In a pilot
study published last week in the journal Nutrition & Diabetes, scientists
say that changing your eating behavior can actually change how your brain
reacts to high-calorie and low-calorie foods.
It may be possible to rewire your brain so that it wants -- even craves,
healthier foods. How? Through the discipline of a healthy
diet. The research suggests that you
may be able to convince your brain that healthy foods taste better than
unhealthy ones.
The
study used MRI brain scans to test overweight and obese people in two
groups. The scans revealed that the
people in the weight-loss program had changes in areas of the brain reward
center involved in learning and addiction.
Specifically, this area showed increased sensitivity to healthy,
low-calorie foods and decreased sensitivity to higher-calorie foods.
For many
looking for lasting freedom from the severe problems caused by excess body
weight, this study provides hope. The
American Journal of Medicine recently reported 35% of the adult population is
obese. Excess weight, especially
obesity, diminishes almost every aspect of health, from reproductive and
respiratory function to memory and mood. Obesity increases the risk of several
debilitating, and deadly diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and some
cancers. It does this through a variety of pathways, some as straightforward as
the mechanical stress of carrying extra pounds and some involving complex
changes in hormones and metabolism. Obesity decreases the quality and length of
life. The good news, however, is that
weight loss is the surest way to curtail and stop the obesity-related symptoms above, and reduce the individual,
national, and global healthcare costs.
When I read
about this study I couldn't help myself make a spiritual correlation. Because of poor eating habits, a physical
body manifests obesity. Similarly, the
non-physical part of a person's being is also damaged when mental, emotional,
and spiritual garbage destroys one's inner person. Our inner being (the most real part of who we are) must be fed
just like our physical being in order to survive. It needs and craves a healthy diet of inspiration, encouragement,
and affirmation. It is also true that
in order to thrive (not just survive), what we feed our spirit and soul
can influence (and be influenced by) the types of experiences we choose to feed
on.
As a
Christian counselor, it is amazing to me, the number of people who do not make
the connection between their lack of time spent with God, and their feeling
distanced from Him. Then, estranged
from God, problems in life are amplified.
Spending time with God is like spending time with a human being. The Bible is filled with examples of people
who consider God a person and relate to Him that way. It is very simple. To get
to know someone, you must spend time with him.
To be influenced, built up, and fed by God, you must spend time in His
company. Many are aware of this need,
but what keeps them from spending time in God's presence? They crave lesser important things than
God.
Many people
who claim that God is a priority in their lives, do not take the steps
necessary to make sure He remains a priority.
They allow distractions to steal the nourishment God wants to provide
them. Movies, video games, shopping,
"hanging out," so-called social media, or even seemingly more
productive things like work and church activities, all must take second place
to intentional and consistent "secret place" time with God. The problems creep in their busyness because
they place too much weight on the importance of other things instead of
God. This misplaced weight creates an
"over weight" condition of their heart. It's like settling for a "sugar diet" over vegetables
and protein needed for steady growth.
This
condition is very common. Sometimes it
drives a person to dysfunction. Even if
dysfunctional behavior can be avoided, at the very least, an existence of
mediocrity is often the result. So can
a person train the brain to crave more of God?
A steady
healthy diet of cultivating deeper intimacy with God can change a person's
thinking and feeling patterns. This
healthy diet takes discipline. Training
is about discipline. Discipline is the
key ingredient for a recipe of mental, emotional, and spiritual health. The wisdom of the Proverbs speak much about
discipline. Here are two pointed
examples. "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates
correction is stupid" (Proverbs 12:1).
The second states, "Those who
disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding"
(Proverbs 15:32). Some say, "I'm
not a disciplined person," as if that should justify their undisciplined
behavior. These verses are very clear.
No healthy outcomes are achieved, and no excess fat gets trimmed,
without discipline. To be a disciple
requires discipline. The deeper you go
in discipleship, the more disciplined a disciple you become. The more you experience God, the
more of God you want to experience.
The more healing you experience in your mind and heart, the more healing
you want to pursue.
With a busy
lifestyle, another common excuse for failing to practice spiritual
disciplines is time. By saying, "I don't have time for
...," you're really saying, "I'm not willing to make time
for..." Time is never the real
issue. Make time for God--He's the only
one who's big enough to make time work for you. By craving more of God, He can change your cravings for more
disciplined use of time.
It also
amazes me the extent to which people try to justify bad behavior. Things they know are wrong they continue to
do anyway. Sin is sin. Wanting your own way over God's is
rebellion. Rebellion is sin. For example, living an immoral lifestyle or toying
with a secret behavior until you get caught or called out, is not living worthy
of the calling of a disciple of Christ freed from sin. Another Proverb exhorts us to disciplined
intention towards righteous living.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him, and he will
make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6). When you live in truth, you empower the truth and your appetite
for truth increases. When you live in falsehood, you empower falsehood
and your appetite for falsehood increases.
Some may
say, "I've already tried changing. It hasn't worked, and I feel worse off
than ever." I would answer as
follows. A disciplined person never
gives up. You may have to find a
different way to do something, but try and "try, again" will pull you
forward. You must be determined to fail forward (see John Maxwell's book
called Failing Forward). A
setback is not evidence of a lack of progress.
It's just a setback. Setbacks
are normal. As long as you're making
forward steps after the one backwards, you can call that progress. As long as you keep choosing the discipline
to step forward, your forward progress will eventually make it easier to choose
(and yes, even crave) the disciplined and healthier life.
Several
months ago my wife and I were introduced to the Nutribullet. We have been faithfully including a healthy
shake made of vegetables and fruits carefully selected for their nutritional
value. The first time I tasted one of
these shakes, I was not impressed. But
with each passing day it became more tolerable to the point now where I feel
the deficiency when we miss a shake for the day. I can truthfully say that my body is craving the nutrients has
caused me to crave the taste of the shake.
I didn't need a scientific study to show me how this works, but I can
add my testimonial to the study's validity.
I can also
speak to the benefit of spiritual disciplines.
I do not watch TV or movies and I do not have a smart phone. I'm not saying these things are
"wrong" for everyone, but I
believe my life is more interesting without them. Better than it's ever been is my relationship with Father,
fellowship with Jesus, and ability to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. My hope is for you to know God in the way He
designed for you to know Him. I
continue to seek that goal for myself, but based on my experience already, I
can assure you, it works!
Note: The book Escaping the Pain of Offense: Empowered to Forgive
from the Heart discusses themes of dealing with disappointments, offense
and finding freedom in forgiveness.
This book is designed to help people (especially in the Christian
faith) to discover and dislodge things
in life that lead to defeat. Don't miss out on your chance to use this book as
a helpful tool in discovering Refuge in Christ. It can be purchased by clicking
here: http://bluerockbnb.com/healing/book_main.htm . If you get anywhere near
Pennsylvania for vacation or on business, be sure to look us up for lodging at http://bluerockbnb.com
by Ed Hersh, Blue Rock BnB Healing Ministry
