An Ultramarathoner with a Ph.D. in Nutrition

From an article in a Sports Illustrated from last month (July 17, 2017), on ultramarathoner Stephanie Howe, who has a Ph.D. in nutrition and exercise science —

“For those looking for a healthy way to eat, Howe suggests keeping it simple.’I eat when I’m hungry, and I stop when I’m full,'” she says.

The most successful dieters, she adds, don’t overthink it; they also avoid a restricted plan that demonizes food. What’s left is a more realistic regime.

“‘Think of your diet as the foods you choose to eat,’ she says. ‘It doesn’t mean you can eat whatever you want, but it means filling your body with quality ingredients.

“‘Eat, then go on with your day rather than agonize over it.'”

— When Jesus said that “people don’t live on bread alone” (Matthew 4:4), he didn’t say we don’t eat things like bread, but that we also need “every word from God.” We traditionally call that latter staple The Bible and it’s food for our souls.

Seeking sustenance for our spirits, we can get derailed at least as easily as we can with our dietary impulses. To quote the aforementioned Dr. Howe, you and I can fall victim to “a restricted plan that demonizes” certain people or practices, we can “agonize over” things of little or no consequence, and we can be too quickly satisfied with feeding our souls “whatever we want.”

Her prescription for food applies to our spiritual nutrition as well:

keep it simple

fill yourself with quality ingredients

She concludes, “Go on with your day rather than agonize over it.”

“I came to give you more and better life than you can imagine.” Jesus said that, in John 10:10.

The title of Sports Illustrated‘s article on Dr. Stephanie Howe: “Fuel Injector” and it’s subtitled “Eat to Win…and Enjoy.”

Oh Christian, go thou forth and do likewise!