| Title | : | Food Triggers: Exchanging Unhealthy Patterns for God-Honoring Habits |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0764238884 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780764238888 |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 240 |
| Publication | : | Published January 4, 2022 |
Food Triggers: Exchanging Unhealthy Patterns for God-Honoring Habits Reviews
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It is very rare that I have to DNF (Do Not Finish) a book, but I knew after a few pages that Amber Lia's Food Triggers was not for me. I had picked it up hoping for compassionate, practical pointers in dealing with this issue, but I was recoiling almost immediately from the tone of the content. I did skip around and read a few chapters to see if it improved beyond the opening, but I was disappointed.
Right away, Lia uses the phrase "God-honoring choices" over and over, which leads to clear extrapolation that any other choice must not be God-honoring. In fact, on page 21, she says: "[The Holy Spirit] asks us to listen to—and live out—His will for our lives. Anything that is sinful in our lives is outside of God's will. . . . My low energy, bulging waistline, and achy joints were simply symptoms of being outside of God's plan for my life."
I can't with this message of equating physical health to our spiritual condition. This kind of teaching messes people up, making them think they are failing God if they are not their optimal size or shape. Everyone wants to be healthy, but each person's health is an individual thing. I know women who have suffered chronic illness, physical and emotional abuse, mental illness, hormone imbalance, and injury—all of which can contribute to them being either over- or underweight, depending on their specific situations. Nothing about this changed their spirits. None of it detracted from their ability to glorify God or live out His plans for their lives.
The Bible speaks clearly that the most important things we can do on this earth are love God and love others (Matthew 22:35-39). That second one says "love thy neighbor as thyself." That's a Biblical command to see the value and worth of ourselves and then show it to those around us. This is how we glorify God. This is how we fulfill His plan. We recognize that He created each of us fearfully and wonderfully, and we stop trying to send messages of shame or hold up one body type as ideal.
I'm afraid I could not recommend this book because of the potential harm I see to the spirits of those who read it. May God guide each of us to a closer walk with Him, including knowing how much He loves us and that He meets us exactly as we are.
I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.
This review originated at
http://reviewsbyerin.dreamwidth.org -
Food Triggers by Amber Lia was a God centered look at our health. Which gives pause to asking the questions to how I eat. Why I eat. And where does my strength come from?
It’s was made up of 31 chapters for 31 days.
The author doesn’t mince words about the challenges. She realistically lays out the journey with many reasons to do it with Gods help. She had many great points and I found it very helpful.
If you’re looking for a godly way to take hold of your health then I highly recommend it. Each chapter ends with the author praying for you.
I chose to listen to this book on audio and the author narrated it. She did an excellent job.
Thanks ChristianAudio via NetGalley. -
I really needed this book. I love food as much as books. I have always had a love hate relationship with food. This book put so much in perspective for me. My habits are slowly changing after reading this book. I will be rereading it again and again. Its a tool I will use for ever now.
4 stars and one I recommend.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own. -
Food Triggers by Amber Lia was a great book for me. I enjoyed how she broke the book into 30 small chapters to read one a day. The daily prayers alone would be a huge help to Christian wanting help with eating issues.
The book is divided into two sections: Internal and External food issues. And she addresses each one from a practical and Christian standpoint.
I truly enjoyed the book – admittedly I read over half of it in one day. My book study group is planning to read it together in January. -
Never have I used scripture while dealing with food struggles. I was very interested in some of the helpful hints that were offered.
Thank you Bethany House, Bethany House Publishers, and NetGalley for the advance read -
I liked that this devotional type, informative book is not just about food and/or another diet plan to follow. This author looks at the ways you can uncover the why’s as to your struggle with weight loss and food triggers.
This book is revealing, motivating, and insightful. I like how the author shares from her own life and struggles and what helped her in the long run.
I liked how the author identifies common triggers for people in her experience. The author says, once we identify them, we can deal with them.
This book is made to be read daily, not all at once. I liked that and the practical tools she provides to help turn off negative self-talk, lower your stress levels, and biblical insight to reestablish a healthy relationship with food and renew your faith. It’s a win! Win!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have received a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog
www.bookfun.org -
Food-related and body-image issues have been particularly controversial in recent years, as many people push back against "diet culture" and other people push back against them for going too far. This book lands somewhere in the middle. At times, Amber Lia focuses on the whole-body impact of good nutrition, emphasizing that changing what you eat can give you more energy, reduce brain fog, and help resolve a variety of medical issues, in addition to reducing your weight. At other times, she brings up the tired trope of the little black dress you want to wear again. Overall, even though people will have different opinions about some of her examples and comments, this author encourages her readers to pursue physical health by overcoming mental and situational obstacles that make it difficult for them to make wise eating choices.
The first half of Food Triggers focuses on external issues, such as huge portion sizes at restaurants and social eating during the holidays, and the second half focuses on internal triggers, such as negative self-talk, emotional eating, fixation on the scale, and addiction to food. The chapters are short and easy to read, and Amber Lia includes example prayers at the end of each one. She offers spiritual encouragement throughout the book and shares Bible verses, mostly without equating weight to a sin issue. At times, she veers too close to that, but she mostly focuses on gluttony and idolatry of food as sin without making body size equivalent to holiness. She also addresses the fact that some people can eat whatever they want and not gain weight, and that our culture's ideal of thinness does not mean that they are healthy.
She also acknowledges the impact of food corporations on people's lives, instead of equating weight struggles purely to personal choice, and encourages her readers to cut out sugar and processed ingredients to see the holistic changes this will make. This book focuses on pursuing health through nutritional changes instead of dieting through food restriction, and the author shares success stories from her life and from clients she has coached. I particularly appreciate that she shares stories from both men and women, instead of only focusing on a female audience, as most authors of books about body-image and healthy eating do. Overall, even though Food Triggers has some flaws, I think it is a solid guide for people who are looking for advice and encouragement for healthy, sustainable dietary changes.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. -
It seems like I have battled weight all my life. Like many Christians, I thought maturity, submission, consecration, etc. would be sufficient to win the battle. One of the struggles was around triggers, however, and they seemed to sabotage my dedication.
Lia's book is a welcome one in the weight struggle. I was happy to see her write that even mature Christians can still have issues with food triggers. Her strategy is to replace unhealthy patterns with God honoring habits. She addresses 31 common food triggers, applying biblical principles to each one.
She explores external and internal triggers. She encourages us to renew our minds rather than succumb to the world's mindless eating advertisements promoting indulgence. She helps us when eating out, when others intimidate us, when we attend church potlucks, when we travel, and several more external issues. I received the most encouragement from her writing on internal triggers. She helps us deal with stress, negative self talk, being lonely, feeling defeated or angry or shamed, and much more.
I appreciate Lia reminding us the stewardship of our bodies is a spiritual discipline. “There is a connection between spiritual growth and what we put in our mouth.” (132) That may be hard for some Christians to swallow. (Pun intended.) But, Lia says of herself, “I am still a work in progress...” (100) We all are on this journey. I now see food triggers are an opportunity for personal development, seeking God rather than food.
This book gives many practical strategies to conquer those pesky food triggers, helping us traverse farther on our journey to God glorifying well being.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review. -
If you make a claim that a decision or habit is God honoring and then the best advice you have can be reduced to "do better", it's legalism not wisdom. I appreciate the effort to connect our relationship with food with our relationship to God, but she completely bypasses spiritual intimacy and misses a really important opportunity.
More importantly, honoring God with our physical health encompasses so much more than what we eat and this book irresponsibly ignores dynamics of eating disorders and very real medical issues.
I'd rather recommend going to see a doctor or therapist to understand why food has such a hold on your life or why you seem to keep having issues. Granted, a book is a lot cheaper. "Women, food, and God" is a secular book by Geneen Roth that does a much better job of correlating our physical and spiritual beings and having curiosity about the "why" of ourselves. If food is a coping mechanism, read a book about attachment, trauma, or grief and have curiosity about what you're distracting yourself from. Don't be deceived by legalism. -
Eating unhealthy is so easy to do with our busy lives and Western diet. Trying to create healthy eating habits can be difficult and confusing. Going to the grocery store, diet fads, going out to eat, and even all the ads make food tempting to just make a quick and easy choice to our meals and snacking.
The book has three sections External Triggers, Internal Triggers, and The Journey Continues. Each topic in the sections can easily be read in a short sitting. This comes from a Christian Worldview with daily prayer at the forefront.
She explores several areas: When You Feel Defeated Before You Start, When Community Means Foods, When You Feed Your Emotions, When You Are Stressed, and other topics that are common when trying to control your Food Triggers.
She explores a lot of being good stewards of our bodies and that it takes spiritual discipline. She also says that our spiritual growth has a connection with what we eat.
There is a lot of good information within this book and I agree with a lot of it. Other things I wasn’t impressed with. I agree that we should take care of our bodies and watch what we eat but your eating habits don’t make you being on the outside of God’s plan for your life and other things mentioned (page 21) Yes, it takes self-control and discipline. Does it mean I’m sinful because of my food choices? So several things I can agree to disagree on and other parts are pretty good.
Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest thoughts. -
Currently reading
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I wanted to love this book, but I could not. There is too much that comes across as judgmental and preachy. Sometimes she asks if one could do this or that and comes off as it’s the only way to eat or decide on a treat. There are many mentions of her other books and weight loss side business.
There was also misinformation presented as well. She mentioned that 100% of people who maintain their healthy lifestyle keep off the weight. That is not true. When hormones become imbalanced, weight can fluctuate. When muscle mass is lost for reasons beyond not working out, weight can fluctuate.
Also, she said that a healthy weight indicates general wellness. Also, false. I have healthy weight friends who have dangerous levels for their cholesterol, A1C, and blood pressure.
There are a few nuggets of good information and scripture and I believe Amber meant well with what she wanted for this book. Unfortunately, it didn’t deliver.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. -
This book was informative and very helpful. I think it will help me with my junk food addiction, particularly chocolate. By understanding why I rely on them, I can better conquer them.
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In Food Triggers, Amber Lia explored 31 food triggers that trap us into unhealthy eating and how we kept repeating the same cycle over and over. Some of these triggers included, “when you feel defeated before you start, bored, lack portion control, doctor tells you to lose weight, community means food, hit a plateau, feed your emotions, lonely, fixated on the scale”, and much more. She explained how she was a cross country player in college. During this time, she carried extra weight. By the time, she met her husband she was healthier and a bodybuilder. She even ran three miles regularly. She stated how she was in control of her health and not controlled by gluttony. She revealed how all of that changed within ten years and had five pregnancies and a miscarriage. She explained how she felt her metabolism was stuck. She was struggling with keeping up with all four of her sons and was overweight. She studied scriptures and learned to renew her mind and what caused her to overindulge. One of the first things, she looked at was the why behind why we want to get healthy it could be to get more energy or get off diabetes medications. She shared that she lost over 60 pounds and her husband was able to lose a lot of weight as well.
Another area, she explored was portion size. She began to study the serving size and what was in foods. She even placed measuring cups and spoons and taught her children how to get the correct serving size for meals and snacks. They use smaller plates for meals and use measuring spoons for condiments. They share meals when they go out to eat to eat less. She also looked at Exodus 16 and how they were complaining that they would die in the desert. God provided them quail and they were told to eat but not to keep the leftovers. Some of them kept the leftovers and they were filled with maggots. She compared to how this has led us to having to deal with cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.
I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is struggling with food triggers and they are ready to break free. I liked how this book was written where readers could tackle a different trigger a day for a month. I liked how the book explored multiple different areas and tips to control our overeating indulges. One of my favorite chapters was the one on sugar and how much it controls us and how a study was conducted on rats portraying how they were addicted to Oreos and how it activated more neurons in their pleasure center than when they tried cocaine. This was very shocking and very eye opening on how much we are addicted to craving something sweet. I loved how she shared how she was able to lose her desire for sweets and reply on more natural foods. I immensely enjoyed how she included a lot of tips on how to beat your food triggers and how to also to grow your spiritual appetite. This is also a special prayer at the end of each chapter.
"I received this book free from the publisher, Bethany House/ Chosen for my honest review.” -
Absolutely a fantastic read for those who are on their personal journey to curb addiction to food or lose weight. The author Amber Alia has come up with various ways which I felt is very practical to control mindless eating. This book is helping me to identify where I have to bring self control regarding food and sugar. The author, a certified health coach reminded me that even in our weakness as humans God understands and we must give all the glory to God instead of running to food. I enjoyed this read as it is filled with how the author has adopted a spiritual transformation and came off her physical weight - sixty pounds through reading God's word and freeing herself from unhealthy patterns for God honoring - habits. Nothing is impossible with God. I would rate the book 5 stars.
This book is more of how the reader can encourage to apply biblical principles in each food trigger in their life. In the areas of food and health Satan wants us to feel frustrated, ashamed and stuck. Satan is not our friend but our enemy, seeking "to steal and kill and destroy" our lives (John 10:10). Instead we need to acknowledge these areas to our loving Father who is for us! He will forgive us.
One of the chapters I loved reading over and over again is one of the food triggers 'When you are Bored'. What do I think more, is it pleasures of food more than the pleasures of being a Christ follower? The author remined me that I need to take times to have quiet times with God everyday so that my purpose could be revealed by him.
To gather more uncontrollably more than we need is not new. The story of the Israelites in Exodus 16 wandering for Forty years in the desert because of their sin was no small discipline. We have a different sort of turmoil journey one that leads to Obesity and Diet related chronic diseases. How to make small changes can make big impact. This book has encouraged me to take heart in the good fight to implement decisions to make healthy habits by focusing on God's word and mature well in my faith.
I just reviewed the book, Food Triggers: Exchanging Unhealthy Patterns for God-Honoring Habits. Thanks to the author Amber Alia, Publisher Bethany House and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book for my honest review. -
If you are like me you have struggled since childhood to try to fix your weight/food issues over and over and over again. Saying maybe this will be the last book, last diet, last… getting tired of trying yet again and feeling nothing is ever gonna work.
I tend to get annoyed with Christian books on weight loss. They tend to make you feel bad about yourself. Guilty… “If you were only more spiritually disciplined … “ or “walking closer with God!” I feel these can be harmful like any other judgment we put on others or we put on ourselves.
I had read a few reviews before writing my own and was actually pretty surprised by some of them. I did not feel Amber Lia was putting anything “unhealthy” on anyone. I chose this book because I wanted to look at my food triggers and see if I could find some helps and I feel I got what I needed. I was able to get much out. I appreciated her words. I read the book and listened to the audio book.
I think the audiobook was easy to listen to and you got how things were said… not with judgement or condemnation. Let’s be real… reading non fiction books can be like reading an email from an enemy and filtered through our own issues and mindset. Audiobooks help me to get out of my head and listen openly!!!
Of course everyone will get as much or as little out of the book as they are open to getting. This book helped me get back in to making healthy choices and making time to take care of my self mindfully. I will definitely be referring back to this book.
I alternated reading the ebook & listening to the audiobook. Occasionally both while taking notes.
I received a complimentary ARC and Audiobook of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review. -
Amber Lia writes Food Triggers from the perspective of a certified health coach and a Christian. She began her journey to develop healthy eating habits when she was sixty pounds overweight. She views the journey to health as both a physical and a spiritual battle. She began her personal changes with a “medically designed plan” in consultation with a health coach for accountability. She combined that with examining her food triggers one at a time. This book does not tell you what to eat although she clearly avoids sugars and excessive carbs. She intends her book to be read one chapter per day for 31 days. Each chapter addresses a specific motivation or food trigger, some external and some internal.
Lia backs up the information with research and with Scriptures. She encourages the reader to “exchange unhealthy patterns for God-honoring habits.” Some of her chapters resonated with me and others did not apply. She addresses how others can try to sabotage your healthy eating plan and the temptations that may arise when you are in community settings that involve food. There are many difficult areas she addresses including travel, portion control, and boredom. Food Triggers is not a diet plan, but is another tool with insights and practical tips that those struggling with weight loss and/or healthy eating can add to their toolbox.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. -
In Food Triggers, Amber Lia shares her journey of exchanging unhealthy patterns for God honoring habits. Amber has struggled with her weight over the years. Her turning point was after she had her four boys. She knew she needed to do something and decided to have a mindset change along with follow through actions. This resulted in significant weight loss, as well as a redirected life path.
Amber shares many ideas as to the why behind weight gain. I will caution you that she doesn’t explain too many of the how to concerning weight loss. Tips include: clean out the pantry and remove trigger foods, buy a cookbook that provides healthy recipes, join a health plan focused on lifestyle changes, pray over your grocery list, thank God for His good provisions. Sign up for an exercise class at the local gym. Keep a food log or journal. Notice marketing strategies that lower you toward unhealthy patterns.
Amber and her husband do have a coaching weight loss business. Many times as I was reading I was looking for actual recipes or solutions but instead it was more about the why behind weight gain and the cycle of habits. There is however, a lot of scripture included which is encouraging.
Food triggers does offer some significant insight as to your why. It is a motivating book. I was given a free copy from the publisher for my honest review which I was happy to do. I did enjoy Food Triggers. -
I've made major progress in the last couple of years but I still see myself sliding into old patterns at times so I was excited to check out Amber Lia's new book, Food Triggers*.
This is a helpful book for any overeating struggle you may face, however, undereating issues aren't really addressed in this book. The author has covered a broad range of topics in the categories of external triggers (such as holidays and family food culture), internal triggers (such as shame, lies we believe about our health journeys, and emotional eating), and a short section on reaching goal weight.
Most of these chapters didn't apply to me but there were still lots of little gold nuggets for me to enjoy.
I particularly loved her use of scripture and prayer to keep you tethered to your faith in a journey God would love to see you through.
Health is very important to me and I think Food Triggers is a great place to start. The book also included this startling quote by Yuval Noah Harari I thought might be an important place to leave you: "In 2012, about 56 million people died throughout the world; 620,000 of them died due to human violence (war killed 120,000 people, and crime killed another 500,000). In contrast, 800,000 committed suicide, and 1.5 million died of diabetes. Sugar is now more dangerous than gunpowder."
*I received a free copy of Food Triggers in exchange for an honest review. -
Overall I enjoyed this book and found it beneficial for anyone wanting to learn how to honor God with their body and eating habits. Gluttony often gets swept under the rug as far as sins go, but it is still a sin and it's a shame that it's become so widely accepted. As Christians, we should have a desire to honor God in all that we do, including eating/fueling our bodies and how we treat our bodies in general. We are no longer slaves to sin. We should not be a slave to food and our cravings.
"God didn't place us here for us to take up residence, eating and drinking and sleeping, and then repeat. He created us for good works."
"We were not created for our stomachs; our stomachs were created for us!"
What I liked about the book:
- The author touches on every scenario imaginable (external and internal triggers) so you can know how to be prepared in any situation
- The chapters were short and straight-forward
- The author ties it all back to honoring God with our body
What I didn't like about the book:
- It did feel a little repetitive
- I did disagree with the author on the fact that overeating isn't our fault. For example, she says multiple times that it's not our fault we don't know proper portion sizes. That is something that I believe is our fault and we should own it.
**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own. -
This is one of the best books I have read about getting healthy. Amber does a fabulous job of connecting the journey to get healthy physically with getting healthy spiritually. It's full of practical advice and is very relatable because Amber has been through all of this herself. Broken down into 31 chapters, this book is an excellent resource for anyone desiring to make a change in their lifestyle gradually over time, I have highlighted so much of the book and have so many take-aways from it. It's inspirational and life-changing. Very eye opening to how God desires us to use our bodies and our lives for His glory and how our everyday healthy choices can honor Him. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to get healthy and will definitely be referencing it for myself!
*I received a free digital copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review -
I've not read many diet-oriented books before I picked up this complimentary copy from Nuts about Books which is why I've given a three-star review. I don't really have anything to compare it to.
Overall I found it well done. I have NOT finished it, I'm a bit more then 1/3 of the way through.
I have found it to thought-provoking, I appreciate that the prayers following each chapter are specific and push the reader toward action that pleases God.
It is very God-focused, and wants us to lead lives that are honouring to him, even in how we choose to eat. It matters you know, where our focus is. Is food more important than our relationship with God and how do we show that in various forms? What triggers do you have that cause you to take your focus off of God? This book will help you look at each of those triggers over the course of 31 readings. -
I have read numerous “diet”books over my many years. Food has always been a struggle for me. In Food Triggers I found a refreshing difference in that it wasn’t about a particular diet or what to eat to lose weight but a thought provoking look into what causes me to over eat or eat unhealthy. It gave me a chapter a day to read over a 31 day period. I could soak in what I had read, chew on it for a while and digest it before reading the next chapter. Many things were what I already knew from all the other books I’ve read on controlling appetite but there were some new and helpful ideas that appealed to me. But most importantly is the idea of consulting God in this area of my life and taking care of the body He entrusted me with.
I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Netgalley but was not required to write a review positive or otherwise. -
This book had some really good content that helped me out a lot! I absolutely related to so many of the food triggers identified in the book and I really appreciated the authors practical help in walking through the emotional side of the triggers. Overall a very helpful book, an easy read, and no terribly woke theology. A few qualms I had with the book was the several quotes from progressive liberal Christian influencers who I have serious theological objections to and also the overuse of the word “stronghold”. For some reason in christian books dealing with food this is a common word and something about it strikes me as not a biblical concept. I also slightly disagreed with her chapter on self care which was mildly entitled but not majorly self centered as I have seen. Overall a worthy read with discernment!
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I am grateful to Amber for her willingness to be honest about her struggles.
As I have read her books, I find myself in the pages.
As she writes about her food triggers, I see many of my own.
This book is well-written and gave me some added motivation to continue my own health journey.
I am most grateful for her use of Scripture throughout the book.
For me, health is about so much more than a number on a scale. It is about my whole being. I cannot work on my own health without incorporating my relationship and dependence upon the Creator.
Thank you Amber for another well-written and encouraging book.
Cheers!! -
I found this a particularly interesting book and helpful book on food habits.
So many books I have read in the past are solely just basic diet books, but this book tackled something completely different, which I really appreciated - God.
This book details strategies on body image and eating habits with a God-focused lens. I found it extremely useful as we can't do this all on our own. We need to call on God for help.
I would highly recommend this one for food habit readers.
I am married to a dietitian, so we don't use the word "diet". It is more about a healthier attitude towards food. Give into cravings, and be mindful.
Great!
3.9/5
