I’ll be honest with you - this is not an easy email for me to write.
Because what I’m about to talk about is something I’ve wrestled with personally.
Something that’s left me feeling ashamed more than once.
And something that’s quietly holding back far too many Christians from living at their full potential.
It’s this:
We’ve let our stomachs become our masters.
The Bible speaks plainly about it:
“…their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame…” - Philippians 3:19
It’s a hard verse to read, because deep down, we know it’s not just “those people out there.”
It’s us too.
Your body’s “fullness meter” is either broken, or you're ignoring it.
God designed our bodies to tell us when we’ve had enough to eat.
It’s called satiety signaling, and it’s influenced by three things:
Cognitive responses - your thoughts and attention (whether you’re mindful while eating or distracted by a screen)
Sensory responses - the taste, smell, and appearance of food
Physiological responses - your digestion, hormones like leptin and ghrelin, and nutrient absorption
This system is beautifully designed… but in the modern world, it’s constantly being hijacked.
Food companies engineer their products to light up your brain’s reward system - with just the right combination of sugar, fat, and salt - so you keep eating long after your energy needs are met.
It’s why you can demolish an entire bag of chips but struggle to finish a plate of chicken and vegetables.
You’re not actually hungry - your body is deceiving you.
The modern world has taught you to treat food as entertainment, comfort, and artificial “happiness”.
Hunger is no longer about need.
When you eat, your stomach and brain are supposed to work together.
Your stomach stretches, hormones signal “enough,” and your brain says, You’re full — stop eating.
But modern eating patterns disrupt this process.
A controlled human trial found that when people ate the same meal slowly (≈30 minutes) vs quickly (≈5 minutes), the slow-eating condition produced larger post-meal increases in the “I’m full” hormones PYY and GLP-1 and gave people greater subjective fullness - showing why simply slowing down can help us eat less and feel satisfied.
Here’s why that matters:
When you eat slowly, you give your body 15–20 minutes to release the “I’m full” hormones.
When you eat fast, you can overshoot your body’s needs by hundreds of calories before those hormones even register.
And it’s not just about weight gain.
Over time, constant overeating suppresses those fullness signals entirely - leading to:
Constant cravings even when your body doesn’t need fuel
Energy crashes that make you less productive
Brain fog that dulls your ability to lead, teach, or serve
This is why obesity and diabetes are skyrocketing - and why we, as believers, need to take this seriously.
When our stomach leads, our mission suffers.
Eat slow, eat smart, eat for God.
There’s no magic diet, but there are biblical and scientific principles we can follow.
Eat more protein
Protein has the highest satiety effect of any macronutrient - more than carbs or fats.
Research shows high-protein meals reduce overall hunger, stabilize blood sugar, and make it easier to stop eating when you’re full.
Examples: eggs, chicken, beef, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, fish, beans, etc.
Slow your pace
Set down your fork between bites.
Chew thoroughly - aim for 20–30 chews before swallowing.
Eat without scrolling on your phone or watching TV.
This gives your brain time to hear your body’s “I’m satisfied” message.
Plan when you shop and eat out
Go grocery shopping after a balanced meal, not when you’re hungry.
If you show up to a restaurant already satisfied, you make choices with your brain, not your cravings.
Pray before meals
Use the moment to thank God for the food and ask Him to help you eat with gratitude, not greed or scarcity.
Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).
When you fuel it well, you’re not just honoring God - you’re equipping yourself to serve Him with more energy, clarity, and joy.
Don’t let your stomach be your master.
Feed it well. Slow down. And let the Spirit lead.
I’m proud of you for taking the time to read this and get better.
Let’s eat with purpose and redeem the body this week.
Talk soon,
Carter