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The Eden Diet: Returning to The Garden

The Eden Diet: Returning to The Garden

Last updated on: July 20, 2026 at 5:52 pm by Rebecca Wallace Keene

The Eden Diet: Returning to The Garden 2026-07-20T17:52:22-04:00 Rebecca Wallace Keene

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The Eden Diet: Returning to The Garden made by Rebecca Keene with ChatGPT

The Eden Diet: Returning to The Garden

The Torah begins man’s relationship with G-d in The Garden of Eden. As such, when we ask what humans were originally meant to be or how we were to behave, we look to Eden. Eden gives us the only picture we have of humanity before the fall and of G-d’s expectations for his human creation before their initial disobedience. For this reason, we must return to The Garden.

Return to Eden

As summer continues to bake the country and the gardens have all been planted here in Appalachia, I’ve been thinking a lot about the original garden and man’s ideal diet. Our Appalachian grandmas said, “If you didn’t grow it, don’t trust it.” A strict reading of the Eden story leads me to think G-d originally had the same philosophy. Genesis 1:29 tells us, “29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” This verse tells us that the original diet before the fall was to be fruits and other seed-bearing plants.

Neither meat nor synthetic products are ever mentioned in this original Eden diet. Not only was this the original diet G-d prescribed for the human body he’d created, but as I considered it, I realized this may also represent the most morally harmonious human diet. Eating the fruit from a tree does not kill the tree. Eating a vegetable with seeds allows for the vegetable to be regrown. Plants can be cultivated again and again, season after season. No blood is shed. Nothing is killed that cannot easily be reborn. The cycle of life continues. In Eden, humanity was nourished by creation without first requiring the death of another living creature.

It is this morally superior diet which G-d originally planned for the human body, that we must return to if we are to be healthier, both physically and spiritually. We must return to food which we have grown ourselves and which does harm to none. We must return to food of The Garden.

Meat is an Accommodation, Not the Ideal

Meat is not mentioned in Genesis 1:29. Only after the flood do we see man gain permission to eat meat. In Genesis 9:3 God says, “3 Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.” This is after the Great Flood. We do not know from a straight reading of the text why this law has changed.

However, we know this is a concession on G-d’s part. He specifically says, whereas before I gave you the plants now, I give you everything. This concession happening right after he has been forced to destroy most of humanity for disobeying his laws seems like a parent negotiating a lighter sentence with a child who has gone astray. The eating of meat is therefore an accommodation made for humanity in its fallen state, not the ideal diet G-d originally designed for the human body.

The Blood Belongs to G-d

Still, even this new concession comes with restrictions. Genesis 9:4-5 says, “4 “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. 5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.” This reminds us that even with permission to eat meat, we must not consume blood, because life still belongs to G-d. We can eat the animal’s flesh, but the essence of life itself, the blood, still belongs to G-d alone.

Thus, when we consume meat today and take the life of an animal it is because of an accommodation made for the fallen, not because eating meat is prescribed or righteous. Yet, even with the accommodation, we seem to still fail. Most meat is not slaughtered properly to remove the blood in today’s world. If we wished to return to a purer and more moral human diet, we would be forced to abandon this accommodation and return to the plant-based diet of Eden.

Eden Had Real Food

Finally, synthetic or lab-made foods are certainly not permitted by the Eden diet. Grandma once said, “I don’t even know where Doritos grow in the wild. How can you put that in your body?” While the question seems humorous, it is an important question for our world today. The foods we buy at the grocery store are usually accompanied by a long list of ingredients which most of us cannot even pronounce. Nowhere in the Torah is it ever said that such ingredients are allowed to be eaten. The Torah shows us that the food we eat is given by G-d. Modern synthetic foods are man-made and therefore lie outside that model. Every time you eat a bag of Doritos you eat petroleum by-products. Huhuly.com teaches us that:

“Red 40 (also called Allura Red AC), Yellow 5 (Tartrazine), and Yellow 6 (Sunset Yellow FCF) are synthetic azo dyes — color molecules manufactured from petroleum by-products through a chemical process called azo coupling, where nitrogen compounds are bonded together to create highly stable, vibrant pigments. They are not derived from food. They are not found in nature.”

Sadly, it’s not just Doritos. These ingredients and other synthetics are found in much of modern food. G-d did not intend you to eat petroleum.

Eden and the Fall

So, returning to the food of the garden both metaphorically and physically is what we must do for our health and our soul. With willpower and perseverance, we must return to The Eden Diet. We must return to food from The Garden.

However, should you fail at the Eden Diet, know that you were always going to fail. That is itself the story of Eden. I have already fallen this morning to Dr Pepper and funnel cake. The serpent now comes in a 20-oz. bottle. Yet, though we fall, we rise again with eyes turned toward Eden. We may never be the perfect gardeners G-d intended, but toward perfection we strive, always taking one more step toward The Garden.

Disclaimer: The Eden Diet has not been examined by medical professionals. I am a theologian studying the original diet of man based on an ancient text, not a medical doctor. Please consult your physician before beginning any new diet.

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About Rebecca Keene

The author, Rebecca Keene, has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Religion. She graduated from the University of Pikeville as Religion Honor Student in 2014. Currently, she is studying for a MA in Women, Gender, Spirituality, and Social Justice at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Also, Rebecca is the author of FAITH UNDER THE RAINBOW: RECLAIMING THE TRUTH ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY AND THE BIBLE. In addition, she founded and independently runs the social media community, Reclaiming the Truth. Therefore, you should visit Rebecca's author page and purchase her books at: Amazon Author Page or: Publication Page Rebecca is currently in her 3rd year of Kabbalah study. She is ordained to perform LGBT weddings and is certified in Hypnotherapy. Rebecca lives in Kentucky with her two adult children. She practices Non-Denominational Judaism. She is passionate about social justice and fiercely advocates for the marginalized in society and religion. When not with her children or writing, Rebecca enjoys spending time in nature, with G-d, or in a good book. She also enjoys making and selling art which you can find at Art by Rebecca. Rebecca will try to answer all correspondence, but please be patient, as life is busy for us all. You can read more about the author here.

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