you read about solomon and his daily provisions and what he was eating it was a lot of a lot of red meat like lamb on a regular basis.

46:22And so again, red meat is a, and listen, red meat is one of the most villainized and outlaw foods in whether it be a vegan diet or even a Mediterranean diet, you know, the heart association, what they recommend red meat in the Bible is very different. Again, it's totally grass fed. It's leaner, it's healthier. And, and again, it's something that's a big part of a Biblio diet. Do you have unexplainable illness, hormone dysfunction, weight loss resistance, brain fog, and you're tired of being dismissed when you know something isn't right? Well, get my at-home testing of targeted biomarkers, including hormones, thyroid, and metabolism, plus a full hour with one of my senior health advisors to help you understand your results.

47:08The truth is your doctor's probably reading your blood work all wrong. They're missing the cellular issues behind the symptoms. This new testing flips the script. The future of interpreting test results is here. I'm currently offering a simple at-home blood test that actually tests for the right things. And just as importantly, it comes with proper interpretation of your results. If you want to check it out and grab one before they're gone, just go to mybloodwork.com now. bitter herbs these are referenced in exodus 12 8 but throughout the bible it could be coriander cilantro cinnamon cumin garlic mustard you know these are referenced at least 14 times but probably over 20 bitter herbs and what would happen oftentimes in the bible is they would use these as seasoning and foods sometimes though they would take extra virgin olive oil and herbs bitter herbs before a meal and eat those sometimes with a by themselves or with a little bit of bread.

48:05And those digestive herbs actually help your body produce more bile to better digest your food ahead of time. So these digestive bitters and bitter herbs act as a form of medicine to aid in digestion before a meal and natural detoxification. So herbs are mentioned in the Bible. And then fermented foods, yogurt, wine, leavened bread. We know these are naturally probiotic rich foods. Olives that are fermented are referenced in the Bible as well. Also, I want to mention salt is referenced 40 times in the Bible. Salt is great for preservation. It's great for adding flavor. We know the Bible talks about us being the salt of the earth.

48:4612 is frankincense. Now this isn't a food per se, but it is a resin that was used as an essential oil. It's referenced 20 times in the Bible. It was actually a form of wealth. Again, we know, you know, the three wise men brought Jesus, you know, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And then the holy anointing oil, this was a blend of extra virgin olive oil, along with certain essential oils or herbs added in there, like, like cassia and cinnamon and myrrh and others. And that's referenced 40 times in the Bible, this holy anointing oil. So we see the Bible has this great emphasis upon around foods that heal and using them both symbolically also as nourishment to our bodies.

49:29You know, other foods that are referenced in the Bible include grapes, dates, apples, onions, squash, veggies, almonds, pistachios, and other nuts. Also, we see fowl like quail are referenced, vinegar, wine, lentils. There's actually a point in Timothy where Paul tells Timothy, stop drinking only water and use a little bit of new wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. Think about a little bit of new wine. What's that like? Okay, a little bit of new wine would be like, you know, let's say you take a tablespoon. And by the way, I'm not sure if wine and new wine, if that's just wine or if it was a specific type of wine, maybe it's longer fermented, so it's more like a vinegar.

50:11And you're taking that and taking a few tablespoons of that, having it with or before your meal. It'd be like we were doing apple cider vinegar before or with our meals today, right? Very, very similar principle. in what Paul is telling Timothy to use as a form of medicine. Now, I want to mention, if you want to read a book that really dives deep into biblical nutrition, I wrote a book with Jordan Rubin. It's called The Biblio Diet, and it's the healing secrets of the Bible and how to eat in order to reverse everything from autoimmune disease to hormone imbalance to gut issues to promote longevity.

50:45And if you really want to honor God with your bodies and be as healthy as possible, you've got to check out this book. Jordan and I spent years writing this book, going through food principles, modern day science, going through the Bible, going through theology, and writing a book based on the Bible. And I'm just scratching the surface here. It goes in so much more. Death has recipes as well in there and things you can do to really honor God. Talks about everything from fasting to using honey to heal. Talks about essential oils as medicine, herbs as medicine in the Bible, and so, so much more.

51:15So I encourage you guys can check out this book nationwide. Go to Amazon.com. And this book comes out next month. So I want to encourage you. I would appreciate it. I know Jordan would appreciate you guys supporting us in the launch of the book and buying it. We guarantee it's going to be the best book you've ever read on biblical health. And we're really excited. I think you're going to be as well. Okay. So here's what a typical biblical meal could have looked like back in ancient days. Barley or spelt bread, often leavened, sometimes dipped in oil or vinegar or both. Grilled or broiled fish, like it could be tilapia from the Sea of Galilee or goat or lamb.

51:55Olives or extra virgin olive oil, oftentimes they would sort of drizzle olive oil on a lot of the meals. It could be a lentil stew. We know this is rich in fiber and protein like this stew Esau traded his birthright for. We know it probably had lentils and probably wild game in it like venison. Figs or dates served fresh or dried. Pomegranate seeds or juice. Grapes or wine during meals as well. And then bitter herbs like parsley, coriander, cilantro used during meals as well, like during the Passover. And then honey. This is often drizzled or used on a sort of something sweet as a dessert on sourdough bread.

52:36Or consumed with different forms of cheese, like a raw goat cheese or sheep cheese. They're mixed with honey. So desserts, they didn't have, you know, tiramisu or dark chocolate bars, probably. They might have had access to a little bit of dark chocolate. But for the most part, they would have had things like fruit and honey and bread and cheese. That would have been their dessert during those times. Now, I want to give you an example of what biblical figures actually ate, okay, in the Bible. And so here's Jesus. Jesus ate fish and leavened bread, wine, likely olives, grapes, and traditional Jewish foods at Passover, according to Luke 24, 42.

53:16After his resurrection, Jesus ate broiled fish and honeycomb. And during his ministry, he shared fish and bread, according to these biblical verses as well. And then Abraham served a meal of bread, cheese curds, and roasted meat to three visitors, which he said were the Lord and two angels. Okay, so he fed angels, possibly Jesus, possibly the angel of the Lord. We don't know who that was exactly, but he fed them meat and bread and dairy. Okay, red meat, bread, and dairy, the three things that some diets would say you should never eat. That's what Abraham fed angels. So you're telling me that grass-fed wild red meat, sourdough bread, and raw fermented organic dairy are not healthy.

54:10Okay, well, again, Abraham fed those to angels. Okay, Moses and the Israelites ate manna, bread from heaven, and quail and bitter herbs. That's a reference in Exodus 16. And then David, it says, Abigail brought David and his men figs, raisins, lentils, and roasted grain. These were all staple foods in Israel at the time. That's according to 1 Samuel. And then Solomon said his lavish diet from royal provisions ate olive oil, grains, wine, and meats there. That's in 1 Kings 4, 22 through 23. Then, of course, we know John the Baptist, the most radical diet of all time, was known for eating locusts and wild honey in the desert.

54:50Now, do I think that's the single and the only thing he ate? Probably not. But he probably had periods of time where he was fasting and eating nothing. And other periods where, because he was so focused on his ministry, he was eating wild honey and locusts in the desert. And it said, locusts are now being explored as a high-protein, nutrient-dense diet. And it's a sustainable food and modern nutrition. Now, again, when I think of eating these bugs, it reminds me of the Lion King, probably Simone and Pumbaa and Simba. you know, eating, you know, eating those foods. But again, overall, you know, people eat crickets, people have eaten locusts, and they are high in protein, and they are fine to eat.

55:29I'm not saying they're delicious, but that's what John the Baptist said. And then we see here, I want to dive into Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, the list of unclean foods. It says pigs, they do not chew cud and have cloven hooves. They're unclean. Okay. And again, we know pigs are the greatest carrier parasites shellfish according to leviticus 11 uh have fins and scales their bottom feeders or scavengers meaning they're more likely to carry toxins and we also see this from certain types of insects crawling animals some mammals including camels rabbits uh hyenas these food these animals are not kosher they're not healthy because of the way that their own bodies work and they store toxins.

56:13That's the main reason. If you want to know why I don't eat pork and shellfish today, I don't believe it's that we're under the law from the standpoint of some of those laws apply to us today in terms of, you know, it's a great sin to eat those foods. I think that they're just not healthy. It's not like after Jesus' resurrection, those foods were made healthy. Pork is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. It's still a great character of parasites, and so is shellfish. I eat them because of 1 Corinthians. Whether I eat, drink, or whatever I do, I do it all to the glory of God. That's why I have chosen to avoid pork and shellfish.

56:52It's not out of the law. It's out of, you know, I believe God told them not to eat it because what even science proves today, they're unhealthy animals. Now, I have people ask me all the time, what about a wild boar, if it's wild? My cousin is a big hunter. He went and killed a wild boar once when we were in college together, and he ended up getting parasites from the wild boar. Okay, it's really hardly different at all. Okay, so it's still not a good animal because it's a scavenger in how it lives. And so those animals just aren't healthy. I mean, what we do now in our home is we do beef bacon.

57:26Okay, we do beef bacon. We'll do turkey bacon. But if you want the thing that tastes the closest to pork and still tastes amazing, beef bacon is delicious. And so there are natural alternatives for these things you can enjoy. I want to mention fasting. The Bible mentions fasting 77 times throughout the Old and New Testament. And fasting was common in biblical times. It was used for spiritual clarity, for repentance, for healing, for observing days and for honoring God during festival times. Typically, there was a combination of fasting and then they would feast afterwards. We know Moses did a 40-day fast in Exodus.

58:05Jesus did a 40-day fast in the wilderness. We know the early Christians fasted weekly. Often they picked one day a week. I believe sometimes it was either Wednesdays or Fridays. And they would not eat for breakfast and lunch. They would still eat dinner. But they would basically take the early part of that day and devote that to spending more time in prayer and more time in just saying, God, I'm dependent not only on this earthly food, I'm dependent upon you. OK, so early Christians and Jews as well, they would oftentimes pick one day a week, either Wednesday or Friday and fast during those days.

58:40And oftentimes people ask about intermittent fasting. Listen, with most of the patients I care for right now at my at my virtual clinic, I don't recommend most of them do fasting from the standpoint of this long term fasting. Now, when people get to the right state and a certain level of health, I do recommend that fasting one day a week for breakfast and lunch in the way that the biblical people did. Even a lot of monks do today. And so I would say I do believe that that is a great form of fasting for most people rather than even every day. You do it one day a week or do what I call a 10-14 fast where you maybe eat breakfast around 8 and then eat again around 10 or 1.

59:19You eat an earlier dinner around 5. so you still have 14 hours a day where you're not eating and you're only eating 10 hours a day but you have a 14 hour fast i think that sort of intermittent fasting is okay but doing it to where you only twice a day or you really restrict that eating window too much i don't like that for i think it's hard on the body and uh the only time i think the bible tells people not to fast i think if if there were it was known during that time um rabbis would say listen if you are really um feeble and elderly, or if you're pregnant or have a certain thing going on, you shouldn't fast at this time.

59:53Okay. So when you read about fasting in the body, a lot of people fasted, but certain people with certain conditions, again, like pregnancy, they weren't fasting. Okay. So it's, I think, important to understand that as well. But fasting has loads and loads of benefits. Number one, for promoting autophagy, which is cellular cleanup, for improving insulin sensitivity and brain function, for longevity and reducing metabolic disease. But I think people that are weak and feeble, it may not be the best thing for them to do. I think if somebody is really like, let's say overweight or diabetic needs to lose weight and men especially do much, much better with fasting.

1:00:29So I do think fasting in order to honor God is great. I do think considering doing a 10, 14 fast or doing just a one day a week fast and still eating that day, just not breakfast and lunch. And maybe if you're really ill, maybe you're just sipping on some bone broth. So you're getting a little something, and then you're eating a dinner that's really healthy, I think, can be okay as well. But we do know fasting, there's numerous studies on its benefits. In biblical times, again, a big focus was spiritual breakthrough. I know that when I have been praying for things, that's when I fasted typically, is I was wanting to honor God, or Chelsea and I were praying for a physical breakthrough or a spiritual breakthrough, or even a business breakthrough.

1:01:07I've spent time fasting. I know Jordan, Ruben, and I, and a friend of ours, Colt Morton, we have fasted together for certain things as well. So I'm a big believer in fasting. But if you're sick or ill, sometimes you want to moderate your fasting and just follow more of that biblical diet instead. It's also important to note that in biblical times, food wasn't just consumed. It was offered back to God. There were grain offerings. There were animal offerings like lamb offerings in the fatted calf because meals were sacred. this reminds us, what if your plate is your altar today? Think about that.

1:01:42What if your plate is your altar today? What would you offer? When you think about eating, don't ask the question, what can I get away with? Or what is the thing that can be most satisfying to my sweet tooth right now? Instead, think this. What is the thing that I could put on my plate right now that would bring the most glory to God, that would bring the most health to this temple that God gave me? And I think the more we can operate with that, the healthier you'll be. If you sit there and think about, okay, what can I eat that's really biblical in nature? Okay, I'm going to go and get some pomegranates.

1:02:13I'm going to go get some figs. I'm going to start using a really high quality extra virgin olive oil. I'm going to start buying animals that were ethically sourced, that are grass fed, that are organic, maybe that are kosher or that follow more of those biblical principles. So eating in that way to honor God with your body, I think is so powerful and so healing. You know, the Bible's first sin was about food. The fall of Eden was based on a single bite of food. This shows how our powerful relationship to food, think about that. Our first sin was tempted by the tree and taking a bite of that fruit.

1:02:52The first sin. I think some of us have that today where food can be such a disruptor of our relationship with God and our relationship with others and our success in life. Being able to have the discipline and the spiritual awareness of what food is and how it can affect our body. I mean, think about this. Every time you're eating a fast food burger or french fry, you're building disease. You're destroying the temple God gave you versus every time you eat a food that God created that's natural from the earth like a fig, that's bringing health and healing to your body when it's done in the right way.

1:03:32So I think just thinking about sort of that first bite, and then we know a very similar thing, right? Cain and Abel, they both brought sacrifices, and one was pleasing to the Lord and one wasn't pleasing. And so thinking about it that way. We also see in the Bible food being such a connector. Think about this, Jesus after his resurrection, this is in Luke 24, 42 through 43. It said, the resurrected Jesus ate broiled fish with his disciples. You can imagine just sitting there on logs around a fire, just talking, this deep human thing happening after his resurrection and sharing a meal together.

1:04:10So here's some key takeaways. Number one, whether you eat, drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. And think about your body as a temple that you're going to honor God with. Okay, that is first and foremost. Number two, consider the foods of the Bible. Extra virgin olive oil, figs, herbs, you know, fermented foods, raw local honey, you know, eating locally in season, you know, organic meat. Think about those foods. Try and eat more of those foods to bring health to your body. And if you live in a different era of the world, maybe your equivalent of a pomegranate is an acai berry or maybe it's an apple.

1:04:46But eat real food in those categories to bring health and healing to your body. Number two, think about, you know, there's a study I read on family meals. and it said that kids have the best relationships with their parents and better success in life the more family meals you eat together. Prioritize meals with your family. Prioritize during those meals having uplifting conversation about God and encouraging your kids and family. Doing this with other people. Maybe do a meal with somebody who just needs a word of encouragement and that's a sign as well of deeply connecting with that person. Consider learning more about biblical medicine, about things like essential oils, and how to use honey for healing and the benefits of fasting.

1:05:28Again, you can read about that more in the book that Jordan and I wrote called The Biblio Diet. You can go on Amazon.com and buy that book. But that would be a good option to continue to be educated and learn more about how to honor God with your body as well. Remember, food can be your greatest form of medicine or one of your greatest poisons. And we want to eat to honor God with our body. And the Bible is full of so much wisdom. on biblical medicine and nutrition and how to be as healthy as possible. There's farming practice. There's all kinds of things I didn't even get into, some of which we touch on in the book.

1:06:04But overall, remember, honor God with your body. When you're eating before every meal, think about that, like this is my altar, okay? I'm eating in remembrance of you, God, okay, in that way. All right, I wanna say thanks so much for tuning in here to the Dr. Josh Yack Show. Remember, each and every week, I'm diving deep into the science and principles of how you can heal physically, mentally, and spiritually. Hey, make sure to subscribe. By the way, the number one thing you can do to support this podcast is subscribe. I'm so grateful for so many of you that are subscribed. It allows me to bring more high-profile guests on the show.

1:06:41You know, this is how we brought on, you know, Carrie Underwood in the past. And we've got Mark Hyman coming on in the future. And so many people. So I want to say thank you so much for subscribing and share. So many people don't know the truth. Listen, there's a lot of people today who I think think they're doing good by eating a paleo diet and think, oh, that's the ideal diet or a vegan diet. That's not what the Bible says. The Bible is really clear about the way we should eat, what we should eat generally in terms of those principles, and just generally some of the best foods to eat. So if you are a big believer in a biblical diet, please share this episode.

1:07:12Thanks for doing that. And I'll see you on the next episode.