July 13, 2025 • 37 mins
Today, we're diving deep into the intersection of faith, science, food, and body image. This is the big picture conversation -- where these themes overlap, so you can simply understand this connection between neuroscience and faith...and how it can lead to meaningful, lasting transformation in our lives.
Leanne shares (for her) how embracing this dialogue meant confronting her skeptical, science-driven mindset and inviting a God-centered perspective into areas she was previously tackling through her own might, and how this approach completed her story and aligned with her fascination with the brain and nervous system.
She addresses topics like: Why do our brains play tricks on us? Why do we do what we do? Why can't we seem to shake life-long habits?
With references to biblical scripture and modern neuroscience studies, Leanne highlights the transformative power of aligning your thoughts with a higher spiritual perspective.
And of course you are invited to invite God into the conversation, recognizing that true transformation involves cultivating a new identity rooted in faith and understanding the profound connection between mind, body, and spirit...and self-image.
HOST: Leanne Ellington // StresslessEating.com // @leanneellington
To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com, and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Dr. Lee Warren Episode Part 1: Beyond the Scalpel: A Neurosurgeon's Tale of Loss, Faith, and Hope
Dr. Lee Warren Episode Part 2: From Neuro-Hope to Neuro-Faith: Rewiring the Brain with God as the Surgeon
And here's Leanne's interview on The Dr. Lee Warren Podcast: Break Free from Self-Doubt
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
If you want to go on a journey.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
If you're skeptical, don't worry.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Not here to preach, want to keep clean and talk
to me and recad where faith need starts nature. Get
in touch with your creat with a vagul love and
jew She even speaks Hebrew.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
What's that?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Gotzat?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
What's that?
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Sapsation? You should talking transformation? What's that? Gonzato?
Speaker 3 (00:45):
I am so excited as this is the very first
official crossover series of What's God Got to Do with It?
In the Outweigh podcast, Because if you've been listening to
me on Outwegh, you know that that podcast is all
about helping women break them selves out of the food
and body prison, end the dieting madness, and take control
of their health for good, but without all that restriction,
(01:08):
obsession and shame, and without dragging it out.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
For years to address it. And if you've been.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Listening to me on What's God Got to Do with It,
you know that we are all about the fusion of
where science meets faith and where faith meets transformation and miracles.
So this is a beautiful opportunity to talk about the
crossover of where science meets food and body image and
self image struggles and where that intersects faith or what's
(01:36):
God got to do.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
With all of that.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
And that's exactly what this six part series is all about.
So Part one is really just an introduction where we're
simply going to set up this massive topic. Part two
is all about the big picture of where faith meets
science meets food and body image struggles. In Part three,
we go deep into the self image and idea that
(02:00):
you would need to actually step into the version of
you that would have that health, that would have that
relationship with food in her body, and who would actually
be at peace and feel free, and of course how
that fuses with this faith brain conversation. In Part four,
we dive deeper into what God has to do with
what I call your food brain and disordered eating patterns
(02:24):
and filling voids in your head hard in spirit with
food or netflix or wine or whatever your drug of
choice is, and it's a whole that will never be
filled by those things. In Part five, we dive into
the complicated relationship that women have with their bodies and
their body image and physical pain, which is not talked
about enough in my opinion, and how to heal all
(02:47):
of that from a faith meets science perspective and invite
God into the conversation and then wrapping it up in
part six, we get into the strategy side of things,
as in, what does it look like to use what
you've learned about neuroscience and faith and healing your relationship
with food in your body image to go create a
winning game plan that sets you up to win and
(03:10):
one that your brain just learns so you can go
live your life. Food can be food and you can
feel comfortable in your skin and free from the chains
of restricting or punishing your body. So let's dive on
in here's part two.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
So today we are here to talk about the big
picture of.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Where faith meets science meets food and body image so
that we can just really go narrow and deep in
the coming weeks. And so this whole faith brain connection
for me, that meant that on the spiritual side, I
had to meet myself in the skeptical cynical mind because
stepping into a conversation with God around things that I
(03:51):
was previously trying to do through my own might and
will and strictly a science perspective that was so challenging
to me at first.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
But because of what I shared last week.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
It was also so so powerful for me because A
it completed my story and b it met me in
what I already knew about the magic and wonder of
the brain and nervous system. And that's why for the
last fifteen years of my life I have been obsessed
with the female self image and brain, Like what is
it that makes us see and perceive ourselves the way
(04:21):
that we do? And why do our brains play tricks
on us? And why do we do what we do?
And for me, this just really started with questions like
why did I just lose one hundred pounds and totally
make over my body but I still feel fat? Or
why do I still feel like a crazy sugar addict?
Or why do I still feel unlovable and worthy, undesirable
(04:44):
fill in the blank, and really like, why didn't my
mind and my brain and my self image play catch
up with how my body physically transformed? And that is
really why I became obsessed with researching and understanding the
intricacies of the female brain and self image because you know,
like I shared in my story, I suffered and struggled
(05:05):
with food and my body image and my self image
for decades and the world just kept throwing more diets
at my deeper problems. And this stuff that we're talking
about here, it's not taught in the mainstream and it's
not made readily available to women, And that's why I'm
so purposeful about getting this way of thinking out there.
But I also feel like it's rare that I find
(05:28):
anyone talking about what God has to do with our
own mental, physical, emotional health, let alone our relationship with
food and our body image and how that can be
you know, if you're willing to go there a really
pivotal piece of the puzzle. And so we're going to
talk about where faith meets science in terms of where
your self image and body image lives and how to
(05:49):
influence it through neuroscience and by inviting God into it.
But please just know that we are just scratching the
surface of this massive topic, and there will be an
another episode in this series that directly unravels this self
image thread and peels this onion so that you can
actually feel true worthiness down in your bones, like not
(06:10):
just this ambiguous you know, oh, just love yourself the
way you are kind of you know, fake positivity that
a lot of the world is giving us. I'm talking
a systematic scientific approach to self love and self trust
and actually transforming the way that you see yourself while
you invite God into this conversation, or really in a
(06:31):
way by inviting God into this conversation. But where I
want to start today is essentially an introduction to where
faith and neuroscience actually collide and how you can start
influencing it, and of course how to invite God into
that conversation from day one. And you probably guessed it
based on how many times I've mentioned it, But I
actually want to start with your brain and self image,
(06:53):
because as we talked about last week, how this whole
conversation about food and your body, you know, yes, it's
definitely a brain thing. And the things that have gotten
fired and wired in your brain are because of the
thoughts and the emotions and the actions that are kind
of like this cascade effect. And that's what has become
habits for you. Because again, your habits and behaviors are
(07:16):
symptoms of a cause aka your thoughts, which we're going
to talk a lot about today, that's happening upstream in
your brain. But I would also venture to say, or
at least just invite you to try on the possibility
that what if it was also a spiritual thing? Because yes,
I think we're starting to get that the problem is emotional,
but I truly believe that the problem is also spiritual,
(07:38):
as in, it's in your soul and it's in your spirit.
And so that's why I'm saying, like, yes, let's start there.
And so what if instead of trying to influence you know,
what you're eating or how you're moving your body, we
entered into the conversation of addressing the root of the
problem of what's going on in your mind and brain,
but also in your heart and spirit, so that you
(08:00):
can actually go address it from the root. And if
we are talking about addressing it from the roots, you
don't need to be a farmer to know that if
you plant seeds in toxic soil, it is not going
to grow. Okay, In fact, the seeds will most likely
spoil or die. But also you can't force a tree
(08:20):
to grow, right. The tree needs what it needs to grow.
And so yeah, it's important to plant seeds for creating
new habits and new behaviors, but you also want to
make sure that you're planting those seeds and growing those
roots in really nourished and rich soil.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
And so here's what I mean. I call this the
tail of two roots.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
And I will link this graphic in the show notes
for you, but for now, if you're listening and not
looking at the what I'm going to link.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
For you, I want you to imagine a picture of a.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Big tree with a big trunk and a big roots system. Okay,
and of course those roots are roots in soil. But
I want you to picture that one half of the tree.
The soil is unnourished and unhealthy, and the roots are
dry and unhealthy, and there is no fruit growing on
(09:15):
that tree, or maybe there's weeds or just like dead
rotten fruit. And so, coming back to this metaphor of
planting seeds of habits in unhealthy soil, if you are
not happy with your relationship with food and your body,
maybe this is how your body feels, or your health feels,
or your brain and nervous system feels like you're unhealthy
or unnourished. Okay, But then I want you to picture
(09:37):
the other half of the tree, and the other half
has this nourished and nourishing, healthy soil, and it has
nourished and healthy roots, and from those roots, it's growing
fruit that is alive and abundant and delicious. And I
don't know why I want to sing alive, it's alive.
But rolling with this metaphor for your health. Really, it's
(10:01):
the fruit that you want to be growing like you
intentionally created it. You grew it, as opposed to you know,
rotten fruit that kind of inadvertently got planted many years ago.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
And so most people are just looking at the fruits
of the seeds that got planted a long time ago,
and they're feeling really unhappy with those fruits, and so
they try to just go buy other seeds, buy other seeds,
buy other seeds, right, So aka like another diet, another plant,
another program.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
But they never examine the roots.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
And the soil that those seeds are being planted in.
And so God even says this in his word in
Matthew seven sixteen through twenty, and this is the NIV version.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
It says, buy their fruit, you will recognize them.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Likewise,
every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree
bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree
that does not bear good fruit is cut down and
(11:06):
thrown into the fire. Thus, buy their fruit, you will
recognize them. And so it's like, what are your fruits
telling you? Right, you'll again buy their fruit. You will
recognize the roots. And that's why, Yes, you need a
new system of thinking around food in your body. But
the other side of it is is you've got to
heal the self image and in a way, you need
(11:29):
to become a new version of yourself with new beliefs
and a new identity. In other words, you need to
lay down some new roots so that you can bear
some new fruits. But also like if you plant tomatoes right,
you've eliminated the guesswork.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Of what you're gonna harvest.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
And as Galatians six 's eight tells us, whatever a
man sows, he shall also reap. And so the message
version of that same scripture says, don't be misled. No
one makes a fool of God.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
God.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others, ignoring God harvests
a crop of weeds.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
All he'll have to show for his life is weeds.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
But the one who plants in response to God, letting
God's spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a
crop of real life, eternal life. And so this is
where I want to start talking about the Neurow faith
side of your health, and in a way, I want
you to start thinking about taking care of your mental, emotional,
physical health like you brush your teeth or take a shower,
(12:35):
or in this case, it's just simply watering and nourishing
those roots, right, And it's not something that you sometimes
do or don't do, and it's not a burden or
a chore. It's just part of life that's really like
one of the flips that needs to be switched. And
so I know that in itself might feel like a
stretch if you're used to plans and programs that don't
ever allow you to feel like it's part.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Of your life.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
And we're going to talk about that specific in part six,
but just for now, I want to lay down those
seeds in your brain. But the big thing I want
you to take away from today's episode before we get
into the nitty gritty specifics of this, is when it
comes to what's God got to do with it and
your food and body image freedom.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
And it's so much more than food or your body.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Okay, this is your life that we are talking about.
And that's why you know, as we're having this science
meets faith conversation, it's all under the umbrella of stepping
into a new identity and creating.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
The self image that reflects that.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Like we talked about before, you have to become a
new version of yourself and you have to radically transform
your being.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
And I know that.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Doesn't sound as sexy as lose twenty pounds and twenty minutes, right,
but that's what really has to happen. Like the version
of you that would live that way and have that
relationship with food and have that body.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Who is she like, what is she thinking and believing
and feeling and doing? And notice I didn't say what
is she eating?
Speaker 3 (13:58):
Like, yeah, what she's eating matters, But it's all downstream
from what is she thinking, who is she being?
Speaker 2 (14:04):
What is she believing?
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Right, It's about the roots and then from that the
fruits that come from the roots. And again God says it,
a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad
tree cannot bear good fruit. Right, And so how do
we invite God into this conversation? And so, over the
coming weeks, every time you hear me talk about inviting
(14:26):
God into your self image, it's simply an invitation to start,
you know, trying to see yourself as God sees you.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
And the cool thing.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
Is is we don't have to guess, right, we have
His word to refer to. And then every time you
hear me talk about, you know, rewiring or solidifying your identity,
it's about planting roots so deeply embedded in the nourished
soil of what God says about you and who I
believe He has created us all to be, so that
you're no longer carrying around all of this shame, and
(14:57):
you're no longer rooted or defined strictly buy food or
buy your weight. And then if that feels like a stretch,
because I totally get that, I've been there, I want
to kind of talk to your logic and reason brain
for a moment. And maybe that scripture that I read
earlier resonates on a soul level. But you know, maybe
your logic and reason brain still feels a little bit hesitant.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Or maybe you're weary because all of your.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Past experiences or those long running beliefs of like this
is just who I am, or you know, a lot
of my clients have that belief of like LeAnn, I'm
way more broken than anybody else, right, And so I
wanted to share with you how this is literally showing
up in modern day brain imaging and neuroscience. And what
(15:45):
am I about to share with you is really just
one example, because there's tons, But if you're hooked up
to an fMRI machine, like essentially a brain scan, you
can literally see neurochemical changes in the brain in real time. Okay,
And my dear friend doctor Lee Warren and he's an
actual brain surgeon, And I've had conversations with doctor Lee
(16:07):
Warren on both the What's God Got to Do with It?
Podcast and we did an entire series on Outwigh, and
I'll link those episodes in the show notes as well.
But we were talking about his live experiences, like he
didn't read this in a book. He was seeing this
in real time every single day in brain imaging, and
he saw in real time what I'm about to share.
So if you saw someone hooked up to an fMRI
(16:30):
machine and tell them to think about the happiest memory
in their life. So maybe it's the birth of their
child or grandchild, or their wedding day or the day
they got that promotion, whatever, Right, the colors on the
screen changed in response to their thinking, like the brain
chemistry was literally changing in real time based on what
(16:51):
they were thinking in that moment, Like so crazy, right,
But then they had them think about the worst thing
that happened or their saddest memory. So maybe it was
the death of a loved one or trauma or grief
or loss or shame or just anything heartbreaking, and the
colors changed again, and the blood flow and brain chemistry
(17:12):
changed in real time based on their thoughts. And that
is Philippians four at work, where God simply tells us
that if you're anxious, you can literally just change the
things that you think about. And so the NIV version
of Philippians four literally says, do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
(17:37):
present your request to God, and the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds.
In Christ Jesus. That's literally what we were just talking about.
That you can literally see on a brain scan in
real time. It goes on to say, Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever
(17:59):
is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything
is excellent or praise worthy, think about such things. Whatever
you have learned or received or heard from me or
seen in me, put it into practice, and the God
of Peace will be with you. Like to me, God
is literally telling us that if you're anxious about something,
(18:22):
change the things that you think about. Okay, So the
same scripture, the message version, and I think it's really important.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
I think it's cool.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
I love to go through different versions of scripture, but
the message version of the same scripture says, don't fret
or worry.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Instead of worrying, pray.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers. I
love that shape your worries into prayers, letting God know
your concerns before you know it. A sense of God's wholeness,
everything coming together for good will come and.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
Settle you down.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the
center of your life.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
And then it goes on to.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
Say, summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do
best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious,
the best, not the worst, the beautiful, not the ugly, things.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
To praise, not things to curse.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
Put into practice what you learn from me, what you
heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who
makes everything work together, will work you into his most
excellent harmonies. And I just love that, Like, literally from
anxiety to harmony, and that is literally in our immediate control.
(19:40):
And so again, if you're anxious or sad or mad
or frustrated, I'll add, you know, to feel it in
that moment, like let it move through you, right, Like,
don't ignore the anger, the frustration, all of that.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
Like, let it move through.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
You in the moment, but don't let it take you
down a rabbit hole or become a victim to it.
Learn how to become emotionally available in those moments so
that you can process it, let it move through you,
and go on with your life. And you do that
by literally changing the things that you think about, and
by changing the way that you respond to things rather
(20:14):
than react, and by changing who you are in the
face of those thoughts. Because the thoughts will come, but
you have the power to change the things that you
think about.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Okay, I also want to remind you.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
God also says it again in the following scripture in
two Corinthians ten to five.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
This is the ESV version.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
He says, we destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised
against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive
to obey Christ. So God is literally telling us to
take our thoughts captive and to start thinking about our thinking,
and to again take our thoughts captive. And when you
do that, you literally change the view that you have
(20:54):
of yourself. You change the storyline in that moment, and
as you're learning, you literally change the brain's neurochemistry in
the moment and in the long run, like the default
or the compound effect, I should say, of what happens
when you do that over and over again, It shifts
the default in the long run, Like yes, you can
actually absolutely change lifelong patterns and habits, even if you've
(21:17):
been this way forever or your whole life.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
You can shift your.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
Brain's neurochemistry and you are never too far gone for that, right,
And if that's not hope.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
I don't know what is.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
I also love the message version of that same scripture
because I love the nuances in this. It says the
world is unprincipled. It's a dog eat dog world out there.
The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or
fight our battles that way. We never have and never will.
The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation,
(21:48):
but they are for demolishing that entire, massively corrupt culture.
We use our powerful God tools. I love that powerful
God tools for smashing warped philosophy, tearing down barriers erected
against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and
emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.
(22:10):
Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground
of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.
And with that scripture, I literally picture us clearing the
ground of those old, unhealthy, rotten roots and planting new ones,
laying down new roots. But God, also I want to
remind you tells us to bring our worries to Him,
(22:33):
not to try to do it through our own strength,
not to you know, really be super self reliant. One
Peter five seven says, cast all your anxieties on him
because he cares for us. And that's why I keep
saying that, you know, the what you do or don't
do side of things is really downstream from the identity
and self image of the woman that you're living as
(22:55):
each day, every single day. And you know, modern day
neuroscience just backs this up, and then scripture backs that up.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Which is so so cool.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
And again, I know that might sound overwhelming or daunting
if you know food or your body is something that
you've been struggling with for a long time. But trust me,
this is so so imperative because you know, let's just
say that you had all the strategy and habit and
brain change stuff that I talked about a second ago,
and let's just say you have the perfect plan and
the perfect steps to take. You know, who's to say
(23:27):
you would actually show up for yourself and use it
and stick with it, because you know, I could, for example,
literally just give you my stressless eating strategy that I
give my clients and teach you that system of thinking
around food in your body. But if you don't go
address the self image and the body image and the
identity that's causing you to think and act and feel
and behave the way that you are around food in
(23:48):
your body.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
I'm not trying to sound.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
You know, pessimistic, but you will always end up right
back where you are, because even if it feels like it.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Is, like this is so not a food problem or
a body props.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
And again, I know it feels like it is, but
it's definitely a brain thing. And again, the things that
have gotten fired and wired in your brain are because
of the thoughts and then the emotions that cascade down
from that, and that's what simply has become your habits,
right the behaviors off the back of that become habits.
And so in other words, your habits and behaviors, which
(24:22):
is the one thing that everyone's like, le yeah, does
help me change my habits or like start new habits.
It's like, well, those are symptoms of a cause. Aka,
like your thoughts are the cause, and that's happening upstream
in your brain. And as we just learn, you can
literally shift that in a moment. But I also personally believe,
or at least that's what I'm here to, you know,
invite you into the possibility of It's like, what if
(24:45):
this was also a spiritual thing and that's why we're
starting there in inviting God into this from day one.
And so instead of trying to influence what you're eating
or how you're moving your body, or entering into the
conversation of addressing the root of the problem of what's
going on in your mind and brain, but also in
your heart and spirit, so that you can address it
(25:07):
from the root. And because as we talked about today,
there are two very different root systems that can take
root in our brains and in our spirits.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
And here's the reality. It's happening either way. Like one
of those root systems is going to get laid down, right.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
And again I'm not trying to be pessimistic or doom
and gloom, but like, it's happening either way, right, And
so that's why it's so important that you start at
the roots so that you can produce the fruits that
you want to produce, Like that's what you have the
power to control. But that will never come from a diet,
it will never come from an exercise plan. And that's
why I'll keep reminding you of kind of like the
(25:42):
old conventional way versus the new way, where you know,
the old way of thinking is strictly a body conversation
or it's you know, an eat less, move more conversation
where you know, as we're talking about today, the new
way and really the permanent way and the way of
ease and flow and lifelong freedom. It is a science
meets faith conversation, and it's those old beliefs staying rooted
(26:06):
in you and carrying you down the same dead end
roads of you know, restriction or punishment or persuasion or
obsession or stress or just feeling out of control. And
it's new beliefs where you die to that old identity
and step into a new identity with new beliefs, and
you actually address those old non serving beliefs about yourself
(26:28):
and about food and all the beliefs that you have
about yourself that you've been carrying around, and you step
into that whole new identity that has that new relationship
with food in her body. Right and again I might
sound like a broken record, but sorry, not sorry, right,
because it's from that place that's what replaces the old
behaviors and habits and plant seeds for new ones to
(26:49):
take root.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Okay, but again.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
It's now coming from that new root system that you're
starting to plant right now, and that's what this science
meets faith conversation is all about. So starting next week,
we're gonna dive deep into and even get a little geeky,
(27:14):
where we're gonna be talking about the neuro faith side
of your self image, and really it's just your beliefs
about yourself and your perception of yourself and the goggles
that you're seeing yourself through that then become the narrator
in your mind and the voice of your self talk,
and then that becomes the story that you're walking around
with as true even if it's not true, or let's
(27:37):
just say it definitely doesn't have to be true, and
that's where you can transform it. In the coming weeks,
we're also gonna be talking about the neuro faith side
of things when it comes to your coping mechanisms.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
So whether that's food.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Or social media or dating apps or alcohol or whatever
your drug of choice is, it's a very similar mechanism
in the brain. And again there is no shame in
any of those things. By the way, we all have
our own. But this is just another part that has old,
dead roots that need to be addressed, and yes, you
can transform them even if it doesn't always feel like
(28:09):
it does or like you can. And we can't talk
about your body without also talking about the neuro faith
side of pain and your physical body in addition to
your body image, which you know when it comes to
the physical side of things, as you'll learn, if you
are in pain, getting yourself out of pain, and by
the way, body image, shame is a form of pain
in the brain too, so don't forget that. But the
(28:31):
first step is getting yourself out of pain. And it's
really the survive side of things, I should say, whereas
you know, the contrast to that, like weight loss or
transforming your physique, that's the thrive side of things, like
you don't need it to survive, right, But as you'll learn,
you've got to give your.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Brain what it requires first.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
So if you are in acute or chronic pain, and
again shame is a form of pain, you've got to
get yourself out of that pain first, and then we
can talk about the thrive or like the desire based
stuff like your weight or optimal health or whatever.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
Right.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
So that's the neuro faith side of things around your
body and your body image. But then also as I mentioned,
I truly believe you need a new system of thinking
around food and your body, because you know, if you're
using food as a form of restriction or deprivation or obsession,
or you know, kind of this false sense of control,
or maybe it's the opposite for you, maybe you're overeating
(29:25):
or binging or emotionally eating, or just feel out of
control of food, and that same punishment cycle, by the way,
can take place with your body and exercise too, But
most people go down the whole you know, eat less,
move more road as their go to and and let's
be honest, that doesn't just not help, it makes the
problem worse.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
And even if you can stick to it briefly, old
habits just come back with a vengeance. So how do
you transform that?
Speaker 3 (29:49):
Well that's the onion that we're going to continue to
unpeel next week, because you know, nowadays everyone in their
mom is talking about, you know, ditching the diets and
food freedom. But the the only problem with that, those
questions or those statements.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Is like, well, how do you do that? Right?
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Like, how do you suddenly stop doing what you've been
doing for decades or the only thing you've ever known,
and how do you suddenly stop you know, shaming yourself
or hating on yourself or criticizing yourself if it's all
your brain knows how to do.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
And how do you suddenly.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
Just stop dieting if you've been on the roller coaster
a long time and you're terrified you'll go off the
deep end and gain a bunch of weight if you're
not on something, And then how do you invite God
into this conversation and invite him to walk alongside you?
And so I'm going to walk you through that recipe
if you want to call it that, over the next
coming weeks, but I'll give you a hint before we
(30:41):
end today. In a way, it's kind of like a
small but really important disclaimer. Remember how I said that
you need to essentially become a new person and in
a way create a new identity in Christ.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Well, that's why I just want.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
To shine a light on this and say that if
you take nothing else away from this episode, but this
one thing, take this away, okay, And it's to stop
looking for the solution here as I'm you know, pointing
to my body or my stomach or my hips, okay,
because the solution lives in your brain, in your heart.
(31:12):
And yes, I'm inviting you into the possibility that it
lives in your spirit. And you've heard me talk about
this a lot before on either of the podcasts that
you found me on, you'll know that I talk about
this idea of the weight of the weight a lot.
And what I mean by that is that when you've
been stuck in the food and body struggle for years
or decades, you know, or sometimes it's a lifetime, it's
(31:34):
like there's these heavy chains of thoughts and beliefs that
you've been carrying around in your brain and heart and
spirit for as long as you can remember. And those heavy,
rusty chains are what's really so heavy, And the weight
on your body isn't the real weight. The real weight
is all of this other stuff, like the chains of
beliefs and behaviors and shame that you've been carrying around
(31:56):
with you. And there is no shame in this whatsoever.
It's what I learned, and it's what all of my
clients learn too. But until you break the chains, you'll
keep walking around with them and they'll keep getting heavier.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
And if you're anything like I was.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
You kind of become desensitized to them, and they feel
normal because they're disguised as being you know.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
Air quotes, health conscious or watching what you eat. But
they are not normal and they are not healthy.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
They are chains that bog down your head and your
heart and your spirit and in turn your body. And
they're chains that do not have to be there. And
so we're having these important conversations today because again, you
don't want to be carrying them around with you anymore.
But again, it's probably been happening so long it's kind
of become normal. And so let's break those chains so
(32:45):
that we.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
Can ditch that weight.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
The weight of the weight, And that's what we're going
to cover in the coming weeks. Okay, because this is
where I start with all of my clients, and I
know that if I'm being a good steward of your
time and energy and spiritual life, then these are the messages.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
That I I know in my heart you really need
to get.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
And then one last thing before we wrap, I wanted
to share one last scripture about this idea of becoming
a new creation, and it's from Clausans three eight through ten,
and it reads, but now you must put them all away, anger, wrath, malice, slander,
and obscene talk from your mouth do not lie to
(33:22):
one another, seeing that you have put off the old
self with its practices, and have put on the new self,
which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of
its creator. And I love that part, especially renewed in knowledge,
which you're gaining right now, after the image of its creator,
which is God, your father, who sees you so beautifully,
(33:46):
and I truly believe is dying for you to see
yourself through his eyes. The message version of that same
scripture says, you're done with that old life. It's like
a filthy set of ill fitting clothes you've stripped off
and put in the fire. Now you're dressed in a
new wardrobe. Every item of your new life is custom
made by the Creator with his label on it. And
(34:09):
that sums up exactly what I mean by recreating your self,
image and identity, and renewing your mind by rewiring your brain.
But this time, just like the scripture says, custom made
by the Creator with his label on it. So I
can't wait to talk about that more in depth next week.
And so this is by for now, and we will
(34:30):
pick off where we left off.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
Then bye.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
That's it for today's episode of the What's God Got
to Do With It and the Outweigh podcast crossover. Thanks
for tuning in, and if you want to learn more
about the work that I do or catch either of
the podcasts on a regular basis, there's a couple of
ways you can do that. First off, if you want
to learn how to turn off the part of your
brain that's.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
Obsessed with food or obsessed.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
With your weight and rewire your own brain for pu
yeast and freedom, then head on over to stressless Eeating
dot com and sign up to watch the Stressless Eating
sneak preview, where I've literally peeled the curtain and walked
you through the exact strategy I teach my clients to
heal themselves from the all or nothing diet mentality for good,
(35:17):
but without restricting themselves, punishing their bodies, and definitely without
ever having to use words like macros, low carb or
calorie burn. It's there for you to access over at
Stressless Eating dot com and if you're listening to this
series over on What's God Got.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
To Do with It?
Speaker 3 (35:34):
I also co host the Outweigh podcast with radio personality
Amy Brown, where we help women break themselves out of
the food.
Speaker 2 (35:41):
And body prison.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
End the dieting madness and take control of their health
for good, but without all that restriction, obsession, and shame,
and without dragging it out for years to address it.
It's called Outweigh and you can find it wherever podcasts
are streamed. And if you're listening to this crossover series Outweigh,
check out my other podcast called What's God Got to
(36:04):
Do With It? Where I talk about all this self
image and body image stuff but from the perspective of
where brain science interseex faith.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
It's called What's God Got to Do With It?
Speaker 3 (36:14):
And you can access it on iHeart or wherever you
get your podcasts. So that's it for this episode of
the What's God Got to Do With It? And the
Outweag podcast crossover series. I'm your host, Leanne Ellington, and
I'm so grateful to walk alongside you on this beautiful journey.
So thank you so much for listening, and I hope
you got whatever you needed to get from it.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
Bye.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
For now, we'll be back with more What's God Got
to Do with It? But in the meantime, I would
definitely love to hear from you, so just tell me
where you are in your story or maybe what questions
you have, like, where do you feel you need clarity
or support or wisdom in your own journey? I definitely
(36:54):
want to hear from you, So head on over to
What's God Got to Do with It? Dot com and
scroll down to the four to share your thoughts, your questions,
your feedback, and you can do that instantly.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
So What's God Got to Do with It?
Speaker 3 (37:06):
Dot Com?
Speaker 2 (37:07):
You'll find all the ways to do that.
Speaker 3 (37:09):
And if you like this podcast and want to hear more,
go ahead and follow, like, and subscribe wherever you listen
to podcasts to get your weekly dose of.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
What's God Got to Do with It?
Speaker 3 (37:19):
New episodes drop every single Tuesday, and while you're there,
be sure to rate and review to show your support.
It really means so much. What's God Got to Do
With It? Is an iHeartRadio podcast on the Amy Brown
Podcast Network.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
It's written and hosted by
Speaker 3 (37:36):
Me Leanne Ellington, executive produced by Elizabeth Fozzio, post production
and editing by Houston Tilley, and original music written by
Cheryl Stark and produced by Adam Stark
If you want to go on a journey.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
If you're skeptical, don't worry.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Not here to preach, want to keep clean and talk
to me and recad where faith need starts nature. Get
in touch with your creat with a vagul love and
jew She even speaks Hebrew.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
What's that?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Gotzat?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
What's that?
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Sapsation? You should talking transformation? What's that? Gonzato?
Speaker 3 (00:45):
I am so excited as this is the very first
official crossover series of What's God Got to Do with It?
In the Outweigh podcast, Because if you've been listening to
me on Outwegh, you know that that podcast is all
about helping women break them selves out of the food
and body prison, end the dieting madness, and take control
of their health for good, but without all that restriction,
(01:08):
obsession and shame, and without dragging it out.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
For years to address it. And if you've been.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Listening to me on What's God Got to Do with It,
you know that we are all about the fusion of
where science meets faith and where faith meets transformation and miracles.
So this is a beautiful opportunity to talk about the
crossover of where science meets food and body image and
self image struggles and where that intersects faith or what's
(01:36):
God got to do.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
With all of that.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
And that's exactly what this six part series is all about.
So Part one is really just an introduction where we're
simply going to set up this massive topic. Part two
is all about the big picture of where faith meets
science meets food and body image struggles. In Part three,
we go deep into the self image and idea that
(02:00):
you would need to actually step into the version of
you that would have that health, that would have that
relationship with food in her body, and who would actually
be at peace and feel free, and of course how
that fuses with this faith brain conversation. In Part four,
we dive deeper into what God has to do with
what I call your food brain and disordered eating patterns
(02:24):
and filling voids in your head hard in spirit with
food or netflix or wine or whatever your drug of
choice is, and it's a whole that will never be
filled by those things. In Part five, we dive into
the complicated relationship that women have with their bodies and
their body image and physical pain, which is not talked
about enough in my opinion, and how to heal all
(02:47):
of that from a faith meets science perspective and invite
God into the conversation and then wrapping it up in
part six, we get into the strategy side of things,
as in, what does it look like to use what
you've learned about neuroscience and faith and healing your relationship
with food in your body image to go create a
winning game plan that sets you up to win and
(03:10):
one that your brain just learns so you can go
live your life. Food can be food and you can
feel comfortable in your skin and free from the chains
of restricting or punishing your body. So let's dive on
in here's part two.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
So today we are here to talk about the big
picture of.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Where faith meets science meets food and body image so
that we can just really go narrow and deep in
the coming weeks. And so this whole faith brain connection
for me, that meant that on the spiritual side, I
had to meet myself in the skeptical cynical mind because
stepping into a conversation with God around things that I
(03:51):
was previously trying to do through my own might and
will and strictly a science perspective that was so challenging
to me at first.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
But because of what I shared last week.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
It was also so so powerful for me because A
it completed my story and b it met me in
what I already knew about the magic and wonder of
the brain and nervous system. And that's why for the
last fifteen years of my life I have been obsessed
with the female self image and brain, Like what is
it that makes us see and perceive ourselves the way
(04:21):
that we do? And why do our brains play tricks
on us? And why do we do what we do?
And for me, this just really started with questions like
why did I just lose one hundred pounds and totally
make over my body but I still feel fat? Or
why do I still feel like a crazy sugar addict?
Or why do I still feel unlovable and worthy, undesirable
(04:44):
fill in the blank, and really like, why didn't my
mind and my brain and my self image play catch
up with how my body physically transformed? And that is
really why I became obsessed with researching and understanding the
intricacies of the female brain and self image because you know,
like I shared in my story, I suffered and struggled
(05:05):
with food and my body image and my self image
for decades and the world just kept throwing more diets
at my deeper problems. And this stuff that we're talking
about here, it's not taught in the mainstream and it's
not made readily available to women, And that's why I'm
so purposeful about getting this way of thinking out there.
But I also feel like it's rare that I find
(05:28):
anyone talking about what God has to do with our
own mental, physical, emotional health, let alone our relationship with
food and our body image and how that can be
you know, if you're willing to go there a really
pivotal piece of the puzzle. And so we're going to
talk about where faith meets science in terms of where
your self image and body image lives and how to
(05:49):
influence it through neuroscience and by inviting God into it.
But please just know that we are just scratching the
surface of this massive topic, and there will be an
another episode in this series that directly unravels this self
image thread and peels this onion so that you can
actually feel true worthiness down in your bones, like not
(06:10):
just this ambiguous you know, oh, just love yourself the
way you are kind of you know, fake positivity that
a lot of the world is giving us. I'm talking
a systematic scientific approach to self love and self trust
and actually transforming the way that you see yourself while
you invite God into this conversation, or really in a
(06:31):
way by inviting God into this conversation. But where I
want to start today is essentially an introduction to where
faith and neuroscience actually collide and how you can start
influencing it, and of course how to invite God into
that conversation from day one. And you probably guessed it
based on how many times I've mentioned it, But I
actually want to start with your brain and self image,
(06:53):
because as we talked about last week, how this whole
conversation about food and your body, you know, yes, it's
definitely a brain thing. And the things that have gotten
fired and wired in your brain are because of the
thoughts and the emotions and the actions that are kind
of like this cascade effect. And that's what has become
habits for you. Because again, your habits and behaviors are
(07:16):
symptoms of a cause aka your thoughts, which we're going
to talk a lot about today, that's happening upstream in
your brain. But I would also venture to say, or
at least just invite you to try on the possibility
that what if it was also a spiritual thing? Because yes,
I think we're starting to get that the problem is emotional,
but I truly believe that the problem is also spiritual,
(07:38):
as in, it's in your soul and it's in your spirit.
And so that's why I'm saying, like, yes, let's start there.
And so what if instead of trying to influence you know,
what you're eating or how you're moving your body, we
entered into the conversation of addressing the root of the
problem of what's going on in your mind and brain,
but also in your heart and spirit, so that you
(08:00):
can actually go address it from the root. And if
we are talking about addressing it from the roots, you
don't need to be a farmer to know that if
you plant seeds in toxic soil, it is not going
to grow. Okay, In fact, the seeds will most likely
spoil or die. But also you can't force a tree
(08:20):
to grow, right. The tree needs what it needs to grow.
And so yeah, it's important to plant seeds for creating
new habits and new behaviors, but you also want to
make sure that you're planting those seeds and growing those
roots in really nourished and rich soil.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
And so here's what I mean. I call this the
tail of two roots.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
And I will link this graphic in the show notes
for you, but for now, if you're listening and not
looking at the what I'm going to link.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
For you, I want you to imagine a picture of a.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Big tree with a big trunk and a big roots system. Okay,
and of course those roots are roots in soil. But
I want you to picture that one half of the tree.
The soil is unnourished and unhealthy, and the roots are
dry and unhealthy, and there is no fruit growing on
(09:15):
that tree, or maybe there's weeds or just like dead
rotten fruit. And so, coming back to this metaphor of
planting seeds of habits in unhealthy soil, if you are
not happy with your relationship with food and your body,
maybe this is how your body feels, or your health feels,
or your brain and nervous system feels like you're unhealthy
or unnourished. Okay, But then I want you to picture
(09:37):
the other half of the tree, and the other half
has this nourished and nourishing, healthy soil, and it has
nourished and healthy roots, and from those roots, it's growing
fruit that is alive and abundant and delicious. And I
don't know why I want to sing alive, it's alive.
But rolling with this metaphor for your health. Really, it's
(10:01):
the fruit that you want to be growing like you
intentionally created it. You grew it, as opposed to you know,
rotten fruit that kind of inadvertently got planted many years ago.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
And so most people are just looking at the fruits
of the seeds that got planted a long time ago,
and they're feeling really unhappy with those fruits, and so
they try to just go buy other seeds, buy other seeds,
buy other seeds, right, So aka like another diet, another plant,
another program.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
But they never examine the roots.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
And the soil that those seeds are being planted in.
And so God even says this in his word in
Matthew seven sixteen through twenty, and this is the NIV version.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
It says, buy their fruit, you will recognize them.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Likewise,
every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree
bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree
that does not bear good fruit is cut down and
(11:06):
thrown into the fire. Thus, buy their fruit, you will
recognize them. And so it's like, what are your fruits
telling you? Right, you'll again buy their fruit. You will
recognize the roots. And that's why, Yes, you need a
new system of thinking around food in your body. But
the other side of it is is you've got to
heal the self image and in a way, you need
(11:29):
to become a new version of yourself with new beliefs
and a new identity. In other words, you need to
lay down some new roots so that you can bear
some new fruits. But also like if you plant tomatoes right,
you've eliminated the guesswork.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Of what you're gonna harvest.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
And as Galatians six 's eight tells us, whatever a
man sows, he shall also reap. And so the message
version of that same scripture says, don't be misled. No
one makes a fool of God.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
God.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others, ignoring God harvests
a crop of weeds.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
All he'll have to show for his life is weeds.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
But the one who plants in response to God, letting
God's spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a
crop of real life, eternal life. And so this is
where I want to start talking about the Neurow faith
side of your health, and in a way, I want
you to start thinking about taking care of your mental, emotional,
physical health like you brush your teeth or take a shower,
(12:35):
or in this case, it's just simply watering and nourishing
those roots, right, And it's not something that you sometimes
do or don't do, and it's not a burden or
a chore. It's just part of life that's really like
one of the flips that needs to be switched. And
so I know that in itself might feel like a
stretch if you're used to plans and programs that don't
ever allow you to feel like it's part.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Of your life.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
And we're going to talk about that specific in part six,
but just for now, I want to lay down those
seeds in your brain. But the big thing I want
you to take away from today's episode before we get
into the nitty gritty specifics of this, is when it
comes to what's God got to do with it and
your food and body image freedom.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
And it's so much more than food or your body.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Okay, this is your life that we are talking about.
And that's why you know, as we're having this science
meets faith conversation, it's all under the umbrella of stepping
into a new identity and creating.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
The self image that reflects that.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Like we talked about before, you have to become a
new version of yourself and you have to radically transform
your being.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
And I know that.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Doesn't sound as sexy as lose twenty pounds and twenty minutes, right,
but that's what really has to happen. Like the version
of you that would live that way and have that
relationship with food and have that body.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Who is she like, what is she thinking and believing
and feeling and doing? And notice I didn't say what
is she eating?
Speaker 3 (13:58):
Like, yeah, what she's eating matters, But it's all downstream
from what is she thinking, who is she being?
Speaker 2 (14:04):
What is she believing?
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Right, It's about the roots and then from that the
fruits that come from the roots. And again God says it,
a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad
tree cannot bear good fruit. Right, And so how do
we invite God into this conversation? And so, over the
coming weeks, every time you hear me talk about inviting
(14:26):
God into your self image, it's simply an invitation to start,
you know, trying to see yourself as God sees you.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
And the cool thing.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
Is is we don't have to guess, right, we have
His word to refer to. And then every time you
hear me talk about, you know, rewiring or solidifying your identity,
it's about planting roots so deeply embedded in the nourished
soil of what God says about you and who I
believe He has created us all to be, so that
you're no longer carrying around all of this shame, and
(14:57):
you're no longer rooted or defined strictly buy food or
buy your weight. And then if that feels like a stretch,
because I totally get that, I've been there, I want
to kind of talk to your logic and reason brain
for a moment. And maybe that scripture that I read
earlier resonates on a soul level. But you know, maybe
your logic and reason brain still feels a little bit hesitant.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Or maybe you're weary because all of your.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Past experiences or those long running beliefs of like this
is just who I am, or you know, a lot
of my clients have that belief of like LeAnn, I'm
way more broken than anybody else, right, And so I
wanted to share with you how this is literally showing
up in modern day brain imaging and neuroscience. And what
(15:45):
am I about to share with you is really just
one example, because there's tons, But if you're hooked up
to an fMRI machine, like essentially a brain scan, you
can literally see neurochemical changes in the brain in real time. Okay,
And my dear friend doctor Lee Warren and he's an
actual brain surgeon, And I've had conversations with doctor Lee
(16:07):
Warren on both the What's God Got to Do with It?
Podcast and we did an entire series on Outwigh, and
I'll link those episodes in the show notes as well.
But we were talking about his live experiences, like he
didn't read this in a book. He was seeing this
in real time every single day in brain imaging, and
he saw in real time what I'm about to share.
So if you saw someone hooked up to an fMRI
(16:30):
machine and tell them to think about the happiest memory
in their life. So maybe it's the birth of their
child or grandchild, or their wedding day or the day
they got that promotion, whatever, Right, the colors on the
screen changed in response to their thinking, like the brain
chemistry was literally changing in real time based on what
(16:51):
they were thinking in that moment, Like so crazy, right,
But then they had them think about the worst thing
that happened or their saddest memory. So maybe it was
the death of a loved one or trauma or grief
or loss or shame or just anything heartbreaking, and the
colors changed again, and the blood flow and brain chemistry
(17:12):
changed in real time based on their thoughts. And that
is Philippians four at work, where God simply tells us
that if you're anxious, you can literally just change the
things that you think about. And so the NIV version
of Philippians four literally says, do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
(17:37):
present your request to God, and the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds.
In Christ Jesus. That's literally what we were just talking about.
That you can literally see on a brain scan in
real time. It goes on to say, Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever
(17:59):
is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything
is excellent or praise worthy, think about such things. Whatever
you have learned or received or heard from me or
seen in me, put it into practice, and the God
of Peace will be with you. Like to me, God
is literally telling us that if you're anxious about something,
(18:22):
change the things that you think about. Okay, So the
same scripture, the message version, and I think it's really important.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
I think it's cool.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
I love to go through different versions of scripture, but
the message version of the same scripture says, don't fret
or worry.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Instead of worrying, pray.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers. I
love that shape your worries into prayers, letting God know
your concerns before you know it. A sense of God's wholeness,
everything coming together for good will come and.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
Settle you down.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the
center of your life.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
And then it goes on to.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
Say, summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do
best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious,
the best, not the worst, the beautiful, not the ugly, things.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
To praise, not things to curse.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
Put into practice what you learn from me, what you
heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who
makes everything work together, will work you into his most
excellent harmonies. And I just love that, Like, literally from
anxiety to harmony, and that is literally in our immediate control.
(19:40):
And so again, if you're anxious or sad or mad
or frustrated, I'll add, you know, to feel it in
that moment, like let it move through you, right, Like,
don't ignore the anger, the frustration, all of that.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
Like, let it move through.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
You in the moment, but don't let it take you
down a rabbit hole or become a victim to it.
Learn how to become emotionally available in those moments so
that you can process it, let it move through you,
and go on with your life. And you do that
by literally changing the things that you think about, and
by changing the way that you respond to things rather
(20:14):
than react, and by changing who you are in the
face of those thoughts. Because the thoughts will come, but
you have the power to change the things that you
think about.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Okay, I also want to remind you.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
God also says it again in the following scripture in
two Corinthians ten to five.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
This is the ESV version.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
He says, we destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised
against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive
to obey Christ. So God is literally telling us to
take our thoughts captive and to start thinking about our thinking,
and to again take our thoughts captive. And when you
do that, you literally change the view that you have
(20:54):
of yourself. You change the storyline in that moment, and
as you're learning, you literally change the brain's neurochemistry in
the moment and in the long run, like the default
or the compound effect, I should say, of what happens
when you do that over and over again, It shifts
the default in the long run, Like yes, you can
actually absolutely change lifelong patterns and habits, even if you've
(21:17):
been this way forever or your whole life.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
You can shift your.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
Brain's neurochemistry and you are never too far gone for that, right,
And if that's not hope.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
I don't know what is.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
I also love the message version of that same scripture
because I love the nuances in this. It says the
world is unprincipled. It's a dog eat dog world out there.
The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or
fight our battles that way. We never have and never will.
The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation,
(21:48):
but they are for demolishing that entire, massively corrupt culture.
We use our powerful God tools. I love that powerful
God tools for smashing warped philosophy, tearing down barriers erected
against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and
emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.
(22:10):
Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground
of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.
And with that scripture, I literally picture us clearing the
ground of those old, unhealthy, rotten roots and planting new ones,
laying down new roots. But God, also I want to
remind you tells us to bring our worries to Him,
(22:33):
not to try to do it through our own strength,
not to you know, really be super self reliant. One
Peter five seven says, cast all your anxieties on him
because he cares for us. And that's why I keep
saying that, you know, the what you do or don't
do side of things is really downstream from the identity
and self image of the woman that you're living as
(22:55):
each day, every single day. And you know, modern day
neuroscience just backs this up, and then scripture backs that up.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Which is so so cool.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
And again, I know that might sound overwhelming or daunting
if you know food or your body is something that
you've been struggling with for a long time. But trust me,
this is so so imperative because you know, let's just
say that you had all the strategy and habit and
brain change stuff that I talked about a second ago,
and let's just say you have the perfect plan and
the perfect steps to take. You know, who's to say
(23:27):
you would actually show up for yourself and use it
and stick with it, because you know, I could, for example,
literally just give you my stressless eating strategy that I
give my clients and teach you that system of thinking
around food in your body. But if you don't go
address the self image and the body image and the
identity that's causing you to think and act and feel
and behave the way that you are around food in
(23:48):
your body.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
I'm not trying to sound.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
You know, pessimistic, but you will always end up right
back where you are, because even if it feels like it.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Is, like this is so not a food problem or
a body props.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
And again, I know it feels like it is, but
it's definitely a brain thing. And again, the things that
have gotten fired and wired in your brain are because
of the thoughts and then the emotions that cascade down
from that, and that's what simply has become your habits,
right the behaviors off the back of that become habits.
And so in other words, your habits and behaviors, which
(24:22):
is the one thing that everyone's like, le yeah, does
help me change my habits or like start new habits.
It's like, well, those are symptoms of a cause. Aka,
like your thoughts are the cause, and that's happening upstream
in your brain. And as we just learn, you can
literally shift that in a moment. But I also personally believe,
or at least that's what I'm here to, you know,
invite you into the possibility of It's like, what if
(24:45):
this was also a spiritual thing and that's why we're
starting there in inviting God into this from day one.
And so instead of trying to influence what you're eating
or how you're moving your body, or entering into the
conversation of addressing the root of the problem of what's
going on in your mind and brain, but also in
your heart and spirit, so that you can address it
(25:07):
from the root. And because as we talked about today,
there are two very different root systems that can take
root in our brains and in our spirits.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
And here's the reality. It's happening either way. Like one
of those root systems is going to get laid down, right.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
And again I'm not trying to be pessimistic or doom
and gloom, but like, it's happening either way, right, And
so that's why it's so important that you start at
the roots so that you can produce the fruits that
you want to produce, Like that's what you have the
power to control. But that will never come from a diet,
it will never come from an exercise plan. And that's
why I'll keep reminding you of kind of like the
(25:42):
old conventional way versus the new way, where you know,
the old way of thinking is strictly a body conversation
or it's you know, an eat less, move more conversation
where you know, as we're talking about today, the new
way and really the permanent way and the way of
ease and flow and lifelong freedom. It is a science
meets faith conversation, and it's those old beliefs staying rooted
(26:06):
in you and carrying you down the same dead end
roads of you know, restriction or punishment or persuasion or
obsession or stress or just feeling out of control. And
it's new beliefs where you die to that old identity
and step into a new identity with new beliefs, and
you actually address those old non serving beliefs about yourself
(26:28):
and about food and all the beliefs that you have
about yourself that you've been carrying around, and you step
into that whole new identity that has that new relationship
with food in her body. Right and again I might
sound like a broken record, but sorry, not sorry, right,
because it's from that place that's what replaces the old
behaviors and habits and plant seeds for new ones to
(26:49):
take root.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Okay, but again.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
It's now coming from that new root system that you're
starting to plant right now, and that's what this science
meets faith conversation is all about. So starting next week,
we're gonna dive deep into and even get a little geeky,
(27:14):
where we're gonna be talking about the neuro faith side
of your self image, and really it's just your beliefs
about yourself and your perception of yourself and the goggles
that you're seeing yourself through that then become the narrator
in your mind and the voice of your self talk,
and then that becomes the story that you're walking around
with as true even if it's not true, or let's
(27:37):
just say it definitely doesn't have to be true, and
that's where you can transform it. In the coming weeks,
we're also gonna be talking about the neuro faith side
of things when it comes to your coping mechanisms.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
So whether that's food.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Or social media or dating apps or alcohol or whatever
your drug of choice is, it's a very similar mechanism
in the brain. And again there is no shame in
any of those things. By the way, we all have
our own. But this is just another part that has old,
dead roots that need to be addressed, and yes, you
can transform them even if it doesn't always feel like
(28:09):
it does or like you can. And we can't talk
about your body without also talking about the neuro faith
side of pain and your physical body in addition to
your body image, which you know when it comes to
the physical side of things, as you'll learn, if you
are in pain, getting yourself out of pain, and by
the way, body image, shame is a form of pain
in the brain too, so don't forget that. But the
(28:31):
first step is getting yourself out of pain. And it's
really the survive side of things, I should say, whereas
you know, the contrast to that, like weight loss or
transforming your physique, that's the thrive side of things, like
you don't need it to survive, right, But as you'll learn,
you've got to give your.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Brain what it requires first.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
So if you are in acute or chronic pain, and
again shame is a form of pain, you've got to
get yourself out of that pain first, and then we
can talk about the thrive or like the desire based
stuff like your weight or optimal health or whatever.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
Right.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
So that's the neuro faith side of things around your
body and your body image. But then also as I mentioned,
I truly believe you need a new system of thinking
around food and your body, because you know, if you're
using food as a form of restriction or deprivation or obsession,
or you know, kind of this false sense of control,
or maybe it's the opposite for you, maybe you're overeating
(29:25):
or binging or emotionally eating, or just feel out of
control of food, and that same punishment cycle, by the way,
can take place with your body and exercise too, But
most people go down the whole you know, eat less,
move more road as their go to and and let's
be honest, that doesn't just not help, it makes the
problem worse.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
And even if you can stick to it briefly, old
habits just come back with a vengeance. So how do
you transform that?
Speaker 3 (29:49):
Well that's the onion that we're going to continue to
unpeel next week, because you know, nowadays everyone in their
mom is talking about, you know, ditching the diets and
food freedom. But the the only problem with that, those
questions or those statements.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Is like, well, how do you do that? Right?
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Like, how do you suddenly stop doing what you've been
doing for decades or the only thing you've ever known,
and how do you suddenly stop you know, shaming yourself
or hating on yourself or criticizing yourself if it's all
your brain knows how to do.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
And how do you suddenly.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
Just stop dieting if you've been on the roller coaster
a long time and you're terrified you'll go off the
deep end and gain a bunch of weight if you're
not on something, And then how do you invite God
into this conversation and invite him to walk alongside you?
And so I'm going to walk you through that recipe
if you want to call it that, over the next
coming weeks, but I'll give you a hint before we
(30:41):
end today. In a way, it's kind of like a
small but really important disclaimer. Remember how I said that
you need to essentially become a new person and in
a way create a new identity in Christ.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Well, that's why I just want.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
To shine a light on this and say that if
you take nothing else away from this episode, but this
one thing, take this away, okay, And it's to stop
looking for the solution here as I'm you know, pointing
to my body or my stomach or my hips, okay,
because the solution lives in your brain, in your heart.
(31:12):
And yes, I'm inviting you into the possibility that it
lives in your spirit. And you've heard me talk about
this a lot before on either of the podcasts that
you found me on, you'll know that I talk about
this idea of the weight of the weight a lot.
And what I mean by that is that when you've
been stuck in the food and body struggle for years
or decades, you know, or sometimes it's a lifetime, it's
(31:34):
like there's these heavy chains of thoughts and beliefs that
you've been carrying around in your brain and heart and
spirit for as long as you can remember. And those heavy,
rusty chains are what's really so heavy, And the weight
on your body isn't the real weight. The real weight
is all of this other stuff, like the chains of
beliefs and behaviors and shame that you've been carrying around
(31:56):
with you. And there is no shame in this whatsoever.
It's what I learned, and it's what all of my
clients learn too. But until you break the chains, you'll
keep walking around with them and they'll keep getting heavier.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
And if you're anything like I was.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
You kind of become desensitized to them, and they feel
normal because they're disguised as being you know.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
Air quotes, health conscious or watching what you eat. But
they are not normal and they are not healthy.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
They are chains that bog down your head and your
heart and your spirit and in turn your body. And
they're chains that do not have to be there. And
so we're having these important conversations today because again, you
don't want to be carrying them around with you anymore.
But again, it's probably been happening so long it's kind
of become normal. And so let's break those chains so
(32:45):
that we.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
Can ditch that weight.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
The weight of the weight, And that's what we're going
to cover in the coming weeks. Okay, because this is
where I start with all of my clients, and I
know that if I'm being a good steward of your
time and energy and spiritual life, then these are the messages.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
That I I know in my heart you really need
to get.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
And then one last thing before we wrap, I wanted
to share one last scripture about this idea of becoming
a new creation, and it's from Clausans three eight through ten,
and it reads, but now you must put them all away, anger, wrath, malice, slander,
and obscene talk from your mouth do not lie to
(33:22):
one another, seeing that you have put off the old
self with its practices, and have put on the new self,
which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of
its creator. And I love that part, especially renewed in knowledge,
which you're gaining right now, after the image of its creator,
which is God, your father, who sees you so beautifully,
(33:46):
and I truly believe is dying for you to see
yourself through his eyes. The message version of that same
scripture says, you're done with that old life. It's like
a filthy set of ill fitting clothes you've stripped off
and put in the fire. Now you're dressed in a
new wardrobe. Every item of your new life is custom
made by the Creator with his label on it. And
(34:09):
that sums up exactly what I mean by recreating your self,
image and identity, and renewing your mind by rewiring your brain.
But this time, just like the scripture says, custom made
by the Creator with his label on it. So I
can't wait to talk about that more in depth next week.
And so this is by for now, and we will
(34:30):
pick off where we left off.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
Then bye.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
That's it for today's episode of the What's God Got
to Do With It and the Outweigh podcast crossover. Thanks
for tuning in, and if you want to learn more
about the work that I do or catch either of
the podcasts on a regular basis, there's a couple of
ways you can do that. First off, if you want
to learn how to turn off the part of your
brain that's.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
Obsessed with food or obsessed.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
With your weight and rewire your own brain for pu
yeast and freedom, then head on over to stressless Eeating
dot com and sign up to watch the Stressless Eating
sneak preview, where I've literally peeled the curtain and walked
you through the exact strategy I teach my clients to
heal themselves from the all or nothing diet mentality for good,
(35:17):
but without restricting themselves, punishing their bodies, and definitely without
ever having to use words like macros, low carb or
calorie burn. It's there for you to access over at
Stressless Eating dot com and if you're listening to this
series over on What's God Got.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
To Do with It?
Speaker 3 (35:34):
I also co host the Outweigh podcast with radio personality
Amy Brown, where we help women break themselves out of
the food.
Speaker 2 (35:41):
And body prison.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
End the dieting madness and take control of their health
for good, but without all that restriction, obsession, and shame,
and without dragging it out for years to address it.
It's called Outweigh and you can find it wherever podcasts
are streamed. And if you're listening to this crossover series Outweigh,
check out my other podcast called What's God Got to
(36:04):
Do With It? Where I talk about all this self
image and body image stuff but from the perspective of
where brain science interseex faith.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
It's called What's God Got to Do With It?
Speaker 3 (36:14):
And you can access it on iHeart or wherever you
get your podcasts. So that's it for this episode of
the What's God Got to Do With It? And the
Outweag podcast crossover series. I'm your host, Leanne Ellington, and
I'm so grateful to walk alongside you on this beautiful journey.
So thank you so much for listening, and I hope
you got whatever you needed to get from it.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
Bye.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
For now, we'll be back with more What's God Got
to Do with It? But in the meantime, I would
definitely love to hear from you, so just tell me
where you are in your story or maybe what questions
you have, like, where do you feel you need clarity
or support or wisdom in your own journey? I definitely
(36:54):
want to hear from you, So head on over to
What's God Got to Do with It? Dot com and
scroll down to the four to share your thoughts, your questions,
your feedback, and you can do that instantly.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
So What's God Got to Do with It?
Speaker 3 (37:06):
Dot Com?
Speaker 2 (37:07):
You'll find all the ways to do that.
Speaker 3 (37:09):
And if you like this podcast and want to hear more,
go ahead and follow, like, and subscribe wherever you listen
to podcasts to get your weekly dose of.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
What's God Got to Do with It?
Speaker 3 (37:19):
New episodes drop every single Tuesday, and while you're there,
be sure to rate and review to show your support.
It really means so much. What's God Got to Do
With It? Is an iHeartRadio podcast on the Amy Brown
Podcast Network.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
It's written and hosted by
Speaker 3 (37:36):
Me Leanne Ellington, executive produced by Elizabeth Fozzio, post production
and editing by Houston Tilley, and original music written by
Cheryl Stark and produced by Adam Stark
Feeling Things with Amy & Kat News
Host
Amy Brown
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