How To Nourish Your Body Without Turning To Food

Do you find yourself snacking at the end of a long day to soothe the stress? Do you turn to food during times of high emotion, eating for emotional reasons? You aren’t alone. You take healthy steps toward wellness when you learn how to nourish your body without turning to food.

Is Your Cup Empty?

I have a simple quote I offer as advice to others:

You cannot pour from an empty cup.

Without realizing it, I had emptied my cup. This led me to old eating habits. That’s when I learned the importance of nourishing my whole self.

I was at my goal weight. Over six months, I became slack in caring for myself. I had become physically, spiritually, and emotionally drained. 

I learned this was a “danger zone” for me. I was too exhausted to think about, plan, or prepare healthy meals. Food had always been the right-sized puzzle piece to fill whatever void I had. I was believing a lie.

I would start strong each day with a healthy breakfast, lunch, and plans for a healthy dinner. Sound familiar? Then, I would find myself at dinner, exhausted, unprepared, and unable to cook.

This is when I turned back to binge eating and emotionally eating to soothe and fill the void caused by my empty cup. I was failing at being mindful of all areas of my life.

One day, while walking down a quiet country road, God spoke to me. His words were clear and simple, “You are not seeking Me.”

I was shocked and began thinking about how my mindful eating habits crumbled. Could this be why I was eating out of control again and gaining weight? 

After some repentance and seeking God, I learned He wanted a place in ALL parts of my life. This began my journey into learning how to nourish myself with and without food. God will take our messes and make it our message if we give it all to Him.

Why We Turn to Food (Instead of True Needs) 

Emotional eating is eating to escape, numb, or change our feelings. Food, while tasty and satisfying, is fuel for our physical bodies. Once we intertwine emotions with food, we learn to turn to it for comfort.

When we hear the word nourishment, our minds immediately turn to food. Nourishing our body does include food. But, whole body nourishment includes feeding our spirit and mind as well.

God wants us to seek Him in all things. I’m reminded of the Bible verse Psalm 121:1, “I lift my eyes unto the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth”.

That tells me that my help should not come from food. Ouch!

Turning to food as my helper showed my lack of faith. God wants to fill any void, be my strength, and comfort me. 

Identifying Your Nourishment Needs 

This was a new way for me to look at food. What nourishment did I need that wasn’t related to food? I had to have time for God. This meant I needed to restructure my day to “be still and know.” (Psalm 46:10)

Many people find journaling an easy way to explore their minds and dwell in the scriptures.

Here are a few journaling prompts to get you started.

• “Are there worries I’m trying to numb with food?”
• “What verses offer me peace and comfort?”
• “Do I have a void in my life?
• ”What am I grateful for today?”

Spiritual Checkup

You may be like me if you identify with some of the things I’ve written. Initially, I didn’t have a clue what self-care included. But I did know that God had to be at the top of my list.

Answer these questions to keep God your priority.

• “When have I talked to God?” He’s a great listener!
• “Am I serving others?” This helps us find purpose beyond oneself.
• “Have I given myself permission to _____?” Yes, I had to learn to give myself permission to take time for me. What do you need to give yourself permission to do? 

Emotional Checkup

Here is a list of ideas to get you thinking. Since we are all different, you may want to establish your own checkup.

• “Am I on my priority list?” Making time for yourself is so important. Even if it’s taking a few minutes before you start or end your day. I find comfort in just sitting in a quiet place without the distractions of a TV, cell phone, etc.
• “Is my cup empty?” Is there a person draining my cup? Or have I just failed to refill it?
• “Are all of my answers yes, and none of them no?” No is an answer. I think we feel it needs to be justified. It doesn’t! Finding my voice and using it was huge for me.

Social Checkup

Being among like-minded individuals helps us build our support network.

Here are some ways I’ve found to connect with others.

• Being a part of faith-based community groups.
• Attending church and participating in church activities.
• Have a Christian mentor or an accountability partner.
• Facebook communities. 

Did you know about the Facebook groups sponsored by The Holy Mess? I’ve made great friends in these groups, and we are like-minded.

Check out these groups. I’ll be there.

The Holy Mess Weight Loss Diet Challenge Group | Facebook

Weight Watchers Group Support with The Holy Mess | Facebook

Christian Weight Loss for Women with Faithful Finish Lines | Facebook

Creativity Checkup

At one time, did you have a hobby? I like to crochet, embroider, and read. When I discovered my cup was empty, coincidentally, I had stopped doing much reading and absolutely no crafting. 

I’ve often sat and crocheted while praying or meditating on God’s Word. God can be worshiped anywhere. Think about your hobbies. Do you have a hobby that you stopped somewhere along the way?

Physical Checkup

Take a look at your overall physical self. Sometimes, we don’t see what’s right in front of us.

• “Am I eating a balanced, healthy diet?”
• “How well am I maintaining a healthy body and lifestyle?”
• “Do I have some health concerns I’ve not spoken about to my doctor?”

Remember, maintaining a healthy body is honoring God’s temple. 1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us our body is the temple of God and that we are not our own.

Meditate on that Scripture as you do these checkups. It led me to repent and start caring for myself (God’s temple).

Practical Tips for Shifting Your Mindset

The battle is waged in our minds. Here are a few ideas to help you have a positive mindset.

• Accept that you are not perfect. Learning to trade the guilt for God’s forgiving grace helped me overcome the “I’m either all in or all out” diet mentality.
• Some days, I’m going to eat more than others. This came from learning real hunger versus “I want.”
• Food is not the enemy! With God’s help, He can use food to heal us.
• I will not put any food on a pedestal. I’ve had certain foods I’m guilty of placing on a pedestal. Doing that mentally makes me think that food is restricted. God gives us freedom, even with food. Do you have a particular food you put on a pedestal?

Mindful Self-Care Strategies

Learn and practice being as excellent to yourself as you would a friend.

• Celebrate your victories without food, such as getting your hair or nails done or buying that book you’ve wanted. You are worth celebrating!
• Celebrate spiritual growth and self-care. 
• Find healthy alternatives. I’ve traded traditional desserts for fruit or yogurt. This doesn’t mean I never eat cookies, cake, or pie. I plan those treats in my food plan.
• Be kind to yourself. This means forgiving yourself and speaking life and love to yourself. Remember whose child you are.
• Trade guilt for God’s grace.

When to Seek Professional Help

Remember, God can use different tools to heal us. Seeking help is a way to honor God’s desire for your well-being. Some ways to get help are:

•  Faith-based support groups.
• Talking with a trusted Christian friend, mentor, or pastor.
• Talking to your physician.
• Find a therapist specializing in eating issues

Think of the ways you have cheered for something your child has achieved. I can imagine God looking at me and celebrating each of my achievements. And just like we do a child, He will help us improve next time. He loves us that much.

Learning to care for myself, look to God, and keep my cup filled has brought me healing. I no longer have food elevated on a pedestal. I strive to keep my life balanced.

Caring for one’s whole self brings honor to our Creator. We’d love for you to join our Free Christian Weight Loss Program.

Christian Mindfulness Apps

Here are a couple of apps I find helpful for guided Christian mindfulness, meditations & resources:

• Our Daily Bread Daily Devotions – Simple yet meaningful daily devotions.
• Bible Gateway. Offer searchable Scripture in several translations.
• Dwell App: Offers Bible-based meditations.

FAQs About Nourishing Your Body

How will you nourish yourself this week? Tell us about it in the comments.