The Hallelujah Diet - What do you guys think?

[Cranky]

It is a fellow who claims to have been vegan, and it criticising the diet, but the main diet he appears to be attacking is some odd-sounding biblical-based Hallelujah diet, although he attacks vegan diets in general also?

http://chetday.com/vegandietdangers.htm

[veganblue]

Interesting but it doesn't have referrences so is most likely the authors unsubstantiated opinion. He is entitled to his opinion as we all are but I would be cautious about following his advice. He sounds like a disillusioned vegan trying to justify his return to eating animals. The Hallelujah diet does not sound well balanced however - but that's just my opinion

[Cranky]

I agree with "your" opinion - and with the amount of well-documented, official information out there that says that a well-balanced vegan diet can be healthy, the site seems a little suss.
I am not at all interested in following his advice . Especially as he was so non-specific and there are so many more well-qualified individuals out there who still advocate a well-balanced vegan diet!
It is amazing what lengths people will go to to justify their current lifestyle, people will try to find reasons wherever they can to make themselves feel better - there are websites where people on the Fatkins diet whinge about the "moral" vegetarians, rather than people like themselves who "just do what feels right". In my opinion I think people really need to practice a little more critical self-examination before they complain about people who try to live with morals!
Sadly, people who are wavering about being vegan could find sites like this and it can feed their fears and doubts.

[feline01]

Wasn't too impressed with his "evidence" and the one letter that I saw he published by someone who allegedly has developed an illness from being vegan was diagnosed by an acupuncturist ,

"I decided to go to a traditional Chinese medical doctor (licensed acupuncturist) who diagnosed me as having a spleen deficiency that was probably caused by grief/stress in my life and too much raw food. She explained that she's not saying that raw food is a bad thing, just that I, personally, am not the type of person who can handle large quantities of it.".

This guy also quotes Weston-Price Foundation who are notoriously ant-veg*n and have been soy-bashing for years.

Alls I know is that I was extremley overweight when I conceived my twins, had a very healthy twin pregnancy despite every medical professional's opinion and am now raising 2 healthy, vegan babies, both in their 50%ile for weight . So much for all those harmful effects of the vegan diet in pregnancy, nursing moms, and babies.

[Sabster]

My favorite diet is The Makers Diet. *being incredibly sarcastic here*

The natural foods store near me was giving out an older title by the same author and blech anything that emphasizes butter, milk, meat, and other unpasteurized dairy and such So, yeh. Tossed the book across m apartment. Even though it was free I still walked it back to the health food store instead of tossing it in the trash where it actually belongs. How can people follow such cr*p Ah well.

[kriz]

Don't you just love when people say, "I tried vegan diet, but it's not for me. My body needs meat and the fat....I got really sick being a vegan." A woman told me today that she can't leave without fat and grease.( Her plates of bacon and scramble eggs stink so bad!) You should have seen her face when I told her that I love fat and grease too!!
I explained that vegan does not necessarily mean fat-free. I'm a sucker for creamy and oily food. Belive it or not, I still eat my beloved potato chips (the healthier ones, of course. he,he). I think she's still in shock. LOL.

Saying that vegan diet does not work is like saying that kosher doesn't work; There are a zillion ways to eat kosher. You eat what you want as long as it is kosher....As a vegan, the same thing...

[kriz]

By the way, the Hallelujah diet does not include B-12 by supplementation. It claims that one gets that naturally from dirt on vegetables. And it also exclude all salt...So, no iodine or B-12, two very important nutrients for vegans. Hm... I think this diet is very crappy.

[kriz]

Sorry, I guess they've added B-12 now...but still NO salt.

[Andie]

Interestingly, there is a place called Hallelujah Acres about 20 minutes from where I work. I think George Markus of the Hallelujah Diet founded the place. They teach free classes on Saturday mornings and run a restaurant and health food store. I've never been to the classes but they may be largely infomericals for what they sell. They also teach people to become "health ministers." I am personally uncomfortable with conservative Christians who come up with health plans based on the Bible. The Bible, for me, is no science text.

[kriz]

Andie-

You should visit. Maybe they'll make you see the "light"

[Andie]

Ha ha.
I might go one day just to see exactly what they are up to but somehow my Saturdays are always filled with more interesting things. ;-)

[kriz]

I don't blame you.

[eve]

What do I think of the link? Not much.

[Cranky]

There is so much garbage out there on omni diets, that it is not at all surprising that there is ill-informed info on vegan diets.
I saw one site today that had a column by a doctor who was very negative towards vegan diets. One of his gems was saying that vegans had to make sure that they get enough B-12 in their diet (a fair point) and so should eat enough almonds, broccoli and some other vegetable. What??!!

[kriz]

It seems like the Hallelujah is just a temporary diet, not actually a way of living. If I did follow this diet, I would probably be able to see my ribs sticking out soon! Does the Lord tell them how much they should eat too?? Just wondering, it seems pretty measured up.

[kriz]

Don't get me wrong, I respect different religious beliefs- but not fade diets. Sorry.

[veganblue]

http://www.nutritionj.com/content/pd...-2891-3-19.pdf

A very interesting pdf which reviews anti-cancer diets - sounds very vegan to me. I put this here because it looks like it is supported by the Hallelujah diet institute - however, the science is interesting, possible convincing. Worth a read.

Interesting B-12 information included also.

For the html link... http://www.nutritionj.com/content/3/1/19

[Kiva Dancer]

Well, that first link was nice fictional reading. Almost better than the Harry Potter series.

I'm reading the pdf file now so I have no opinion yet on it.

[Troub]

For Christian Vegans primarily, as its based around eating "the way God intended" but still a nice diet for those trying to find guidlines within the vegan way of life.

http://www.hacres.com/

It's primarily vegan, raw (85%), lots of vegetable juices, while also eliminating salt,pepper,addictive toxifying foods, etc.

I am not on it personaly, (perhaps some day) but I think its a good read.

[Troub]

I'd also like to say that I knew a family that was on this diet, and they didn't cut out salt completely, just normal table salt.

They only used celtic sea salt. Natural and unbleached.

[Pilaf]

I use sea salt, as well. But what's wrong with pepper?

[Morna]

I am a Christian and though I believe the Bible is a guide to life (Christianity with it's ethic of unselfish love is highly compatable with veganism), the Bible does not give specific dietary guidance. The stuff about eating meat had more to do with Jewish Kosher laws and not animal cruelty. I think that's because, at the time, meat animals were treated a lot better than now. If factory farms had been around when the Bible was being written, I bet something would be said about them.