Excerpt from the book ‘Grateful Truce’, Chapter 10 pages 129-131

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit?” (1 Corinthians 6:19)

The Great American Lie
We’ve built a cathedral of health hypocrisy:

• A Cabinet position for Health that oversees declining health
• “Nutrition” labels on boxes of diabetes-in-waiting
• Gyms full of people lifting weights to compensate for lifting forks too often

And the results speak for themselves:
We’re the most medicated, overweight, and spiritually malnourished generation in history – all while drinking more than our prohibition-era grandparents could have dreamed.

Sobriety’s Open Secret
When I first quit drinking, I made the rookie mistake of thinking abstinence alone would fix me. Instead, I became what recovering alcoholics affectionately call a “dry drunk” – sober in breath, but still toxic in every other way.

Then I discovered Paul’s warning: “I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:27)

Three realizations changed everything:

1. Physical health isn’t vanity – it’s the foundation that keeps your house of cards from collapsing when life blows through
2. Mental clarity isn’t optional – it’s the difference between choosing a drink and being chosen by one
3. Spiritual strength isn’t church talk – it’s the anchor that keeps moderation from becoming justification

The Moderation Multiplier
Now that I drink responsibly, health isn’t just important – it’s the silent partner in every decision:

• A well-rested body naturally stops at “enough”
• A properly fueled brain doesn’t mistake thirst for craving
• A soul in conversation with God doesn’t need liquid courage

The AA Bait-and-Switch
Walk into any recovery meeting and you’ll see the tragic trade we’ve made:

• The newcomer: 140 lbs of shaky hope
• The 5-year veteran: 240 lbs of “sober” but metabolically doomed

We took “one day at a time” and turned it into “one donut at a time.” But Scripture warns: “The drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty.” (Proverbs 23:21)

Your Truce Toolkit

1. The Protein Pause
   Before reaching for a drink, eat 30g of actual food (not the chip-adjacent substances lining grocery aisles). Your blood sugar will thank you.
2. The Grocery Store Gauntlet
   If your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize it as food, it probably shouldn’t be your coping mechanism.
3. Strength Training as Spiritual Discipline
   Lift heavy weights 5x weekly – not for vanity, but because:

• Muscle regulates the hormones alcohol destroyed
• Nothing rebuilds self-respect like physical competence
• “Physical training is of some value…” (1 Timothy 4:8)

4. The 48-Hour Sugar Ceiling
   Enjoy dessert. Then prove you’re in control by avoiding added sugar for two days. This isn’t punishment – it’s demonstrating who’s in charge.

The Bottom Line
Your body keeps score whether you do or not. The same discipline that lets you moderate drinking will demand you moderate everything else. Because in the end:
“Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

The Sober Swap – When trading addictions is not recovery
Walk into any 12-step meeting after six months and witness the unintended consequences:

• Day 1: A gaunt, 140-pound wreck with trembling hands
• Day 180: A 220-pound “success story” demolishing family-size Doritos in the parking lot

We’ve been sold a dangerous half-truth: “Do anything to stay sober!” But Scripture warns: “Do not exchange one yoke of slavery for another” (Galatians 5:1). The hard questions remain:

• What’s more destructive long-term – vodka or metabolic syndrome?
• What’s more miserable – a hangover or insulin resistance?

The Neurochemical Shell Game
Your brain doesn’t crave sobriety – it craves dopamine. Take away alcohol and it will:

1. Demand sugar with the desperation of a toddler denied candy
2. When denied sugar, seek nicotine, porn, or reckless spending
3. If deprived of those, invent new compulsions

This isn’t a weakness – it’s neuroscience. As Paul observed: “I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15).

Your Turn

1. Try one tool from the Truce Toolkit this week
2. Comment below: What’s your biggest health struggle in recovery?
3. Share this with someone trading alcohol for junk food

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