My Guinea Pigs Loved It! and Thoughts on the Theology of Unhealthy Eating

Last night I served my family (our parents included) my first foray into preparing a raw foods dish. I made a “fruit cobbler” for dessert. It was really, really good. We couldn’t believe it didn’t have any sugar! I got rave reviews from my test kitchen. (I’ll post the recipe in a separate entry.)

I read this in a raw food cookbook I checked out of the library (my addition in italics):

My body is … [God’s] … temple. My body isn’t a discount body. Just because something is cheap or free doesn’t mean I need to eat it, especially if I know it’ll do me more harm than good.
—Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen, Ani Phyo

Check out her website here: Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen.

I am also loving this Scripture verse right now:

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.
—1 Corinthians 10:23 (ESV)

I think it’s quite illuminating that the second part of that verse speaks to the good of one’s neighbor. I don’t want to hyper-spiritualize this issue (but since I do believe the Bible speaks to every molecule of our lives, I think this is appropriate…), but I really believe that all of our (humanity’s, broadly and our family’s, specifically) issues with healthy eating, weight gain/loss, healthy living, disease, epidemic obesity, environmental concerns, etc. stem from each seeking his or her own good. Indeed, we are self-absorbed, self-seeking, self-satisfying, self-indulging creatures. We have mass-produced plants and animals until they are stripped of their natural health benefits, all for the indulgence of our insatiable appetites. We have created more and more ways to feed our sweet and fat and salty tooths, all to the detriment of our health. We pour millions of dollars into fast food so that we can have it all right now. And all of this seeking for our own good just creates addiction to more. It’s powerful. It’s destructive.

I don’t know why it’s all kind of an epiphany for me to figure out that the way I eat—my food addictions, my idolatry of satisfying cravings, my lusting after french fries—is, first and foremost, a sin issue and an inevitable aspect of the Fall. But, I am, for the first time, kind of seeing all of this through new lenses. I don’t think I’ll totally abandon all of my eating patterns, but I am ready to embrace more healthy foods and free myself from the bondage of sugar, fat, and salt.