The Graham Diet

One of the few diets based on improving people’s morality through food choices, Graham’s diet was created to help cure alcoholism and overt sexual impulses. A reformer who lived in the early to mid-19th century, Dr. Sylvester Graham was an avid believer in the temperance movement. He agreed that alcohol could be used sparingly for medicinal purposes, but was opposed to recreational drinking. Graham’s name is still known by adults and children worldwide today through his invention, the Graham cracker. He created the Graham cracker in 1829 as a wholesome alternative to the chemically altered breads churned out by bakeries in his time. White bread was seen as a status symbol by wealthy households who disdained the homemade brown breads eaten by the poor and country folk.
To help prevent unclean desires and thoughts, Graham recommended a vegetarian diet which consisted primarily of wheat bread, fresh fruits, and vegetables. Milk, eggs, and cheeses were allowed in very small amounts. His followers, called Grahamites, followed this strict vegetarian diet, abstained from drinking, and avoided spices. Graham believed that these things led to an excess of excitability which led to masturbation and other sexual peccadilloes. As a result of these restrictions, their diet was quite bland and they ate a large amount of Graham crackers, which were not anything like the sweet crackers we eat today.
Graham died at the age of 57, which demoralized many of his followers. The movement of Grahamites continued until the late 1800’s, and then faded away leaving only the cracker behind.