Have you ever felt like your body is a high-performance sports car trying to run on sugar and caffeine instead of high-octane fuel? You press the gas pedal, but the engine sputters. You try to focus, but the fog rolls in.
We often treat our bodies like separate entities from our spiritual lives, but scripture tells us differently. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, we are reminded that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. This isn’t just about “dieting” or fitting into a certain size; it’s about stewardship.
Inspired by Stormie Omartian’s book, Greater Health God’s Way, let’s dive into the difference between “Pure Food” and “Processed Food,” and how returning to God’s original design can change everything.
The Great Divide: Processed vs. Pure
In our modern world, we are surrounded by edible items that barely resemble food. To navigate the grocery store, it helps to understand the “Dead vs. Alive” principle.
- Pure Food: This is food in its original state—or very close to it. These are ingredients you can visualize growing in a garden or a field. As the old saying goes: “If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.”
- Processed Food: This food has been chemically altered, stripped of nutrients, and packed with preservatives so it can sit on a shelf for years.
Think about it this way: If you leave a fresh apple on the counter, it will eventually decay. Why? Because it has enzymes and life in it. If you leave a fast-food burger on the counter, it might look exactly the same two weeks later. It doesn’t decay because bacteria—which need nutrients to survive—don’t even recognize it as food! You cannot build a living body with dead food.
The Biology: Why Pure Foods Matter
Why does this distinction matter so much? It comes down to your blood. Leviticus 17:11 tells us that “the life of the flesh is in the blood.”
1. Pure Foods Keep Our Blood Clean
When you eat pure foods, your digestion works efficiently to deposit vital nutrients directly into your bloodstream. Your blood then carries vitality, oxygen, and clean energy to every organ in your body. Clean blood results in clear thinking, sustained energy, and a robust immune system.
2. Bad Foods Cause a Breakdown
When we consume “non-foods”—things full of chemicals, dyes, and excessive sugars—our bodies view them as toxins. Instead of using energy to heal and repair your cells, your body has to spend its precious energy detoxifying.
The result? Brain fog, lethargy, inflammation, and eventual illness. We often think we are just “getting old,” but sometimes, we are simply rusting from the inside out because of poor fuel.
Fun Challenge: Is it Food or Shampoo?
Let’s take a break for a reality check. I call this “The Unpronounceable Challenge.” Go to your pantry and grab a box of “healthy” granola bars or a bottle of flavored coffee creamer. Look at the ingredients.
If you see words like Propylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, or Butylated Hydroxyanisole, ask yourself: Does this sound like a food, or does it sound like an ingredient in my shampoo?
If you need a chemistry degree to read the label, your liver probably doesn’t know what to do with it either! (AND NOTE: We don’t want to use these items on our bodies either.)
The Solution: God’s Grocery Store
It is easy to feel restricted when talking about healthy eating, but God’s design is actually about abundance, not deprivation.
In Genesis 1:29, we see that God provided food for us before He even created us. He stocked the shelves of the garden with:
- Fruits: Nature’s candy (berries, melons, apples).
- Vegetables: The healers (leafy greens, roots, squash).
- Seeds & Nuts: The sustainers.
The Good News: Taste Bud Resurrection
If you are thinking, “But I hate vegetables! I crave sugar!”—there is hope. God designed the human body with an incredible ability to reset.
Did you know your taste buds regenerate every 10–14 days?
This means that if you stop eating processed sugar and excessive salt for just two weeks, your tongue actually heals. Suddenly, carrots start tasting sweet. Strawberries taste like candy. You aren’t “giving up” the good stuff; you are regaining your ability to taste the real stuff.
Your Challenge for This Week
We aren’t asking you to overhaul your entire life overnight. Let’s start with The One Swap.
This week, look at one processed snack you eat regularly (chips, cookies, soda) and swap it for one “God-made” snack (an apple with almonds, carrot sticks with hummus, or sparkling water with lime).
Let’s honor the Creator by caring for the creation.
Click here for more recipes using pure ingredients.
