On Diets and...Ancient Israel

In case you haven't been reading my wife's blog, well, this one of them, you will have noticed that she's on a diet.

I found this article which has a relevance to the subject, if obliquely:

Bible diets dismissed as healthy food choice

And I read this there

A string of best-selling books, especially popular in America, have extolled the virtues of foods featured in the religious text.

But far from being "the land of milk and honey", a study by theologian Dr Nathan MacDonald suggested ancient Israel was more likely to offer its inhabitants a bland choice of flat breads and grains.

The St Andrews University lecturer examined biblical texts and archaeological finds, including human remains, and came to the conclusion those living in the promised land did not have a balanced diet.

There was a notable shortage of meat and vegetables, he said, as well as a lack of vitamins and minerals.

Dr MacDonald, an Old Testament expert, said: "Though many people have thought otherwise, the evidence is that the diet in biblical times was not very healthy.

"Except for times of famine and food shortage - which were relatively frequent - it provided the necessary calories, but was lacking in certain key vitamins and minerals...True, many Israelites rarely ate meat, but vegetables and fruit also featured far less than they needed to. In reality, it was not a balanced diet."

...Scientific examination of human bones from the Israelite period also formed part of the academic's study, which he claimed provide further evidence of the Israelites' poor diet. The tests pointed to cases of anaemia caused by a lack of iron. Sufferers of the condition lack enough iron to keep their red blood cells working properly.

Dr MacDonald said: "This is consistent with a diet that is high in flat bread and low in meat and vegetables.

"Pregnant women and children would have been especially vulnerable to malnutrition with consequences for the rest of their lives."