Is it Really Food you Crave?

Recently, an article comment really made me think about the nature of our food cravings.

Here was the article comment:

”Kimberly, i need your advice. my goal is to have a NORMAL relationship with food. i want to be able to have cookies or whatever in my house and them not consume my thoughts. i just want to be normal and not have a bunch of food rules and restrictions, and no-nos. Given that God can do anything, why can’t he do this for me? i am not praying that i be able to eat a box of oreos everyday, all i’m praying for is that i be able to enjoy God’s gift of food and not fear his gifts or feel like i can’t keep it in my house because i may “lose control.”

I can understand her viewpoint because God created us to eat and to enjoy food. If we weren’t meant to enjoy food, why would He give us taste buds?

So the ability to taste and enjoy food is part of God’s plan.

In reading her comment again, the word ”food” stood out to me. So I decided to look up the dictionary definition of food.

According to dictionary.com, food is:

”Any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink or that plants absorb in order to maintain life and growth.”

Consider this definition for a moment. Real food is:

1. Nutritious
2. Maintains life and growth

So then, that begs the question:

• ”Is what we crave REALLY food?”
• ”Are most of the items we eat REALLY food?”

After careful thought, here was my response to her comment:

”Thank you for your question. You said that you would like to have a ”normal” relationship and not have cookies consume your thoughts. And you said that you want to be able to enjoy God’s gift of food and not fear His gifts.

Food is indeed a gift of God and food is good. However, consider this:

Are the ”foods” that you crave really food? By that, I mean are they foods that God made for your body to heal, energize and nourish itself?

Or are they ”foods” that man has created that only stimulate your taste buds, provide no benefit to your body, and hijack your brain?

I recommend checking out my article ‘The Hidden Reason you Overeat’‘ and think about your current eating pattern in light of it.

Now, imagine this scenario: You are scheduled to go into surgery. The anesthesiologist gives you medication to put you to sleep. If you actually go to sleep, would you then say, ‘I lost control. Why can’t I be normal?’

No. That medication was designed to put you to sleep. Your reaction was normal.

In a similar way, some processed foods cause reactions in our brains like drugs.

So if cookies are consuming your thoughts, then it is clear that cookies are hijacking your brain.

It is your choice about whether you want to continue to put those cookies in your path and let them consume your thoughts…or pick real foods you like that don’t hijack your brain so that you can get on with your life.

1 Corinthians 6:12 says:

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”

– 1 Corinthians 6:12

Does this mean you can’t ever eat items like cookies or chips again?

Of course not.

You can eat anything you want.

However, it’s wise to ensure that most of what you are eating is really food to maximize your health, energy, and keeps you emotionally stable for your God-given purpose.

It is true that God can do anything. But as a loving Father, would God give you the ability to keep on eating something that is clearly hurting you now and consuming your thoughts?

Think about it.”