Episode 2 Video
[00:00:00]
Welcome to your daily bread with co hosts, Abby Stacier and Hannah Calhoun. We're here to be your weekly source of spiritual nourishment, guiding you to find food freedom in a deeper connection with Christ. As we explore the intersection of faith and nutrition, these bite sized episodes will help you heal your relationship with food and your body through practical advice, biblical wisdom, and heartfelt encouragement.
And as a disclaimer, we are not pastors, but passionate registered dietitians and sisters in Christ, offering our insights to support you on this faith filled journey to a healthier, more fulfilling life. Join us by taking a seat at our table as we break bread and allow God in to break the chains of diet culture.
Abbie: Okay, y'all. Today we are going to be reading from Colossians chapter 2, starting at verse 20. And the main theme of what we're going to be talking about today is how diet culture shows up in the Bible and how breaking away from diet culture is biblical. And the scripture, I think, very much mirrors the, uh, restrict binge guilt cycle.
So I'm really, really excited to dive into this. So if you're able to open your Bibles. To Colossians chapter 2 verse 20, meet us there, and if not, just listen. Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belong to the world, do you submit to its rules?
Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch. These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations, indeed, have an appearance of wisdom, with their self imposed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Okay, there is a lot there. There's a lot to unpack. But okay, just to quickly review, since you , died with Christ, the elemental spiritual forces of this world, also the heading of this, uh, at least I'm reading in, uh, the NIV version of the Bible, the heading of this section is freedom from human rules, which I'm like, ooh, dusty.
So we died to ourselves. Died to the world, we are then born again in Christ. Um, so why are we still submitting to these rules? All of these different food rules don't handle, don't taste, don't touch, don't eat that, don't eat carbs. The fat's gonna make you fat. You know, all these different things.
Why are we submitting to these rules of the world? These are all human commands and teachings, meaning that all these food rules that we're sub subjecting ourselves to, that we're living by. Are not from God. These are man made and they do have an appearance of wisdom. Like I think you could argue like, Oh, like if I eat too much fat, I'm, I'm going to get fat.
Like, I think that that was a narrative that was very much going on, especially in the nineties. Um, but we know that that's not true and we need, we need fats and, you know, we need all of our macros, but yes. Um, some of these food pools could have the appearance of wisdom. But they actually lead to harsh treatment of the body.
And they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. So when we try and stick to these rules, restrict, restrict, restrict, check every single box, be quote unquote, perfect with our nutrition. It's not preventing us from binging from overeating being gluttonous overdoing it.
It's the restriction that leads to that indulgence. Yes.
Hannah: Yes. And that has been, that has been shown time and time again, you know, with individuals who have binge eating disorder. A lot of it is because, you know, the guilt and the shame come up and what do they do with the rest of the day? They restrict and then it sets them up for another binge episode.
And so that, that has been shown, that has been proven. I mean, it's so interesting and it's true. So many things. I'm just thinking about, you know, social media. It's a wonderful thing, but there's so much information out there. And if someone says something with the right tone, in the right way, they use the right kind of words, like it does sound so wise.
And we have to have a lot of discernment. In order to kind of, you know, pick, okay, this one may be reliable. Let me look into it. This one, I don't think that that's true. You know, we really have to have that discernment.
Abbie: Right. And asking ourselves, what is the source? Or who is the source? Of this information.
Is this just another influencer? Is this a celebrity? Is this a nutrition expert, a dietitian? Uh, yeah, like we need to be, I think, more critical consumers just because someone is a good marketer and can say something or maybe had a personal experience with a food or some sort of diet doesn't mean that that is number one, a transferable experience, universal experience for everyone that eats that same way because we could all eat the same way.
Thank you. And have completely different, uh, results from that. Uh, even if you are starting off the same height, weight, you know, gender, everything. Everything. Yeah. Our bodies would be so different, react totally different. Um, but yeah, I think there's so many people that are just either coaching or making content online from their own personal experience.
And people look at that and they say, Oh, especially with like what I eat in a day videos. Oh, if I eat like that, then I'll look like that. And it's, it's really dangerous messaging, honestly. So we need to be critical consumers of who we're getting our content from, especially when it comes to
Hannah: food. It's so true.
And I think, you know, I'm thinking more about like the fear mongering. So, you know, the idea of GMOs. GMOs are unnatural. GMOs are always bad. GMOs will kill you. You know, it's like if we just hear that and take it and run with it, we're like, Oh my goodness, this is gonna be the end times because of GMOs.
Like, you know, we have to think, we have to think critically. We have to have discernment. Like, You know, if we actually think about the intention behind genetically modifying foods, it's so that these poor farmers who are out here doing all this work will actually get an appropriate yield for all the work that they're doing.
And have you seen corn that is not genetically modified? I would encourage you to look it up. It's very sad. I would not want to eat that corn. Yeah, no, absolutely
Abbie: not. We are rebuking that.
Hannah: We are rebuking un genetically modified corn. Literally. You know, like, There's so many, there's so much fear mongering, there's so many people online and there's so much fear mongering, you know, about GMOs, about things that aren't organic, um, you know, about about fats, about dairy, about everything, and you know, there might be slivers of science behind some of it, but you really, really have to either ask a professional that you know, um, Ask God to show you the truth.
Yes. He will. Look into it yourself. If that's something that you're, you're able to do, but that gets kind of tricky because you know, you look up one thing and you get a bunch of articles and you know, they can make a noise. Yeah. There's a lot of noise. But it's hard. We don't want to be reactive people like, you know, God gives us a sound mind.
A sound mind and, you know, he calls us to be sober minded and I think about that, you know, obviously we think about, you know, don't be drinking, don't be under the influence of substances, but I also think about that in regard to. You know, emotions and maybe like an uproar like, Oh my gosh, I'm freaking out.
Like this one ingredient is gonna, I'm gonna die by red dye number 40 or whatever. Or
Abbie: aspartame.
Hannah: Right. You have to be sober minded. Yes. To me, that looks like having discernment, having discernment, pausing, and allowing God to, to give you that discernment and that strength to be like, I don't really know if this should be causing an uproar in my spirit.
Abbie: Yes. You know? Yes. And God says, I mean, this is in Matthew six, like, do not be afraid. Do not be anxious about anything. And don't worry about what you're eating, what you're going to eat, what you're going to drink, what you're going to wear, which we will have an episode that is specifically just on that because there's a lot to unpack in there.
Yes. So if you ask God, like, what do I do in this situation? Like, what do I eat? Show me what's best for me and my body individually with how you've designed me. The first thing that God will say to you. So do not be afraid. Do not be anxious. It says all over the Bible. Do not be afraid. Follow me. Keep your eyes on me.
Like, that's something that Jesus says time and time again. So that really has to be the first step. Is not letting the fear mongering come in and cause an upward and cause so much anxiousness and fear, because that's not what God has called us to do. So in Colossians, it goes on to say in chapter three, set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
So these man made rules, we need to be free from that by not looking, you know, horizontal at the world, but looking up, like, I always think that that looks like the crosses as well. Like, don't look out at the world, look up. And God, and then it goes on to say, put on the new self, which has been renewed in knowledge in the image of its creator,
then it says verse 12. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Then it goes on to say in verse 15, you were called to peace. And to be thankful. So I think when we let go of these human made food rules, instead, God says, set your mind on things above. Set your mind on heavenly things. Look to me and With that, you'll know that I deeply love you. Be compassionate with yourself.
Show yourself kindness. Don't do something that would treat your body harshly. Don't push yourself through a really intense HIIT workout. If that's not what your body is calling for that day, but you feel pressure to close all of your rings or to check a box, be patient with yourself. We were called to be at peace.
So when we have anxiousness, Or fear around our food or our bodies. That's not from God. God has called us to peace and he has called us to be thankful. Yes. Gratitude totally shifts our energy and that's where we really experienced God's glory. When we switched to gratitude. .
Hannah: So true.
And I just think like, you know, I'm thinking about peace and how we're called to peace and. If we're easily swayed, you know, if we're swayed into the new Skinny tea and then we just rush and do a bulk order. We start using it and then we find out boom on the headlines. Skinny tea is bad for you. It causes electrolyte imbalance.
Isn't that then we're like, oh my goodness, I can't, you know, like the whole. Easily swayed rushing to the new latest diet trend or food trend. Then, you know, we're hopping on that bandwagon and then all of a sudden the literature comes out, not good for you. It's harmful. Then we're freaking out and then we're getting, it's just that to me, that picture in my mind of this person who is so desperately seeking health that they are so ready to jump on.
To the next thing that so and so says, and then they're so ready to freak out about it. As soon as one article comes out saying it might not be that good for you as they thought it was going to be. that is chaos. That is not peace.
Abbie: That is chaos. Yes. Yes. And that's not
Hannah: trusting in God,
Abbie: , right.
That's just trying in our own strength versus trusting God.
Thank you for joining us on this episode of your daily bread. We hope you found inspiration and practical guidance to nourish your body and soul. Remember the journey to a healthier relationship with food and a deeper connection with Christ is ongoing and we're here to support you every step of the way.
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As we conclude today's episode, we encourage you to take what resonated with you into your quiet time with God, allow God to reveal to you any changes that you can make for his glory, trusting that you are fearfully and wonderfully made in his image. Stay tuned for our next episode where we'll continue to explore how God's word helps us heal our relationship with food in our bodies Until then may you find both physical and spiritual nourishment and may you be filled with his peace and joy.
God bless
