History Behind: Sylvester Graham

Sylvester Graham developed a system of healthy living, taking away alcohol and preaching moderation in diet. He and his followers also believed a link existed between diet, health, and morality that kept the body in a balance, which they believed to be essential for healthy living. His followers were Grahamites, and lived in the antebellum times. 

His teachings involved avoiding meat, spices, and condiments (any complex-made foods) and bathing regularly. His followers began establishing boarding rooms in cities across the country, where people who followed him could eat and stay while traveling. 

Graham also made a magazine, “Graham Journal of Health and Longevity,” and many books, creating societies in multiple cities and school campuses to hold health conventions - ultimately inspiring a number of movements that quickly became widespread. For example, many new religious movements incorporated Graham's ideas and protestant ministers offered sermons on the connection between diet and morality. Ideas spread by Graham became mainstream in American culture.

Sylvester’s Beliefs:

• A diet should include grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables

• Condemned the use of alcohol and tobacco

• A person needs a certain amount of physical activity to stay healthy

• Believed bathing was extremely important and was needed often, as well as tooth brushing

• Created the graham cracker, by coarsely grounding wheat and creating graham flour, which he used to make graham bread and eventually the crackers.