Fasting : Health & Spiritual benefits ... and Lent

Emotional Eating Part 2 - Boredom eating, mindless eating and pleasure indulgence eating

We are complex beings.  Our behaviors (especially our negative behaviors) are windows to much deeper things that merely self control.  Our patterns of negative eating can be such windows.  This week we'll examine what I call Boredom Eating, Mindless Eating and Pleasure Indulgence Eating.  The answers are not just "stop it" since these patterns are often tied to things like stress, depression, anxiety, or (in certain circumstances and with certain foods) a brain response that actually looks similar to a brain in response to heroine.   But when we become aware of our patterns, we can begin to take steps towards change.  In this episode, we'll discuss some of the various root issues leading to these patterns, and also propose steps we can take to begin change from the inside out.   For a growing number of free downloads and workbooks, visit designed4victory.com where you can also schedule private coaching, or contact me about speaking at your church or school.  Also, I appreciate any positive comments, and if you share this podcast with someone you think will benefit from it.   #nutrition #fitness #designed4victory #d4v #health #healthcoach #faith #christian #protestant #catholic #orthodox #

Fasting : Health & Spiritual benefits ... and Lent

Today, we’re going to interrupt the 3-episode series on emotional eating to talk about Fasting, since we're at the beginning of the Lenten season. Fasting can be a terribly intimidating subject, but if we can truly understand the benefits - I think it is something that most of us will want to incorporate into our lives in one way or another. There are physical and medical benefits to fasting, and there are tremendous spiritual benefits to fasting as well. When we fast well, I believe it is a practice that gives incredible power to our bodies, our minds and to our spiritual persons. As a summary, we will examine 1. The physical/medical benefits of intermittent fasting 2. The Spiritual purposes of fasting 3. Spiritual benefits that can be obtained by fasting 4. Why I believe fasting is such a powerful weapon in the Spiritual Warfare 5. The more specific angle of Lenten fasting.   In the end, I hope you feel empowered as we debunk some misconceptions about fasting, and build up an enhanced understanding of this powerful practice that benefits Body, Brain and Soul! #health #fasting #fast #lent #protestant #catholic #orthodox #healthylifestyle #designed4victory #carolynscott #prayer #diet #fitness #spiritualdisciplines #hope #faith

Emotional Eating Part 1

We cannot make changes until we identify that which needs to be changed.  Most humans have SOMETHING in our lives that we use to avoid pain - whether that pain is physical, psychological, emotional or existential; whether its a drug, work, shopping, sex ... or FOOD.  Many of us use food in some way to avoid or dull a variety of issues in our lives.  Any form of this is what I refer to as "emotional eating", and there are many types of emotional eating. I've put them into the following basic categories:  Boredom, Mindless, Pleasure, Comfort/Depression, Stress, Social, and Celebration.   Today, will be the first of 3 episodes looking at emotional eating patterns, and what we can do not only to identify our own patterns, but what we can do to make changes ... depending on which patterns we have.   Today we'll take a look at the issue of emotional eating, and then look at Social eating and Celebration eating. To enjoy food in a social setting of as celebration is NOT, in itself, harmful.  However, it CAN become harmful depending on how or why we do so.   FYI: I have decided to make some of my material available as workbooks.  The first is the Designed for Victory Jumpstart, which has been available on my website since this podcast launched.  The SECOND will be available on the website by the time this episode posts.  It is called The Emotional Eating Workbook. Purchasing the workbooks will be a way to both support this ministry, AND to help you take the material and really get into it and work through it for your own growth.  I really hope you'll take advantage of all the tools I make available.   You can find them at Designed4Victory.com And you can follow me on Instagram & Facebook @Designed4Victory_carolynscott    ... and on Twitter @carolscotthaz

An Essential Foundation Part 3 - Our Power in Christ

Today, on Designed for Victory, will be the 3rd episode of a 3 part series that is intended to set the spiritual foundation for Christ followers as to why we honor our bodies, and how doing so can actually have effects in the Spiritual reality in which our physical bodies exist. Part 1 established that our bodies are holy ground. Christ followers are temples of Christ’s Holy Spirit. Part 2 discussed How we, as physical humans are engaged in a spiritual war Today, in Part 3, we’ll consider The power that belongs to you as a Child of God, and follower of Jesus Christ. This power is not what we often think of as power, but it is far more important than the power which humans crave for selfish gain in this world.  The weapons that do serious damage on Spiritual planes are things like Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Righteousness, Faithfulness, Self Control, Worship and Forgiveness, which I believe is the atom bomb of Spiritual warfare!   But this is a podcast about health, fitness, nutrition ... why are we talking about spiritual warfare?  Because if we neglect our bodies or TRASH our bodies with crap-for-food or anything else, we increase our pain and decrease our ability to engage in the battles of this life. If we're sick or tired, we are less capable of engaging as Christ's ambassadors of love in our communities.  If we're sick and tired, we're more vulnerable to temptations for sin, be it "big sin" or "little sin" like being short tempered and stressed out.   Join me today to consider how nurturing our physical bodies plays a role in our SPIRITUAL Health!   And please visit Designed4Victory.com to get free downloads, order my book, or get a copy of my newly released FORGIVENESS WORKBOOK.  God transformed my life through the work I've now shared through that workbook.  I hope YOU will benefit from it too.   And, for daily reminders and encouragement, follow me on Instagram or Facebook @designed4victory_carolynscott

An Essential Foundation part 2: The Spiritual Battle

Today, we discuss the reality of a spiritual war, the overview of it as presented in the whole of scripture, and what that means for us in regards to how we care for our physical bodies.   You are a physical and spiritual being.  Your physical experiences 5 senses and 4 dimensions, but science has proved that there are many more dimensions, and Scripture is clear that God, angels, demons and other 'heavenly creatures' exist but we cannot see them with our physical eyes.  But we do interact in both the physical and spiritual realms whether we realize it or not.  This is not extreme thinking, it is extremely clear in the Bible ... once we take off our cultural blinders.  Once we see it in scripture - it can't be unseen! It's everywhere.  But what does this have to do with our health and the care of our physical bodies and brains?  It has EVERYTHING to do with it!  Our enemy "the devil" seeks to "devour" you and every other human, any which way he can - be it by bullets and bombs, or by sugar & fat related heart attacks.  God has given each of us a body - and whether that body is born with birth defects or the DNA with the potential of an olympic track star, we are each responsible for how we tend to our bodies - and brains.  And ALL of that matters in the Spiritual battleground.   If we are exhausted from stress and lack of sleep, if we are malnourished  because of the crap we eat and call "food", if we live in chronic pain or disease states that literally could be eliminated if we'd just eat right and exercise, these diminished states will affect how we engage with those around us!  Fatigue or pain often deter us from serving in the church or in your community.  When we're 'run down' our brains have a diminished capacity to deal with outside stressors and that shows up as being moody, or depressed, or short tempered.  Science has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that eating healthy and a lifestyle of movement or exercise both contribute to higher functionality both physically and mentally.  And your physical and mental well being are needed to fight an enemy as cunning as the demons who tempt and taunt us.  Our physical well being helps us to have the energy to share the gospel, the energy to engage in the life of the 'church' the energy to serve our communities with the love of Jesus. So yes, taking care of your physical body and brain can be an act of spiritual warfare!  Being good stewards of our bodies is honoring to Christ.  Let us not be addicts of ANYTHING - not alcohol, sex, porn, drugs ... or Sugar, Fat & salt.  Yes.  I think that Sugar Fat & Salt ("The Deadly Trifecta") is the drug of choice in the American Church.  But that is a topic for a later episode :-)  Today, we discuss the reality of a spiritual war, the overview of it as presented in the whole of scripture, and what that means for us in regards to how we care for our physical bodies.