Bible verse to inspire stress relief, food freedom, health & wellness
Wisdom has built her house; she has set up its seven pillars. She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her servants, and she calls from the highest point of the city,
“Let all who are simple come to my house!”
To those who have no sense she says, “Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of insight.”
Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults; whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse. Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you. Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.
Folly is an unruly woman; she is simple and knows nothing. She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city, calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way,
“Let all who are simple come to my house!”
To those who have no sense she says, “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!” But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead.
A few thoughts...
Stress?! What do you do when you are overwhelmed in an already busy & hectic day?
The stolen moment ... the comforting sensation of melting chocolate and peanut butter on the tongue. The times when the candy wrappers were buried deep in the trash so no one else would know.
The fleeting moment of excitement from rebelling against personal expectations of discipline. The resulting wave of isolation that is made up of shame and guilt from losing control, feeling weak for failing to maintain personal standards, being worthless or unloveable....
Stress eating is not lack of discipline
When you feel stressed, you probably experience one or more of the “fight,” “flight,” or “freeze” reactions. These reactions are related to stress hormones that impact your physical body when your brain feels threatened or challenged. You may have heard of the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. But, the more we look into human physiology, the more we learn.
Of course, there are so many symptoms of stress, one of which is the need to start searching around for a quick, convenient snack. That’s a pretty common experience, and now researchers have uncovered a link as to why.
A recent study found that when people were subjected to stress, they released another “stress” hormone called ghrelin. This hormone was discovered in 1996 and became known as the “hunger” hormone (it has several functions, but appetite-regulation seems to be the main one). Ghrelin is released and travels throughout the body to get you to start looking for food.
Yes, stress makes you hungry . . . and now we know why
It was identified that levels of ghrelin quickly increased when a stressor was applied, and then slowly decreased as minutes and hours went by. Another interesting thing is that we don’t know why ghrelin decreases after stress is removed. We used to think that ghrelin levels came down after finding and eating food, but that wasn’t the case here. More studies are needed to shed light on the factors that reduce levels of this hunger hormone in the body.
The bottom line is that several studies show that the hunger hormone ghrelin is released in response to stress and this is related to why we often feel the need to “stress eat.”
It has also been found that stressed people with excess weight tended to have higher levels of ghrelin that lasted even longer than stressed people without excess weight. It’s not clear right now which comes first: increased ghrelin in response to weight or increased weight in response to ghrelin, but there certainly seems to be a correlation. (If you are one of those struggling to lose weight, your stress levels may be a contributor.)
So what do I do now? Knowledge doesn't stop the feelings
While more research is needed to dig further into ghrelin as a hunger and stress hormone, one interesting takeaway was that the ghrelin levels decreased even without eating. So, if you’re compelled toward stress eating when you’re truly not hungry, know that the impulse will decrease even without satisfying it. You can try drinking water or if you do partake in stress food, do so slowly and mindfully.
Biblical perspective
When there is no hunger, yet you strongly feel the desire to stress eat and soothe yourself, your body & emotions are screaming at you that you need to do something different. Instead of the above suggestions, you can choose to fulfill your emotional hunger and take actions to start relieving your stress.
Earlier in Proverbs 9, we are reminded that choosing to mock and mask what we truly need (like turning to an empty imitation of comfort or joy, like a peanut butter cup) can leave us suffering alone. (NOTE: If you decide to eat, give yourself grace and own the decision. Don't mock yourself or belittle yourself for your decision. You are taking care of yourself. Give any feelings of shame and guilt over to God - those negative feelings are from the enemy taunting you.)
Alternatively, we can choose to turn to the Wisdom and Knowledge of the Lord. He is capable of nourishing us from the banquet of faith & life. The banquet is set for many. Choosing Wisdom over Folly will reward us. Those that choose the banquet will walk together in the way of understanding and be able to support each other.
I’m praying we each choose wisdom and God’s love ...
RELATED: God's Mercy Soothes When Negative Self-talk Attacks
Prayer and Journal
How do you feel about asking for God's help rather then stressfully continuing to fight through situations with your will alone?
How have you characterized your struggle with stress eating? What do you believe are the physical, mental & spiritual issues?
If you have started a mood / food or stressor tracker, what patterns are associated with stress eating when you are not hungry? What emotions or automatic negative thoughts are you really seeking comfort for?
My hope for you...
I hope that these words (or what you experience through doing this as a journaling exercise) can serve to inspire and energize changes in lifestyle and food choices. Remember God made you wonderfully and through Christ everything you've done has been forgiven. This means that shame or guilt is something we do to ourselves. God loves humans enough that He gave us free will and the opportunity to make choices to see if we return and grow in relationship with Him.
There are times when support is needed, book a free consulting session to discuss how you can successfully make small changes in habits so you can boost your energy naturally and reduce stress.
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