Followers of Bible-based diet say scripture-guided eating transformed their health

As health fads come and go, some Christians are turning to ancient teachings and reading the Bible for dietary advice.

"The biblical diet is the beginning of all of the answers to all of the questions we've been asking for the last 50 years," Annette Reeder, a Virginia-based author and wellness coach known as "The Biblical Nutritionist," told Fox News Digital.

The biblical diet avoids processed foods and emphasizes whole, natural ingredients sourced as close as possible to their original form — overlapping in many ways with the Mediterranean diet. 

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Hydration and fasting are other key elements to the plan.

Reeder's road to the biblical diet began after she and her husband faced health struggles and doctors began prescribing medication, she said.

When the doctor told Reeder and her husband they'd be on medication for the rest of their lives, Reeder said, "Enough is enough. I don't want to live this way."

Reeder said she wondered, "The Bible has so many answers. Maybe it has an answer to healthy eating as well."

She went back to college and received a degree in nutrition. She said she's adhered to the biblical diet for more than 24 years.

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Early signs of heart disease, high cholesterol, blood pressure issues and obesity normalized for her and her husband within 30 days of following the biblical diet, Reeder said.

"No matter who you research, [nutrition principles] are always going to come down to biblical foods," Reeder said.

Nutrition policy expert Marion Nestle told The New York Times recently that those following the biblical diet are "probably doing just fine" if they eat "a wide variety of relatively unprocessed foods."

As part of her family's biblical diet, Chelsie Ingersoll, a mother of four from Virginia, incorporates fresh eggs, wild-game meats and vegetables from the family's garden.

Ingersoll told Fox News Digital she's been on the biblical diet for 17 years. She said it helped her lose 45 pounds after giving birth and transformed her mindset about food, she said.

"I'm free from emotional eating," Ingersoll said. "And it's been really enjoyable to not be selfish with food."

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Linda Goldfarb, a speaker, author, podcaster and Christian life coach from Texas, has been practicing the biblical diet for three years.

"I eat what God calls good, I eat food as close as possible to the way He created it, and food is not an idol to me," Goldfarb said.

Goldfarb said she previously struggled with weight gain, achy joints and mental fogginess before adopting a new way of eating.

"I knew this was not the life God wanted me to live," she said.

After she adopted the biblical diet, her body experienced "very positive changes," Goldfarb said.

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As for Reeder, she said that she gets "to serve God's recipe for excellent health."

Proponents of the biblical diet say it increases their vitality and makes home life more harmonious and work more productive.

"Scripture says we should be walking and leaping and praising God, but instead we are limping and crying and complaining to God," Reeder said. "That's not how we were designed. We were designed to enjoy life."

Grocery-store marketing is akin to "billboards," Reeder said — and Goldfarb agreed.

"You have to stop trying to fit into everyone else's idea of what you should eat and instead take responsibility for what you put into your body," Goldfarb said.

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"That means not focusing on what is marketed as 'best' for you and intentionally bypassing the displays featuring processed convenience foods," she continued. "Instead, you choose fresh foods, frozen vegetables and foods that truly nourish your body."

Reeder said people concerned about affordability can seek out local co-ops, farmer's markets and less-processed foods as they gradually transition to healthier eating habits.

"Once you're looking for what's good, it's going to show up everywhere," Reeder said. 

"When you're looking for healing, for God to appear, for answers to show up — they'll be everywhere. It will not be hidden."

To get started on the biblical diet, Goldfarb recommended people take manageable steps at first.

"Instead of beginning the day with sugary cereal or processed foods, start with protein," Goldfarb said.

She added that gradual changes can help reduce cravings and improve satisfaction.