91 of 93 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I found this to be a very effective an balanced book/diet, August 4, 2006
This review is from: The Maker's Diet (Mass Market Paperback)
First off, I have suffered with GERD (reflux disease) since I got a stomach ulcer 10 years ago. And I have been using Losec/Nexium steady for years. If I forgot to take it, I got terrible heartburns and such ... I just started the Makers Diet almost two weeks ago, and I stopped using Nexium after the first day, and after the first week I haven't even taken any antacids, like Tums or Garden of Life's Acid Defense. It's a miracle!
I also feel the need to comment on a couple of statements from former reviews.
One statement I find to be just not true:
"First off it is very centered on a protein, animal based diet. I thought there would be more influence on fruit, seeds and grains."
He focuses a lot on what we need from _both_ animal _and_ vegetarian sources. We need fibers, fats (fatty acids), enzymes, vitamins and proteins from both animal and vegetarian sources. This is pretty clear in his book.
Another statement: "It is a very rigid program for a lifetime."
I feel this also is misplaced. The Diet is built up of three two week stages, and the first two weeks is pretty rigid (getting us off our addictions to sugar, caffeine and such) and is designed to fix insulin, infection and inflammation problems. The two next weeks we can eat more stuff, and the last two weeks and the rest of our lives, he simply points out stuff that is not good for us. If we complete the diet to this stage, we will have a stronger immune system that can much better handle it when we don't find just healthy food, or if we have a good time eating cake and candy and stuff.
Another comment: "Cheating, forget it! He suggests if you absolutely must eat things that are off the list, do it within an hours time to avoid any ill effects."
What he says, is a comment to you fulfilling the stages of the diet, especially the first stage. If you really need to break the diet, it's better to eat the "wrong food" in a concetrated period to minimize the damage to the system.
And at last: "As far as items off the list, we aren't just talking cheetos and soda. We are talking cow's milk cheese (goats cheese and milk is a must), and whole grain bread. Sprouted bread is okay in limited portions. Forget about eating out at restaraunts."
I don't this you really get the essence of what Ruben is communicating. He says that we of course will not always find the optimal food and stuff. But if you take the 40 day diet, our overall health will definitively improve. For the rest of your life you should try to avoid the unhealthy stuff, like mentioned in the bible (pork, shellfish, sugar, commercial milk products with antibiotics, hormones and stuff). And we should try to get most products organic/natural, without the poison and rich in nutrients.
Does that mean we can never eat anything else? Of course not. But still it _is_ good to try to avoid the bad stuff ...
As for those accusing Ruben of just trying to make money on the Bible. Please read the book first! He's not saying you need all the Garden of Life products for the rest of your life. He says we need dietary supplements, and those should better be whole food nutrients, not just the chemical stuff (which is not good for us). And for a while, to build up our immune system, HSO's would be very beneficial/helpful.
The book is also pretty clear that both prayer and excersise is an important factor to get well. An important decision you might have to take, is: Do I eat just for pleasure, or do I eat to feed my body the right fuel? To fuel it right will cost you both money and effort, but I think it's going to be worth it.
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57 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
My biased review, July 26, 2005
This review is from: The Maker's Diet (Mass Market Paperback)
Well, to start I have not only read the book, but followed the diet. I think as far as health and nutrition are concerned the book makes scense. I have lost aproximately 15-20 lbs following the regiment outlined and feel great. I'm still a bit lacked when it comes to doing excersise, but no one's perfect. That being said, this is the type of diet that one could easily follow for life. The first inital stps are difficult, but in the end it's fairly easy.
From a literary standpoint I would have liked to see a little more scientific refrence in the book, though it was decent. I also agree with the comments of another reviewer who wrote that some more biblical refrence would have been nice when talking about where the mention of specific herbs and foods are in the Bible. I also got a bit tired of the Ruben's personal sory. It was a bit over the top at times.
His chapter on 25 ways to get yourself sick was great and made me laugh while being fearful at the same time. I also like the sections on various foods and why they are either good or bad for you. He structured the book nicely and the recipes at the end were a nice throw in.
I must admit that I am Catholic, hence my opinion being somewhat biased, and enjoyed the biblical refrences. It has made me more aware of biblical foods and I have since purchased a book title 1000 Jewish recipes. In a strange way this book has brought me closer to my faith and I am reading the bible again for the first time in many many years.
I did read some other reviews that seemed pretty negative towards this book. I am aware of the claims against Ruben Jordan, though I think some of them are a bit over the top. I looked at the web site for the school he received his NMD from and I really don't have issue with it. Just because it isn't accredited here in the U.S. means little to me. I don't like the fact that he sells supplements in addition to this book and others. That did kind of cheapen everything for me. However, if your going to put all of your trust in the AMA and FDA I think you need to re-examine where your head is at. Again, on the surface Ruben's credential may seem suspect, but just because a person doesn't spend all their time in a classroom or lab doesn't mean that they cannot be knowledgable. There is some great information and ideas in this book, many of which I would like to see studied more. Heck, it ought to be worth a grant for someone.
Anyway, I enjoyed this book and hope you do to. Whether your religious or not, the things Ruben writes make scense. Sure, some of it is "common scense," but maybe that's just what the world needs a little bit more of.
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117 of 132 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Although it was an interesting book, not a diet I can stick with, August 16, 2005
This review is from: The Maker's Diet (Mass Market Paperback)
Jordan Rubin's story of recovery is absolutely amazing. Dying at the age of mere 21, at 6'2 and 111 pounds,wheelchair bound and hopeless, his transformation and recovery is a miracle to read about. Having been failed by modern medicine this young man turned to a diet based on principles he found in the bible. In this diet he found healing. I am sure with this healthy lifestyle there are many that can find health and recovery. Because I believe there are probably people that can benefit from this book, I gave it four stars. But for me, it just didn't do it.
First off it is very centered on a protien, animal based diet. I thought there would be more influence on fruit, seeds and grains. It is a very rigid program for a lifetime. Cheating, forget it! He suggests if you absolutely must eat things that are off the list, do it within an hours time to avoid any ill effects. As far as items off the list, we aren't just talking cheetos and soda. We are talking cow's milk cheese (goats cheese and milk is a must), and whole grain bread. Sprouted bread is okay in limited portions. Forget about eating out at restaraunts. Veggies are to be organic, and meats are to be grass fed. Plus for the rest of your life you will need to take the Garden of life supplements, which do run a hefty price. I am sure if I was in a desperate place, trying to survive like Mr. Rubin I would do all it took to survive, and if it meant being on this limiting diet I would do it. But just to attempt to be healthier, it requires giving up too many of the things in life that make life fun, and I just can't do that forever.
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