Time to break free from damaging diet culture and listen to what Jesus says about our bodies

Carla Lotus explains the dangers of dieting and focusing on weight-loss. Instead she suggests that we put our energy behind a healthy God-focused lifestyle.

The start of a new year is usual full of all sorts of resolution, particularly around food. The year ended with endless choices of home cooked delicacies and the classic festive indulgence. But most of us allow it because we know we plan to transform ourselves into wellness gurus in January. However, a question we need to pose to ourselves is; why would we want to put our bodies and mental well-being through such a drastic change in January? Is doing this as productive and healthy as we think it is?

In the first month of the year, it is common to be bombarded with every kind of diet that proclaims rapid weight loss, whether it’s; a juicing detox, slim tea diet, low carbohydrate diet, gluten-free, dairy-free or fat-free diet the list goes on. It is also not uncommon for social media influencers to be paid to promote these crash diets and to see and read about these diets on TV adverts and in magazines. But, what often isn’t promoted is the downside and reality of these fad diets.