Rick Warren, the author of the religious self-help book "The Purpose Driven Life" galvanized the parishioners at his mega-church in California to lose weight by following the diet of Daniel in the Bible.  The program, which Warren and others have dubbed "The Daniel Plan" is based on the biblical story of young Daniel and his friends who forego the decadent food and wine offered to them in the palace of King Nebuchadnezzar's palace for a more austere diet of legumes and water. 

This story inspired Warren to adopt the diet of Daniel, which calls for consuming simple, unprocessed food and choosing fish,vegetables and fruit as the primary source of sustenance along with moderate in-takes of other meat.  Warren himself lost 60 pounds on the diet and is aiming to lose another 30 pounds.  Members of his church have lost a  collective, whopping 260,000 pounds.

But Warren is not the first to take this interpretation of the Book of Daniel. In fact, there were several "Daniel" diet books written before Warren and his members embarked on the diet.  Many of these books attribute a healthy diet as one conduit for spiritual breakthrough and enlightenment. 

There are critics, however.  Yet, what they take issue with by in large is not the nutritional value of the diet but rather the modern-day interpretation of the Book of Daniel.  Elizabeth Dias who wrote on the topic in Time.com interviews Princeton Theological Seminary scholar Choon-Leong Seow who she reports as having written the following: "Whatever the reason,"it appears that, for Daniel, a diet of legumes ... was one way to remain faithful in the face of the overwhelming power of the Babylonians. The point is not the triumph of vegetarianism or even the triumph of piety or the triumph of wisdom," Seow concludes, "but the triumph of God."

Dr. Mehmet Oz, M.D, the surgeon host of the Dr. Oz Show helped Warren develop the diet two years back and it continues to be making the rounds in our diet crazed society.  But setting aside the question of accuracy in biblical interpretation, "The Daniel Plan," unlike many other diets that suggest far out ways to lose weight, this one seems to be more sensible.

Here's a list of books on the diet.