This is the first official episode of Triad Warriors: The Podcast and I am so excited to get started!

This podcast has been a long-term dream of mine, and if you listened to the preview episode that I posted a few months back and/or if you have followed me on social media for any length of time, then you probably already have an idea as to what this podcast is going to be about. Basically, we are going to be talking about the many, many factors that influence our health. In fact, as humans, we are multidimensional beings; we exist as bodies, souls, and spirits.

Consequently, health is a multidimensional experience. Being human is a multidimensional experience. Embodiment is a multidimensional experience. Thus, health involves much more than what you eat and how much you exercise. Yes, health does include nutrition and exercise, but health also has to do with so much more.

With that said, we live in a world where health can feel quite… complicated. Whether that be due to the external pressures of diet culture and the wellness industry, or internal fears, health can feel like an obligation and a burden. In addition, these pressures can result in anxiety, guilt, and shame surrounding our health and our bodies. Consequently, many of us have developed a negative relationship with our bodies, which is one of the many things we will be discussing on this show.

In fact, I would argue that your relationship with your body is one of the most important relationships that you have, apart from your relationship with God of course. In fact, the way in which you relate to your body influences most of your thoughts, behaviors, beliefs, and worldviews. And one of the most powerful (and tangible) ways in which I see this relationship play out is through food. This is where we are going to begin.

YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD

Food plays many roles within our lives. Sure, food is fuel. Food provides our bodies with the very nutrients that make up our cells. Yet, food is also so much more. Food is love. It is comfort. Food is emotional. Food is community. Food is culture. It is tradition. Food brings us together around the table. Food is healing and it is one of the only substances which God uses to nourish us on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level, all at the same time.

Moreover, food is all over the Bible.

You honestly cannot go more than a few pages without some reference to or depiction of food being found. Food is one of God’s metaphorical, tangible, and edible ways of expressing his love and provision for us. Food is meant to be enjoyed. It is meant to be a source of pleasure and blessing. Why else would God have given us over 10,000 taste buds? God could have created some utilitarian fuel that simply helped us to stay alive, but instead, God gave us a gift. God gave us the gift of food.

Food is something that we experience with every single one of our senses. Most obviously we taste food. We experience its bursts of flavors. But we also experience food in other ways. We smell food’s aromas. We feel it’s textures. We feel the comforting warmth of hot soup and the refreshing coolness of a juicy watermelon. We even experience food with our ears. We hear the sounds of chopping and the sizzles of cooking. We hear the crunch that a chip makes as we take bite, and we even sometimes hear our bodies digesting. Food is a full body experience.

Moreover, food is an emotional and spiritual experience. I mean, nothing quite hits the same as ice cream after winning a big game or a celebratory dinner after finally getting that big promotion. Nothing quite nourishes your soul like a bowl of grandma’s chicken noodle soup when you are feeling under the weather. Heck, there is an entire book named after this concept!

Food has such a unique power to nourish us on a far deeper level than the whole calories in, calories out concept. Food has the power to unite. Food creates a common ground, and this is why sharing a meal together is such a meaningful and powerful bonding experience. We all eat. No matter your culture, your religion, your political views, your ethnicity, your gender, your disability, or your ability, we all eat food. Sure, some of us have different allergies and different preferences, but we all must eat. And in that space, we create a common ground — a place from which we can (even if for just a moment) experience God’s blessings together.

And at the same time, this is precisely why food can also be a source of pain, shame, guilt, and fear. We live in a fallen world. We live in a world where the enemy seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. The enemy does not want us to experience God’s blessings. The enemy does not want us to experience God’s community. The enemy will use our brokenness and weaknesses to turn food into a burden. This is not a new concept. It is not a new tactic. This is not something which only affects White, American women like we commonly assume. In fact, this is a reality that exists across the world and all throughout history.

HISTORY AND STATISTICS ON EATING DISORDERS

In fact, the earliest descriptions of anorexia can be found in the 13th and 14th centuries as depictions of religious fasting taken to the extreme. The earliest known medical case of anorexia was documented in 1689 and additional cases were documented all throughout the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. However, the prevalence of eating disorders and disordered eating has predominantly been on the rise since the 1970s.

Countries like Japan, Singapore, South Africa, and Pakistan have all seen a significant rise in negative body image, body dissatisfaction, and eating disorders as the urbanization and industrialization of these regions progresses. In addition, these issues are on the rise in the United Kingdom and the United States, as well. Worldwide, it is estimated that 70 million people suffer from eating disorders. The U.S. accounts for approximately 30 million of those cases.

In the U.S., more than 9% of the population will struggle with a clinical eating disorder at some point in their lifetime and 40% of all Americans will have suffered from or have known someone who has suffered from an eating disorder. Genetic predisposition accounts for 50-80% of the risk factors in developing a full-blown eating disorder.

However, the full spectrum of disordered eating is a much more… “grey territory” and accounts for a much wider, untreated population than the statistics given here. In fact, disordered eating behavior can include yo-yo dieting, food restriction, weight and shape preoccupation, perfectionism, fasting for weight loss, excessive exercise, binge eating, laxative abuse, steroid usage, purging, body dysmorphia, muscle dysmorphia, and more. Many of which are encouraged behaviors by our society and by our peers.

With that, all this information begs for the realization that eating disorders, disordered eating, and body dysmorphia are not struggles which only affect. White, American women. In fact, these struggles are a complex combination of biological, physiological, psychological, and social influences. But most importantly, these struggles are  the result of the flesh. Complicating our relationships with food is something that the enemy has been doing since the garden and all throughout scripture. Heck, the fall of humankind occurred through the eating of a fruit and the Pharisees excluded the hurting and the poor from sharing in God’s blessings for decades. An exclusion I can very much relate to.

For years, I was excluded from the table. For years I did not feel worthy of experiencing God’s blessings. I did not feel like I was enough; and at the same time, I felt like I was too much. I felt like I had to be more, do more, achieve more. And at the same time, I felt the need to take up less space. To shrink my body. To eat just a little bit less.

I understood the power of food and the love it provided. For years I would bake people cakes for their birthdays, make my college roommates pancakes for breakfast, and buy them donuts as a treat on the weekends. And yet, I literally did not eat a single bite. I gave food as a means of showing love to others, but I did not believe I was worthy of receiving that love in return. And so, I set myself aside. I excluded myself from the table. I did not go to social events because I was afraid of the food that would be served. I was afraid of gaining weight, which the world said would make me unlovable. I did not go to restaurants because it was “unhealthy”, and the world said that maintaining health was a moral obligation and a symbol of worth.

There is so much life and community that I missed out on because of the brokenness I was experiencing in my relationship with food. This is an experience many can relate to. But what I find to be so amazing about Jesus is that when the world is telling us we are not enough, He says we are enough because He is enough. When the world is telling us there is not enough room at the table, He says all are welcome at His table.

Jesus came eating and drinking. He was called a glutton and a drunkard numerous times. But most importantly, He came to create a bridge: a bridge between humans and God; a bridge that was accomplished on the cross and displayed through miracles of edible provision and the sharing of a meal with the most outcasted individuals in society.

This is why I am so passionate about food and the psychology of eating. Food is something which was such a heavy burden within my life for far too many years. However, because of Jesus I can now experience food as a blessing. Sure, the old thoughts, patterns, and feelings of “not enough-ness” often sneak back in. But I also know that food is no longer a chain in my life.

This is also why I love donuts so much, which will most definitely be discussed in this podcast (lol). My husband, Adam, can attest to the whole-body joy that I experience when we are about to eat a donut or another sweet treat together. Yes, donuts are delicious, but eating a donut also represents a lot more to me. Eating a donut represents freedom. It represents God’s love and the ways in which God never gave up on me. Moreover, sharing a donut (or a meal) with another person represents reconciliation. It represents God’s welcoming of my brokenness and my imperfection into His family at His table.

That all said, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to say and share in this first episode. There were honestly a million different directions I could have taken this and hours of detail that I could have included… I could talk about nutrition, the psychology of eating, and body image for days! However, because you all have lives and we have many other episodes and seasons to really dive into the ins and outs, I thought that it would be best to begin by looking at what GOD says about food, what GOD says about your body, and what all of this means for YOUR life, especially if you struggle in your relationship with food and self.

WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT FOOD

In fact, God has A LOT to say about food. Food is ALL over the bible. Less than 200 words into Genesis and God has created vegetation. God created plants and trees and fruits and vegetables. Less than 750 words into the bible and God has given humankind every seed-bearing and green plant for food.

The fall of humankind happens through a fruit. 

Manna falls from the sky as the Israelites wander the wilderness.

Jonah is swallowed by a fish and becomes fish food.

Jesus’ first miracle is turning water into wine. He feed the masses with a few loaves of bread and some fish… twice. He calls His followers the salt of the earth.

Bread and wine are still used to this day in remembrance of His work on the cross.

The list goes on and on because you cannot go more than a few pages or so throughout scripture without some reference to food being made. God is constantly using food to connect with us, relate to us, and provide for us. God created food as a substance that we NEED to survive, yet we GET to enjoy. However, God also created food as something we cannot live on ALONE. Something that is insufficient.

In Matthew 4:4 it says, “humans cannot live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

And honestly, this is the missing piece in many of our lives. This is the missing piece in many of our relationships with food and our bodies. We forget, or moreover, we do not realize what God has said about food, Himself, and our identity. Therefore, my four main takeaways for this episode are:

• You are created in God’s image, as a body, mind, and spirit.
• Food is nourishing for not only the body, but the mind and spirit as well.
• However, food is insufficient and cannot provide what only God Himself can provide.
• And lastly, food (and the weight on the scale) cannot change WHO God made you to be.

GOD CREATED YOU IN HIS IMAGE

First, you are created in God’s image, as a body, mind, and spirit. In Genesis 1:26-27 it says:

Then God said, “Let us make humanity in our image to resemble us so that they may take charge of the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and all the crawling things on earth.” God created humanity in God’s own image, in the divine image God created them, male and female God created them.

Here, we see that humans are distinct from all other creation. Humans were made in God’s image. Humans were made to rule and reign on God’s behalf. Many of us know this. But, what you may or may not realize is that, just as God exists in a tripartite (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), we too exist in three parts (body, soul, and spirit), which means that we are more than physical beings, but not less than. We are both tangible and intangible. Material and immaterial. We are a body, but we are also a spirit. We are a soul. We have emotions, intellect, conscience, and free will. We have a personality, and we have a relationship with the unseen Father.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Paul writes:

“Now, may the God of peace himself cause you to be completely dedicated to him; and may your spirit, soul, and body be kept intact and blameless at our Lord Jesus Christ’s coming.”

Here it is clear that Paul makes a distinction among the three parts of humankind: spirit, soul (which we will refer to as mind), and body. Spirit is the part of human that in contact with God. It is the part of human that touches, sees, serves, and worships God. It is also the part of human that can be filled with that of the world, effectively cutting us off from our relationship with God. The soul, on the other hand, refers to human’s intellect. Human’s mind. The soul includes affections, emotions, and free-will. The parts of human that are intangible.

Then, we have our bodies; the physical container in which we live. The part of human that is tangible. The part of human that can be seen and touched. The part of human that society has become so fixated on changing and perfecting. With that, our bodies are important. They are a part of who God made us to be. They are a temple in which the Holy Spirit lives and God expects us to take care of our bodies. God expects us to use our bodies in the way that God intended them to be used.

However, our bodies are not ALL that we are and there is a fine balance between taking care of your body and idolizing your body. There is a fine balance between focusing on God’s will for your body, mind, and spirit and becoming fixated on the world’s will for your body. We will get into that a little more here in a few minutes, but for now, just know that you are a body, a mind, and the soul. The three exist together as one and make you uniquely you!

FOOD IS NOURISHING

Ok, so secondly, food is nourishing for the body, mind, and spirit… What does that even mean?

Well, for starters I am a Holistic Nutritional Therapist, which essentially means that I believe food has the power to heal. Food is nourishing and what you eat does matter. In fact, the food that you eat provides your body with the very nutrients needed for your physical form to exist. God created humans in this way. God created us with a dependency on food and water to survive. In fact, without food, the human body will die in three weeks. Without water, it only takes about three to four days for the body to shut down.

Food contains both the macronutrients and micronutrients that our bodies need to survive. Macronutrients include things like protein, fats, and carbohydrates. These are the nutrients that provide our bodies with calories. Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals, which do not provide calories, but help support and form the body’s cells. As I mentioned at the beginning of this talk, food is fuel. It is sustaining. Food is the gas by which our “engine” runs.

In addition, food has power. Certain foods like olive oil (which is HEAVILY referenced in the bible) are used not only as symbolic healing, but physical healing as well. In James 5:14 it says:

“If any of you are sick, they should call for the elders of the church, and the elders should pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.”

While God is the one who performs the miracle in healing and the oil serves primarily as a symbolic ritual, the oil which is used (olive oil) does also have healing abilities due to its anti-inflammatory properties. In fact, olive oil was a huge part of Jewish life. Olive oil was used (and is still used) in the treatment of skin disease. In addition, the rubbing of olive oil on a guest’s dry scalp was a custom greeting in hot climates.

That said, food also holds a much more significant role in our lives and food nourishes us in ways that go far beyond survival, energy, and physical healing. In fact, all throughout scripture, food is used as a communal and commemorative item. Food brings people, families, and communities together.

For example, I want you to think about one of your most memorable and favorite meals that you have ever eaten… Whatever first comes to mind… Got it? Ok. Now, think about the flavors, the aroma, the atmosphere… Who were you with? How many people were there? What was the occasion? What food was being served? How did that moment make you feel?

I am going to take a wild guess and assume that none of you were thinking of a meal that you ate alone in your car. Most of you are probably thinking of a holiday or birthday. Perhaps a family dinner or a meal you ate with friends. Maybe it was a celebratory meal after a big win or ice cream after acing a test. This is because food nourishes us at a much deeper level than just the physical level.

Food nourishes us at a soul level.

In the bible, food and eating was a family and community event. In fact, for many families, food was a livelihood and a way of life. Take for example the making of bread. In ancient Israel, bread making was a family effort. While we buy flour or pre-made bread at the store, the ancient Israelites made bread from scratch… and by scratch, I mean they began making bread in the fields. The entire family would tend to the fields, plowing, planting, and growing grains. Then, they would pound and blow air through the grain to remove the outer husk, which would make the grain usable as flour. Once the flour was produced, a small scoop would be mixed with water and kneaded into a dough that could then be baked. This was a long, hard process. However, time and time again, bread appears on the menu throughout the bible. Bread appears at some of the grandest moments throughout the bible.

God provides mana (a bread) in the wilderness

Jesus multiplies bread to feed the crowds

Bread is broken around the table at the last supper as a symbol of Christ’s body.

But the key here is not just on the importance of bread. It is in how the bread was eaten. Bread seemed to appear most often within crowds or groups of people. And bread is not the only food that appears to be eaten in groups. In fact, Jesus spent a lot of His time gathering with people around the table, eating together. Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners. He was anointed by a woman during a meal. He ate in the home of Mary and Martha. He even yearned to share His final meal with those He loved a few days before His death on the cross.

There is something about sharing a meal that nourishes the soul on a deep level. It brings us together and creates a bond. It was a significant part of Jesus’ mission and ministry. In fact, in the New Testament, sharing a meal with Jesus was a tangible example of God’s grace and mercy. A tangible message that ALL were welcome at the Lord’s table, including the broken sinners and hurting souls. Therefore, sharing a meal represents far more than eating together. It represents friendship, hospitality, community, love, and grace. And with that, God calls us to do the same.

FOOD IS INSUFFICIENT

However, food is still insufficient.

Food is NOT ENOUGH to sustain our bodies, souls, and spirits on an eternal level.

Nonetheless, many of us have placed food on a pedestal and have made food and our bodies a form of idolatry. We have become so fixated on what FOOD can do for us and how controlling our food can change our outer appearance and inner health, that we forget WHO gave us the food in the first place. God is the provider of all things. Food just happens to be ONE of the ways in which God provides for us and meets our needs when we are hungry.

However, again as it says in Matthew 4:4, “humans cannot live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” We are not to trust in food or bread or even a specific body type to solve all our problems and meet all our needs. Instead, we are to trust in God and God’s self-revelation to us.

I know from first-hand experience that reaching some ideal body weight or fixating all of your thoughts on food does far more harm than good. It does not give you a sense of value, belonging, or confidence. In fact, the obsession over food and weight brings isolation, frustration, fear, and loneliness. It is God who then says, “I see you, my child. I love you; I want you, and I will never stop chasing after you.”

The scriptures say that we are each “fearfully (meaning “to inspire awe”) and wonderfully made” and it is in CHRIST and Christ ALONE that we have been brought to fullness.

FOOD (OR WEIGHT) CANNOT DEFINE US

With that, it is important to realize that NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING, can change the way in which God sees each and every one of us… as a worthy, loved, and beautiful masterpiece! Unfortunately, though, in a world of photoshopped celebrities and Instagram models (who are also photoshopped), it is becoming increasingly difficult to see ourselves as a beautiful creation… I get it. It is SO easy to focus on our flaws and knit pick our bodies in the mirror. It is SO easy to then view food as something that will make you “fat” and “ugly” and as something to avoid. Body dissatisfaction and a poor relationship with food are closely intertwined.

However, each one of us is created in God’s image and God takes delight in US. Further, God has a PLAN for you. A plan that is not dependent upon the way you look, your body weight, nor the types of food you eat.

In fact, if you look at the story of Leah and Rachel, the bible says that “Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was very beautiful.” … I read this and I thought, what the heck, God? That is not a very nice thing to say about poor Leah! To compare her to her sister like that and THEN to write it in the bible… for all of humanity to read… talk about a nightmare! And THEN things get even worse for poor Leah when her father tricks the man who was in love with Rachel into marrying Leah… Like, was Leah’s eyes really so bad that she couldn’t find a someone to marry on her own Which, by the way, would have been way worse of a situation in biblical times than it would now be due to the lack of women’s rights and patriarchal society (something we are most definitely talking about in this podcast). This whole story is basically a regular soap opera! (haha)

Anyways, long story short, this story ends with Leah showing a beauty that goes far deeper than physical appearance. Leah was a loving and faithful wife. She remained committed and endured unfairness through her faith in God. In addition, Leah bore 6 sons, one of which was Judah, the founder of the tribe from which Jesus Christ came.

Therefore, from this story we learn that God does not love us because we are beautiful or handsome. God does not choose us because we are brilliant or successful. In addition, God does not reject us when we do not meet the world’s standards. Instead, God loves us each unconditionally. God has a plan, and God will use ALL of us in the forward movement of God’s Kingdom.

CONCLUSION

With that, I want to invite you on a journey to freedom. A journey to freedom from fear, from restriction, from comparison, from binging, from self-hatred, and from anything else that you may be struggling with at this moment. I want to invite you to make peace with food and make peace with yourself. God wants to nourish you. God wants to fulfill you. God wants to use you in ways that you could never imagine! But first, God invites you to pull up a chair and sit at His table.

It is time to taste all that God has on offer for you.

Stay tuned as we dive-in to the topics of spirituality, intuitive eating, health at every size, eating disorder recovery, women’s rights, social justice, body image, relationship with food, trauma, and more. I am Annie Randall, this is Triad Warriors, and you are welcome to the table.