Our minds take hold of the thoughts that regularly enter our minds and we find them returning again and again. We often take those thoughts and create stories around them. If you have struggled with food and body image, you know these thoughts. A simple look in the mirror can lead to a thought about your eating habits and quickly spiral into a narrative about how no one will ever take you seriously looking and eating as you do. I believe the key to transforming our thoughts is getting in-tune with the Holy Spirit and thinking about His Truths on purpose. I’ve used these 10 intuitive eating affirmations through my IE journey and have had positive results using them with my clients.
Intuitive Eating Truth Number One
You are in this world but not of this world. When we come to Christ in faith, the Holy Spirit transforms us and changes who we are at heart (2 Corinthians 5:17). When you are transformed by the renewing of your mind you are able to discern the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2). This transformation helped me to see that Diet culture is the wisdom of this world, it is a misguided standard that we should not accept or live by. Find out if you are conformed or transformed in this article.
Intuitive Eating Affirmations:
I am in this world but I don’t play by the rules of this world.
I am being transformed by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2).
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Intuitive Eating Truth Number Two
The body must have food. It is true that man does not live by bread alone (John 4:31-34), but it is just as true that we cannot live without bread. Our physical bodies require physical nourishment just as our spirits require spiritual nourishment. In John 4:31 the disciples tell Jesus, “Rabbi, eat something” acknowledging the fact that he had to be physically hungry, it was time to eat. The Bible is full of references to our physical hunger. God tells us that he has created plants (Genesis 1:29) and animals (Genesis 9:3) for us to eat, knowing that food is required for life.
Intuitive Eating Affirmations:
My body needs to be biologically fed.
Honoring my hunger keeps me able and available to do God’s work.
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Intuitive Eating Truth Number Three
Jesus declared all foods clean in Mark 7:18-19. He explained the nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them because it does not go into their heart but into their stomach and our of their body. There is no morality in food choices. The idea from diet culture that there are good and bad foods has led to a lot of restriction and the inevitable bingeing that follows. You do not have to feel crazy around food. That freedom comes from making peace with food, making all foods morally equal.
Intuitive Eating Affirmations:
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Intuitive Eating Truth Number Four
We don’t need a set of rules to eat by. God did not place Adam and Eve in the garden with a meal plan. This tells me that he quipped up biologically to know when, what, and how much to eat. Our body was created with systems in place that regulate our food intake and we can trust them.
Intuitive Eating Affirmations:
I can challenge my belief system about food.
I can trust my body to tell me when, what, and how much to eat.
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Intuitive Eating Truth Number Five
The purpose of Self-Care is to be able and available to do Gods work. I used to approach Self-care from a worldly mindset. “Taking care of myself” meant that I did everything “the right way”. I ate, exercised, studied the word, worked on relationships etc. as the world recommended I did. The goal was usually looking a certain way, gaining worthiness and respect. I made promises of Self-care that I could never keep and felt guilt and condemnation when I fell short. Then I began asking the Lord how I should care for myself and experienced the opposite result. I talk more about self-care for Christians in this post.
Intuitive Eating Affirmations:
The Holy Spirit will Guide my Self-Care.
Self-care is necessary to keep me able and available to do God’s work.
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Intuitive Eating Truth Number Six
We are supposed to find pleasure in food. God created food to be rewarding and enjoyable so we would continue to nourish our bodies. In the Amplified Bible John 10:10 Jesus says “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” Enjoying your food is not a sin.
Intuitive Eating Affirmations:
Food is biologically necessary, fun, and pleasurable.
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Intuitive Eating Truth Number Seven
We have what we need to cope with our emotions. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). It is okay to receive some comfort through food, but with an unhealthy relationship with food eating or not eating can become coping our main coping mechanisms. Instead of working through things we turn these behaviors, but God equips us with what we need to stand up under trials and cope.
Intuitive Eating Affirmations:
The Holy Spirit is working in me to produce love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
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When our minds take hold of the thoughts of God’s truths and we find them returning again and again. We will take those thoughts and create stories around them. A simple look in the mirror can lead to a thought about your Identity in Christ and quickly build into a narrative about your strength, your purpose, your value, and His plan for your life. Get in tune with the Holy Spirit, ask Him to renew your mind and transform your heart. Begin by thinking about His Truths on purpose today. The words we think and speak are incredibly powerful, to explore the importance of being rooted in truth check out this Eating With grace Podcast, Replacing Lies with Truth: The Power of Words.
