Healing Binge Eating Disorders “with” Food
May 7, 2010 by Kim T
Filed under Eat Well, Emotional Eating
I’ve written many times about overcoming binge eating disorders since that was my struggle for many years. Lately God has led me to look at the physical part of that issue more – from a “fight fire with fire” approach.
Just the other day a question popped into my head: “Why do people eat?” My first thought was to relieve hunger. Then another question: “Why do people get hungry then?”
Have you thought about that?
God designed you so that you must eat to supply nourishment to your body. God gave you taste buds so that eating is pleasurable. Because it feels good, you want to do it.
God also gave you hunger so that it becomes uncomfortable when you don’t eat. So he gave you two “insurance policies” to ensure that you eat so that your body receives the nourishment it needs to stay healthy.
Here are 4 things proper nourishment does for your body. Just remember the word MINT.
- Metabolism – Your body needs nourishment to convert the food you eat into energy for you to work, play, love
- Immune Function – Your body needs nourishment to defend itself against disease
- Nerve Strength – Your body needs nourishment to maintain the messaging network that the brain uses to communicate with your body
- Tissue Growth and Repair – Your body needs nourishment to build muscles and heal wounds
But what if the food that you are eating is not nourishing? What if the foods you are eating are so addictive that not only do they crowd out the foods you need, but you are unable to control the amounts that you eat?
It is clear to me that this is an overlooked key to healing binge eating. The physical part of healing occurs when you begin to fulfill the purpose of food, which is to nourish your body. Healing foods are used to replace any addictive foods from your diet so that you can exercise self control in your eating.
Think about your current eating pattern – if you suffer from binge eating disorders, I doubt that you turn to salads or broccoli when you are emotionally upset. Instead you probably crave carbohydrate-heavy foods since the body breaks them down quickly, giving you an instant sugar high. You feel calmer – that is until the next craving hits.
To get off the roller coaster and start healing, then you must supply your body with the foods that keep it in MINT condition – foods that God made originally for your body like dark green vegetables (rich in magnesium, which is needed for all MINT functions) and fruits like apples, oranges, pears, and strawberry. You also need limited amounts of lean protein like beans, fish, turkey, chicken, lean beef, eggs.
And you do need some carbohydrates but they must be the slow processing kind like brown rice and sweet potatoes. That way, you won’t trigger the sugar hits that compel you to overeat. Be sure though to pay attention to how you feel when you eat carbohydrates until you know how much you can tolerate to stay in balance.
So in addition to prayer, using a journal so that you can identify your binge eating triggers, you must eat for nourishment to restore balance to your body. Your body will thank you for it!
Did you find my tips on overcoming emotional eating useful? You can learn a lot more about this topic and how to achieve healthy weight loss. Check out my Take Back Your Temple eBook and all the bonuses that you get with it.
Kimberly Taylor, C.W.C.
Certified Wellness Coach
Author of the ‘Take Back Your Temple’ ebook
http://www.takebackyourtemple.com/book
I have struggled with self esteem and weight loss since highschool, and to be honest I have memories of comparing myself to my sisters in terms of weight in grammar school. I’m 5’2 and 160 pounds. I can’t look in the mirror without cringing or making a negative comment about my body. Even years ago at 136 pounds I went through the same thing. I am consumed by a feeling of self loathing and I don’t think loosing weight is going to solve anything. I desperately need to renew my mind. I rededicated my life to Christ on March 7, 2010, and I continue to feel in bondage when it comes to eating, self esteem,lonliness,fear,sadness and purpose. It seems to be tangled up like an impossble ball of christmas lights that you’d rather throw away and buy new ones than to deal with. I can’t throw myself away, so I have to deal with these issues and begin to untangle these feelings with God’s help. Your website gives me hope and I feel God has led me here. Thank God for his mighty love for us. He loves us when it feels impossible to love ourselves. I pray for everyone who can relate to my story. Help us all father, because without you this journey is futile.
Well said Ayanna,
Everything you said sounds just like me. A big ball of Christmas lights. Thanks for putting my thoughts into words….I’ll pray for you too.
Stick in there girl. You are right where you need to be, in God’s hands.
My struggle with binge eating and addictive behavior toward food went on for 6 years after I went on a crazy restrictive diet and lost a lot of weight. When I stopped my diet, I felt guilty for eating and it triggered me to eat more. Soon it became a cycle. I felt ashamed for eating. I knew it was wrong, but I didn’t know how to fix it, and that just increased the cycle.
I tried EVERYTHING to stop binge eating, and I put it on myself and my efforts to do it. When I continued to fail, I hated myself for it and all the blame went onto me. My self esteem took a really big dive. I cried in a dark house and felt so hopeless. Then I met Jesus. It didn’t automatically stop, although I do think it is possible to be healed instantly by Jesus, it’s not always the case when there is something greater to learn in the struggle that will make you stronger in Christ. It was a journey and I knew Jesus was with me.
And after a year of giving it up to him, choosing to stop obsessing about it, it became the past. Of course, the emotional healing was hard at times. Dealing with those feelings was painful, but ultimately they lead me to freedom in Christ. I remember the day it took a big turn. I was eating mindlessly something that didn’t even taste good. Suddenly a thought popped into my mind. “The Fruit of the Spirit is self control.”
It is a verse in Galations 5:22-25 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
That thought really helped me. I know Jesus is in us, I know his Spirit lives in those who call on Him and therefor you DO have the fruit of the Spirit! I believe that the impulse to binge eat and emotionally eat is temptation from Satan. God says that if you resist the devil, he WILL flee from you. When I caught myself eating mindlessly, I would say that out loud or even just to myself, “The Fruit of the Spirit is self control”. It sets the truth straight and confronts the enemy saying, “NO, I have self control and I resist to give in to temptation because Jesus gave me His Spirit.” When I do it, that drive to destruction, that temptation flees from me.
It wasn’t until I relied on Jesus that it changed, so I really happy to hear that you have given it up to Him. It WILL change. Have patience with yourself, rest in your Father’s love for you and never put anyone’s opinion of yourself over GOD’S OPINION OF YOU, including your own. God’s opinion is all love, and perfect love drives out ALL fear! His Grace is enough, and you WILL be healed. Choose to follow him and resist the devil. It WILL change. I am witness to the fact.
ROMANS 5:3-6 “Not only so, but we[a] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.”
Have Hope girl, the creator of the ENTIRE UNIVERSE is on your side. And He has poured out His love for you, how do we know? He died for you, so accept your destiny! To be loved and cherished for exactly who you were created to be. YOU. And YOU are beautiful.
Wow, what encouragement, Mia! I know your powerful testimony will help set many free. I could not have written this better myself. God bless you on your desire to minister to others!