Our Diet
What is the Levitical Diet?
There may be some confusion between what defines a Levitical Diet — sometimes also called a Levitican Diet — and how it is different from a Kosher diet. The principles of keeping Kosher go far beyond the principles of a Levitical Diet. Without writing a book to explain the differences (and I recommend some books at the end of this page), there are 3 principles to the Levitical Diet and they are:
- Eat only substances that God created for food. Avoid what is not designed for food.
- As much as possible, eat foods as they were created – before they were changed or converted into something humans think might be better
- Avoid food addictions. Don’t let any food or drink become your god.
The reasons our family follows these principles are easy to explain. The bottom line is that the Levitical Diet is healthier than alternative eating lifestyles (III John 1:2). However, the diet we choose for our family does not reflect judgment of what others eat or how they prepare their food. When we are guests at another person’s table, we eat whatever is offered in the spirit of hospitality and are blessed by their generosity (Romans 14:2-17). While we realize that following this diet is NOT the key to our salvation, we follow the guidelines offered in God’s word as an act of worship and faithfulness.
The Principles
1) In brief, the first principle allows for eating what the Bible calls “Clean” foods and avoiding foods that the Bible deems “Unclean.”
Clean foods include herbivorous animals that have divided hooves and chew cud, such as cattle, sheep, and goats (Leviticus 11:3); all fish that have fins and scales, either fresh or salt water fish, such as perch, trout, tuna, and salmon (Leviticus 11:9); birds that do not eat carrion such as chicken, pheasant, goose, duck, and turkey (Leviticus 11:13-19); a few insects (so we have something to complain about, I guess) like locusts and grasshoppers (Leviticus 11:21-22)- dried locust is nearly 75% protein which could explain how John the Baptist remained in such good health; milk (Exodus 3:8); all seed-bearing fruits, nuts, grains, and vegetables (Genesis 1:29); and honey – we purchase our honey from a local beekeeper and we try to get the comb as well. If you don’t have a source of local honey, try your best to purchase “pure honey” (Exodus 3:8).
Unclean foods include pork, kangaroo, rabbit, anything without a divided hoof and chews the cud (Leviticus 11:4-8, 26-28); fat (Leviticus 7:23); blood (Leviticus 7:26); kidneys; (Leviticus 3:4 ) bottom feeders such as catfish, oyster, shrimp, crab, lobster, shark, octopus, squid, clams, coral, and any fish that doesn’t have scales and fins; any plant that grows in 
water, whether salt or fresh water, such as spirulina (algae), sea weed, kelp, and food additives such as carrageenan (Leviticus 11:10-12); birds that eat carrion such as the eagle, osprey, hawk, kite, vulture, raven, ostrich (including eggs), goat sucker, seagull, buzzard, swan, pelican, owl, carrion eagle, stork, heron, crane, hoopoe; bats (Leviticus 11:13-20); any insects that crawl, as opposed to hopping like locust and grasshopper, which makes nearly every insect off limits (Leviticus 11:23-25); rodents such as the mole, mouse, rat, and shrew; any animal torn, mangled or worried (painful death such as roadkill); any cattle dying of disease (Leviticus 11:29-43); all reptiles including turtles, lizards, alligators, and snakes (Leviticus 11:4, 10, 29, 42); and any food that has touched anything unclean, such as a mouse chewed on it (Leviticus 7:23).
The health reasons for the distinctions between clean and unclean are fairly apparent. Avoiding unclean foods means avoiding harmful toxins and possible disease. For example, unhealthy toxins are stored in the fat and removed by the kidneys of every animal. Bottom feeders were created to remove toxins from the seas and their flesh is full of unhealthy toxins and metals. There are many, many reasons to avoid pork. Pigs will literally eat anything, and pork can contain up to 30 times more toxins than beef or venison.
Conversely, lean meats, fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, milk, and scaled fish are healthy foods in so many, many ways. The benefits of each are so plentiful, I won’t attempt to list them all, but they include: good proteins and amino acids, healthy omega-3′s and 6′s, healthy carbohydrates, and balanced measures of beneficial and soluble minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
2) As much as possible, eat foods as they were created – before they were changed or converted into something humans think might be better. There are some excellent examples of this and more and more research is showing that the further we remove ourselves from our food sources, the unhealthier we become as a result.
Consider margarine: Leviticus 7:23 prohibits eating any of the fat of even clean cattle. God noted in Leviticus 3:17 
that this would be a “perpetual statute” prohibiting the eating of fat. Back in the nineteenth century, a Frenchman learned how to turn vegetable oil into an artificial animal fat substitute we know as margarine in direct conflict with the Levitical dietary law. In the last 200 years, we have changed our diets and our lifestyles so much that we have caused an epidemic of cancer, obesity, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. Angina pectoris has only been described in the English medical literature for the last 200 years. Two hundred years before, NONE of these diseases or conditions existed at all or in any appreciable numbers.
Consider unfermented soy. In recent studies, even the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has listed unfermented soy as an Endocrine Disrupting Chemical (EDC) meaning it contains natural hormones that emulate human hormones, the consumption of which can lead to obesity, infertility, genital malformation, reduced male birth rates, precocious puberty, miscarriage, behavior problems, brain abnormalities, impaired immune function, various cancers, and cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association (AHA) recently withdrew support for any definitive health claims related to soy protein and coronary conditions.
Consider genetically modified or engineered foods (GMOs or GEOs) many of which are sterile and thus are not “seed-producing” which has been linked to a variety of health concerns including many of the same problems with unfermented soy.
Consider high fructose corn syrup, added to literally everything from ketchup to cough syrup, which shuts down the human metabolism and has been linked to high blood pressure.
Consider enriched bleached, white flour” which contains none of the healthy oils or nutrients of whole grains and is enriched with industrial grade chemicals.
Consider that it is highly unlikely that you will ever encounter any health problems as a result of preparing and eating unmodified “real” foods. You won’t live forever, but you will certainly live longer and better as a result.
3) The final principle, that of not making any food or drink or any diet or eating lifestyle into an idol, is a bit subjective but also not difficult to integrate into our eating lifestyle. Some things which can become too important include alcohol, caffeine, and sweets (Ecclesiastes 10:17). Devoting too much energy or too much of your finances to purchase exclusively this or that kind of food is also a danger, especially if you place more financial importance on that practice than on, for instance, offering a tithe (1 Corinthians 10:31). If rich delicacies or rarities rank high on your dietary priority list, this can also present a risk (Proverbs 23:1-3).
One way to break food addictions or binge cycles, a method which also has definite health benefits, is fasting. According to recent studies, Americans in particular rarely if ever experience real hunger anymore. Essentially, we have not yet digested our last meal before we have already eaten our next meal. Therefore, we never feel hungry. A short fast, such as a “daylight” fast can offer time for prayer and meditation and alert you to certain unhealthy cravings or food attachments. If you take no food or drink, or else only allow for drinking pure water, during the hours of daylight, coupled with prayer, your body can send you signals of certain foods which have become too important. This is particularly true of caffeine and alcohol.
A prolonged fast, such as the Daniel’s Fast, also offers time for prayer and meditation while weaning your body of possibly dangerous addictions to any but “clean” foods.
References
There are MANY really good references for this diet. The best, most complete, and most comprehensive text is found in the first five books of the Holy Bible, Genesis through Deuteronomy, also called the Torah which means “the Law”.
More explanatory texts are plentiful. We are blessed today in that there are entire books written around the subject of the Levitical Diet and they are inexpensive, and readily available. A few of the books I can personally recommend include:
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The Maker’s Diet: The 40-day Health Experience That Will Change Your Life Forever |
| By Jordan S. Rubin / Siloam | |
| After winning his battle with debilitating Crohn’s disease, Rubin has devoted his life to developing natural ways to overcome illness. Offering a new perspective on well-being, he examines historically healthy cultures; diet secrets and nutrition principles, including sources of whole foods that heal; and fitness protocols needed to restore and maintain strength and energy. 336 pages, softcover from Strang. | |
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The Great Physician’s Rx for Health and Wellness: Seven Keys to Unlock Your Health Potential |
| By Jordan Rubin & David M. Remedios M.D. / Thomas Nelson | |
| Now in paperback, The Great Physician’s Rx for Health & Wellness offers seven keys to unlocking your health potential along with a 50-day health plan. Author of the bestseller The Maker’s Diet and survivor of a debilitating disease, Jordan shares with readers the keys that brought him total recovery that are for anyone desiring to live an abundant life of health and wellness. Trade Paper. | |
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What the Bible Says About Healthy Living: 3 Principles That Will Change Your Diet and Improve Your Health |
| By Rex Russell, M.D. / Gospel Light | |
| Learn how to make wise decisions regarding what you put in your mouth and lose weight naturally. In What The Bible Says About Healthy Living, Dr. Rex Russell combines biblical wisdom with modern-day science to create a foundational health plan that will put you on the path toward living a healthy lifestyle. Foreword by Dr. Jordan Rubin. Paperback. | |
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What the Bible Says About Healthy Living Cookbook |
| By Hope Egan & Amy Cataldo with Forward by Rex Russell, M.D. / Heart of Wisdom | |
| “I am enthusiastic in my recommendation of the What the Bible Says about Healthy Living Cookbook. It is, in many ways, the long-awaited companion to my book, What the Bible Says about Healthy Living.” –Rex Russell, M.D. author of What the Bible Says About Healthy Living“These simple to prepare recipes should inspire anyone who wants to honor their body-God’s Temple-and feed their family from a biblical perspective.” –Jordan Rubin–author of The Maker’s Diet. | |
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What Would Jesus Eat? The Ultimate Program for Eating Well, Feeling Great, and Living Longer |
| By Don Colbert, M.D. / Thomas Nelson | |
| Makes a compelling case for Christians to use the blueprint of this appetizing spin on traditional faith-based diet books to develop a healthier lifestyle using foods available today. “If you truly want to follow Jesus in every area of your life, you cannot ignore your eating habits,” postulates Colbert.Examines America’s alarming addiction to fast food, explores Old Testament Jewish dietary laws, and takes a comprehensive look at foods mentioned in the Bible, from herbs to bread to meat. To this information Colbert adds a healthy serving of Scripture references, mixes in a few anecdotes, and finishes the book with an easy-to-follow weekly eating guide. | |
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The What Would Jesus Eat Cookbook |
| By Don Colbert, M.D. / Thomas Nelson | |
| In this book, you’ll discover an enormously effective – and delicious – way of eating based on biblical principles. You’ll find that you can lose weight , prevent disease, enjoy more balanced meals, and attain vibrant health by changing the way you eat. A companion to the bestselling What Would Jesus Eat?, this cookbook offers inspired ideas for good eating and good living. |
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Gregg & Hallee
Wow! You have given me some really good food for thought. Thanks for writing this.
I’ve been making the movement toward eating more whole foods, but I am in awe of what you’ve outlined here. I have to ask–do you really eat locusts? LOL.
I would miss seafood, but I do see clearly why you do what you do. I knew other bloggers who didn’t eat pork but I didn’t know WHY.
Thank you so much for this!
Jessie
I have never eaten locusts. :) BUT – I do hope one day to do so. Just to satisfy my own curiosity about it.
Hallee,
Thank you so much for posting all the biblical references. I have, recently, become more aware of the laws in Torah. I have been trying to feed my family healthier, whole & freshly prepared foods. My husband is a bit of a hard sell on this. He is partially there but not all the way (he loves his bacon & processed snack foods). He grew up pentacostal and says that in the new testament, we were given the ok to eat pork. I don’t agree. His mom said that it states in Matthew, God blesses all food for us to eat (I’m putting this in my own words here). Do you have any idea what she is referring to? I want to continue to try to get my husband fully onboard but need more info so I truly know what I’m talking about.
Hi, Dawn. I’m happy to have you here.
There are two parts she may be referring to. One is Matthew 5:17. Jesus says, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” The popular translation of that verse says that Jesus was releasing us from the Law by fulfilling it.
What I believe it means is that Jesus rejected the Pharisees’ charge that He was nullifying the law (as the popular thought goes today.) If you look at Matthew 5:18, He further said, “For assuredly I say to you till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” The word “fulfill” means “to fill out, expand, or complete.” It does not mean bring to an end. Jesus fulfilled the law several ways. (1) He obeyed it perfectly and taught its correct meaning. (2) He will one day fulfill all of the Old Testament prophesies. (3) He provides a way of salvation that meets the requirements of the law.
Even if a Christian thinks that means that they’re free to eat whatever they want, if our bodies are a temple for Christ, and eating food that God has determined is bad for us and in fact defiles us, we are in turn defiling Christ’s temple.
She might also be talking about Matthew 15:16-20. Where Jesus said whatever goes into the mouth is eliminated, but it’s what comes out of the mouth that can defile a man. If that’s the verse she’s using, I think that’s a little weak, personally.
I’d recommend getting your husband The Maker’s Diet to read. Even if he isn’t convinced Biblically, he would be convinced for health reasons alone. We originally changed just for the health reasons. Our sense of worship and obedience came later.
Regarding the post by Dawn Marie (18 Apr 2010), I think the references her mother-in-law is referring to are: Romans 14:14-21 and possibly Titus 1:15. While I agree there is probably a health benefit to strictly sticking to the Levitical Diet, there is not a clear scriptural mandate to do so.
Don,
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With respect to your opinion that there is no clear scriptural mandate to adhering to a Levitical Diet, I would have to refer you to the book of Leviticus.
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God Bless,
Gregg
What about Acts 10:9-16? God showed Peter a vision of many “unclean” animals and told him that what God had sanctified we are not to call unclean. It is probably more healthy to eat a Levitical diet, but as far as it being a present day biblical mandate I cannot agree with that one. I applaud all who hold high standards in their diet for our present culture makes it hard to do. I myself am trying to get back to the basics more. It helps that I am staying in a foreign country right now. Fresh fruits, veggies, and meat are at the market every morning. For pretty good prices too.
Everything I’ve read has suggested that Acts 10:9-16 was that Peter’s vision was directly about him associating with Gentiles. Immediately after his vision, he was summoned by a Gentile (Cornelius), whom God had sent to him. He went with this man, stayed in his house, ate his food. In the same chapter of Acts, Peter said, “He said to them: ‘You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?’”
That said, I think that Acts 15 directly speaks to non-Jews and what to follow within the law. The Council at Jerusalem wrote a letter to the church at Antioch. Verses 24-30 say: We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.
I think that is much more to the point than Acts 10.
As far as it being a present-day Biblical mandate, I don’t necessarily agree with you. I do know that my salvation is NOT contingent upon what I eat and how I treat my body. But I also know that in Leviticus, God said that some meat was unclean and not to eat it – and He is the same God yesterday, today, and tomorrow. It isn’t “probably” more healthy to eat a Levitical diet – it absolutely is more healthy to eat a Levitical diet. And why wouldn’t God want us to be more healthy?
I would LOVE to live in a culture where you had to hit the market daily for fresh food to cook. I tire of seeing processed food on the shelves here.
Hi Hallie,
Thanks for this post. My mother and I also decided to abstain from pork initially for health reasons, but lately, through prayer and meditation, I was also convicted to abstain from it in the spirit of obedience and praise to God for giving us the Bible as a sole authority to everything that concerns us, including health..
I also wrote an article on this item…http://nanaymiriam.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/no-contradictions/
By the way, I linked your blog to my blog, hoping that my mother could also read about your articles about submission regardless of what the husband is doing..
regards,
Lanie
I will be praying that your mother finds conviction. Thank you so much for the link.
I have been on a journey of healthy living for a few years. I began eating organic foods about four years ago. This is something that God put in my heart for my family. I have read all of Jordan Rubin’s books as well as others. The only problem I have is new recipes. I do grow tired of the same recipes. Do you have any suggestions?
I am a wealth of information for recipes. :-)
If you click the “Hallee’s Galley” category tag, that will take you to tons of recipes. If you’re looking for something that’s not there, let me know and I’ll get it for you.
Hi Hallee,
I remember you from BZ HT. :) Anyhow, I have a question about pigs. What if you raise your own pigs and monitor what they are fed? Just curious …:)
BTW, I like your website! I am totally going to try your cornbread and fish recipe…it looks so easy!
Nicole
Sorry we didn’t see this question until now!
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We used to fudge here and there and eat some pork, like for instance on the pizza at the family buffet. After more research, we no longer take pork of any kind unless we are a guest at someone else’s table and to refuse would affect our witness.
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We documented our reasons in this post.
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God Bless,
Gregg
I am kinda sorry I asked… :)
Thanks, for the info, though I still ascertain, “Ignorance really is bliss!!”
The way pigs (and other unclean animals) were designed is to absorb all of the toxins into their flesh and fat. Even if you fed them only filtered water, organic fruit and vegetables, they would still be absorbing toxins from the environment. I just avoid all unclean foods whenever possible.
Hallee, you have clearly and concisely written my views! Thank you for being obedient to the Lord and answering all of these questions with grace and biblical authority. I’ve never been able to state my views as clearly as you did.
Wow! Thank you so much for sharing information about this diet. My parents recently did the “Daniel Fast/Diet” with out church, and they sang it’s praises. I can’t wait until I have more time to come back and check out some of your recipes.
Wow! I am a new reader, and a recent post referred back to this one. I had never heard of the Leviticus Diet before, but I have known people who didn’t eat pork and I didn’t know how to politely ask why. This is not only a well-written and laid out post, it also has so much information that I can clearly see why you follow this diet and the health as well as spiritual benefits. Thank you so much for writing this!
Wow- I love this! This is an excellent synopsis/reminder of why we eat the way we do! We read the Maker’s Diet right after we got married (3.5 years ago) and haven’t really looked back! Thanks for putting this all together in such a concise manner!
Hi! Thank you for sharing with us. I would like to ask a clarifying question, though. Is your family following this diet because you believe that is a way to be wise and worship the Lord, or because you feel we are still under the law? Just a little unsure as to which it is! Thanks! :)
We do it as an act of worship, and feel it is the healthiest diet. Our salvation is not dependent upon the Law. Our salvation is only dependent upon our faith in Jesus Christ, our repentance from sin, and our forgiveness of others.
Your salvation is dependent upon 6 things. Hearing the Word, believing the Word, repenting of your sins, confessing that Jesus is indeed the Son of God, baptism for the remission of sins/receiving of the Holy Spirit and continuing to live a Godly life.
That’s not entirely accurate. Baptism is not a requirement for salvation; however, forgiving those who have sinned against me is. Believing in Christ’s resurrection, confessing Christ, and forgiving others. Those are the requirements for salvation.
Hi Hallee,
Love your blog for the information and encouragement you give to young wives and moms, but I too would have you consider the following verses regarding the act of obedience through baptism as necessary to salvation. It is not MORE important than any of the other mentioned steps to salvation through grace but is still part of God’s Holy plan.
Mark16:16 Acts 2:37, 38 Acts 8:35-38 1 Peter 3:21
Please thoughtfully consider these scriptures with the same open ,honest heart that you put into your desire to serve the Lord through being a “keeper of the home”.
Blessings!
Please read
Thank you so much for your kind words and your encouragement. As far as the verses, I could re-write this in my own words, but I’ll just give you the link. This is one of just millions of sources to which I could have linked you: http://www.rickross.com/reference/icc/ICC122.html
I believe that baptism is a symbolic act of the cleansing of sins. But I do not believe it is a requirement for salvation.
Dear Readers,
I believe that baptism in symbolic and we should do it, but I do have a couple of questions for those who believe that it is a command to follow in order to have salvation. What about the thief on the cross who Jesus said that he would see him in paradise? I am a missionary in Asia and we have many youth here who have gotten saved, but their parents will not allow them to be baptized. Does this mean that they will not go to Heaven? It is true that after you confess your sins you should get baptized, but I cannot agree that you must be baptized in order for your salvation to be complete.
Thank you, Thank you, for taking the time to place all of this wonderful information on your blog! It has been an inspiration to me in many ways. It’s as if all the cluttered things in my mind have been laid out in front of me. I am not in any way an organized person and am a wife and mother. This alone tells you that the need for organization is a must and through God’s help I am learning. I do however struggle so much with this. I am happy to take all the advice and help I can get. Your blog has been a WONDERFUL blessing!!!
Thank you so much. I’m so happy you found us!
Uh oh! I have heard most of the guidelines here except for the “eating fat” one. Can you explain that more fully? So many whole foods movement people advocate for the healthfulness of lard, tallow, real butter and cream, etc. Could you please explain how this part of the diet relates and how margarine (not that we would eat it anyway!) is in violation of the principles. I didn’t quite understand.
I just discovered your blog and am reading with rapt fascination! Thanks for sharing so much with your readers.
~Beth
I was re-reading and noticed that your comment has gone unanswered for nearly a year. My apologies for the really, really belated reply.
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With respect to the question of fats, we are not interested in being legalistic. If a food is not strictly prohibited, we probably will eat it without objection. For example, for a long time we didn’t know about mushrooms. They are not specifically prohibited, but they also are not a plant that is green or makes seeds. Yet we felt no conviction to eliminate them from our diet. Years later, we learned that mushrooms were considered an “herb” and scripture says that we are given every herb of the field that is good for food.
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The referenced scriptures speak only of not eating the fat on certain portions of even clean animals. Conversely, oil is very important and even symbolic throughout scripture, as is milk (cream).
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Obviously, oil such as that burned in lamps in ancient times (the light of the world) was rendered from animal fat such as sheep or goat. Milk was certainly not pasteurized or homogenized in that day and so formed cream or butter that floated on top. Yet neither oil nor milk (or the cream of milk) is specifically prohibited.
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I again apologize for the year long wait for this answer.
God Bless,
Greg
Hi Hallee – I found your blog via menu plan monday, and stayed to poke around because we both use the same wordpress layout!
Out of curiousity, have you and your family noticed any decided health benefits from this diet? I think it’s fantastic, and just wonder if you’ve experienced anything first hand.
Never mind – I just read your Hallee’s Galley page and got the answer! Fantastic!
Super post. Tweeting and FBing.
More resources “Holy Cow: Does God Care What We Eat” and “What the Bible Says About Healthy Living Cookbook” See my post on this topic at
http://heartofwisdom.com/biblicalholidays/?cat=7
[...] prayer is to be a complete blessing to this wonderful ministry. My family follows a Levitical diet. Among other things, we don't eat pork. The first morning serving at the soup kitchen, we took big [...]
This is very interesting and makes good sense. To be honest, our family does not diet at all. I just exercise, don’t eat after 6, and stay away from buffet places.
You have inspired me today to write about food on my blog, Salt and Light. I provided a link to your blog and mentioned some of the things you said about the Levitical Diet. Love your blog Hallee. You really deserved that last award. You can read my comments about your comments at http://www.upliftyourspirit.blogspot.com
Do you still eat meat? This is the diet I grew up with. We were vegetarian for a time but my parents decided to add beef & chicken back into our diet. We do not eat pork. Fortunately, my husband did not eat pork before we when married and we did not come from the same religious background. I feel like the time has arrived when our “approved” foods need to be looked at. I no longer feel that our beef and chicken are clean. What is your opinion?
We do eat meat; however, we purchase our beef from a local rancher who has grass-fed free range beef. We purchase our poultry and lamb from Whole Foods, making sure they are within our ethical guidelines. Our daughter, who is 13, will not eat meat away from home because she doesn’t trust anyone else’s sources. I’m less purist — I love a good steak at a good steakhouse – lol.
I really enjoyed reading this post; I eat clean as much as I can, but had honestly never linked it to the bible. I have more energy, am happier and feel better – it makes so much sense. I wish people could get back to the basics.
Wonderful post, thank you for sharing.
Thanks for the info … I will be looking to these diets ~~ I have been wanting to make a change, what a great start! Thanks!
Thank you for posting this. It is nice to know all the ins and outs so that I can attempt to stay on track. How do you know what to purchase when you go to the grocery? I wish I could go less often but I always seem to miss things. Do you have a list you go by when you shop? I thought with as efficient as your schedule is you might have this down to a science as well. You are an inspiration to women everywhere
Thank you for your kind words. That is so encouraging!
I have an iTouch, and on it is a notepad that has a header “shopping list”. When I run out of something specific – like garlic powder – I’ll make a note right away. I stop whatever I’m doing and go get my iTouch and make that note. It is with me when I go shopping.
Other than that, I do not make grocery lists. One reason is because I buy in bulk several things – oats, wheat berries (to ground into flour), popcorn (for popping and for making cornmeal), yeast, and every kind of dried bean you can think of. We also have a freezer full of beef from half a steer we purchased and had butchered.
Another reason is because a huge chunk of what I purchase is fresh vegetables and fresh dairy – which I purchase once a week.
When I go grocery shopping, I walk every aisle.. I never skip an aisle because I know if I do, what I need and can’t remember is going to be down there. I take my time, confer coupons, and check all of the shelves, read ingredients lists. Before I go to checkout, I pull out my iTouch and make sure that anything in the notes section has been remembered (and it almost always hasn’t been!) Then I’m comfortable leaving the store.
I do that once a month. Once a week, I run in and refresh dairy, eggs, produce, and check the meat sales. Once a month, I spend a few hours shopping.
There was a time before I did everything homemade that I shopped at the commissary every 3 months. That took 2 carts and 8 hours. I miss those days, because I love grocery shopping, but there isn’t a need to do that anymore because so much is made homemade.
You mentioned kidneys being unlcean, what about other organ meats?
Leviticus 3:4 states: “…the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove;” This verse specifically marks the kidneys and the fat on the kidneys as well as the fatty lobe above the liver as unclean. However, note that though the liver is specifically mentioned, it is not specifically prohibited or marked as unclean. Presumably, then, the liver is clean.
Hallee, do you have a link to a list of “approved” foods? My husband and I are interested in developing this diet but wanted the “quick start” I suppose. I might order a book too. I have seen the What Would Jesus Eat book before!
I would suggest The Maker’s Diet. That one is a good one and has meal plans in it if I’m not mistaken (though the Maker’s Diet for Weight Loss may be the one with meal plans.)
Fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and meat (beef, lamb, poultry, fish with fins & scales) are what we eat. I am pretty strict with organic grain products because they can’t have genetically modified ingredients in them. Otherwise, I will do things labeled “natural” if organic is too cost prohibitive.
To me, simple is better. I’d rather grill a piece of meat, serve a fresh veggie and a whole grain on the side than get complicated pre-mixed, processed items and put them together. I think our bodies do well with that kind of diet versus battling unnatural ingredients and chemicals.
Thank you, I’m definitely looking into learning more about this. We’ve been talking about eating what God intended for food and not the stuff man-made.. but never knew there was a name for it! I’d like to be stricter too, guidelines definitely help.
Interesting blog. I love it. The bible has left us a guide to everything in our life. Thanks for sharing this awesome guideline to a Bible diet.
Bless you!
Hey Hallee, do you have any helpful links for kids’ menus?? I’m really struggling with planning their meals. I grab ideas from yours from time to time but I’m getting stuck still!
I don’t really do anything separate for kids’ menus. I’m sorry. They eat what we eat – even in a restaurant, I don’t encourage ordering from the kids’ menus unless they have items beyond chicken fingers and hot dogs.
For instance, last night I marinated a leg of lamb in garlic and rosemary, then rotisseried it in the rotisserie oven until it was medium-rare. I had chicken legs pulled out to cook for my friend’s kids, because I wasn’t sure if they’d eat lamb or not, but time got away from me and I never cooked them. Instead, I served lamb, and all of the kids wanted seconds, and some wanted thirds.
I wish I could be of more help. The only advice I have is to serve what you eat. Children will eventually learn that that’s what they’re to eat. If it’s spicy or overly-flavorful, I’ll keep seasonings off of meat and such, or even wash it off once it’s cooked so that the flavor is kind of there but not so much, but I still cook the same meat and the same sides.
Hallee
This is very interesting. I am a newbie Christian so I am feeling my way around all of this. I wonder what implication Acts 10:9-16 has on all of this. I have read the passage about Jesus and the law though. Was also wondering on the fats…does this mean butter is off limits?
I feel I must reiterate that this is OUR diet and it is what works for US. We are not interested in being legalistic in any way. Nor is it our motivation to sit in judgement of those who do not follow scripture in the way that we prayerfully strive to do.
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We are interested in being healthy and in prayerfully considering that which we consume (this applies to more than just our food). It certainly does not mean that we consume or abstain in order to sit in judgement of anyone else’s choices. We consume or not to draw closer to our Father God.
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If a food is not strictly prohibited, we probably will eat it. For example, for a long time we were kind of on the fence about mushrooms. They are not specifically prohibited, but they also are not a plant that is green or makes seeds. Yet we ate them and felt no conviction to eliminate mushrooms from our diet. Years later, we learned that mushrooms were considered an “herb” and scripture says that we are given every herb of the field that is good for food.
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With respect to the question of fats, we prayerfully consider. The referenced scriptures speak only of not eating the fat on certain portions of even clean animals. Conversely, oil is very important and even symbolic throughout scripture, as is milk (cream).
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Obviously, oil such as that burned in common lamps in ancient times (the light of the world) was rendered from animal fat such as cattle, sheep, or goat. It seems very likely that the discarded “unclean” fat was rendered into utilitarian oil. So, no objection there, although we would try our best never to consume lard.
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Milk was certainly not pasteurized or homogenized in that day, and so certainly formed cream or butter that floated on top. Yet neither oil nor milk (or cream) is specifically prohibited. With respect to milk, about the only thing I found is that we are specifically prohibited from boiling a young goat in its mother’s milk. Really no danger of that happening.
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With respect to Acts chapter 10, that is often and famously taken out of context and misinterpreted — a difference between exegesis and eisegesis. Some Christians extrapolate that after Peter’s dream, God cleansed ALL animals and made them fit and lawful for human consumption. In other words, God changed his mind from “this is my memorial (binding or abiding sign) unto all generations” and that transforms into “Except I changed my mind about pigs and such” which contradicts the notion that God is unchanging, eternal, and the same yesterday, today, and forever. So right away, the argument starts off on biblically weak footing with me.
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A few further objections. First, in Peter’s dream, the animals descended from heaven on a kite and God Himself personally declared them clean. Speaking for myself, if God delivered a bunch of pigs on a kite from heaven and personally declared them clean and commanded me to kill and eat, I would get out the pistol and fire up the grill.
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But a lot of things specifically did NOT happen. What did not happen, for example, is God did not bring together all of the animals ON THE EARTH that were declared unclean under the law and declare them now to be clean and personally instruct Peter to kill and eat FROM THE LAND. He brought a bunch down on a kite from heaven in a dream. God is very specific in many places that anything that comes from heaven is good. This proposition is even repeated by Peter in Acts 15 when testifying in Jerusalem.
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Also what did not happen is that every unclean food, such as seaweed or algae, or any otherwise clean food that was contaminated by vermin, or animals which had died of disease — none of that was present on the kite — only living unclean animals. In other words, what did not happen is God did not say that all previously unclean food ON THE EARTH is now good for food.
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Second, the story isn’t even about food. It’s about taking the Gospel to the Gentiles. It’s about God getting Peter to recognize that he is to go to the home of the centurion and share the Gospel with that uncircumcised Italian and his band. Remember that before this event, no one had been baptized into the Christian church except for Jews, Samaritans, and those converts who had been circumcised and already observed the ceremonial law. Now God is telling Peter to take the Gospel to every tribe and every nation just as Christ said on the day of Pentecost.
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In Acts 10:28, Peter is clear on this “… You yourselves have knowledge that it is against the law for a MAN who is a Jew to be in the company of one who is of another nation; but God has made it clear to me that no MAN may be named common or unclean”
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In other words, what does not happen is Peter does not declare that God has made it clear to him that it is now super cool to eat pork. He is very specific that this is all about MEN, not food. The real point of Acts Chapter 10 has little to do with Peter’s dream and more to do with the fact that God is no respecter of PERSONS (Acts 10:34).
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Third, if all animals are cleansed by Peter’s vision, this includes pigs but also all kinds of insects, bats, spiders, cats, and even dogs. Yet, for whatever reason, you never hear Christians getting all spun up about a dog-meat sandwich, cat-head soup, and a side of boiled spiders like they do over pork chops and bacon. But going back to scripture, and Peter, in speaking of both dogs and pigs well after his dream that supposedly purified unclean foods, Peter said this:
For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.” 2 Peter 2:20-22
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And of course, mire is sewage. So it doesn’t sound, based on this verse, like Peter hosted any pig-pickin’s after his dream. It sounds more like he continued to keep the law of Moses which is, instructively, something that Jesus Christ also managed to do every single day of his entire life on this earth. Jesus Christ kept the law of Moses perfectly and then exhorted us to be “perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
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All that said, this is what we have arrived at after we prayerfully considered the scriptures as the word of God relates to what WE consume.
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God Bless,
Gregg
Very well articulated!
Love this post, Hallee! We, too, try to eat biblically “clean.” What the Bible Says About Healthy Living is one of my favorite books. I thought that Jordan Rubin was vegan, though, so I hadn’t read his books. Was I misinformed?
Also, I have a question about sea vegetables, which I had never really considered before. Why are these considered unclean? Do they not bear seed? (I don’t eat mushrooms, for similar reason – I don’t consider fungus one of the things God gave as food.)
Hi Rachel,
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What a great question! As far as why God considered them unclean and prohibited them, I am not sure. Perhaps because a lot of sea plants contain high concentrations of harmful minerals or toxins just like shellfish? We derive our seafood choices from the guidance provided by Leviticus 11:9-12 which says (KJV):
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9 These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat. 10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you: 11 They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination. 12 Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.
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I have also studied the Latin and Hebrew and my preferred NKJV, but the KJV seems the most straight forward. What we get from the text is that while that would not include a prohibition against non-living things — such as sea salt — it does include a prohibition on living things (verse 10) like catfish, oyster, shrimp, crab, lobster, shark, octopus, squid, clams, coral, and any fish that doesn’t have scales and fins as well as any plant that grows in water, whether salt or fresh water, such as spirulina (algae), sea weed, kelp, and food additives such as carrageenan.
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As you might have guessed, we are not legalistic about this, either. We aren’t really legalistic at all, really. Anyway, while it is a pretty easy thing to avoid fish that doesn’t have both fins and scales, some of the sea plants are more problematic. For example, a lot of calcium supplements come from seashells and we often take multi-vitamins. Many soft serve ice creams contain either a kelp or carrageenan base and we do not refrain from soft serve ice creams.
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In his hook, Rubin discusses how it was a Levitical diet that saved him from debilitating Chron’s disease. As for rumors of Rubin following a vegan diet, while it wouldn’t really personally matter to me if he did, he is actually outspoken against a strict vegan or raw only diet unless following a (temporary) fast for spiritual reasons.
. In this link he acts as “counterpoint” to the vegan “point” http://www.giveittomeraw.com/profiles/blogs/doug-graham-amp-jordan-rubin?xg_source=activity
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May God Bless you and your loved ones in your walk,
Gregg
Hallee, It’s alway so refreshing to find another like minded believer. We too follow a biblical diet and have found it to be a tremendous blessing on our family. As time has marched on, God has brought us to other things that we have implemented such as observing the Saturday Sabbath and the feasts. Every learning and growing! God says his people will perish for lack of knowledge and we see it everywhere! Thankfully he has opened our eyes to his truths. Would love to visit more!
Do you soak your grains?
Not like I should.
I would like to more about placing the “green” foods of the waters as unclean. I have never thought of this before.
Also, have you ever thought about soaking meat to get all the blood out?
I have also heard to only eat well done meat for the same reason.
I want to express my appreciation for the sharing of your diet. It is written in such a clearly concise manner that I will be sharing it as a link with our Re-GAIN facebook community.
Blessings to you and your family!
Briefly reviewing this article I was greatly impressed with your vitalistic way of eating. As a fledgeling doctor of chiropractic and a person that takes pride in what my family and I consume, I continue to be inspired with folks that live a lifestyle such as yourself. This is a great article that points out commonly consumed foods that should not be eaten in a non confrontational way. My favorite on your list that is to be steered clear from is margarine. I often times find people never have known the truth with that product. It is a difficult thing to be told something you have always done is wrong but we need to adapt and make changes, even myself! Thanks