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the maker's diet i don't know if it's the maker's diet, but it has sure helped me. butter, butter, plenty of butter! but from GRASS-FED COWS. not grain-fed. grain-fed cows are for losers! that's what rubin thinks, though he doesn't say so explicitly. i never thought i would be worried about what they feed the cows i eat! but here i am, worried abuot grass-fed vs. grain fed cows! rubin had an illness caused by yeast, a yeast infection in his colon (some would say crohn's disease is caused by a yeast) and found that consuming HSO's -- a hardy probiotic formula discoverd by this guy DAUBNER -- cured him of the disease. his story is so dramatic and so compelling, and fits in the front of all of his three books -- though 'patient heal thyself, his first book, is no longer endorsed by his company because of FDA warnings. (I hate the FDA). Rubin is really ALL about PROBIOTICS -- the trillions of 'beneficial bacteria -- living in your colon and lower small intestine. rubin places a LOT of emphasis on 'fermented foods', namely RAW sauerkraut, and raw yogurt and raw kefir (a name i hadn't even heard of before i read and followed the diet of this book, for 40 DAYS). 40 DAYS OF MY LIFE -- AAAHHHHH! I suffer from many health problems -- namely in order of descending importance DEPRESSION, JOINT PAIN, and GI SYMPTOMS. I fasted in the summer, a water fast for about 7 days, though it quickly got extended to 30 because i had such a hard time going back on food that i didn't have a meal the whole month of july! the point is that the first meal i ever made from the maker's diet, i made in a weakened state and not very well at all, but it was such a good meal! it was like 'coming home'. i don't think my mom was that good of a cook. 'coming home' is the sensation i would use to describe how i feel eating many of these meals. i have cooked these meals for my parents, for my cousin and her daughter and i have become quite the popular cook. without exception they love my meals. rubin must have prayed a lot to god (i'm not very religious by the way, though i am trying to be) to make these meals delicious and nutritious. they are. i find rubin's story of chronic sickness to health to be very compelling and i find myself reading it often for moral support in my own 30 year struggle with depression -- it has brought me to tears just reading his story! i only hope that one day i get the same victory -- unmitigated as his was! i think rub's has some incredible chapters, that i have heard touted on other websites -- i'm thinking of the weston price foundation website in particular. in particular, chapter 3, the brain and the gut, or rather, the gut as second brain. what a great idea! since reading about the independence of the gut as a neurological organ i have become convinced that my depression is intricately linked with my digestion. rubin presents and is trying to present evidence that the health of the intestinal system is intricately linked with overall health. in chapter 4 he atlks about the double edged sword of hygeine, where he -- i think brilliantly -- describes the importance of DIRT! DIRT of all things! because it contains micro-organisms that protect us from infection by stimulating the immune system and provide an overall health-restoring effect to every tissue and organ system of the body -- these are rubin's highly touted 'homeostatic soil organisms' that he says saved his life ( and i say somewhat cynically, loaded his pockets with cash!). homeostasis meaning they restore balance to every body system. get dirty! rubin says, and i believe we could all benefit from his advice. my experience with his hso product is that it practically eliminated my depression -- while i was following the diet at the same time. one catch: his company, garden of life recently changed the formula and they no longer guarantee it is gluten free. i tried it and i got sick for a week! one week in bed! that was NOT FUN! so i'm looking out for another soil based probiotic supplement. why would a company go from a hypo-allergenic supplement to a hyper-allergenic supplement? rubin's recipes are truly a god-send -- 'red snapper mexican style', 'tuna steaks, oriental style', 'tuna tahini salad', 'all-day beef stew', 'korean beef', 'crispy pecans', 'coconut almond fudge' are just a few of the recipes i have had success with. almost all of these are from a cookbook called nourishing traditions by sally fallon (though many in the book are from stephen byrnes whole food cookbook; and a guy named 'keith tindall from white egret farm). check out the nourishing traditions reviews on this site. there are over a hundred and mostly all are totally enchanted with the book. the recipes are enchanting as well. i just made some 'carrots vichy' the other day, awesome! i forgot to mention the 'coconut milk soup'. my mom calls it a real elixir. rubins company, garden of life, is not like any other company out there in the business. they are whole-food supplements not isolated vitamins or minerals, and they have an odor! they are actual food! they are not tablets or capsules but caplets. they are truly unique (though expensive!). his digestive enzyme supplement, for one, changed my life earlier this year. and the older version of primal defense took away my depression, though not the joint pain, and i would stick with it if it wasn't for the change in formula. i was very furious that they changed the fomrula and spoke several times with the customer service but they were unable to explain why they made the change. their customer service is very poor, even if they get back to you promptly. this diet can be summed up with a list that is on the weston price foundation web site under 'basic nutrition'. there you will find a perfect summary of the maker's diet. namely: Eat whole, natural foods. Eat only foods that will spoil, but eat them before they do. Eat naturally-raised meat including fish, seafood, poultry, beef, lamb, game, organ meats and eggs. Eat whole, naturally-produced milk products from pasture-fed cows, preferably raw and/or fermented, such as whole yogurt, cultured butter, whole cheeses and fresh and sour cream. Use only traditional fats and oils including butter and other animal fats, extra virgin olive oil, expeller expressed sesame and flax oil and the tropical oils-coconut and palm. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably organic, in salads and soups, or lightly steamed. Use whole grains and nuts that have been prepared by soaking, sprouting or sour leavening to neutralize phytic acid and other anti-nutrients. Include enzyme-enhanced lacto-fermented vegetables, fruits, beverages and condiments in your diet on a regular basis. Prepare homemade meat stocks from the bones of chicken, beef, lamb or fish and use liberally in soups and sauces. Use herb teas and coffee substitutes in moderation. Use filtered water for cooking and drinking. Use unrefined Celtic seasalt and a variety of herbs and spices for food interest and appetite stimulation. Make your own salad dressing using raw vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and expeller expressed flax oil. Use natural sweeteners in moderation, such as raw honey, maple syrup, dehydrated cane sugar juice and stevia powder. Use only unpasteurized wine or beer in strict moderation with meals. Cook only in stainless steel, cast iron, glass or good quality enamel. Use only natural supplements. Get plenty of sleep, exercise and natural light. Think positive thoughts and minimize stress. Practice forgiveness. it's me again, and rubin's nutritional hero is weston price. rubin preaches not to be afraid of saturated fats! that's a good thing. i don't think cholesterol has ANYTHING to do with heart disease, and the fact that doctor's (who according to rubin and many others are the third leading cause of death in north america) say otherwise is no deterrent to me. by the way, rubin DOES address this ACTS controversy by saying that some will say that following the guidelines on clean and unclean foods is OUTDATED LEGALISM (page 35 of his book), but he argues it isn't because plenty of people willingly follow some of the laws of the OT, like, oh, i don't know, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS! so , you see, he does address this problem. Jordan Rubin believes that digestive health is at the center of great physical health, and i am heavily inclined to believe him.