Does God Care About How We Eat?
Chris and Mike discuss a topic that is often pushed to the back of line of subject matters – our health and how we eat. Let’s talk about why it’s important to actually eat good and the consequences whether good or bad on how God designed our bodies. What is at the root of how we make decisions on what to eat everyday?
Leave us a voicemail online and send us your experience or thoughts to info@notquitethereshow.com
Visit nqtshow.com and visit here to see all available platforms this podcast is now available on!
Does God care about how we eat? Mike Mobley and Chris Howard say yes, and not because of a diet chart. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, you were bought with a price, and whatever you do, including whether you eat or drink, is meant to be done for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 6:19–20, 1 Corinthians 10:31). With Chris fresh off a peanut butter and jelly burger with candied bacon, and Mike confessing a sliver (or two) of cake, they get honest about why physical health always seems to land at the bottom of the spiritual-growth list, what really drives bad food choices, how to avoid making health an idol, and practical ways to invite God into the process. Below: the key takeaways, the Scriptures discussed, and the full episode transcript.
Why Physical Health Ends Up at the Bottom of the List
We talk a lot about prayer, Scripture and next steps of obedience. Mike notices that food and physical health almost never make the list, yet they have huge consequences. He calls himself an all-or-nothing guy. One bad meal snowballs into a bad day, a bad week, skipped workouts, less energy for the kids, more mental fog and even more mental health struggles. When he eats well, exercises and drinks water, the way God designed the body, he thinks clearer and has more natural energy. Chris adds the motivations: feeling good, being around and present for his family, and longevity. (Looking good at the pool, he jokes, matters less as he hugs the AARP line.)
Your Body Is a Temple: Glorify God in What You Eat
Mike reads 1 Corinthians 6:19–20. The context is sexual immorality, but the principle reaches our physical bodies too: the Holy Spirit lives in us, we are not our own, and we were bought with a price, so we glorify God in our bodies. God designed us. He knows how our bodies work. Chris brings 1 Corinthians 10:31: whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. As he puts it, “whatever you do” eliminates any wiggle room.
“I Want What I Want”: The Real Root of Bad Food Choices
Mike gets gut-level honest. When he goes off track, it’s because he wants to eat what he wants, when he wants, how he wants, even in the middle of the night. “I deserve it. I worked hard. This tastes good.” Underneath it is control: life is for me, food is for me, pleasure is for me. That, he says, is an idol. Chris shares his own roots. In his extended family, food was plentiful and was what drew everyone together, and sports meant eating a lot with teammates. Quantity mattered more than quality. (Mike and his brother once put away 24 slices at CiCi’s as teenagers.) Chris’s weight has seesawed for years. When he goes off a program, it becomes “a tour of bad decisions” and, after the meal, “big baby head”: too full to do anything but sit.
Don’t Swing to the Other Extreme: Health Can Become an Idol Too
Chris warns that a healthy plan will meet a gauntlet: group dinners, someone’s homemade dessert. Without doing it for the Lord, it won’t stick. But sharing a meal can also be a great thing. Mike says the pendulum can swing the other way, making health itself an idol, obsessing over perfect nutrition and then destroying ourselves over a brownie with guilt and shame that Jesus never placed on us. Ironically, that guilt often leads to more bad decisions.
Have a Plan: Intentional, Not Reactive
Chris has had real success with a structured program that limits calories and makes him pay attention to what he eats. Mike follows something similar: low carbs, high protein, good fats and about 30 minutes of activity a day. He compares it to a budget. A budget isn’t for poor people. It’s a tool to track what God has given you. Not thinking about food means being reactive and led by feelings. Mike also stops at 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to recenter with the Lord, because his cravings tend to rise as his time with God wanes. Fifteen minutes of quiet time in the morning, he says, is a cheap amount of time to give Jesus. (Then Chris outs Mike’s cake.)
Confess It, Get Accountability, and Invite God In
Chris names gluttony as a sin: knowingly overindulging. His way forward is to confess it, tell a friend, get guidance and get on a plan, starting with staying 15 miles away from Lazy Dog tomorrow. Mike’s challenge is to treat your body with the same intentionality you bring to raising your kids, time with the Lord, your speech or serving your family. If you don’t, confess it and pray about it. Chris adds that every planned meal is a chance to pray and invite God into the change. (Then a “Mike Tyson” voicemail closes the show with health tips: carnivore diet, smooth jazz and tiny bubbles in the spa.)
Scriptures From This Episode
1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit) · 1 Corinthians 10:31 (whether you eat or drink, do it all for the glory of God)
Go deeper: Fruit of the Spirit: Self-Control · Scripture on Self Control · Proverbs 12-15: Desire, Diligence and Discipline · Motivation For Obedience · Are You A Grown Up Man Child? · Stewardship of the Body
Full Transcript, Not Quite There, Episode 8: Does God Care About How We Eat?
Mike: All right, all right, all right. Here we are. Boys and girls of America, friends, family, countrymen, back again for yet another week. Chris is very excited. He has been drinking lots of Starbucks before today’s episode. What did you have in your cup?
Chris: We talked about this a little while back. What I like to have in my cup is a tall.
Mike: Is it small? Is that what that means at Starbucks? Small equals tall?
Chris: Tall equals small. Makes sense. Thank you, Starbucks. Tall is small. And it is a latte, with a lot of heavy cream in it.
Mike: A lot of heavy cream in your latte?
Chris: Heavy cream.
Mike: So you were kind of carbo-loading, or fat-loading, before the episode. Loads of fat. Not just black coffee? You’re not just a black coffee guy?
Chris: No, I’ve tried. Didn’t stick.
Mike: And then you had heavy cream one day…
Chris: It did have heavy cream.
Mike: And then it was like, “What is this delight?”
Chris: It’s hard to keep it black coffee.
Mike: Do you have heavy cream by itself in the fridge at home?
Chris: We do.
Mike: Is there a certain brand you like?
Chris: Borden, maybe? I’ve seen Borden, but I can’t tell you for sure. I think we change it out depending on the grocery store.
Mike: What’s the fanciest? Is it Fairlife?
Chris: We do have Fairlife milk, but I wouldn’t consider us fancy people.
Mike: Maybe Fairlife will be a sponsor someday on here. Is that what we’re saying?
Chris: Fairlife, we’re inviting you to sponsor our coffee addiction.
Mike: We figured fat-loading was a good segue today. Why would you say that, Mike? Well, because, Chris, it’s funny you ask. We are talking today about physical health, taking care of our bodies, some food and nutrition things.
Chris: Good episode. I’ll see you later.
Mike: Things that guys love to talk about and get better at, and women too. Physical health. Habits, eating, taking care of our bodies for the Lord. A topic that I think sometimes is glossed over, maybe?
Chris: Glossed over, ignored, maybe just not our favorite subject, because it hits us on such a personal level.
Mike: Is that what you think it is? I do feel like we talk about reading the Bible, praying, sharing the gospel, discipleship, kind of all the things. But then someone’s like, “Well, how are you taking care of yourself physically?” And we’re like, “Oh, hey, I don’t want to talk about that.”
Chris: It’s kind of rude.
Mike: Yeah, it’s a little bit rude, right? You’re asking me how I feel about my body? How I feel about what I’m putting in it?
Chris: Yeah. Well, I think we don’t tend to enter into those conversations too easily.
Mike: So naturally, that means we want to talk about it here on the podcast. Make everyone feel nice and extra comfortable.
Chris: Especially both of us. Yes. Discomfort is our specialty.
Mike: It’s becoming that. So who doesn’t want to eat a bacon peanut butter cheeseburger today? Oh, wait, that wasn’t me. That was you.
Chris: Yes.
Mike: You did.
Chris: I did.
Mike: How does it feel? Was I allowed to say that? Was I not supposed to say that?
Chris: Well, it’s out there already, so we might as well talk about it. So the burger of choice today did have cheese.
Mike: You’re slowing down. Is it hitting you right now? Is that burger processing through your body?
Chris: Thankfully, I had the fat-loaded coffee to keep it going. But it was a substantial burger patty with some cheese.
Mike: Sounds delicious.
Chris: With some candied bacon, which would be a completely good meal in itself, right?
Mike: This is not making me want to eat healthier, the more you describe this.
Chris: They put peanut butter and jelly on it.
Mike: Oh, man. Which, I will say, probably sounds gross to the average person. However, I can attest to this too. There’s a burger place called Son of a Butcher, like a butcher cutting the meat, that has a PB&J burger. It is delicious, people, if you’ve never tried it. Would you attest to that?
Chris: I would say that I didn’t have the Son of a Butcher.
Mike: Son of a Butcher.
Chris: I didn’t have that particular burger or slider, because I think they specialize in sliders. Son of a Butcher, if you ever decide that you want to sponsor our show…
Mike: We got your name right. And sliders.
Chris: This one was delicious. This was from Lazy Dog. And I know we talked about not being lazy and childish last week, but the Lazy Dog…
Mike: Is that why you went to the Lazy Dog right after?
Chris: There was some talk prior to this burger choice about a peanut butter and jelly burger, and it was fresh on my mind, talking with a good friend of mine. And you know what? It was there on the menu, it was lunch, and I decided I was going in. I was all in. There was no hesitation.
Mike: Did you have a productive afternoon after eating a burger like that?
Chris: Fortunately, yes. But I think I was mentally prepared for it. And so there wasn’t any nappy nap, or any kind of slowing down.
Mike: When you take a nap, do you normally call it a nappy nap?
Chris: With my blankie. And you know, that’s just me being childish still.
Mike: Well, the health is going downhill. Let’s get back on track, and let’s get back to the topic at hand.
Chris: Because Matt Foley is a great model of…
Mike: Matt Foley. Don’t Google Matt Foley for the epitome of health. That’s not what we’re going for.
Chris: You’re a great life coach, but…
Mike: So, okay. Let me put you on the spot. Why do we want to take care of our bodies? Why does this actually matter? Why is this important? What’s your opinion on that?
Chris: I think we want to take care of our bodies because, from a personal standpoint, we want to feel as good as we can. From a relational standpoint, we want to be around for our relatives. We want to be able to take care of ourselves and make sure that we’re there. And I think as men, we feel like our best protection over our families is if we are here and present. So there’s motivation there.
Mike: So longevity of life, and feeling good. Because let’s be honest, when you down that bag of Doritos at the end of the day, or you have your peanut butter burger, no one’s walking away going, “I feel great for the next three hours.”
Chris: “Well, that was a great decision, and I feel good, and my metabolism is going to have no problem processing this.”
Mike: You need a nappy nap after that, basically. So, to feel good, longevity, maybe a consideration of others. Maybe out of some desire to look good. You know, look good at the pool.
Chris: That doesn’t matter so much for me now.
Mike: You’ve given up on that.
Chris: As I’m hugging the AARP line. No, but I could see how it would for some other people in their 40s.
Mike: Good or bad motivations, obviously. I’m just trying to think through the different reasons people would want to do it. Health, feeling good, looking good, things like that.
So I was thinking about this topic, and I’m always struck by how much we talk about all these other spiritual disciplines, these things we should do as men or women for growing. Taking a next step. The whole point of all this is, what’s our next step of obedience? How can we move forward with something? But then the topic of food or physical health is always at the bottom of the list. Yet it has huge consequences.
And I’m a great example of this. I’ve had seasons of really good health, really striving to eat well and exercise. And then other seasons where, honestly, I tend to be an all-or-nothing kind of guy. So if I start eating a terrible burger after a terrible burger, or a bowl of bacon, naturally, as one does, then I just kind of throw in the towel and start eating everything.
Chris: So if you have a bad breakfast…
Mike: It sets my day in a bad direction.
Chris: Can you just stop? So you can’t get to lunch and say, “All right, I’m going to have a salad now”?
Mike: Sometimes, if I’m having a stronger, healthier day, I can turn the corner.
Chris: Okay. It’s a hard turn, though.
Mike: But more often than not, it’s a snowball effect. I’ll want to eat bad. I won’t want to work out. And then a day turns into a couple of days, turns into a week. And before you know it, you just feel terrible. I’ve struggled with more mental health issues when my physical health is declining. I’m not going to want to play with the kids as much. I don’t feel as mentally sharp. I get that fog brain, if that makes sense.
Chris: It does make sense.
Mike: You’re like, “I’m feeling that right now from the burger and the latte.” So then, on the flip side, and I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by this, when I eat well, exercise, drink water, do these basic principles the way God’s designed it, what do you know? I’m mentally a little bit sharper, I have more natural energy, and I tend to think clearer.
Chris: So you know the formula there. You’re going to feel a lot better if you make those decisions, and it sounds like that all adds up to even better decisions. So what throws you off?
Mike: Man, that’s a good question.
Chris: Please tell me, because I don’t know the answer. I just had peanut butter and jelly on my burger, Mike. I’m asking for help.
Mike: So let’s talk about a little bit of a biblical answer, and then I’ll give you my take on what’s worked, because I think everyone’s going to have a slightly different practical answer on that. 1 Corinthians 6:19 through 20 is talking about sexual immorality and things like that, but I do think this can also apply to our bodies physically. It says, “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, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” That puts a pretty strong emphasis on our body being a temple of the Holy Spirit that lives within us, right? And that we’re not our own, because of what Jesus has done for us. It says you were bought with a price. He’s paid the price for our sins. So glorify God in your body.
Again, a lot of that is about sexual immorality. We can talk about that in another episode. But there is a strong emphasis on the Lord going, “Hey, I designed you. I created you. I know how your body works. I’m the Creator of it. So glorify Me through your body.” And then obviously there are consequences, whether they’re good or bad. There are spiritual and physical consequences. Likewise, you can bet if you don’t glorify God with your body, well, then here we go with everything else, right? And there’s other Scripture too. What’s that verse in 1 Corinthians?
Chris: Yeah, 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
Mike: So even right there, basic fundamentals. Whether you eat, drink, honestly, whatever you do.
Chris: It’s the “whatever you do,” because that really does eliminate any wiggle room, right?
Mike: I don’t know what doesn’t make that list. I think everything’s there. Everyone has a different personality, but I know when I start getting off track, if I had to be gut-level honest, and I want to be vulnerable here, though it feels weird to say it, it’s because I want to do what I want, when I want, how I want. I want to eat what I want, when I want, how I want it, whatever time of day, even the middle of the night. And I’m sure there’s some fleshly side of me that goes, “I deserve it. I’ve worked hard. This tastes good. Why should I have to limit myself?” And there are limitations as I get older. There are things I can’t eat like I could maybe 20 years ago.
Chris: “Why do I need a bowl? Why not just the carton of ice cream?”
Mike: Or a strip of bacon versus a bowl of bacon, whatever. So it has to come down to my motivation. Frankly, I just want to do what I want to do. I want to be in control. I think that would be an idol. Essentially, I would be God in that example, right? Life is for me, the food is for me, the pleasure and enjoyment is for me. It has to stem from that motivation.
Chris: Well, and saying you know what’s best for you, whether you’re making the better decisions or not. You’re saying, “This is what I want. This is what I’m going to have.” And there really is no place for reason.
Mike: I think it just goes out the window, right? You push God out the window. And I think there’s something in there that thinks I deserve it, because I know what’s healthy. We know what’s healthy. There are different programs out there. We know what we need to do. We know the vitamins and minerals we need. We know the veggies we need to eat.
Chris: We know we need some water.
Mike: We know we need to drink a little bit of water, maybe quite a bit.
Chris: Not just heavy cream.
Mike: Not heavy cream. We really know. So why is it hard for you? And not just because of today. I know today you went…
Chris: Terribly off the rails. I went completely off the rails. But just like you prepare for a part, you know, you have your SAG card, so you know what it’s like to act and prepare and get ready.
Mike: Screen Actors Guild card, for those of you wondering what a SAG card is.
Chris: Not an AARP card. It’s a SAG card. It’s for people who still want to look good. So anyway, yeah, it was full preparation for this conversation. I had to feel it. I had to really get into the role.
Mike: So why do you go off the rails at times? What’s your motivation? Is it the same motivation?
Chris: I think it’s the same motivation: “I deserve it.” There are other things that stem from it too. You and I talked about this a little bit earlier. Some of my better memories from when I was younger, in my extended family, we didn’t argue about food. Food was plentiful. Food was what drew us together when we were together. So some of my better memories go back to getting together around food. And also just carrying that on through playing sports, eating a lot and celebrating with teammates. It wasn’t really about the quality of food you could eat, but the quantity of food.
Mike: Like a CiCi’s situation.
Chris: Like a CiCi’s, or a Pancho’s. Raise the flag.
Mike: Oh, Pancho’s. I have not thought of Pancho’s in forever. Is Pancho’s even around anymore?
Chris: I don’t know. I haven’t followed it.
Mike: Did you ever do a CiCi’s competition of how much pizza you could put down?
Chris: Maybe.
Mike: You don’t want to share that? Is that a dark place for you?
Chris: I promise not to say anything about it.
Mike: My brother and I, and I should give his full name and Social and date of birth on here, I think we got to 24. I mean, we were in our high teens, so you could just put it down and move on.
Chris: Your metabolism was working for you.
Mike: Which, looking back, is quite the gluttonous situation that I might be a little ashamed about. But yeah. How many gatherings are around food? Celebrations.
Chris: Celebrate good times. Come on.
Mike: That’s unfair. Now the AARP is going to come out of your mouth. So, celebrations. Man, even tough times. Think funerals.
Chris: Oh yeah. Food.
Mike: Weddings? Food. Baptisms? Food. I mean, like a crock pot…
Chris: La Hacienda across the street made a lot of money off of 121.
Mike: I’m thinking crock pots. What’s that? Potlucks. There it is. They’re not called crock pots.
Chris: There are a lot of crock pots there. There we go.
Mike: Have you ever done anything crazy, like a Cracker Barrel? I’m just thinking about this right now.
Chris: I had a life group that met at a Cracker Barrel. I think part of it was just going to Cracker Barrel, and the other part was seeing each other. But what I’ve noticed is that when I go off the rails, it kind of turns into a tour of bad decisions. Because, hey, if I’m going to have this, and especially if I’ve been depriving myself and I’m on a program and haven’t had something in a while, well, why not go get Wingstop or something like that? Why not say goodbye to these things again and then get back on the program? And I laugh, but it’s been a pattern. Over that time, my weight has seesawed. I’ve gone up, I’ve gone down. There’s never been a consistent weight that I’ve been at. So I’m still searching for the healthiest version of myself, from a physical standpoint.
Mike: So when you start doing that, does it lend itself to other poor decision-making too, or does it stay strictly with food and nutrition?
Chris: Oh, let’s talk about baby head. Okay. So, nappy nap time.
Mike: I don’t know what baby head is. I’m curious.
Chris: We’re going to talk about it. You know how a baby’s head tends to be disproportionate to the rest of its body, and tends to make it fall over?
Mike: You’re saying this like I know where you’re going. I don’t know where you’re going right now.
Chris: Big baby head, or nappy nap time. After you eat, you don’t feel like doing too much, right? You’re not at your best. You’re not ready to conquer the world. So that makes it easier to sit and watch television and waste some time there. And we talked about childish things. It’s probably easier to pick up the video game controller there. So whatever it is for you…
Mike: You need to connect the big baby head for me, because I still don’t know how you’re connecting this.
Chris: Okay. Why don’t I just demonstrate? So here it is. I’m a baby.
Mike: So Chris, so far, has raised his arms in the air, and all he has said is, “I’m a baby.”
Chris: I’m a baby, and my head is tipping over.
Mike: And he’s fallen over. Okay. So you basically mean when you’re so full and stuffed, you’re good for nothing. You’re like a baby just sitting there.
Chris: Like a baby with a big head.
Mike: Why does the big head matter? A baby with a small head just sits there too. What’s the relevance of the big baby head?
Chris: It’s how your head feels.
Mike: Oh. These analogies are… okay. So let’s just bring it back. I’m sorry. We went off there. So when you have big baby head syndrome, you’re right. You’re stuck. You don’t want to get up. You’re lethargic. And it just lends itself to… you’re right, for me, I go, “I already don’t feel good. Do I want to work out? No. Do my kids want to go play outside? I don’t want to go play outside.” So I guess it does kind of lend itself to other things. So on the flip side, hypothetically, not today obviously, but maybe tomorrow, when you eat healthy, does it then go the other way for you?
Chris: I think so.
Mike: Are we going to call this “small baby head”?
Chris: We’re going to call this…
Mike: It doesn’t matter. But it goes the other way. You start making positive decisions.
Chris: It’s easier to keep momentum. If you have a goal out in front of you, it’s easier to keep momentum toward it.
Mike: It’s been challenging me. I turned 40 this year. Thank you very much. And while I kind of felt a little bit low about it at first, it’s made me motivated to go, “Okay, how can I be in the best shape of my life around 40?” Which I think all of us do a little bit each decade.
Chris: I did it at 40.
Mike: Not doing that now, obviously, but when you were 40, you felt that way.
Chris: I’ve always been a slow adopter.
Mike: So I found myself freshly motivated, and maybe also, just getting older, I don’t want to eat as much junk. I don’t want to feel terrible. I don’t want to have these negative consequences. But this is my confession: I don’t always wake up going, “I want to glorify the Lord with my health.” And I want to get better at that, because it’s so weird. I feel that way about other things with Jesus, but I just don’t go there with my health. So when I think health, I really am trying to strive to go, “Jesus, let me glorify You with my healthy choices today.” Not just for my body, because my body is still fleeting, right? It’s still going to have issues. It’s going to fall apart, whatever.
Chris: It’s a sin-riddled body that’s meant for a new one down the road.
Mike: But I don’t always wake up going, “Jesus, for You, let me eat healthy today.”
Chris: I don’t either. And I think that’s what we’re trying to arrive at here: how does that become more front of mind?
Mike: That’s a good question. I think talking about it like this helps, getting it to the forefront. It’s just not common. You get a group of 20 people, and maybe one or two will go off to the side to talk about health, or maybe hold each other accountable. That’s great. But we don’t bring it to everyone as a whole. And I think we really are struggling as a people with unhealthy consequences that are affecting other areas of our lives, and some of it can be tied to nutrition and exercise. Like anxiety and other stuff we’ve talked about: one of the number one natural remedies is exercise. God’s designed our bodies so that when you exercise, there are good consequences that come out of that, that help our minds and our bodies. So maybe the challenge for me is, while I’m trying to consider other spiritual disciplines, to intentionally pray through my actual physical health more often.
Chris: And I think that’s wise to do. I believe we should do that. I also know that there tends to be a gauntlet out there when you decide, “Okay, I’m going to start eating healthy.” You think about what you’re going to have, and then guess what? You get invited to go hang out as a group, and so-and-so’s making a dessert and bringing that. So you have to expect that there are going to be hurdles along the way. You set your mind and say, “I’m going to do this, I’m going to do my best,” and then be prepared that there are going to be some obstacles to face. And if you’re not tapped into doing that for the Lord, then…
Mike: It’s not going to stick. It’s not going to hold.
Chris: It won’t stick, and it won’t hold. And then on the flip side too, gathering together can be a really great thing, and sharing a meal with people can be a great thing. I guess it’s really up to you to figure out whether what you have there with others is okay.
Mike: That’s a good word on not obsessing over this. Because you’re right, the pendulum swings to the other side of this: making health an actual idol. Which is why this is such an interesting topic. It’s just like anything. We go back and forth. We could obsess over making sure the nutrition and everything is perfect. So when we have a brownie, or we’re with friends and we eat this side dish or whatever it is, we just destroy ourselves mentally with this guilt that is never placed on us by Jesus Himself. We riddle ourselves with this guilt and shame, which then, ironically, sometimes turns into more bad decisions.
Chris: And so I know that it’s good to have a plan and to look to stay on that plan, and it’s better when there’s some accountability in that regard too.
Mike: What kind of plans have you come across that have worked well? Obviously, whatever you’re doing today is not the right plan.
Chris: I’m off the plan. Just to tell you, I’ve gone off the reservation there. It’s the Wild West here. But we’ll bring it back. Optavia, or you might call it “Op-tah-via.”
Mike: Optavia? Is that what it’s called? O-P-T. That’s one plan.
Chris: Optavia, Optavia. You say Optavia.
Mike: I don’t know what it’s called, actually. You’re opting into something. Is that what the plan’s about?
Chris: Via doing this plan, you should be able to see some results.
Mike: You’re describing it really well. So there are a million plans out there. What’s the idea behind something like that?
Chris: Getting momentum going, limited calories, and you’re really paying attention to what you’re eating. I know that with their program, if you’re doing it strictly, you’re eating their particular foods. In this case, you can find some substitutes.
Mike: So the idea is you’re being intentional. And I think every plan seems to center around that. Let’s say we’re budgeting our money. A budget is not for poor people. It’s a way to track the money that God’s given you. It’s a tool. So a budget for food would be kind of like what you’re saying, right? You’re tracking calories, and not just any calories. What are the carbs? What’s the fat? What’s the protein? Which is funny, because even I, at these moments right here, am already tempted to be like, “Blah, blah, the fats and the carbs. I don’t even care. I just want to eat something. I don’t want to think about all that.” But to not think about it means that we’re just going to be reactive, which means we’re going to be led by our feelings, and Scripture has a lot to say about how that’s going to lead us down a bad path.
Chris: You’re on a similar program, from what I understand.
Mike: Yeah. My wife has done it, and I’m doing something similar with some slight adjustments. I don’t know if anyone cares about this, but it’s low carbs for me. My body reacts to carbs, which I think is true for a lot of people. High protein, good fats. You’ve got to educate yourself a little bit. For me, if I can work out each day for around 30 minutes, if I can just do some activity… And it’s funny you brought up breakfast. If my day starts off well, I’m kind of off to the races. And then maybe a couple of times throughout the day, I want to lean toward cake or bacon. But that’s probably because my time with the Lord is starting to wane throughout the day, and I almost need to recenter. It’s helpful for me to have these moments at 9 a.m., 12 p.m., 3 p.m., 6 p.m., on the clock, to reengage where my priorities are, and it tends to help. That’s for me, though.
Chris: No, I like that, because you’re tapping into a timing thing there. When we talked about this previously, “I’m having my quiet time” is just something that is not…
Mike: Not to knock anyone’s quiet time.
Chris: What about the rest of the day?
Mike: Yeah, we talked about if it’s 10 or 15 minutes of quiet time in the morning, and that’s it. I personally will say that’s a really cheap amount of time to give to our Lord Jesus, right? To give to anyone, let alone the One who’s in control, the One we’re worshiping. If you gave 15 minutes to your wife, or 15 minutes to your daughter, or 15 minutes to a friend, and that was it each day? I’m not the expert…
Chris: Probably not building a great relationship.
Mike: It can’t be. I mean, you gave 15 minutes to a burger today. So what about you? My time has ebbed and flowed over the years. I get in these rhythms. I happen to be in a pretty good rhythm currently. You, opposite today, but in general, you’re not doing terrible.
Chris: Wait, wait, wait a second.
Mike: Did you just fall asleep? Did you get a little baby head?
Chris: No, but I just want to be honest here, and I feel like there’s an opportunity for you as well.
Mike: I don’t know what you’re about to say.
Chris: There were some recent celebrations here, weren’t there? A certain officer retiring. I think there was another birthday.
Mike: Oh, okay, I get it. So what my co-host Chris is alluding to here is, and my wife may not know this until she listens to this episode, I had a piece of cake the other day, and I had a small sliver of cake today. However…
Chris: He said “small sliver” because there’s no way to corroborate that.
Mike: Okay, well, I’m not saying I’m perfect. I’m just saying I didn’t have a peanut butter burger today. I feel like that’s a lot worse on the calorie-dense scale.
Chris: Is it, Mike? Is it?
Mike: This is why people don’t talk about food, apparently. Look, it’s dividing friends. We can’t have that. So this is one conversation of a lot of conversations about physical health, food and nutrition. We’re not experts. We’re trying to get better, right? We’re striving to get better each day.
Chris: Striving to get better. We really are. Looking to get back on the right track.
Mike: Oh, good segue. I’m not going to play that, because that was a good Matt Foley right there. What is a good takeaway, do you think, for someone trying to get better at this? Or even for you? I’ve talked a little bit about me and some of my rhythms.
Chris: I think, just like many things, gluttony is a sin, right?
Mike: We’re just going to call it a sin. What is gluttony?
Chris: I would say it’s eating more than you know you should, or overindulging willingly.
Mike: You’re choosing to overeat. And “what you should” is, I guess, based on some facts: medical, your body, actually educating yourself. That comes with an assumption that you’re a little educated on what you should eat and what’s too much. And it’s when you choose to go, “You know what? I don’t care.”
Chris: I would say that. And I think confessing that. Here with you, and with all of our friends out there, saying that this is a real problem. This is something that has hampered me for much too long. And why stay there? Why not move forward? Why not have that accountability to fall back on, to help during those times? So that, I think, is a healthy way to approach it. If there is an issue, speak out about it. Let somebody know. Get some guidance. Go to a good friend. And then get on a plan.
Mike: What’s your plan for tomorrow? I’m putting you on the spot.
Chris: To stay 15 miles away from Lazy Dog, and to get back on the program that I know has worked, which has helped me lose quite a bit of weight.
Mike: No, it’s great. Seriously, I think you’ve been doing great. I’m joking about the burger and everything today. It’s also because I ate cake, and we’re in the same boat. I think, for me, I want to think of glorifying the Lord with my health. And I just don’t put it there. I put it with my body, or taking care of me. And sure, that’s godly, but I don’t think of it as, “Oh, it says glorify God with your body.” And I wonder if that’s just a good challenge, like you’re saying, for me and you or anyone: are you actually treating your body with the same intentionality that you want to have with how you raise your kids, or how you spend time with the Lord, or what your speech is like, or working hard, or serving your family, or being a good neighbor, or whatever it is? Do you view taking care of your body, with food and exercise, in the same light? And if you don’t, are you willing to confess that and pray about that and make some changes to make it a higher priority?
Chris: Yeah. I think inviting God into the process too. And like you said, with that particular program, we talked about spacing out those meals. Those are opportunities to pray right before each of those meals. So being able to invite God in, and let Him be a part of that change, that’s going to be nothing but helpful.
Mike: That’s great. Oh, breaking news. I don’t know if you just got this. I got a message from another special guest. We’re having multiple special guests over and over.
Chris: How are they finding out about this?
Mike: They have my number. So he just left a message on how he wanted to wrap things up today with a couple of tips for our health.
Chris: This is a phone call?
Mike: It’s a message. I’m just going to play it. He just texted me that he left it on the voicemail. So here we go. A special guest coming in now. Let’s listen.
Voicemail: Hey, Michael. This is Mike. You know, I’m coming to your town to, you know, put up my dukes. I heard you talking about keeping in good health. And, you know, at 57 years old, I’m still a specimen of great health. I’ve been working out really hard. I’m fighting a guy who’s probably, you know, half my age. But we’re going to see. We’re going to step in the ring, and we’re going to see who’s the alpha male there. But I’ve got some tips that I’ve acquired over the years, things that I thought could help. I know you’re talking about this, and I just want to be a help. I want to be a scholar and an advisor, kind of like Yoda.
So the first thing that I like to do is concentrate on the carnivore diet, without the ears. You know, I had that episode with Evander back in the day. He was a physical specimen. I was a little bit scared, so I had to do everything that I had to do. But a carnivore diet: protein. Just make sure you’re watching your amino acids, and make sure that you’re focusing on eating good cuts of meat. The second thing I’d like to say is focus on being mindful. And the way that I do that is with some smooth jazz. I like to listen to Kenny G. I like to listen to Diana Krall. I just like to make sure that I’m focusing on being present. And the third thing I’d say is just make sure you focus on healing and recovery. The way that I like to do that is I go into the sauna. I get in the spa, and I like to feel the bubbles. I like to sit in the spa and feel the bubbles, you know. And sometimes I think to myself, “Tiny bubbles in my spa.” But yeah, those three things, I think, will help anybody. They’ll help you. Hopefully I’ll see you when I’m passing through Dallas-Fort Worth.
Mike: Wow. Anytime Mike calls in, Mike Tyson, everyone, and leaves us tips like that… Mike, we’re really grateful. What do you think about that?
Chris: I think it’s great.
Mike: The tiny bubbles.
Chris: Keep going. I mean, if it works for him. He’s 57 years old.
Mike: He’s looking great. Probably feeling great. Getting ready for a little fight.
Chris: Probably not eating a peanut butter and jelly burger.
Mike: Oh, burn on yourself, my friend.
Chris: Or cake.
Mike: Oh, low blow, friend.
Chris: Thanks so much for joining us. Please consider rating and reviewing our podcast and hitting subscribe on whichever platform you prefer.
Outro: Remember to keep moving forward, because we’re not quite there.
