Diets

Message / Question

Dr Dave, I hope this doesn't come across rude but on your Facebook you said you had a special diet... vegan, gluten free, lactose free, uncooked, antibiotic free, non GMO, MSG free, no fat, low carb, organic, sugar free... Is this for religious reasons, and more importantly should Christians practise a special diet like Daniel diet or fasting? Have you heard of anorexia mirabilis and do you think Christianity encourages eating disorders?

Response

That was a bit of a “joke” article – the picture was a plate of ice cubes, indicating that this was the only “food” that would meet these requirements. On the other part of the question re fasting. Fasting is a religious practice followed by many world religions, certainly not just Christianity. There is also evidence that some fasting may be good for the human body. The Bible does talk about fasting and many Christians do fast for varying reasons. When someone fasts, they should do so cautiously and with some form of “oversight” who would be able to intervene if the person’s fast appeared to present some form of risk to the person fasting. It would be unlikely that anorexia would be caused by a person fasting, it usually has a root cause that stems from a mental health issue. Purging rather than fasting is usually associated with anorexia. Certainly anyone considering going on a fast, should seek wise counsel before commencing the fast.