← The Dr. Josh Axe Show
The Dr. Josh Axe Show
The Most Important Diet You’ve Never Heard Of (Biblio Diet)
01:07:34
What did people in the Bible actually eat; and does it still matter today?
Loading summary
Transcript55 lines
- [00:01]
So Delicious
Are you ready to dairy free your mind this summer? Melt away your dairy free expectations with so delicious dairy free frozen desserts. Enjoy mind blowing flavors like salted caramel cluster chocolate cookies and cream cookie dough and more. For over 35 years, so delicious has been cranking up the flavor with show stopping products that are 100% dairy free, certified vegan by Vegan Action and are so unbelievably creamy your taste buds will do a double take. Dairy free your mind. Visit sodeliciousdairyfree.com Imagine a diet rooted in.
- [00:31]
Dr. Josh Axe
Over 3,000 years of wisdom, one that fed prophets, kings, queens and even Jesus Christ himself. Long before modern nutrition trends, the Bible described a way of eating that was about using real food and spiritual wisdom to help people heal and live the healthiest life possible. It's actually the diet that helped my friend Jordan Rubin reverse ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. And certain principles of that diet that helped my mom heal from cancer. Cancer. And a biblical diet can help you promote health, boost longevity and reverse any disease. Welcome to the Dr. Josh Axe Show. So the biblical diet is a scriptural framework for how ancient people approached food. And they ate food that was real, whole, seasonal and spiritually intentional. And the Bible emphasizes foods that were grown, raised and harvested with reverence. So deep respect and eaten in community and connected to worship and celebration. And when we look at the Bible itself, when you look at what Jesus talks about, when he's saying his parables and teaching his parables, you see his greatest reference is to farming and food. Of all the things he teaches, of all the things he talks about. And think about Jesus feeding the 5,000. Think about, you know, him referencing, you know, a mustard seed, right? And talking about the harvest constantly. Again, these were agricultural references. And actually at that time, around 90% of jobs, I believe, had some sort of agricultural component or people lived on farms. I mean, this is where people were spending their time. And we see throughout the Bible references, starting in Genesis all the way through Revelation in terms of agricultural and food references. And in Genesis 1:29, God says to Adam, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of the earth and every tree with seed in its fruit, you shall have them for food. So we see there in Genesis God saying, hey, eat plants. And we really believe in my study in theological study of nutrition in the Bible, that what Adam was doing at the time was God was calling him to spread out something we'd call a regenerative food forest. And so when you look at the greatest way to feed people. The thing that creates a tropical paradise, it is tending to and helping grow foods that naturally grow on their own every year. So what we're used to in the United States and the Western world is what we call mono agriculture. So one, so it's you grow soybeans, you grow corn, you grow wheat, and every year you have to retill the soil and replant those plants. And what that does is it actually creates this carbon issue and depletes the soil of all of its nutrients and makes the earth sick and makes us sick. However, in Genesis, when we see Genesis 1 where God is talking to Adam, we really believe that was a food forest where it was a lot of fruit bearing trees and berry bushes and things that grew year after year, year after year. And we would just tend them. And then you would have animals going in and out there as well, helping build up the topsoil. So we see that there in Genesis, this idea of this beautiful food forest that they're helping grow in tend now, then we have the fall and then we have the time of Noah. And then many people believe there was maybe even a change in the atmosphere, okay, because it didn't rain before then. It never rained. And many people believe, some scientists, that there was a canopy over the earth and that allowed for animals to be larger. And you've probably heard this right, if you go to areas where there's rainforests, some animals are bigger. Part of it is due to maybe greater oxygenation. We know that there are much more plant life there, greater humidity, and that may allow those animals to grow larger. Well, some scientists believe that's sort of why dinosaurs grew to the state. They believe that that's why some humans lived so long was actually due to the atmosphere. Well, then we had the flood and then there was a change in the environment, possible changes in the land mass. And after that time of the great flood that the Bible accounts and many other cultures account, here's what God says to Noah. He says, everything that lives and moves above will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. Everything, okay? And that included animals, lamb and cows and sheep and chickens and livestock, in order to eat those as well. And I believe that there is a potential, and I'm not saying that this is a fact, but there's a potential when there was that environmental change, that it became more necessary for us to eat some of those things in order to be healthy. In fact, we know that really the only way we can get, in most cases, for most people, enough vitamin B12, specifically in certain nutrients, is by eating meat in terms of our overall health. And so we see in the Bible God commanding us first and foremost to eat fruits, eat vegetables, eat these things that grow on their own that are perennial plants. And then we see him saying, meat. And so really we see fruits and vegetables and seeds, these things very early on. And then we see me in Genesis 9, 3. I think it's also important to note that food in the Bible was seen as more than just calories or fuel. It's intertwined with spiritual meaning, with community and divine connection. And eating was seen as nourishment, as an act of worship, as relationship and remembrance. One of my favorite Bible verses, which I've signed sometimes when I've signed books, and it's one of my favorite Bible verses that I think really embodies health in the Bible or a biblical diet in the Bible. And it's not telling you to eat a specific type of a food. It really has to do with the heart of why we eat what we eat. And it says this. This is First Corinthians 10:31. So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God. Do all to the glory of God. That's First Corinthians 10:13. And that really, I think, reminds us that when you eat, part of it is a mindset, part of it is an act of worship. I am eating to honor God with my body. And I actually think it is the single biggest verse that's overlooked in the Bible when it comes to nutrition, when it comes to over is this mindset of when I'm eating fast food, when I'm eating an organic apple, no matter what I'm eating, the way I'm feeding my kids, I am eating to glorify God because God created this body, and I want to honor him with it. And so I think that is the heart. If you want to know how to eat biblically, that is the first principle is eating to glorify God. And then earlier in Corinthians, we read this as well, where Paul says, do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God, you are not your own. You were bought with a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies. Honor God with your bodies. So these two verses in Corinthians, I think, really tell us, listen, eating. There are laws that are good to follow that the Bible lays out specifically in books like Leviticus on eating clean and God kind of making sure that we're protected from. From all of these pathogens that live in certain types of animals. But more than that, and before that, I really think it's the heart of honoring God with your body and treating your body as a temple. You know, I recently authored a book with Jordan Rubin, and the book is called the Biblio Diet.
- [08:31]
Jordan Rubin
Okay?
- [08:32]
Dr. Josh Axe
You can see here, this book is all about healing secrets of the Bible and what real biblical nutrition is. And again, this is a diet plan that helped my mom, helped her reverse cancer. It was a diet plan that helped Jordan reverse autoimmune disease and inflammatory bowel disease. It's a diet that has helped millions of people reverse chronic health conditions and promote longevity. And you think about it, we put such an emphasis on science today, which I think has great value. But I believe the Bible has even greater value in understanding and knowing what we should be eating and how we should be practicing ideal health principles. There was a diet many years ago that somebody asked if I follow, and I said no. And it was called the Paleo diet. And the Paleo diet is a diet that I do think has some beneficial ideas, but I don't think it's the ideal diet. I would consume a biblio diet, which is a biblical diet, far before I would consume a Paleo diet. And somebody said, hey, how are they similar? How are they different? And I want to answer that right now. What is the difference between a biblical diet and a Paleo diet? Well, first and foremost, it is the philosophy and worldview. A biblical diet is based on biblical creation that follows God's commands on eating foods that are clean in light of the New Testament, okay? So a biblical diet is eating with that heart and mind and soul that I'm honoring God with my body, while also taking into consideration what God commanded about the food laws and the foods that God prioritizes in the Bible. Things like sourdough bread, you know, that are. That was consumed biblically. A Paleo diet is based on evolution. So the Bible Biblio diet is based on creation, God creating the heavens and the earth. The Paleo diet is based on man going from amoeba to monkey to this hunter gatherer and living that sort of lifestyle. So those are the differences philosophically. You know, the biblical diet prioritizes protein, okay, as we see in Genesis 9, 3. But. But it also tells us not to eat scavengers and not to eat pork and shellfish.
- [10:46]
Jordan Rubin
Okay?
- [10:46]
Dr. Josh Axe
Now, we know pork is the greatest carrier of parasites of Any animals, according to studies. So we know that it carries loads and loads of pathogens because it's a scavenger and it doesn't detox very well. So when you eat their tissues, it's full of toxins. Very same thing with shellfish. And again, by the way, you can read all the medical science about this as well. Shellfish are the dirtiest animal in the sea, okay? Holding dioxins and toxins and heavy metals and all kinds of things. So really, in terms of protein, the Bible is really emphasizing wild caught meat like venison, lamb, goat, beef, okay? Bison, chicken and wild game like pheasant, of course, is eaten in the wilderness. And so in wild fish, right? So those are the proteins. And the Paleo diet says you can eat those things. But really, the Paleo diet, if you think about it, if you're living like a hunter gatherer, you're not eating livestock like cows, you're eating animals you typically have to hunt. That could be wild boar, it could be venison, it could be a bear, it could be a lion, it could be a dog, right? So it's really any type of animal. You can eat their meat. Okay? So really there's no restriction around scavengers. And some people kind of like when I mentioned dog, there they were a little bit. Or cat, I know that might have affected some people. I want you to think about a true hunter gatherer, okay? You're just trying to survive, okay? Do you think that they were. You might already know this many of you, that in a lot of other countries they actually eat dog, okay? They eat horse, they eat these animals that are non biblical. The Bible says do not eat those. Those are okay on a Paleo diet. Grains and legumes, those are allowed if properly prepared in the Bible. Okay, we see, we know via archeological evidence and just the history passed when they were consuming grains and legumes like beans or lentils in the Bible, oftentimes those were likely sprouted out in the sun, so they would harvest in and soak them and sprout them. And then often some of them were fermented into bread like a sourdough. And these were ancient grains, like an Einkorn wheat, right? Ancient grains harvested and properly prepared to kill off phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors so you can better digest the food.
- [13:01]
Jordan Rubin
Okay?
- [13:03]
Dr. Josh Axe
So we know that the Bible is okay with grains and legumes that are properly prepared. The Paleo diet does not allow any grains whatsoever on the diet or beans. What's interesting, though, I do want to Mention is every Paleo diet that I've followed or seen people consume has done a lot of nuts or seeds that are raw. And I hear all of these people that are Paleo saying, well, hunters or gatherers, they would have eaten raw nuts and seeds like almonds and walnuts. We do know, though, that one of the reasons they say you shouldn't eat grains and legumes is because they're high in phytic acid, which is basically an enzyme inhibitor and mineral blocker. But nuts have the same thing.
- [13:46]
Jordan Rubin
Okay.
- [13:46]
Dr. Josh Axe
Nuts and seeds have the same thing if they're not sprouted. So I think there's a little bit of an incoherence there. But all that being said, nuts and seed are allowed both on a biblical diet and on a Paleo diet. Dairy. This was allowed from clean animals. Again, clean animals only, like sheep milk, goat's milk and cow's milk.
- [14:08]
Jordan Rubin
Okay.
- [14:09]
Dr. Josh Axe
Water buffalo. But dairy is okay, especially if it's fermented most of the time. I think most of the time, they would have made it into a yogurt and it would have been fermented. And then a paleo diet usually excludes dairy.
- [14:23]
Jordan Rubin
Okay.
- [14:24]
Dr. Josh Axe
However, there are some people saying, no, it's okay. But you think a hunter gatherer. I mean, I'm just thinking about this, okay. Really eating Paleo. Were Paleolithic people, if that even ever existed, Were they running up and, like, milking a cow? You know, they weren't raising livestock, so I don't know where they would have found dairy. So just that idea of a Paleo where you're a hunter gatherer, you know, it's interesting to think about, okay, fruits and vegetables. A biblical diet really focuses on eating fruits in season. Okay. In fact, almost every festival is about. Right. The feast of first fruits. Right. When you look at different feasts in the Bible, it was harvesting things while they were in season and eating those in season.
- [15:09]
Jordan Rubin
Okay.
- [15:09]
Dr. Josh Axe
And the Paleo diet would have been very similar if you're hunting and gathering now, it was a very different idea, but they were eating things that were. They could find locally in season as well. So there's a lot of seasonal eating in both. And then sweeteners. The Bible prioritizes honey and dates. However, remember, with honey, in Proverbs, it says, but just a little, not too much, or it will make you sick.
- [15:32]
Jordan Rubin
Okay.
- [15:33]
Dr. Josh Axe
So the Bible is okay with you doing honey. We know there's loads of benefits. It's one of the greatest forms of natural medicine. Whereas the Paleo diet might also be okay with honey sparingly as well. Probably in a similar way, fermented foods and prep methods, there is a strong focus on sprouting, fermentation and soaking. We know in biblical nutrition, whereas Paleolithic, they're not cooking things right, it's emphasis on raw. Now they talk about simply cooked. However, if you're a Neanderthal, were you cooking food? I don't think so. What you'll see is a lot of people in the Paleo diet have this theory and then they try and adapt it and sort of add in, like, well, maybe they figured out how to do a fire and they cooked meals, maybe. But that's the emphasis there. And then alcohol, wine was allowed in small amounts in moderation. It was very spiritually symbolic. Whereas alcohol typically not allowed on the real Paleo diet, on sort of the ones that are more modernized. It is. And then the last thing here is this. A biblio diet has a great spiritual emphasis. It is seeing the food that you eat was given to you by God. God is your ultimate provider. And there's a level of gratitude, a level of praise, a level of awe and wonder, and even thinking about the body and the digestive system when God created your body and what it does, and also praying and thanking God for your food. God, thank you for this food. Will you allow it to nourish my body? And even something happening in terms of maybe even you having better physiological effects when you pray for the food or ask God to nurture it to your body because you believe that God is intervening for you. I mean, the greatest example of this, of course, is communion. You know, the Bible talks about, hey, when you drink this wine and you eat this bread, think of my blood and body given for me and what happens there with the Eucharist or communion. And so there's a spiritual emphasis of the. Of a greater level of nourishment of what happens here. And science might call some of what happens there a placebo effect that can happen. But overall, there is this spiritual awareness of when you eat. Whereas when we see with the Paleo diet, there's this secular approach that's focused on physical health. And so listen, I think there are principles and ideas of eating like a hunter gatherer that are interesting. But overall, I think the biblio diet far outweighs it in terms of wisdom. And what I see in helping people heal. I'll give you an example. I had a patient I was taking care of, actually, it was a doctor, his wife, and she was struggling with infertility for years and years. And years. And she was on a very strict Paleo diet is what she told me, and trying to get pregnant. And one of the things I realized on the diet was she was eating all these almonds. She was doing almost no carbs whatsoever. I said, listen, if you want to get pregnant, pregnancy is about, in the Bible and in Chinese medicine, about nourishing your body. I said, let's add in some sweet potatoes, let's add in some squash, let's add in some rice, even in some things. And three months later was able to get pregnant. And so, you know, I have seen a biblical diet, seen much, much greater results when you're following a true biblical diet over a Paleo diet in almost every case. Here's the thing I want to mention again about food. In the Bible, it was viewed as more than calories or fuel. It was intertwined with spiritual meaning, community, and divine connection. Eating was seen as an act of worship and relationship. And the Bible talks about when you eat, you want to focus on a word here called blessing, okay? Food is a blessing, and you want it to be blessed. In Deuteronomy 8, 10, here's what Moses says. When you have eaten and are satisfied, bless the Lord your God, okay? When you eat and satisfy, there's this level of gratitude of thank you, God, that you provided this food for me. And it was so satisfying, like thanking God that you love the taste of things. Like, you know, if you have a homemade pizza at home, wow, Lord, thank you for this. In biblical times, people didn't take meals for granted. Eating was a time to give pause, to give thanks and recognize God's hand in providing. And gratitude was expressed before and after the meal.
- [19:55]
Jordan Rubin
Okay?
- [19:56]
Dr. Josh Axe
So it was, you know, and Paul talks about this in the Bible. He says, you know, pray without ceasing. Whatever you're doing going on, live in a state of praise and gratitude. And so number one, one of the biggest principles of a biblical diet is blessing your food.
- [20:13]
Jordan Rubin
Okay?
- [20:14]
Dr. Josh Axe
Number two, covenant and community. Genesis 31:54 says this. Shared meals marked covenants, serious agreements or reconciliations between people. And we saw this even in the time of Jesus. You remember when Jesus was eating with sinners, prostitutes, tax collectors, criminals, he was eating with these people. And the rabbis were so blown away by this, and they said, how can you eat with these sinners? And Jesus at one time says, listen, who needs a doctor, right? The sick or the well? You know, these people are spiritually sick. I'm here to help them and eat with them. But the reason why that was so Offensive to them was when you ate with somebody that was like saying, we're in a relationship. You know, if you think back to junior high or high school or elementary school, when you're eating with somebody, that's your cr, that's your crowd. That means, hey, we got a relationship together, right? You remember, sometimes you're being nervous like, I hope I can sit with these people or maybe you were rejected at some point or accepted and what that did to your soul or spirit, right? We still have this today, even as grown ups sometimes. But eating with somebody, it really marked during that time, even more than today, a connection to that person and having a relationship. Hey, Dr. Axe here. I want to let you know about an absolutely incredible and cutting edge line of skincare called Clear Step that stands for clear skin and also helping stem cell production. You know, I am a big fan of stem cells because they've helped me heal and regenerate my body. And now I want to do that not just internally, but via my skin. If you've dealt with breakouts, you know that typical acne products, they dry you out, they damage your skin. While traditional anti aging products tend to be all oily and clog your pores. Well, Clear Stem is really different. It's comprehensive. Also, it's backed with rigorous scientific study, studies and evidence. And unlike other skincare brands, Clear Stem is dedicated to both product safety and efficacy. I want to encourage you to discover Clear Stem, what I believe is the most powerful skin care line for helping acne and stem cells. Helping you look younger. You can go to clearstem.com d r a x e and use the code DRAX for 15 off. There's a quote here from a Catholic university. Here's what it says. God himself shares in his people's lives, notably within their most significant moments and situations through the partaking of bread and wine. The Eucharist expresses the most intimate form of communion between God and humankind, introduced by the incarnation and fulfillment in Christ's passion, death and resurrection. You know, I call communion the meal that heals.
- [23:05]
Jordan Rubin
Okay?
- [23:06]
Dr. Josh Axe
It's the meal that heals. And we've had times in our life where my wife and I were praying for spiritual breakthrough. We were praying for healing. And we took communion at our church. But also we said, okay, we're going to start doing communion every day for a week to pray for a breakthrough for somebody, healing for somebody for ourselves. And we would just take some sourdough bread at home, a little bit of wine or grape juice or tart cherry juice. I mean, you could, you know, I think any of those things are fine, and sit there and have that and just say, God, I receive youe body that's been broken for me. I receive youe blood that was spilled for me. I receive youe healing, you, nourishment. I receive youe.
- [23:45]
Jordan Rubin
Okay.
- [23:46]
Dr. Josh Axe
And I believe that healing can happen through communion. Spiritual healing, physical healing, mental healing. And if you're a person that needs healing, I think following a biblical diet in partaking in communion has tremendous benefits. Number three here, as I mentioned, is eating is for healing. Exodus 15:26 says this. I am the Lord who heals you. God's promise of healing is both spiritual and physical, and food is part of that provision. Many of the foods listed in the Bible, like olive oil, honey, and herbs, were used for nourishment, but also as a form of biblical medicine. And ancient cultures understood that food was part of a broader system of health. Now, I really believe that if you want to heal, following a biblical diet is one of the best diets you could follow. Now, I do want to say, I might have somebody ask a question. Okay. If somebody has cancer, okay. Should they be eating bread? I would say this in most cases, no.
- [24:55]
Jordan Rubin
Okay.
- [24:56]
Dr. Josh Axe
I do think that there is a time and a place where somebody has an illness and they shouldn't eat maybe a few of the foods referenced in the Bible. I mean, bread is probably the biggest one, and maybe beans and some of those things. But I would say that overall, for most people, especially kids and people generally speaking, a biblical diet is the. Or the biblical principles of a diet are the best foods you could be eating. Now, I do think if somebody has cancer or a major, let's say, autoimmune disease, you maybe need to whittle down some of the foods and focus on just a few, maybe less foods for healing. I mean, I'll give you an example of this. My mom now follows more of a biblical diet. My mom will have sourdough bread. My mom will eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. She does pomegranate a lot. She does wild fish, does extra virgin olive oil as her main source of oil. But there are a few things that are not referenced in the Bible that she eats as well. Or does my mom juices vegetables. My mom consumes a fair amount of coconut and a number of other things. So. And I want to say this, too, if you think about it like this, the biblical. The foods referenced in the Bible were referenced primarily for those people at that point in time. A very specific group of people in the Middle east, okay? Now we can learn from those writings as well and their scripture in terms of having a eternal impact, that we should try and follow those laws. But I don't think only the foods referenced in the Bible are the foods you should be eating. And maybe some of those foods at times you want to keep out of your diet. Based on what we know today, if you have a certain type of illness or a food sensitivity or allergy. Right. As an example of some of those things, I'll give you an example. I don't do well with a lot of dairy. Now I can do a little bit of the raw, A two sheep milk or goat milk, a little bit here and there.
- [26:49]
Jordan Rubin
Fine.
- [26:49]
Dr. Josh Axe
But if I would do it constantly, every day I start to get phlegm buildup, even with the really good stuff. Now my wife and daughters, they just can eat it all day, every day. But I'm not one of those people. And so again, there's this also thing where God made you as a unique individual and you also need to listen to your body, listen to the Holy Spirit and figure out what you should be eating, what's best for you. I want to say this as well. Let's say the Bible wasn't written to the people of Israel. Let's say it happened in the Caribbean in St. Lucia, okay? In this island in the Caribbean, the foods for those people that their body is most adapted to, they might need to eat more papaya and mango and passion fruit and ahi, tuna and coconut, and that's what their body is going to do best with.
- [27:41]
Jordan Rubin
Okay?
- [27:41]
Dr. Josh Axe
But I think that principle from the Bible is this is one, eat real food, honor God with your body, and then figure out physiologically, based on your own unique biochemistry, what's best for you in that as well. So when it comes to foods of the Bible, they have incredible healing properties, as I'm about to get into. But I think it's important to remember, let's say you grew up in Ireland or the Caribbean or in the Pacific islands. The Bible was written primarily for the people in Israel, in the Middle east in those days, and what was available to them.
- [28:17]
Jordan Rubin
Okay?
- [28:18]
Dr. Josh Axe
So the Bible is talking about the most healing and nutrient dense foods oftentimes for those people and what was readily available to those people in that time. However, if the Bible was written to, these Scriptures were written to people in, again, Ireland, the Caribbean and the Pacific islands or Africa, some of those diets might be a little bit different. I'll give you 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 superfruit and sour 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 foodwhich 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.
- [29:18]
Jordan Rubin
Okay.
- [29:19]
Dr. Josh Axe
Those fruits don't grow as much in the Middle East.
- [29:22]
Jordan Rubin
Okay.
- [29:23]
Dr. Josh Axe
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 gonna be potatoes and apples.
- [29:38]
Jordan Rubin
Okay.
- [29:39]
Dr. Josh Axe
Those foods that grow there more naturally in that climate. If you go to the Pacific Rim, more seaweed. You know, seaweed's not referenced in the Bible, but those are foods that bring great nourishment to the people of Japan. Right? 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, oftentimes 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, okay, 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, 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. And 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. 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. In fact, people who follow so 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 D And I would say the real difference there is, number one is the heart, right? You 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 Mediterranean diet. There's quite a bit of things like maybe clams and shellfish and those on, on that diet as well. But there is a lot of overlap. And things like they both emphasize extra virgin, virgin olive oil, they both emphasize wild caught fish and a lot of produce. Okay, so there is some overlap there. Let's walk through the most referenced fruits in the Bible. Number 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, of Hebraic and of Roman. Okay, 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, were to support sperm. Now 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 oleuropein and polyphenols. So when you're buying olive oil, it should taste a bit little, 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 that came out a few, many years ago where they said, well olive oil has a lower smoke point so 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 veget 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. The 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 vascular help. You know, pomegranates are the number one food that is high in something called urolithithat can lead to something in your body called urolithin A. So pomegranates are very high in ellagic acid. Ellagic acid is an 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. And 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 pomegranate there. And those are referenced in Exodus 28, 33, 34, number 4. 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 f there as well. And it's important to remember that those cows in those days or those animals had something only called a 2 milk.
- [37:29]
Jordan Rubin
Okay?
- [37:30]
Dr. Josh Axe
Today, most cow's milk has a 1 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 hybridized the wheat to have way more gluten and other things that are inflammatory. Well, think about, we've done the same thing to cows in our modern agriculture. We've taken cows, cows, we've hybridized them, we've breeded them in a certain way to have produced more milk and for it to have more sugar in it. And 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, 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.
- [38:38]
Jordan Rubin
Okay?
- [38:39]
Dr. Josh Axe
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 sweet, 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, was 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 King, 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. And 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, nourishment, abundance and divine provision. Honey exhibits strong antimicrobial activity and 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. They went Back to Tombs 3000 years old 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. Okay, 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. It'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 sug 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. Raw 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 honey to beating reference 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. Again, often sprouted and fermented, made from whole grains. And typically grains like barley, spelt wheat in 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 nutri 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 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. And 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 or bowels 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.
- [44:29]
Jordan Rubin
Okay?
- [44:30]
Dr. Josh Axe
So the bread you see reference 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. 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, this biblical bread was much, much more nutrient dense in a lot of cases. Number seven is fish.
- [45:02]
Jordan Rubin
Okay?
- [45:02]
Dr. Josh Axe
Of the most referenced foods in the Bible, fish is referenced at least 20 times, especially in the New Testament. We know fish, of course, is. 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. And reverse her conditions was wild caught salmon. So 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. 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. 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 red meat, like lamb on a regular basis. And so again, red meat is, and listen, red meat is one of the most villainized and outlawed foods, whether it be a vegan diet or or even a Mediterranean diet. 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 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, Metabolism. Plus a full hour with one of my senior health advisors to help you understand your results. The truth is your doctor is 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 go, 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, meal and eat those sometimes by themselves or with a little bit of bread. And 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. 12 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 the three wise men brought Jesus 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 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 uponaround foods that he and using them both symbolically also as nourishment to our bodies. You 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, 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. And 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.
- [50:18]
Jordan Rubin
Right.
- [50:19]
Dr. Josh Axe
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. And if you really want to honor God with your bodies and be as healthy as possible, you've got to check out this. Gordon 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 depth. 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. So I encourage you guys to check out the this book nationwide. Go to Amazon.com and this book comes out next month. So I want to encourage you. I would appreciate, 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 bone. Both grilled or broiled fish could be tilapia from the Sea of Galilee or goat or lamb, olives or extra virgin olive oil. Oftentimes they would sort of drizzle olive oil on A lot of the meals could be a lentil stew. We know this is rich in fiber and protein, like this stew Esol traded his birthright for. We know it probably had lentils and probably wild game in it, like venison, figs or dates, served fresh or dry, 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 as sort of something sweet as a dessert on sourdough bread or 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, after 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? Okay, 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 one Samuel. And then Solomon said his lavish diet from royal provisions ate olive oil, oil, grains, wine and meats. There, that's in First Kings 4, 22, 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. Now, 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, 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 model nutrition. Now, again, when I think of eating these bugs, it reminds me of the Lion King, probably Simone and Pumbaa and Simba eating those foods. But again, overall, people eat crickets, people have eaten locusts, and they are high in protein and they are fine to eat. I'm not saying they're delicious, delicious, but that's what John the Baptist ate. 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 of parasites. Shellfish, According to Leviticus 11, have fins and scales. They're bottom feeders or scavengers, meaning they're more likely to carry toxins. And we also see this for other from certain types of insects, crawling animals, some mammals, including camels, rabbits, hyenas. These animals are not kosher. They're not healthy because of the way that their own bodies work and they store toxins that's the main reason. If you want to know why I don't eat pig, 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, of 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 carrier of parasites. And so is shellfish. I eat them because of First Corinthians. Whether I eat, drink or whatever I do, I do it all to the glory of God. That's why I have chosen, chosen to avoid pork and shellfish. It's not out of the law. It's out of, 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 or 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 not, it's really hardly different at all. Okay, so it's still not a good animal animal because it's a scavenger and 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. Okay, 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 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, Jesus 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 days. 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. Okay, so early Christians and Jews as well. They would oftentimes pick one day a week, either Wednesday or Friday, and fast during those days. And oftentimes people ask about intermittent fasting. Listen, with most of the patients I care for right now 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 in 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 1014 fast where you maybe eat breakfast around 8 and then eat again around 10 or 1, you 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 eat twice a day or you really restrict that eating window too much, I don't like that for I think it's hard on pod the body. And the only time I think the Bible tells people not to fast, I think if it was known during that time, rabbis would say, listen, if you are really feeble and elderly, or if you're pregnant or have a certain thing going on, you shouldn't fast at this time.
- [59:53]
Jordan Rubin
Okay?
- [59:53]
Dr. Josh Axe
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 clinical cleanup, for improving insulin sensitivity and brain function, for longevity in 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, let's say overweight or diabetic needs to lose weight. And men especially do much, much better with fasting. So I do think fasting in order to honor God is great. I do think considering doing a 1014 fast or doing just a one day a week fast and still eating that, 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 chalice, and I were praying for a physical breakthrough or spiritual breakthrough or even a business breakthrough. I've spent time fasting. I know Jordan Rubin 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. Sacred. This reminds us, what if your plate is your altar today? Think about that. What 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 gives 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. I'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 power, our powerful relationship, if you think about that, the first sin was tempted by the tree and taking a bite of that fruit. The 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. Okay, 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. So I think just thinking about sort of, you know, 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, you know, we also see in the Bible food being such a connector. You know, think about this Jesus after his resurrection. This is in Luke 24, it said the resurrected Jesus ate broiled fish with his disciples. You know, you can imagine just sitting there on logs around a fire, you know, just talking this deep human thing happening after his resurrection and sharing a meal together. So 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 of olive oil, figs, herbs, fermented foods, raw local honey, eating locally in season, 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 area of the world, maybe your equivalent of a pomegranate is an acai berry or maybe it's an apple. But eat real food in those categories to bring health and healing to your body. Number two. 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. Person. Consider learning more about biblical medicine, about things like essential oils and how to use honey for healing and the benefits of fasting. Again, 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, 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 practices, there's all kinds of things I didn't even get into, some of which we touch on in the book. But 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.
- [66:16]
Jordan Rubin
Okay.
- [66:16]
Dr. Josh Axe
In that way. All right, I want to say thanks so much for tuning in here to the Dr. Josh Axe 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. This is how we brought on 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. Thanks for doing that and I'll see you on the next episode.
- [67:19]
David Carson
What if the key to getting smarter is actually thinking dumber? Hi, I'm David Carson, the host of dumbify, a weekly podcast that gives you permission to say the dumb thing out loud that tells the stories of people who had dumb ideas that changed the world. It's about a mind shift, a new way to look at all of those dumb ideas floating around in your your head and saying, maybe they're not so dumb after all. Get smarter by thinking dumber Only on dumifying.