About a decade ago, I became aware of a pilot study published 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.
Spiritual Application
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 and conditions enslaving a person in poor health. Similarly, the non-physical part of a person’s being (inner being) is damaged when it is fed mental, emotional, and spiritual bad food or garbage. Our inner being (the most real part of who we are) must be fed nourishment just like our physical being in order to survive. Our core inner being needs and craves a healthy diet of inspiration, encouragement, affirmation and godly wisdom. 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, to observe the number of people who do not make the connection between their lack of time spent with God, and their feeling distanced from Him. When 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 or her. 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? Like the physically unhealthy body craves unhealthy foods, spiritually unhealthy conditions are caused by craving lesser important things than God.
Priorities Matter
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. Can a person train the brain to crave more of God?
Proverbial Wisdom
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 godly 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.
Beyond Self-justification
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.
Personal Example
A number of years ago my wife and I were introduced to the Nutribullet. We have been faithfully including a healthy shake made of vegetables, fruits, and berries 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 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, rarely engage with entertainment such as movies, and extremely limit the use of a smart phone. I’m not saying the same restrictions are for everyone, but I believe my life is more interesting and healthy without the influences of an ungodly culture.
I literally cannot function without my “secret place” experience with God, seeking Him for my daily needs. Prayer and Bible meditation are the core ways I nourish my soul each day.
This spiritual food produces the strength I need for the storms of life that come my way. 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 am forever seeking to know God better because I realize that as long as I’m alive, there’s always room to grow. However, based on my experience already, I can assure you, it makes life the healthiest it can be!