Travis Martin, an entrepreneur with no prior health experience, developed the Shibboleth diet in the 2010s. In a worksheet distributed to followers, he explains that he based this approach on the journey he went on after his doctor told him he needed to overhaul his lifestyle. Martin says that at age 29, he had the heart of a 60-year-old. According to MyShibboleth.com, he also had high blood pressure, acid reflux, high cholesterol, prediabetes, and depression. After turning to the Bible and his faith, he set out to change his lifestyle with a set of daily disciplines and ultimately lost 100 pounds in less than six months. According to Martin, he has maintained that loss for 15 years. In 2005, Martin began offering grocery tours, which ultimately led him to launch Thrive Weight Loss. He later left to form Shibboleth, a company he calls a “weight loss, lifestyle, and wellness ministry” that puts Christ first. The company says it has a “special way” of combining these foods that neutralizes blood sugar. One of its videos outlines the premise, which involves a special food pyramid (water is at the bottom, followed by lean protein and seafood) and making combinations from there. (There are many possible combinations, and it’s far too complex to go into all of them here.) A primary combination is a protein plus carbohydrate, though the exact guidelines are more nuanced. An example is steak and asparagus, or chicken breast, brown rice, and broccoli. This approach does have scientific backing: Including protein in your meal or snack will slow the body’s blood sugar response and slow digestion so you feel fuller longer, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. What’s more, Shibboleth is big on community and support, which can play a vital role in your ability to maintain results. For example, a study in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine found that people who believed they were supported socially in a positive way ate better diets and fewer calories, which helped them be more successful in maintaining weight loss. Depending on your diet prior to Shibboleth, you may end up eating fewer calories as you welcome more fruit and vegetables and lean meats, and fewer highly processed foods (like chips and candy). These changes alone (which are not unique to Shibboleth, and are more in line with general healthy eating recommendations) can spur weight loss or protect against future unwanted weight gain. Indeed, a systematic review of 10 studies published in November 2018 in Nutrients found a positive relationship between increasing vegetable intake and weight loss or maintenance. Though the authors say that vegetables’ impact on weight loss is small, they say there’s no harm in eating more vegetables and there’s a distinct benefit — decreasing the risk of various diseases — so you can be confident in making this change. In addition, research, such as a study published July 2019 in Cell Metabolism, shows that consuming ultra-processed food contributes to higher body weight. The study, supported by the National Institutes of Health, put a small group of healthy adults on an ultra-processed or minimally processed diet for two weeks and then switched diets for the next two weeks. Meals on both diets were equal in calories, macronutrients (carbohydrates, fat, protein), sugar, sodium, and fiber, and people could eat as much as they wanted. Those who ate ultra-processed food consumed 500 calories more per day than those on the minimally processed diet and gained about two pounds in the two-week duration. If you are changing the types of foods that you eat and thus consuming fewer calories, calorie reduction can lead to weight loss no matter what foods you’re eating. Even better: Cutting calories may improve your health. According to another study, published in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology in July 2019, participants who reduced their calorie intake by about 300 per day for two years reduced their LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, total cholesterol, and blood pressure by more than the control group. The calorie-reduction group also lost about 16.5 pounds more on average than the control group. It’s not just the fat-shaming speak (there are references to a “fat bus” across the site), but the weight loss aspect is marketed heavily, especially for something that doesn’t bill itself as a diet. “They make weight loss almost sound glamorous and easy. This capitalizes on the fact that people want to lose weight, and it’s frustrating to me as a dietitian,” says Antonucci. The showcasing of several dramatic before and after photos throughout the website is also demoralizing, she adds: “As soon as you see these, you feel that wherever you are right now, you’re not good enough. And that by following this diet, good things will happen to you when you reach that weight.” The Shibboleth website announces a goal, “that one day the Shibboleth Lifestyle components are taught to our school children … so they do not ever have to worry about being overweight in their lifetime!” But children should not be part of a weight loss discussion, Darsa says. “It’s not appropriate for a child to be put on a diet, let alone lose a significant amount of weight.” If you sign up for the annual or lifetime membership, you’ll get additional features, like weight loss videos and meal plans, a virtual grocery store tour, online recipe library, restaurant guide, and exercise suggestions (though exercise is not required on Shibboleth).
What to Eat
Below is a sampling of approved foods from Shibboleth’s “Getting Started Grocery List.” You’ll notice that it emphasizes fruits and vegetables, a variety of proteins and seafood, beans, whole grains, low-fat and fat-free foods, artificial sweeteners, and select brand-name foods. The following are broken down using Shibboleth’s food categories. Proteins
Boar’s Head, Dietz & Watson, and Jennie-O deli meatsChicken breastCrab legsWhole eggs and egg whitesLean ground turkey or beefOscar Mayer 98% fat-free wienersSalmonTuna in water
Carbohydrates
Leafy greensAsparagusBroccoliCabbageCeleryCornGritsLa Banderita Xtreme Wellness! high-fiber tortillasLong-grain brown riceNature’s Own Life double-fiber wheat breadOatmealWhite and sweet potatoesQuinoaSquashWhole-wheat pasta
Fruit
MelonsApplesBerriesGrapefruitGrapesKiwiOrangesPrunes
Condiments
AvocadoBrummel & Brown butterReduced-fat, light, or fat-free cheese or cream cheeseKroger Sloppy Joe MixMayonnaise (light, low-fat, or fat-free)Bragg Liquid Aminos soy sauceSalsaStubbs Original BBQ SauceSplendaCrystal Light
“Freebies”
Sugar-Free Jell-OSugar-free popsiclesSugar-free gumLemon and lime juice
“Superfoods”
Beans (black, red, kidney, garbanzo, soy, pinto)NutsPeanut ButterSpecial K Protein Plus CerealKay’s Natural Cereal
Meal Replacements
Protein barSyntha 6 protein shake2 cups Breyer’s Carb Smart ice cream
Water Intake Recommendation
Drink 60–128 oz of water per day.
Foods to Avoid
In general, avoid foods with a lot of added sugar, and full-fat versions of foods.
Pickled beetsFrozen vegetables in butter or cheese sauceBananas, peaches, and pineappleMore than 2 cups of coffee dailyFull-fat cheeseWhite bread, pasta, or riceSweets not made with artificial sweeteners like SplendaFudgsicleAdded sugarChipsSoda
Day 1
Breakfast Eggs-and-veggie scramble with fat-free cheese Lunch Salad topped with chicken and vinaigrette Snack Handful of nuts Dinner Fish cooked in MCT oil and broccoli with baked potato and butter
Day 2
Breakfast Syntha-6 protein shake Lunch Shibboleth-approved pizza and side salad Snack Stick of low-fat string cheese and five whole-wheat Ritz crackers Dinner Steak and asparagus
Day 3
Breakfast Mighty Muffin Lunch Grilled chicken nuggets with cauliflower tater tots Snack Cup of dry Special K Protein Plus cereal Dinner Chicken breast, brown rice, broccoli
Day 4
Breakfast Chick-fil-A Egg White Grill Lunch Protein bar Snack Orville Redenbacher’s 100-Calorie Mini Size SmartPop! Popcorn Dinner Shibboleth-approved pasta with approved ground beef tomato sauce
Day 5
Breakfast Protein bar Lunch Burger made with lean ground beef on a lite English muffin with fat-free cheese Snack Snack can of tuna with five whole-wheat Ritz crackers Dinner Shrimp and bok choy
Day 6
Breakfast Egg on English muffin with fat-free cheese Lunch Approved hot dog fried in MCT oil and wrapped in an approved tortilla Snack Raw veggies with 1 tablespoon (tbsp) of fat-free cream cheese Dinner Barbecue chicken and green beans
Day 7
Breakfast Oatmeal Lunch Shibboleth-approved whole-wheat bread with deli ham and fat-free cheese Snack Raw veggies with 1 tbsp Athenos hummus Dinner Burrito with lean ground beef and veggies, in an approved tortilla with salsa