Body Kindness: My Journey to a God-Centered View of Health

In this episode, our friend Tabitha joins the pod squad to share her passion for a healthy relationship with food, body image issues, and a God-focused perspective on health overall. Tabi shares about the powerful spiritual and physical health freedom that she believes God offers us all on the other side of “diet-culture,” through the principles of Intuitive Eating, Health at Every Size®, and the scriptures.

About the Speaker:
Tabitha is an anti-diet, weight inclusive, Registered Dietitian to be. She is currently completing a Master’s of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics and a Dietetic Internship at Virginia Tech. Her passions include: Intuitive Eating, Health at Every Size®, and helping people leave dieting behind for good to cultivate a peaceful relationship to food and their body. 

Episode Notes:

• Ephesians 2:10 says: “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
• Psalm 139:14 says that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. God delights in you guys, truly. No matter where you come from, God delights in you. 
• 1 Samuel 16:7 says: “...The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
• Hosea 7:9a says: “Worshiping foreign gods has sapped their strength, but they don’t even know it.” 

Our bodies are something amazing given to us by God. 

Our culture (at least in America) is obsessed with thinness. A disordered relationship to our bodies and food is normal in our culture. We moralize health, food choices, and body size. 

God does not want that to consume our brain.

10 Principles of Intuitive Eating *Taken from their website*: 

1. Reject the Diet Mentality
2. Honor Your Hunger
3. Make Peace with Food
4. Challenge the Food Police
5. Respect Your Fullness
6. Discover the Satisfaction Factor
7. Honor Your Feelings without Using Food
8. Respect Your Body
9. Exercise—Feel the Difference
10. Honor Your Health with Gentle Nutrition 

Health at Every Size®- 3 Principles: 

1. Respect
   • Celebrate body diversity
2. Critical Awareness
   • Challenges scientific and cultural assumptions
3. Compassionate Self-Care
   1. Finding the joy in moving one’s body and being physically active.
   2. Eating in a flexible and attuned manner.

Questions to ask ourselves: 

• How do we define health? Where do those beliefs come from?
• Has shaming your body ever helped with anything in your life?
• What if your body never ever changed, consider thinking about would you care for it?
• Have you ever considered that your body is meant to change? To evolve as you evolve? To change as your life goes on?
• If you let God define who you are to your absolute core, how would this change the way you see your body? 

Resource Recommendations

• A Few Books mentioned (these all cite amazing studies!): 
  • Intuitive Eating Book
  • Intuitive Eating Workbook
  • Health At Every Size® Book
  • Body Respect Book
• Websites: 
  • Intuitive Eating Website
  • Health At Every Size® Website
  • Association for Size Diversity and Health
• Podcasts: 
  • RD Real Talk Podcast 
  • Food Psych Podcast 
• Tabi's instagram: @tabithap_rd