Nourished by Faith: Biblical Perspective on Food, Eating Disorders, and Body Image

by Anna Marie Long, Stephanie Brown

There is endless information (and misinformation!) about food and our bodies in today's western culture, but what does the Bible say? Does Jesus speak in this area of our lives? Can you be a follower of Christ and struggle with food and body image? In this book, Registered Dietitian (RD) and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS), Anna Marie Long, and Bachelor of Science in Nutrition (BS), personal trainer (PT), and master’s student in counseling, Stephanie Brown, aim to help people restore their relationship with food, exercise, and body image through the Bible and sound nutrition! This book is saturated with scripture, thought-provoking questions, myth-debunking, nutrition facts and research, real-life experiences, and practical steps to freedom. Anna Marie and Stephanie answer hard questions on gluttony, fasting, feasting, self-control, and attraction. As nutritionists by training, they also cover principles of intuitive eating, social determinants of health, and the origin of BMI. Free of diet culture, this book is a safe resource for both men and women in eating disorder recovery, caregivers for those in recovery, or anyone who has ever wondered what the Bible has to say about food and body image.

227 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 7, 2025

Reviews

[Brittani Oglesbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book fills a much-needed space in literature on how food, body image, and faith intersect! In a culture that has so much emphasis on toxic dieting habits and body image distortions, this is a breath of fresh air!

10/10 would recommend! The book discusses topics that are seldom covered in Christian circles, and far too often when people speak on such topics they lean into the toxic diet culture of the day. Nourished by Faith instead offers a holistic and Biblically solid understanding of body image and food.

Nourished by Faith guides you through what the Bible has to say on important topics like feasting, gluttony, and eating disorders to name just a few. Each chapter is so saturated in Scripture and offers valuable commentary for how Christians can live out glorifying God in the area of food and body image. I’m excited to read this again!

[Abby Erschen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friend Stephanie is so cool!! A great resource on the topic of food, body image, and eating disorders from a clear biblical lens. God cares about our bodies and the reality of the gospel truly impacts every area of our lives!

[Kassandra Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Christian Certified Health, Life, and Mental Health Coach who specializes in food and body image, I am always looking for books and resources to be able to share with clients and those around me. Nourished by Faith is now at the top of my list of books to recommend for anyone who is struggling with food and body image issues, for those who are open to learning about how the Bible supports a non-diet approach to food and body, and for loved ones who have someone struggling with food and body image issues.

Here are the top three reasons why I love this book…

1. Chapters are short and concise. Overall, it’s a quick read and gives a 30,000 foot view of what the Bible has to say about food and body without diet culture!

2. I love that they started with the Word of God. It’s the foundation for every chapter and is saturated with scripture!

3.At the same time, this book shares the non-diet approach in a kind and gentle way.

I am thankful to Anna Marie and Stephanie for writing this book and look forward to recommending it to others!

[Micki Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've ever struggled with what to eat, how to eat, or how you view your body, this book is for you. Starting with scripture on what God says about food and moving on to how we should look at ourselves, this book is very helpful for those having a hard time with how they look. Learn how to pray when you need guidance, question why you feel the way you feel, or just feel like you are not alone in your journey.

[Mira Felzien · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated how this book cited tons of scripture alongside scientific research.

The audiobook was clunky at times. I may have enjoyed reading the hard copy more, but I’m glad the audiobook was available because it would have taken me longer to get around to reading this without the audio format.

[Leah Hartzell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this while lifting at the gym. I thought it had strong Biblical views and brought up interesting topics.

[Kristin Fogt · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a dietitian who often incorporates conversations of faith into nutrition counseling, I found this book to be an amazing tool for providers, clients, and caregivers. The content is concise, clear, and easily digestible. The case study examples are free from triggering content making it suitable for most readers, regardless of their current relationship with food. The writing is evidence-based with nutrition research and scripture references expertly woven into the writing, making further education on the topics presented easy for readers to navigate. What I most love about this book is the authors' emphasis that God's grace abounds for those seeking freedom in their relationship with food! I will be recommending this book to anyone who wants to learn more about what the Bible says about food, fasting, gluttony, body image, movement, and more! Highly recommend.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anna Marie Long and Stephanie Brown offer a refreshing and compassionate look at the intersection of faith, food, and body image. Grounded in scripture and backed by sound nutrition science, this book tackles tough topics like gluttony, fasting, self-control, and diet culture with honesty and grace.

With practical steps, myth-busting insights, and real-life experiences, it’s a safe and encouraging resource for anyone in eating disorder recovery, caregivers, or those simply looking to improve their relationship with food and their bodies. Accessible, hopeful, and judgment-free, this book is a must-read for anyone wondering what the Bible really says about these deeply personal issues.

[Andriana Enix · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very informative and scripturally sound. There was so much good information and it definitely has helped me on my self image journey. The only complaint I have about the book was the audiobook. As someone else stated, it was “clunky” which is very true. If the audiobook was smoother and sounded better, I would give 5 stars.

[Charity Rissler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was privileged to be one of the first to read this book. As someone who’s never really studied nutrition I definitely saw several big myths I believed get challenged and torn down. I learned so much! This book is an easy read and you can skip around to issues that are most relevant to your situation.

My faith in Jesus is the most important thing to me so I appreciate a well-written Christian book. I especially love it when experts in their field unapologetically center the gospel alongside their expert advice! Anna Marie and Stephanie are very humble and place the Bible above their opinions or expertise.