Diet culture. Does just that name make you cringe a little, too?
If it isn’t another fad diet that comes around at least once a year. They spread like wildfire, then dissipate over time. There was a rage for no-sugar, non-fat, or sugar-free items in the 2000s. In the 2010s, documentaries started to come out about where our meat comes from, so a lot of people were going vegetarian or pescatarian. In 2018, many people in my circles began thinking they were lactose intolerant, so we started drinking and eating non-dairy items like almond milk, coconut milk, and oat milk, which would ultimately spike our blood glucose after having a vanilla oat milk ice latte, yikes. The Keto diet popped up sometime around that time, too. Intermittent fasting started to pick up speed in 2020, as did the carnivore diet, a complete pendulum swing from the 2010s.
I swear you can never get a definite answer: is butter good or bad? Is red meat healthy or not? 2020 was probably the strangest time for our diet and health, but we can give some grace. We were all going through quite a change in pace at that time. I’ve heard many people actually improved their eating habits during the pandemic, but a lot of others might have struggled the most. My point is diet culture is an everchanging spectrum that can never find absolutes. All they want is your money. Let’s get back to the basics of a healthy diet.
The Basics
In a healthy diet, you need to have three things—protein, fats, and carbohydrates. In our home, we try to keep it simple with meat, vegetables, and potatoes in some form for dinner. When you think about it, it hits all the groups but still has a ton of variety. One of my favorite meals is steak, broccoli, and baked potatoes. My husband Ryan makes the best steak I have ever had. It is to the point that I don’t order steak out at restaurants anymore because I am disappointed and would rather eat one he prepared. Keeping it simple and making things in your home is the best way to eat a healthier diet. Getting locally sourced items is even better if you are lucky enough to have them near you!
Just today, we went to our favorite local market, which is the cutest. Friendly faces (the owners are in there all the time cutting produce like apples for customers to try). They have a large variety of items, and there was soft jazz playing today, which gave me a reason to feel so cozy. If you live near Maryville, Tennessee, you should give Amburns Market a try the next time you’re shopping for produce and other goods. They have locally sourced products that you can feel confident purchasing. We like to do this as much as we can. Knowing that my milk, butter, and meat came from a local farmer who cared for his/her cow is a big deal to me.
It might be a little pricier, but you can taste the quality. Also, thinking about supporting local families and their businesses is precisely where I want our money to go. It also helps your local community and economy. Not to mention, Ryan and I were thinking about it; due to inflation, the price is close to the same if we went to the grocery store to buy the same items, so that is a win.
Diet Culture Effects on Beauty Standards
I once saw this video that showed what body type was considered “Beautiful” in each decade. It was eye-opening that it is always changing and quite drastically, too. From one decade of favoring tall and thin, and it would be an insult to say someone’s rear is large to embracing curves, and the bigger the butt, the better. Glossy lips switched to matte; glamor makeup changed to natural and soft. blonde hair, tan skin, big lips. It can only bring you to the conclusion that women are confused and do not know what the world wants from them. I see so many women trying to change themselves when they should just be who they are and stay the way the Lord made them.
The Buzz Word/Phrase: “Body Shaming”
Yes, yes, I hate buzzwords as much as you, I’m sure. But the other day, I saw this post on YouTube that said something along the lines of, “I wonder what it is like to live in a naturally skinny body? Not being judged about what you eat or being able to buy any outfit, what problems could they have?” This post drove me absolutely bonkers.
These topics can quickly become controversial and make you go down a rabbit hole with all the different opinions. So, I am going to try to be cautious of that. Still, I think this ideology is just feeding into putting division amongst people who have different body types. Making it harder to understand one another when you jump to the conclusion that thinner people do not have any problems. People and their relationship with food can be tarnished no matter how much they weigh. You never know what someone is dealing with. So please, do not jump to the conclusion that their life is somehow easier in any way. We need to remember that people of all sizes and body types have problems and insecurities. All because we live in a sinful, fallen, and corrupt world.
Living in the Light
Luckily, that isn’t where the story ends. We have hope in Christ to live in light, not darkness. We don’t have to judge people, feed their insecurities, or give them a reason to have an unhealthy relationship with food. Many people do this to make themselves feel better, and that should not be the case.
If you struggle with food or body image, you are not alone. Every single person does. Remember that you are nourishing your body to be healthy. Eating fuels the energy you need to live out the life the Lord has given you. I’m not sure if this applies to you, but I know for myself I do not have the best attitude or servanthood if I have not eaten well. Many Bible verses about the body can be taken out of context. In most cases when the phrase “the body” is refering to the church, aka the body of believers in Christ. However, some of them refer more to the human body. To list a few:
Of course, the most obvious and probably the first that popped into your head is 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
“19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (ESV)
1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (ESV)
Why does how we treat our bodies matter?
Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (ESV)
The Lord has generously and mercifully given us these bodies with life as a gift. A gift that came with a price. God gave up His only Son, sending Jesus (who is blameless/pure/innocent) to die on the cross in our place to atone for our sins so that we could be in right relationship with Him, for He is a just God. How could we treat our bodies and our lives like it doesn’t matter? God has a purpose for us, and it is hard to fulfill that if you are unable due to health or abilities. In all that we do, we should glorify Him.
Where should our focus be?
I love Matthew 6:25-34. I encourage you to read it. The passage talks about the Lord’s provision in our lives. How we should not be consumed or worried about these things but trust the Lord, who is the Provider of all things. One thing that always stands out to me is when he says, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (ESV)
I don’t know about you, but those are two of the main things I find myself worried or stressed about. But life is so much more than those things. Yes, we need to be good stewards, and we should care for our bodies. For us to be healthy and let them function the way they were designed to. But our main focus shouldn’t be consumed with outward things but the inside.
Later in the passage, it says, ” For the Pagans seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (ESV)
Our relationships with Christ and other fellow believers, with those who may not know the Lord or might even decide not to follow him, will be affected for eternity. So focus on those things.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for our bodies. May we be good stewards of them, fueling them properly for good work. Not filling them with garbage or being slothful but being prepared to love others well and serve you. May all we do bring you glory, God. Amen.
SOURCES
Here is Amburns’ website! https://amburnsmkt.com/
**If you enjoyed this post, you might be interested in this one as well: https://wonderfullymade-kmk.com/how-to-start-being-a-homesteader/. Thank you for visiting the blog!