Jordan Rubin was born into a "healthy" family. His father was a naturopathic physician and chiropractor who encouraged his family to follow the lifestyle he advocated to his patients. His mother delivered him at home with the assistance of four naturopathic students, and he was given no potentially harmful immunizations while growing up. Jordan was rarely ill as a child and, at 17, attended Florida State University on academic and athletic scholarship. At college he participated on the cheerleading squad, was involved in campus ministry, sang in a traveling vocal group, and served as chaplain of his fraternity. Suddenly, however, Jordan's life changed dramatically. He began having severe gastrointestinal problems and dropped from 180 to 145 pounds. Each night he suffered from a 104-degree fever and made endless trips to the bathroom. Soon, in spite of trying all kinds of antibiotics, medications, diets, and alternative treatments, Jordan was unable to participate in any outside activities. Eventually, he admitted to his parents how ill he was, and they arranged a flight home. The next day he was admitted to the hospital, where he stayed for two full weeks, receiving IV fluids and antibiotics.

Sadly, Jordan's story does not improve at this point. Though he was officially diagnosed with Crohn's disease, the list of specific ailments was disturbingly long. A bacterial imbalance in his digestive system had led to the breakdown of his body's immune barrier. Jordan and his father spent over two years and $150,000 on natural health treatments and working personally with experts such as Dr. Barry Sears of The Zone diet as well as Dr. Atkins. In spite of the knowledge of many professionals and visits to many countries seeking help, nothing worked. At one point Jordan's doctor pronounced him "the worst case of Crohn's disease" he had ever seen and doubted he would live long enough to return home from his current treatment. At that point Jordan weighed 111 pounds.

There came a point when Jordan stopped taking all supplements and moved to a motor home near the beach where he could breathe the ocean air. His father had discovered some SBOs (soil-based organisms) and convinced him to take them. He ate a "biblical" diet and took daily supplements of SBOs. Amazingly, in 40 days, after two years of brutal suffering, Jordan gained 29 pounds. Four months later, he weighed 170 pounds and felt like a new man.

In The Maker's Diet, Dr. Rubin shares specific information about the diet, supplements, and cleansing regimen he used to transform his life. This book is very specific, offering biblical as well as scientific explanations WHY the elements of his regimen are effective and necessary. While the book is extremely interesting and the arguments compelling, I doubt the average American will be willing to follow the stringent requirements of The Maker's Diet. Even so, making even some of the changes will positively affect overall health; and the understanding it provides of how the "gut" affects our total health makes this book a beneficial read for everyone. For those suffering serious illness, this 40-day challenge would most certainly be worth following.

-- Product review by Dena Wood, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, December 2005