Sometimes, health-related goals are due to re-wiring our brains based on what we learned as children. Our habits in terms of sleep patterns, diet, exercise, etc. may stem from how we treated our bodies as children. For example, if we didn’t have parents who exercised regularly or ate right, it is easy for us to fall into unhealthy patterns, buying junk food and eating sugar-laden, high-fat foods. Exercise is good for keeping us healthy all the days of our lives.
The same is true with eating healthy. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, “Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.” Treat it that way by eating right, exercising, sleeping regularly, and keeping your stress levels down. Even when life can feel out of control, we can cling to a God who is never out of control.
Even when your goals are difficult, take one step toward health. Change your lunch choice. Eat at regular intervals and make sure your body is constantly at a stable glucose level. Eat only foods that have a low glycemic index. Changing only one thing instead of several may feel less overwhelming, and it is easier to retrain your brain.
Your brain releases chemicals that signal cravings whenever you see the food you have eaten before. When we have a pleasurable feeling from food, a shot of dopamine is released in the brain. Your brain remembers this and tells you to keep on doing it. Getting that good feeling may result in excess weight and stress levels that can be detrimental to our health. Make a habit of eating healthy foods for the next twenty-one days. At the end of the month, analyze how you’ve changed. Do you find you still crave those foods, or are you interested in different foods because of the changes you’ve made? Celebrate the win and take another baby step when ready.
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