I want to take a moment to say Thank You to Ellie. She has been sharing her knowledge of health and nutrition with us grandparents for the last two years. We are eternally grateful for her help in staying healthy for the Lord, and our grandkids. She will no longer be publishing with us (for now, I hope) and I want to say I have been blessed! Thank you, Ellie, for helping to make Christian Grandfather Magazine a huge success! We will miss you!

Thank You, Ellie!

Regulating Your Appetite Sensibly

Although we live under Grace in this age and can pretty much do as we please with our physical bodies, we would do well to note that bodies are NOT our own. We were bought at a price and should gratefully worship our LORD with our total mind, body, and spirit.

“Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God?  You are not your own for you have been bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthian 6:19,20)

Christians are urged to not be a slave to any idol, even food. But some crave sodas and simple (sugary) carbohydrates, while others have no desire to touch the stuff. Why?

It is a scientific fact that God designed each of us with a slightly different chemical make-up. We each have a specific DNA. Due to the understanding that we are all chemically unique, our brains crave different nutrients to survive. That is also the reason why some prefer saltier items like pretzels or potato chips while others crave chocolate and sweets.

The hypothalamus, located in our brain, is an important part of our endocrine system. The endocrine system controls many of the most important functions of our body: our appetite, thirst, digestion, heart rate, body temperature, moods, salt and water balance, and nutrient requirements.

Physiologically speaking, the brain has an innate determination to survive. Without glucose, the brain will not function up to its potential. A person will feel fuzzy-brained, listless, and basically “out-of-it.” 

Your hypothalamus then searches for the fastest results which are sugary carbs. Don’t fall for it! Fibrous carbohydrates like bananas or apples with a little peanut butter will restore brain power quickly but won’t drop you flat as simple, sugary carbs will do.

Fiber allows insulin to be released more slowly into your system, so you won’t get that quick drop in blood sugar that you’d receive from sweets.  So, drop that sugary donut and choose wholesome 3-4 gram fibrous grain bread with peanut butter, fruit and vegetables like apples, bananas, oranges, berries, or broccoli. Orange juice (with pulp) will enter the bloodstream within 15 minutes but back it up with longer lasting foods like nuts: walnuts, pecans, almonds, or pistachios, to maintain metabolic balance. 

Approximately 20 percent of the body’s calories is used daily by the brain. Therefore, make sure you consume small meals throughout the day to maintain that sustaining energy. Otherwise, you’ll be like an old steam train that runs out of energy due to lack of fuel. If the engine isn’t stoked routinely with coal, the train will slow down and stop. It then takes longer to get it back up to efficient working speed.

If you’ have been overworked or overstressed, your body wants instant energy too. Sugar and caffeine will restore your energy level quickly and your hypothalamus realizes that. Colas are particularly worrisome because caffeine and sugar will pick you up – but drop you flat an hour later. (And you’ll find you are hungrier!) Simple sugars are released in your body in about 15 minutes. (Green tea is a nutrient-dense energy substitute.)

Caffeine is also a drug and although okay in moderation, is addictive and washes away valuable B vitamins and other valuable nutrients. B vitamins turn carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, into energy. Lacking nutrients, your body nags for fuel and you are hungry again. It’s a vicious cycle.

If you consume a nutritionally balanced diet, you are naturally more energetic and thus your metabolism efficiently runs well. 

Attempt to derive your productive energy from whole foods. You might crave chemically -based, junk food but it would be like placing 85 Octane into a Ferrari’s gas tank – never a desirable practice.

But why do some become addicted to sodas with Aspartame (NutraSweet & Equal) saccharin, (Sweet’N Low) and (Splenda) which is sucralose?

These products change brain/body chemistry, raising blood sugar levels, and producing miserable side effects. Personally, having experienced adverse reactions, I totally avoid them. And I’m not alone, as many of my patients have complained of shakiness, heart palpitations, skin rashes, stomach, bone achiness, and kidney pains after consuming any product containing these artificial sugars. I’ve wondered if there is a link between artificial sweeteners and fibromyalgia. 

Artificial drinks also tend to make one hungrier. There seems to be connections between the ghrelin – leptin hormonal metabolic insulin response. Ghrelin is the hormone that tells you are hungry while Leptin shuts off the “I’m hungry” response.

Recent scientific studies have shown that these chemicals can interfere with the leptin cut off lever, leaving a person desiring more food. It’s a physiological reason why one can’t stop at one potato chip sometimes.

If artificial sugars defeat the purpose of losing weight, then why risk additional health concerns by using these chemically produced items that no one can pronounce? When the body doesn’t recognize these chemicals as food, it will not detoxify them, so they fester in your liver forever.

I’ve created sodas with flavored carbonated flavored water (without artificial sweeteners) and a dash of fruit juice. Refreshing and it contains a few nutrients.

Please don’t purchase carbonated water with the added artificial chemicals: aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin. These carbonated waters state that they are “sugar free.” However, they contain artificial sugars. Sugar only contains 16 calories per teaspoon – these are about 15. If you sweeten your iced tea, use less of regular sugar. 

God made sugar – man created artificial sugars. All the artificial sugars are sweeter than an equivalent amount of sugar. Try Stevia which comes from a plant – again made by God.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1)

Bottom line: I urge you not to believe false advertising which only benefits the manufacturers of these products. Advertisers don’t care about your body as God does. Aspartame and Splenda were created by chemists. All whole foods were created by God. Before you purchase, research the ingredients.  If you can’t pronounce it, don’t buy it!

Ellie Marrandette earned her Bachelor of Ministry (BMIN) from Trinity Theological Seminary. She is a licensed, certified nutritional counselor and founder of New Creations Ministries, a faith-based solution in overcoming health challenges. In recent years, God has focused Ellie’s path toward writing. She is the author of four Christian novels, a novella, and a non-fiction book on healthy living entitled, Life’s Too Short to Eat Bad Cheese (Nutritional and Life Lessons God Teaches Us.) Her most recent book, God’s Furry Messengers was just published in July, 2023. All can be found Here. Ellie is currently working to complete a children’s devotional. For more about Ellie Marrandette visit her New Creations website.  

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