This topic is something I think on so often – food freedom and our relationship with food. It’s so important, and something I struggled with for years of my early 20’s. But now I live in food freedom (not perfectly, but with God’s strength!)
It wasn’t until I read You Are Free by Rebekah Lyons that it really hit me about how important freedom is in our lives. That book gets a big, huge, double thumbs up and recommendation from me! It was really life changing on how I thought about freedom.
In this episode I’m going to chat with you a little about food freedom, and share a very small piece of what I got out of this book. The book obviously wasn’t on food freedom itself. In fact, I don’t think she ever mentioned food freedom at all.
But it was about freedom in our life in general and allowing God to set us free to operate and walk in that freedom. We ALL crave freedom and through Christ we are free!
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” – Galatians 5:1
As you’re listening, you’ll hear me veer off the path of overall freedom and talk specifically about my story. Now this is not to say all freedom has to do or start with food. I’ve just personally seen an epidemic of guilt, shame, and comparison about how we eat as women.
And, think about this: don’t you think Satan maybe wants you to feel badly about food and have a bad relationship with food? I mean…what better way to distract you than by making you feel badly about something you do every day, multiple times per day?
A challenging question Rebekah asks in the book is: Can you run a race in chains?
I’ve never shared much about the story of my past poor relationship with food, disordered eating, and mindset of deprivation, and I feel so vulnerable sharing it. But I know in sharing my story it may resonate with you. You know, I don’t think I’m the one one sho has struggled with this.
“Freedom is contagious. Freedom helps us set others free.” – Rebekah Lyons
Here are my simple, yet profound tips. Confess and Declare. It’s in the book “You are Free” and hit me so hard as I realized that is exactly what I did to get free.
Ask God to show you the areas of your life that you’re not living free.” Talk about food specifically if that is where you struggle. Maybe it is body image. Both?
Get honest with yourself about your struggle. It’s real. Not made up, not blown out of proportion. That was my lie to myself – that it wasn’t a big deal and everyone was obsessed about food and what they ate (which is partially true because so many of us women struggle with it!)
Confess those struggles. Be open to God. This is not for salvation, but for freedom.
A declaration is a statement of truth. Biblical truth about God, what he thinks about us, and what is right. I believe it can bring about total transformation.
Declare a bible verse – a truth. Let that declaration be a prayer. Think about it daily. This is renewing your mind… and that can and will bring about change!
Believe God is big and big enough to rescue you… from anything. But if we are talking food specifically, believe he can help you with that.
Here is my vision for you in food freedom. What it really is: Food freedom is you breaking free from food rules and eating the way you feel great eating.
You feel great eating food that are nourishing to your body, and you’ve figured out what foods make your body feel great. Maybe it’s lower carb. Maybe it’s higher carb. Maybe it’s grain free, maybe it isn’t (gasp).
It’s learning more about being the healthiest version of you and then deciding if you want to incorporate that into your eating plan or not.
It’s having peace about how you eat, enjoying the work that comes with feeding your body well and not feeling deprived in the process.
A few years ago I created a set of healthy body declaration cards that I’d love to bless with you to help you in your journey toward food freedom.
Show Notes:
Healthy Eating is Hard Podcast
Healthy Body Declaration Cards
How to Eat Intuitively with Meg Doll Podcast
Just click the button below to download them FREE through May 23rd, and for just $0.99 after that.
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