The new buzz in the diet world is the religious diet. It is not a new concept, but for those who believe in the tenets of the Bible, it is as old as time itself. Of course, many who have grown up with a Catholic background or in a neighborhood with a lot of Catholic families will remember the mandate to eat fish on Fridays. While the day of the week is not so important, the idea of fish is indeed part and parcel of this religious diet.

The groundwork of the religious diet is surprisingly simple:
•Follow the dietary laws set forth in the Old Testament. For example, the Bible states that the Israelites were to eat fish. Yet it got a lot more specific than that by stipulating that they should only eat fish that had fins and scales, but that they had to avoid any sea creature that did not have them. This will allow you to eat a lot of different kinds of fish, but it will require you to stay away from catfish, eels, and shellfish.
•Another part of the Old Testament dietary laws were the stipulations of clean and unclean land animals. Animals with a split hoof that chew the cud are permitted. This includes the meat of sheep, cows, goats, deer, and buffalo. Pigs, however, are off the list of permissible meats.
•Pre-packaged foods, junk food, and fast food are off limits.

The religious diet, it is commercially referred to as the "Maker's Diet," is actually the brainchild of Jordan Rubin. Relying heavily on the tenets set forth in the Bible, he crafted a concise meal plan that seeks to mimic the foods eaten in Biblical times while using everyday foods and supplies available. As you may have expected, he offers a variety of supplements and other items for sale on his website, and so yes, his effort is commercial in nature.

The goal of this religious diet is to balance insulin which has been an area of much concern in a society where food choices usually revolve around processed sugars and carbohydrate laden meals. Additionally, the diet claims to reduce the risk of infection, since there is less of a quantity of food related toxins found in your system if you follow this diet. This in turn will serve to reduce many kinds of inflammation, aches and pains, as well as disease risk factors. Recommended supplements include antioxidant rich teas and berry products, enzymes, and also vitamins that are used to supplement the every day benefits of the diet.

As with any diet, before you decide to go ahead and give it a try please be sure to contact your physician and to discuss the various aspects of this diet with her or him. Changing your nutritional intake may be a great idea, but sudden changes may have detrimental results, and even a God-centered diet should be approached with the same caution as any other sudden change in your dietary intake. As a matter of fact, be sure to talk to your doctor about changes in your diet if you are currently undergoing treatment for diabetes, are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, or have any other health issues that may be influenced by your decision to suddenly introduce new kinds of foods to your system.