Garbage In...

What comes in, goes out. That includes music, tv shows, food, drinks, and the words spoken to you.

I could easily turn this into a lecture on what you should and shouldn't listen to, watch, read, etc, but I don't want to do that. However, before I carry on, I will say that it is important to filter what we surround ourselves with through scripture. I cannot sit here and confidently tell you that I am good at this. The truth is, I love to listen to heavy rap or metal when I lift, I like creepy and dark TV shows, and Colleen Hoover writes a damn good book. I will just say, use discretion. Garbage in, garbage out.

I recently had a friend tell me that she is picky about the meat she chooses to ingest because she believes if the animal suffered during its life, then that will reflect on our physical health. I am not sure if I fully agree with that, but she has an amazing point. The food we put in our body has a direct effect on our health. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Paul urges the people of Corinth to take care of their bodies because they belong to the Lord. The easiest way to do this, is to watch what we are eating. When I was 6, my mom started our family on an all organic diet. I hated it. I wanted to enjoy Lunchables and Muffin Bites with my friends but instead I was stuck with no-name fruit rolls and carrots. I was too young to understand that my mom was doing us a favor. I have barely any health issues, aside from the yearly cold, and I consider myself a fit person. Since moving out, I have continued clean-eating and I have focused on organic whole foods with a high protein intake. A lot of this is because I enjoy lifting and want to see the results of my fitness journey, but it's also because I feel better and my mind feels more clear. I am not saying you need to give up cake and switch to a whole foods diet, I'm simply asking you to look at the food you're ingesting. Is it good? Is it beneficial? My mom and dad like to tell me that you pay for good and organic food now, so you don't have to pay the doctor's bill later. They are so right! Cheat days and meals are okay, but when they start to become more frequent than your healthy meals, it becomes a problem. You begin prioritizing your desires rather than what you know is best for you. This could lead to so many issues.

A trend I have seen on instagram reels (because I don't have tiktok) is that when you are focusing on your health, going to the gym, and eating well that you are fatphobic. It makes me roll my eyes. I cannot stress enough how important staying healthy is AND how biblical it is.

In addition to what we physically put in our bodies, it is important that we try and filter the words spoken to us, by social media, our families, our friends, and even ourselves. Those words, regardless of how ridiculous they may seem at first, if repeated enough, begin to sound like the truth. Recently, I re-downloaded a calorie tracking app. I hadn't remembered making an account but I had back in 2018. When I logged in, I was shocked to see how low of a caloric intake the app had recommended so I went to my goals. Back in 2018, I weighed in at 119. As someone who now sits at a much heavier weight, I was shocked and I was even more perplexed when I saw that my goal weight was set to 115. For a girl with my build and height, that weight is unhealthy. Then I remembered my headspace during that time and the struggle I had faced for the years surrounding 2018. On social media, I was following so many women who were tiny and promoting a vegan diet that would help you shed weight. That influence had me thinking I weighed too much and that cutting out all animal products would make me healthier. The lie I'd told myself was that I'd also be happier. 2021 hit and I was still struggling and feeding myself this garbage online but it got worse. I got sick and because of my diet and unhealthy eating habits, I wasn't able to recover. I lost 10 pounds and was sick for 3 months. I realized that I had been so consumed by these influencers that I was willing to put my own health at risk. The issue at hand was my eating and restricting yes, but the underlying issue was where I was getting my information and who I was willing to listen to. The people closest to me were telling me to stop, but it didn't matter because I'd already bought into so many lies. I truly believe that had I had been more careful about who I was letting influence me, I would've never struggled quite like I had. Their words were like food for my soul and I didn't realize how important it was to filter that until it was too late.

Living a healthy lifestyle has three main categories (in my humble opinion); spiritual, physical, and mental. All three of these categories can either be strengthened or absolutely demolished. It just depends on the garbage we decide to let in and the voices we decide to listen to.

Choose carefully and remember that the only One who can speak real truth into your life is God and His word.