Good food comes from gardens. Child of Eden, original oil painting by Steve Henderson; licensed open edition print at iCanvasART and Framed Canvas Art

When I was growing up, I heard the mantra, “You are what you eat!” all the time.

It’s not said so much these days, which is ironic since much of what we eat is grown with pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides; processed with chemical additives and preservatives; and tinkered with genetically and medically. If we are what we eat, it’s no wonder that so many of us are sick.

While we may or may not believe that we are what we eat, it should be fairly obvious that what we read — online, in newspapers, magazines, books, and those wretched medical publications that the hospitals, insurance agencies, and government departments send out — affects how and what we think.

Some Christians have used this concept as the springboard for denouncing any literary endeavors outside of “Christian books,” which range from non-fiction fare (“Empower Your Christian Visionary Identity with Purpose, Drive, and Intention”) to blandly benign, benevolent fiction featuring sweet Amish girls from the 19th century solving mystery stories on the farm.

Yes, ordinary people can eat organic — it just takes knowing how to manage your money. Paperback and digital at amazon.com.

Please follow the link to Feeding Marshmallows to Our Mind at my BeliefNet column, Commonsense Christianity. As regular readers know, I am able to post only a teaser, and I am grateful to the wonderful people who follow the link — and many of you leave terrific comments!

What about you? Are your reading habits keeping you in a state of depression and fear? It’s not all in your mind, you know — but it does have something to do with what you expose your mind to.

And speaking of good food to go along with good books, you can probably afford to eat more pure, organic and/or natural food than you think you can. My book, Live Happily on Less, is a series of friendly, bloggy essays that lead you, gently, into a sustainable money-saving lifestyle. No coupon clipping.

This article is linked to A Mama’s Story, Modest Mom, Thank Goodness It’s Monday, What Joy Is Mine, The Life of Faith, Moms the Word, Missional Call, Serendipity and Spice, Stitch by Stitch, Multitasking Mum, Thoughtful Spot, Mopping the Floor, A Life in Balance, A Pinch of Joy, Monday Funday, Mama Diane, Trust Me I’m a Mom, A Blossoming Life, Raising Homemakers, A Little R and R, Wholehearted Home, My Daily Walk in His Grace, A Wise Woman, We Are That Family, True Aim, Ducks in a Row, Adorned from Above, Moonlight and Mason Jars, My Disorganized Life, The Life of Jennifer Dawn, Hip Homeschoolers, Time Warp Wife, Titus Tuesdays, Golden Reflections, Share Your Stuff, Kathe with an E, Turn It Up Tuesdays,