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The Healf Source
10 Things Jordan Rubin Teaches Us About The Biblical Diet
From sourdough to raw honey and fasting rhythms, these principles show why ancient eating still holds up today.
Written by: Samantha Nice
Written on: April 23, 2026
Ancient eating is having a moment again, and it’s not hard to see why. After decades of being inundated with protein hacks, blood sugar best practices, ingredient lists that read like chemistry sets, and a food system built around convenience, some people have started to question whether the way we eat today has moved too far from what food is supposed to be. It’s a big part of why the biblical diet is landing with fresh relevance.
While the name may sound old-fashioned, the ideas behind it feel strikingly current, with a focus on less ultra-processed food, better sourcing, and more traditional preparation. That ancient philosophy sits at the heart of The Biblio Diet, a book from bestselling authors and nutrition experts Jordan Rubin, NMD, PhD, and Dr Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS, which looks at how biblical eating can be applied to everyday life using both ancient wisdom and contemporary nutritional science.
For Rubin, the concept is simple. “The biblical diet is a way of eating that aligns with the foods, principles, and patterns found in Scripture, focusing on whole, natural foods as they were created, rather than modern processed versions,” he says. “A common misunderstanding is that it’s restrictive or outdated, when in reality it’s very practical, flexible, and rooted in nourishment and stewardship of the body.”
Part of what makes it resonate with so many people is how familiar it feels. Strip away the biblical framing, and many of its ideas reflect where wellbeing is already heading. These days, more and more people are interested in whole foods, gut health, food quality, and traditional ways of eating. In that sense, the biblical diet feels less like a radical protocol and more like a return to habits that used to be second nature.
What the biblical diet actually prioritises
This diet is less about strict rules and more about choosing food that is closer to its original form, paying attention to how it is sourced and prepared, and building meals around nourishment rather than convenience.
What makes it different from generic “clean eating” is the emphasis on both what you eat and how that food reaches your plate. Rubin places equal weight on food quality, preparation methods, and the broader rhythm of eating itself, encouraging people to slow down at meals to avoid the constant snacking and overstimulation that define much of modern day eating.
His diet isn’t just a list of approved foods, but a much broader philosophy around food that’s less industrialised, uncomplicated, and aligned with how humans have eaten for most of history. Rubin breaks that down into a set of practical habits. These are the ten principles that stand out most.
10 things Jordan Rubin teaches us about the biblical diet
1. Start with whole, unprocessed food
“Prioritising whole, unprocessed foods not only helps support overall health, but can also reduce toxic load,” says Rubin. This is arguably the foundation the entire biblical diet is built on. It’s not based on calorie maths or macro obsession, but on eating food that still looks like food, with fewer additives and industrial steps between the source and your plate.
That feels especially relevant right now, since UPFs make up such a large part of today’s diets. This isn’t about making drastic changes all at once, but instead looking to swap more of your baseline meals back to whole ingredients. For some of our favourite Healf-approved UPF-free foods and snacks, have a read of The Best UPF-Free Swaps That Actually Taste Good.
2. Stop fearing fat and choose it more intentionally
“Aim to choose healthy fats that support the brain, hormones, and gut integrity,” says Rubin. The biblical diet has no interest in the low-fat mindset that’s dominated nutrition for years. Instead, the focus is on choosing fats that come from real food and have been minimally altered. Think olive oil, high quality dairy and naturally occurring fats in whole foods, rather than heavily refined industrial oils. The point isn’t to add fat to everything for the sake of it, but to get more selective about the kinds of fats making up your meals.
3. Eat enough protein, but think about where it comes from
“Aim to eat quality protein to support strength, repair and metabolic health,” says Rubin. Protein matters, but the biblical diet is less concerned with hitting an exact number and more interested in the source. Meat, eggs, and dairy are better for you when they are less processed and come from more sustainable farming practices. While a protein bar and a properly sourced meal may offer similar macros on paper, they’re not the same thing.
4. Cut back on foods that spike and crash your energy
“Reduce sugar and refined grains to help stabilise blood sugar,” says Rubin. A lot of modern eating revolves around foods that give quick energy, but have very little staying power. Sugary snacks, sweetened drinks, and highly refined carbohydrates can spike blood sugar fast, then leave you hungry again not long after. Rubin doesn’t think all carbs are bad; it’s simply that the more processed they become, the less useful they tend to be for your health and wellbeing.
5. Add fermented foods back onto your plate
“Incorporate fermented foods to support digestion and gut health,” says Rubin. Fermented foods have been part of traditional diets for centuries, not because they were trendy, but because they genuinely made food easier to preserve and often easier to digest. Foods like kefir, yogurt, cultured butter and proper sourdough can help support gut health while also introducing more variety into your diet in a practical way.
6. Pay closer attention to where your food actually comes from
“Value food sourcing because how food is grown and raised really does matter,” says Rubin. The biblical diet treats food quality as part of the nutritional equation. How an animal was raised, how produce was grown and how much processing happened before it reaches your plate all shape the final product.
“The nutrient density and purity of food are directly impacted by soil quality, farming practices and processing,” says Rubin, who suggests looking beyond the nutrition label and tuning into sourcing, farming methods and ingredient quality when choosing the foods you eat most often.
7. Choose foods that have been prepared properly
“Foods like raw honey, fermented dairy, sourdough and traditionally prepared foods are important because they enhance nutrient availability and support digestion,” says Rubin. “These methods reflect how food was historically prepared for optimal benefit.”
How food is prepared can change far more than taste. Fermentation, culturing and slower preparation methods can all affect how digestible a food is and how your body handles it afterwards. That is why the biblical diet places so much value on foods made in more traditional ways, whether that is long fermented sourdough instead of standard supermarket bread, kefir over flavoured yogurt or raw honey in place of heavily processed sweeteners.
8. Build more rhythm into how you eat
“Practise moderation and rhythm in how you eat and avoid extremes,” says Rubin. Eating today can be surprisingly chaotic with constant snacking, irregular meals and swinging between restriction and overindulgence. This all creates a lot of noise around food. Rubin’s advice is to make eating feel steadier with more routine, fewer extremes and less starting over again every Monday.
9. Slow down enough to digest your food properly
“Support digestion by chewing well and not rushing meals,” says Rubin. It sounds simple, but these days, few people barely slow down enough to eat. Meals are rushed, distracted, or squeezed in between chaotic schedules. Taking more time to chew and eating at a calmer pace can improve digestion, help you recognise fullness more easily, and leave you feeling better after meals.
10. Make your meals simpler than you think they need to be
“Aim to simplify your meals and prioritise consistency over complexity,” says Rubin. A lot of people struggle with nutrition, not because they lack information, but because they have been taught to overcomplicate it: too many rules, too many supplements, and too many products dressed up as essentials. Rubin’s view is that eating well is often far simpler than people expect. Basic meals built from quality ingredients, repeated consistently, will usually beat a complicated routine you struggle to stick to.
Where to start if you want to try it
Rubin keeps the starting point deliberately simple, and suggests replacing processed foods with whole foods, adding healthy fats to meals, and reducing sugar intake. He’s also a big advocate of consistency rather than perfection and says small, sustainable changes tend to lead to the best long-term results.
The best way to ease into the biblical diet is to pull a few obvious levers first. Upgrade your breakfast, swap out the ultra-processed snacks, buy better bread, add fermented foods back in and think more carefully about where you’re sourcing your food. Don’t try to overhaul everything overnight.
What the biblical diet really comes down to, and why we’re calling it Healf
Rubin’s clearest lesson is that the biblical diet isn’t about eating like a historical reenactment. It’s about recognising how far the way we eat today has shifted away from what really matters, and using older principles to bring things back into balance.
That’s exactly why it feels so relevant right now. In a food culture dominated by UPFs, nutritional noise, and overcomplication, this way of eating offers something simpler and, in many ways, more useful. You don’t need to agree with every detail to see why it resonates. Focus on real ingredients, simplify what ends up on your plate and be more deliberate about what you rely on each day. Do that consistently and you’re already most of the way there.
In a world that keeps adding more, this is one approach that reminds you what happens when you take things away.
This article is for informational purposes only, even if and regardless of whether it features the advice of physicians and medical practitioners. This article is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice. The views expressed in this article are the views of the expert and do not necessarily represent the views of Healf
Samantha Nice is a seasoned wellness writer with over a decade of experience crafting content for a diverse range of global brands. A passionate advocate for holistic wellbeing, she brings a particular focus to supplements, women’s health, strength training, and running. Samantha is a proud member of the Healf editorial team, where she merges her love for storytelling with industry insights and science-backed evidence.
An avid WHOOP wearer, keen runner (with a sub 1:30 half marathon) hot yoga enthusiast and regular gym goer, Samantha lives and breathes the wellness lifestyle she writes about. With a solid black book of trusted contacts (including some of the industry’s leading experts) she’s committed to creating accessible, well-informed content that empowers and inspires Healf readers.
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