What is The Biblical Diet?
Today, you can tell someone that many of their diseases can be prevented, and even reversed through diet change, and they just won’t listen or believe you. Even when there are numerous studies, articles, facts, and documentaries proving that this is true, they don’t believe that their disease can be eradicated, because of two main reasons.
- They love to indulge in their flesh. They plainly do not want to let go of the meats, enriched foods, and sweets that pleases their pallet, and they do not realize they have become addicted to food. Besides the addiction to food, they have also been hooked on drugs such as alcohol, nicotine, over-the-counter and prescription medications, and street or recreational drugs. They would rather live with a disease and take daily medication, than to change their diet and practice prayer and fasting.
- They are simply indoctrinated. They believe everything that mainstream media says, along with every word that comes out of their doctor’s mouth. Sadly, many doctors don’t even know all the facts themselves, but are simply following protocols. Instead of using herbs to heal the body (as the Bible tells us), they prescribe drugs that masks the problem, only to create another issue somewhere else in the body. Unfortunately, some of these doctors believe they are helping, but the reality is, the medical industry is built to keep us sick. To say it plainly, the medical industry is just a legal way to sell drugs and keep our physical and spiritual energy low.
We can minimize our doctor visits simply by changing our diets, staying active, and devoting ourselves to YAHUAH. YAHUAH already knew man’s disposition to obtain various diseases by eating an excess of unclean meats, enriched foods, refined sugars, and artificial ingredients and dyes. Our bodies have been weakened with illnesses, drugs, and bad food. The apostle says, “For one believes that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eats herbs” (Romans 14:2). Paul is telling us that when we are feeling healthy, we think that we can put anything in our mouths. But when we are sick, we need herbs to heal us. From the very beginning, YAHUAH had planned for us to eat primarily fruits and vegetables and herbs for physical strength. He tells us,
Genesis 1:29: Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is fruit of the tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food.
The majority of people neglect the healing attributes of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. YAHUAH gave us these foods to heal us when we are sick, and keep our immune systems strong enough to combat disease.
Meat was not introduced as food for YAHUAH’S children until after the flood when all vegetation was ruined. It wasn’t but a short time until Noah and his sons were able to plant gardens and vineyards once again. Animal flesh was never meant to be the main source of sustenance. As time went on, man indulged more and more in meat and animal products. The body became weaker and we started to rely on meat to give us our strength.
By the time the Hebrews were in captivity most of the world over indulged in the eating of meat. They ate any and almost all types of animal flesh. When the Hebrews were brought out of Egypt, they were brought into the wilderness to fast from both their unclean diets, and from the pagan traditions they learned from the Egyptians. As we know from the story, YAHUAH’S people had a really hard time letting go of both pagan deities and excess meat. YAHUAH tested His people multiple times to see who would put their trust in Him or who would rather desire to return back to Egypt and its comfortable lifestyle.
Many unbelievers complained and cried out to Moses, saying, “Would to Aluahim we had died by the hand of YAHUAH in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots…” (Exodus 16:3). YAHUAH showed them His mighty power yet again by giving them quail to eat for one whole month. Many of them over indulged and ate an excess amount of quail meat, and often didn’t even wait for the meat to be fully cooked (blood cooked out). This in turn gave them many diseases and ailments which led to thousands of them dying. “And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of Aluahim was kindled against the people, and YAHUAH smote the people with a very great plague. And he called the name of that place kibrothhattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted” (Numbers 11:33). If the Hebrews would have practiced temperance, then they would have not gotten deathly sick with disease from the overconsumption of meat, blood, and fat.
YAHUAH knew that once they left the wilderness, along with the simple diet of manna, that they would continue to desire animal products. This is one of the reasons why He gave them a list with detailed instructions of which animals are clean to eat, and which animals are unclean and will more likely cause health issues. I want to first point out, that this list was given to Noah (when YAHUAH declared animal flesh worthy for men to consume) and was passed down by word of mouth from generation to generation. It wasn’t transcribed and preserved until Moses wrote it down for the twelve tribes of Yasharal. This list is found in Leviticus chapter 11, and Deuteronomy chapter 14. Examples of unclean animals that people today commonly ingest include: pigs, crab, lobster, shrimp, oysters, clams, abalone, catfish, eel, squid, octopus, frogs, bears, and rabbits.
These days, it is very important to read the ingredient labels on everything, because many processed and packaged foods will seem to be clean, but then have hidden unclean ingredients. For example, many chicken sausages are encased with pork lining, and most packaged foods contain natural flavors and natural colors that are derived from unclean animals and insects. For instance: Carmine; a dye used in foods, fabric, body paint, and almost all cosmetics, is derived from cochineals (an unclean insect). Some of these ingredients are a way to hide what they are actually putting in the foods, because most sauces, foods, fabrics, cleaners, cosmetics, etc. can easily be made without all these harmful products. Take note on the topic of cosmetics, that Aluahim’s people are to be modest in both apparel and presentation. This means make-up or the painting of the face is considered vain and indecent, and is an ancient pagan practice.
Most professed followers of Mashiach are under the false belief that Yahushua abolished the list of clean and unclean foods, by using one very specific verse out of context. Let’s read that verse from both the New International Version Bible and the King James Version Bible (the two most commonly used Bibles).
Mark 7:19 (NIV): For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body. (In saying this, Yahushua declared all foods clean).
Mark 7:19 (KJV): Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
The first thing I must point out, is that the parenthesis in this verse is added commentary. By reading this verse alone, you will be misled into transgressing Aluahim’s Law (Torah), and defiling your body.
To get some perspective about what Yahushua was actually saying, we can read this entire story from the gospel of Matthew 15:1-20. The Pharisees start off by asking Yahushua, “Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread” (Matthew 15:2).
Then, Yahushua tells them that they transgress the ten commandments by putting their traditions higher than Aluahim’s Law. He uses the example of the fifth commandment – to honor your father and your mother. This is when He says, “Thus have you made the commandment of Aluahim of none effect by your tradition” (Matthew 15:6). Yahushua calls the Pharisees hypocrites, then quotes from the book of Isaiah. And then goes on to say:
Matthew 15:11: Not that which goes into the mouth defiles a man; but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.
After these sayings, Peter says, “Declare unto us this parable” (Matthew 15:15). This is when Yahushua goes on to plainly tells His disciples the meaning of what He meant. Yahushua says,
Matthew 15:17-20: Do not you yet understand, that whatsoever enters in at the mouth goes into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashed hands defiles not a man.
See, the context of this story is about eating food without washing the hands first. The Pharisees made a tradition that one must wash their hands thoroughly before touching food, because they believed the unclean hands would make the food unclean.
Yahushua corrected them, by telling them that this is certainly not the case. The unclean hands touching the food that goes into the mouth, does not defile the man (or make him unclean), but the wicked words that come out of the mouth do defile a man. The Yahudim, including the Pharisees, priests, scribes, and along with Yahushua and his disciples, never ate any unclean animal. When Yahushua said, “whatsoever enters at the mouth”, he was not saying that we can now eat anything we desire. He is simply telling the Pharisees that all the food they eat enters into the mouth. This food would have never been an unclean animal.
When Yahushua walked the earth, he kept a very specific diet. He fasted often, ate lots of seasonal vegetables and fruits, fish, and it is recorded of him consuming meat (lamb) at least once a year during Passover. He probably ate minimal meat throughout his life, simply because he was poor all his life, and it was and still is not cheap to buy a lamb or a chicken and especially an ox (or cow). Either way, he would have never consumed unclean meat, animal fat, nor blood.
Eating meat does not go against our Creator’s Law (Torah).
Although, eating what He has deemed unclean does go directly against His Law and will. We must come to learn that in these last days the meat, poultry, dairy, and fish sold in stores is not as clean or healthy for our bodies as it used to be. Most meat products today have been injected with abominable ingredients that slowly degenerate our bodies. Most people eat meat for every meal and neglect adding the true healing foods of fruits, vegetables, and herbs to their daily meals. When consuming animal products, it is best (if one can afford it) to eat organic, free-range, grass fed, and or free of antibiotics and other harmful added ingredients such a carrageenan, seed oils, natural flavors, and sugar. Organic and free range is the most natural way to consume meat, but it has become a rarity these days.
Most fish sold in stores today are grown in farms, lack much of the intended nutrients, and have added color. Farm raised fish include; tilapia, trout, catfish, bass, salmon, and many more. These fish are given antibiotics, hormones, and dyes, which are unhealthy for human consumption. If and when we choose to eat fish, it is highly recommended to eat wild caught fish. This will ensure that we get natural nutrients (such as omegas and B-12) from the fish, opposed to added artificial nutrients.
YAHUAH’S people have known all along that “it is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine” (Romans 14:21). Paul is simply telling us to practice temperance with our diet. Modern-day science has proven that animal flesh is not the only source for adequate protein, but that vegetable protein can be just as sufficient. There are many professional athletes and bodybuilders in the world today that are on a whole-foods plant-based diet. I want to be clear that I am not promoting a vegan diet, for that is not biblical. And much of the plant-based meats are not any healthier for us, because they are filled with processed ingredients, natural flavors, and other harmful chemicals. I am simply pointing out the importance of maintaining a balanced diet by not over-consuming meat products, and by adding more vegetables and fruits to your daily diet.
The China Study proved that the healthiest and longest living people in the world, consumed less animal products. Mind you, the meat sold in countries like Japan have way less chemicals, hormones, and preservatives added to their animal products. The World Health Organization reported that the consumption of red meat and processed meats is carcinogenic. Studies have shown that meat consumption is associated with higher risk of various cancers, heart disease, osteoarthritis, digestive and circulatory diseases, diabetes, dementia, Alzheimer’s, cognitive impairment, and other neurodegenerative disorders.
The top four causes of death are heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and properly prescribed pharmaceuticals. Three out of four of theses deaths can be prevented by not eating animal fat alone, in which we were commanded not to consume. It has been proven that animal fat (essentially refined fat) clogs arteries, clogs insulin receptors, and is a breeding ground for free radicals. Despite all the scientific achievement and verifiable proof, people still eat their fatty, juicy, bloody, burgers, yet are dumbfounded to why they have heart attacks. It is well-proven that the over indulgence of animal flesh with the fat and blood weakens our physical body, while striking our mental faculties with memory loss, laziness, and fatigue. Although I must add, that if you were to exercise daily (aerobic and anaerobic) then the daily consumption of red meat would not be as harmful but rather give you the necessary vitamins (i.e. B-12, iron, and zinc) that you body needs.
Both science and the Bible tells us that the over consumption of meat products (diary, cheese, etc.), fat, and blood is harmful to the body. This is why we are warned,
Proverbs 23:20-21: Do not mix with winebibbers, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
Because a carnivorous diet has become so mainstream, people do not even know what too much meat is. Let me give some perspective. For most ancient Hebrews, meat was eaten only a few times a year when animals were slaughtered for the major festivals, or at tribal meetings, celebrations such as weddings, and for the visits of important guests. Only at the king’s table was meat served regularly, and the meat consumed was typically lamb, venison, poultry, and fish. YAHUAH specifically told them not to eat the blood nor the fat, and therefore beef (oxen), being a fatty animal and along with being expensive, was rarely consumed.
If we were to follow the diet YAHUAH intended for us, we would have less diseases today. There would be far less cases of heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and almost no such thing as diabetes or Alzheimer’s. We would then, not need to rely on pharmaceutical drugs to keep us alive. Take note, that the word pharmacy comes from the Greek word pharmakeia. This is Strong’s Concordance number 5331, pharmakeia: magic, sorcery, enchantment.
Between the unclean diets, genetically modified foods, non-organic foods, the poisoning of our air and water, and the intake of pharmaceuticals, we are being dumbed down and sickened, all while trimming years off our lives. When we are under the spell of these drugs our frontal lobe is impaired, and therefore we are open to accepting unsound theories and tainted views on YAHUAH’S true religion. Yes, what we put in our mouths does matter and can affect our relationship with YAHUAH, the Most High.
YAHUAH intended for us to be healthy and happy, this is one of the reasons why He gave the land of Canaan to His people. It was “a land flowing with milk and honey”, with plenty of precipitation, and optimal temperatures for growing a plethora of foods. The ancient Hebrews needed not to consume any animal products, for there was an abundance of delicious and healthy fruits and vegetables in the land. This area of the world, the Mediterranean, is one of the best climates for gardening.
The Mediterranean diet is often promoted by many health experts as one of the healthiest diets to follow. It includes: meat (typically only poultry and fish), vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans, and healthy fats; such as olive oil, avocado oil, and grapeseed oil, which are all rich in omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Not to mention, non-organic and genetically modified foods have only become “the norm” within the last century. This indeed damages both the nutrients in the foods along with our already weakened body. We should try to eat all organic non-GMO foods, and if it’s possible we should be growing our own food.
The Mediterranean diet does include dairy and meat, but way less consumption than the typical American diet. It is recommended to replace vegetable and canola oil with coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil, and grape seed oil. The Mediterranean diet avoids consuming the following foods:
- refined grains, such as white pasta, white bread, white rice
- refined oils, such as canola and soybean oil
- refined and added sugars, such as pastries, sodas, candy, etc.
- processed and packaged foods
A typical Hebrew dinner table had an array of organically grown vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices, beans, legumes, and nuts, along with whole grain breads. These breads were often made with very few and simple ingredients. Popular Mediterranean grains include: barley, rye, emmer, spelt, kamut, freekeh, bulgur, quinoa, corn, rice, and more. Meat was not usually the main dish, nor always at the dinner table. This specific diet kept YAHUAH’S people healthier and stronger than their enemies. Also, it kept their body clean and without disease, and their mind sharp and able to make wise decisions.
There’s much more to it than just not eating unclean meats or not over indulging in meat, but also not eating food offered to pagan deities. When Babylon overtook Yarushalam, and held the Hebrews captive, Nebuchadnezzar took many of the young children of Yasharal whom were “skillful in all wisdom, cunning in knowledge, and understanding science” to learn both the language and the literature of the Chaldeans. These young men were training to become chief advisors to the king, and were assigned daily portions of the king’s food, nourishing them the three years they were educated in the arts.
Daniel, being a man of Aluahim, chose not to defile himself with such an unclean diet. He wagered with Melzar, the man who was set over him and his friends, to take away the meat and wine, and replace it with vegetables, legumes, and water (refer to Daniel 1:10-16). The reason why Daniel did not eat the meat at the king’s table was because the meat was both unclean (i.e. pork, etc.) and was usually sacrificed to pagan deities before consumption. The wine too was offered to pagan deities. Daniel drank water to ensure that his cognitive learning was not impaired, and that he could always make wise decisions.
Speaking about eating food that was sacrificed or offered to pagan deities, Paul writes,
1 Corinthians 10:20: But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to Aluahim: and I would not that you should have fellowship with devils.
Today, we can go into a restaurant and see a statue of some deity (i.e. Buddha, Vishnu, Jesus, etc.). This does not always mean that the food prepared for us was offered up to that deity, but we also do not know if it was. Some restaurants offer prayers and chanting before and or during the preparations. There may be times that we do go out to a restaurant or we are invited to feast with an unbeliever. Thankfully, our brother Paul gives us some advice on this topic. He writes,
1 Corinthians 10:27-28: If any of them that believe not bid you to feast, and you be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscious sake. But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that showed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is YAHUAH’S, and the fulness thereof.
I want to clarify when Paul tells us, to eat whatsoever is set before us. This means we eat it without asking if it was offered to pagan deities or not, “for conscious sake”. This does not mean we throw out YAHUAH’S dietary guidelines on clean and unclean meats.
The health message as it is referred to, is super essential in maintaining personal vigor, along with learning to become closer to YAHUAH. When we eat or inject unclean animals or ingredients into our body, we are contaminating YAHUAH’S temple while opening ourselves up to various diseases. We are no longer welcoming the Ruach HaQodash (Holy Spirit) to dwell in us, and therefore can lack wisdom, discernment, and Truth. We then become an easier target for Satan and his angels.
From the beginning, Satan has used food as means to entice the human race into disobeying YAHUAH. It is no different today, as people lack self-control towards their diet. A self-gratifying life leads towards selfishness, while furthering ourselves from the selfless love of YAHUAH. People want to believe that they can indulge the flesh in whatever foods, while still maintaining a spiritual connection with their Creator. This is far from the Truth. The Bible tells us not to defile our temple (body) by touching or eating any unclean thing. It also warns us of gluttony, and to practice temperance in all things. This also means that we should regularly practice some form of fasting (i.e. dry fasts, water fasts, and intermittent fasting).
By obeying YAHUAH’S dietary guidelines; avoiding unclean meats and not being gluttonous, we are showing Aluahim that we put Him before ourselves. We are demonstrating that we are responsible enough to handle with care all things He entrusts us with.
We must remember, the spiritual battle grounds begins first within our minds. Therefore, it is important to feed ourselves with nourishing foods that will bring about vitality of both body and mind. Not every one of Aluahim’s people can afford to eat organic, and at times are left with minimal food options. This is understandable, for we must remember that YAHUAH is the life giver. He will heal our infirmities as long as we keep His Law; ten commandments (Exodus 20), appointed times (Leviticus 23), and His ordinances (pertaining to sex, modesty, cleanliness, and food). We must strive to keep His dietary guidelines and abstain from any and all substances that both invite other spirits in our body and affect our decision-making, such as:
- alcohol (spirits)
- tobacco (nicotine)
- marijuana (T.H.C. is the drug, but CBD has healing benefits)
- prescription drugs (opioids, methamphetamines, etc.)
- over-the-counter drugs (dextromethorphan, pseudoephedrine, dimenhydrinate, etc.)
- street drugs (methamphetamines, heroin, cocaine, opioids, fentanyl, MDMA, etc.)
I must point out that the natural form or herbal medications were given to us by our Creator for healing the body and mind. But unfortunately, it is either illegal or extremely hard to obtain the natural and non-genetically modified versions of these herbs, such as: organic marijuana with low THC and high CBD (for oil and tea use), organic natural coca leaf (for oil and tea use), and organic opium seeds (for oil and tea use). Smoking any herb is unhealthy and is not the intended use of herbs that YAHUAH desired for us.
The world we live in is fast pace, and it is easy to get caught up in what we are doing and forget to take time to pray over our food before we eat it. Some people are constantly putting food in their mouths all day, and forgetting to give thanks to the Provider. The most neglected practice today, is to give thanks to our Creator before eating or even drinking anything. The apostle reminds us,
1 Corinthians 10:31: Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of YAHUAH.