Some of you may just enjoy food. That\u2019s fine!\u00a0 Scripture says God has given us all things to enjoy — and that includes the pleasures of the palate. \u00a0But what if food has become too important to you?\u00a0 If your life revolves around your meals (and snacks), food may have become an idol to you.\u00a0 If you eat to comfort, entertain, or de-stress yourself, you may have a food addiction.<\/p>\n
Food is not a good god. It doesn\u2019t heal or help any hurt.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t change any situations.\u00a0 And ultimately, it can destroy your health and your life.\u00a0How do you break the hold food has over you?<\/p>\n
We discussed in the last couple of posts that you can address the problem the way folks combat any addiction.\u00a0First, recognize and admit the problem.\u00a0Second, look for the root causes and get a plan to fix them.\u00a0 It may be a relationship or situation that has to be changed first. It may be a needed attitude adjustment on your part.\u00a0 If there is a deeper problem than food, it just makes sense to get to the root of the issue.<\/p>\n
What then?<\/p>\n
Those who are addicted to alcohol or drugs are counseled to change their environment.\u00a0 If they are living with people who feed their addiction — they need to move.\u00a0 They need to get rid of the triggers and to get into a safe, healthy environment.\u00a0 That\u2019s why there are rehab facilities.\u00a0 People can go there and know they will be free from temptation so they can fight the other aspects of their addiction.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, there are no rehab centers for sugar addicts — at least none for ordinary people who are not millionaire movie stars. \u00a0Kicking out the people in our household who eat is not an option, either.\u00a0 But don\u2019t despair! There are ways to manage this hurdle.<\/p>\n
If having sugar-and-calorie-laden food around the house is a problem for you, then it likely is an issue with your family, too.\u00a0 Maybe they aren\u2019t overweight (yet) but they aren\u2019t benefitted by eating health-destroying foods. \u00a0So, first try to get your family\u2019s cooperation in your sugar-free, low glycemic mission.\u00a0 Explain the issue and ask their help.\u00a0 If they cooperate, you will have their backing and can fix healthy foods for the whole family.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t buy junk food or have it in your house. No one needs to eat it — even your skinny teenager.\u00a0 Make sure there are plenty of good, healthy foods available for them to snack on and, if you are the person in charge of meals, fix foods that are nutritious and filling.\u00a0If fruit and nuts are the only snack items available, they will eat fruit and nuts. If there is an Oreo option, they will choose the cookies every time.\u00a0 And it is likely that you will too, in a weak moment.\u00a0Decide to spend the extra time fixing food from scratch rather than buying the quick, pre-processed foods that are \u00a0full of salt and high fructose corn syrup.<\/p>\n
If the home crowd complains — and they very likely will — develop selective deafness.\u00a0 You gave your kids medicine whether they liked it or not, because you knew their health depended on it.\u00a0 So give them healthy, wholesome foods even if they yell a bit.\u00a0 They will get over it and the end result will benefit them.<\/p>\n
However, if this is not possible for some reason, such as a saboteur in the house who brings in food contrary to your pleas, you can go to plan B.\u00a0 Make the trigger foods as inaccessible as possible.\u00a0 Put them out of sight and on the highest shelf of the pantry — at the back.\u00a0 A friend of mine locked the goodies in the trunk of her car.\u00a0 If her family wanted snacks, they had to go outside and get them.\u00a0 After a while even her kids chose the easily available fruit rather than traipse out to fetch the Little Debbies from the trunk.<\/p>\n
Do your best to make the good food inviting and easy.\u00a0 Buy the already-prepared veggie trays complete with dip, or fix the vegetables ahead of time so it will be easy for them (and\u00a0 you) to snack on them.\u00a0 Try out low glycemic recipes and make an effort to fix meals they will enjoy.<\/p>\n
Yes, it will be trouble — but it will be worth it, both for you AND your family!<\/p>\n
Eating to live and living for Christ,<\/em><\/p>\n Susan Jordan Brown<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Some of you may just enjoy food. That\u2019s fine!\u00a0 Scripture says God has given us all things to enjoy — and that includes the pleasures of the palate. \u00a0But what if food has become too important to you?\u00a0 If your life revolves around your meals (and snacks), food may have become an idol to you.\u00a0…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":423,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[143,117,160,141],"class_list":["post-673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-encouragement","tag-addiction","tag-food","tag-snacks","tag-sugar"],"yoast_head":"\n
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