Crunchy Stewardship

Katie Fiola Jones & Chrissy Rombach
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Christianity

In this podcast we are taking a deep dive into what it means to steward our lives as God originally intended for us with the resources that God has given us. We will look at topics like food, medicine, finances, mental health and lots more through a natural lens with a biblical foundation. 

  1. 5d ago

    Is Going Crunchy Making You Anxious? (Plus: Katie's Coffee Detox)

    Send us a Message! Welcome back to Crunchy Stewardship! Last week we talked about how to keep health and wellness from becoming an idol. This week, we are tackling the other side of the spectrum: how to avoid paralyzing fear when you start going down the crunchy rabbit hole. It is so easy to feel like everything in the modern world is toxic and out to get you, but we are here to remind you that God is still entirely in control! Before we dive into the heavy stuff, Katie drops a major bombshell for her Random Revelation: she is attempting a one-month coffee detox! She shares her raw experience with cold-turkey caffeine withdrawals, the science behind why caffeine masks our true energy levels, and the natural remedies (hello, Belladonna and raw chocolate milk!) she is using to survive. Then, we discuss how to handle "toxic overload" without falling into the trap of "ignorance is bliss." We share how to surrender our health anxieties to the Lord, why you should absolutely not throw away your entire pantry in one day, and how to focus on the good changes you are making. We also share some hilarious "Crunchy Confessions"—from Chrissy accidentally buying a 95% polyester pregnancy pillow to Katie scoring a bulk deal on neon-orange, artificially fragranced razors. In this episode, you'll learn: Random Revelation: Katie’s cold-turkey coffee detox, the science behind caffeine withdrawals, and how to support your body while breaking the addiction.Toxic Overload: How to avoid analysis paralysis when researching ingredients and natural products.Faith Over Fear: A powerful reminder that "nothing has ever occurred to God" and how to spiritually surrender your health anxieties.Crunchy Confessions: Why it is perfectly okay to make mistakes, use the cheap razors, and give yourself an abundance of grace on this journey.Your Action Step: Why you should focus on making just one simple, budget-friendly swap this week instead of a massive (and stressful) kitchen overhaul.Chapters:  00:00 Welcome & Continuing Last Week's Conversation  01:30 Random Revelation: Katie’s Coffee Detox & Withdrawals  10:15 The Science of Caffeine & Energy Reserves  17:30 Sugar, Heartburn, and Pregnancy Cravings  23:15 Combating Fear and "Toxic Overload"  26:45 "Has it ever occurred to you that nothing has ever occurred to God?"  32:00 Avoiding Analysis Paralysis & Finding a Holistic Dentist  38:45 Crunchy Confessions: Polyester Pillows & Neon Razors  45:00 Your Next Step: Focus on One Swap This Week Remember, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Connect With Us:  Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crunchychristianmama Follow us on Instagram @crunchystewardship  FREE How to Afford Non-Toxic Living Workbook: https://crunchystewardship.com/how-to-afford-non-toxic-living

  2. Aug 28

    Avoiding Wellness Idolatry: Finding Balance in Your Crunchy Christian Journey

    Send us a Message! In this episode of Crunchy Stewardship, the hosts discuss how easy it is to let health and “crunchy” living shift from good stewardship into idolatry, especially when fear, anxiety, judgment of others, or rigid control replaces peace in Christ. Chrissy shares a “random revelation” about how birthing positions shifted historically from upright to lying on the back, including a popular legend involving King Louis XIV and the convenience it created for doctors. They offer practical ways to assess whether wellness has become an idol—what you spend your time and money on, whether it produces fruits of the Spirit, and how you respond when plans are disrupted or you’re offered processed food. They encourage grace, gratitude, and prayerful surrender, emphasizing that bodily training has value, but godliness matters more (1 Timothy 4:8). 00:00 Morning Check In 01:12 Avoiding Wellness Idols 02:54 Birthing Positions History 07:46 Priority Versus Idolatry 13:32 Fear Replaces Peace 18:12 Stewardship In Real Life 25:06 Conspiracies And Control 30:10 Money Time And Fruit 38:39 Grace With Kids Food 49:03 Scripture And Send Off Connect With Us:  Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crunchychristianmama Follow us on Instagram @crunchystewardship  FREE How to Afford Non-Toxic Living Workbook: https://crunchystewardship.com/how-to-afford-non-toxic-living

  3. Aug 21

    Biblical Mental Health: What Elijah, David, and Job Teach Us About Anxiety

    Send us a Message! Welcome back to Crunchy Stewardship! This week, we are tackling a massive topic in today's culture: mental health. While modern society places a huge emphasis on therapy, feelings, and empathy, we wanted to take a step back and look at what the Bible actually says about walking through seasons of intense anxiety and depression. Before we dive into scripture, Katie shares a Random Revelation from the book The Anxious Generation. We discuss the eye-opening research connecting childhood screen time to rising anxiety rates, the recommended technology boundaries for kids, and how we implement digital boundaries (like keeping a "dumb TV" in the basement) to protect our own mental peace as adults. Then, we turn to the Word. We look at three major biblical figures—Elijah, David, and Job—who all experienced distress so deep they pleaded with God to let them die. We break down how they lamented, how God responded (sometimes with the simple, profound advice to eat a snack and take a nap!), and how we can apply their resilience to our modern struggles. We also discuss where modern secular therapy often misses the mark—like why practicing "gratitude" doesn't actually work unless you have a Creator to thank. In this episode, you'll learn: Random Revelation: The screen-time rules outlined in The Anxious Generation to protect children from anxiety and depression.Digital Boundaries: Why keeping a "dumb TV" in the basement, setting app limits, and ditching constant social media scrolling is crucial for adult mental health.Elijah’s Protocol: What to do when you are running on empty (hint: sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is eat a nourishing meal and take a nap).David’s Psalms: How to pour out your deepest sorrow and anger to God while still clinging to the joy of the Lord.Job’s Trial: Trusting God’s ultimate sovereignty when your entire world falls apart and you don't have the answers.The Problem with "Bad Therapy": Why society's push for endless empathy and wallowing in our feelings can actually keep us stuck, and how the Gospel calls us to resilience.Chrissy’s Testimony: How praying for a cruel coworker completely shifted her perspective from anxiety to Christ-like compassion.Resources mentioned: Book: The Anxious Generation - https://amzn.to/4g1tCubBook: Bad Therapy by Abigail Shrier - https://amzn.to/3SaQa2xChapters: 00:00 Welcome & Introduction to Biblical Mental Health 02:30 Random Revelation: The Anxious Generation & Screen Time Rules  11:15 Dumb TVs, Social Media Boundaries, & Breaking Tech Addictions  22:20 Elijah: The Spiritual Power of a Snack and a Nap  26:45 David: Lamenting, Confession, and Pouring Out Your Heart  30:15 Job: Navigating Unimaginable Loss and Trusting God’s Sovereignty  35:00 "Bad Therapy," Toxic Empathy, and the Need for Resilience  44:30 Why Secular Gratitude Misses the Mark (Plus Chrissy's Coworker Story)  52:00 Wrapping Up: Casting Your Burdens on Jesus Remember, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Connect With Us:  Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crunchychristianmama Follow us on Instagram @crunchystewardship  FREE How to Afford Non-Toxic Living Workbook: https://crunchystewardship.com/how-to-afford-non-toxic-living

  4. Aug 14

    The History of the Food Pyramid, Lab-Grown Meat, and Weston A. Price Principles

    Send us a Message! Welcome back to Crunchy Stewardship! This week, we are taking a trip back in time to look at the wild, ever-changing history of the United States dietary guidelines, but first, we have to talk about a major development happening in grocery stores right now. Chrissy kicks off the episode with a Random Revelation about lab-grown meat officially hitting the shelves at a major health food store. We break down the sneaky FDA-approved buzzwords (like "cultivated" and "cell-based") that companies are using to label this fake meat, and why we are choosing to vote with our dollars by sticking to local farmers and real, God-given food. Then, Katie walks us through the timeline of the US government's nutrition advice. From the 1894 farmer's bulletins (when butter had its own food group!) to the carb-heavy 1992 Food Guide Pyramid that told an entire generation to eat 11 servings of grains a day, it is eye-opening to see how dramatically the "rules" have changed. Finally, we cut through the confusion of modern diet advice by breaking down the 11 Principles of the Weston A. Price Foundation—the ancestral guidelines we actually use to feed our families today. In this episode, you'll learn: Random Revelation: Lab-grown meat is officially in grocery stores. Learn the hidden terms ("cell-cultured," "cultivated") to look out for on packaging and the surprising health food store selling it.Climate Conversations: Why Katie is reading Bill Gates' How to Avoid a Climate Disaster alongside opposing viewpoints, and how climate alarmism ties into the push for fake meat.The History of the Food Pyramid: A timeline of government nutrition advice, how World War II shifted us toward enriched flours, and the origins of the 1992 Food Pyramid.Crunchy Confessions: The struggles of pregnant Lucky Charms cravings, why Katie loves the cream chunks in her raw milk, and Chrissy’s hilarious 5x concentrated vinegar mozzarella fail.The 11 Principles of Weston A. Price: A breakdown of the ancestral eating guidelines we follow, including prioritizing raw dairy, properly preparing grains, ditching seed oils, and embracing nutrient-dense animal fats.Resources mentioned: Weston A. Price Foundation: The 11 Principles OverviewSmithsonian Magazine Article: The History of USDA Dietary GuidelinesChapters: 00:00 Welcome, Early Mornings, & Toddler Singing 01:45 Random Revelation: Lab-Grown Meat Hits Grocery Stores 08:20 Climate Alarmism & Reading Opposing Viewpoints 14:10 The History of the US Dietary Guidelines (1894 to Today) 25:30 The 1992 Food Pyramid & The Cereal Deception 31:15 Crunchy Confessions: Raw Milk Chunks & Mozzarella Fails 35:40 Breaking Down the 11 Principles of Weston A. Price 44:15 Wrapping Up & How to Connect With Us Remember, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Connect With Us:  Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crunchychristianmama Follow us on Instagram @crunchystewardship  FREE How to Afford Non-Toxic Living Workbook: https://crunchystewardship.com/how-to-afford-non-toxic-living

  5. Aug 7

    The Biblio Diet Book Review: Healing Secrets and Eating By the Book

    Send us a Message! Welcome back to Crunchy Stewardship! This week, we are diving into our highly anticipated review of The Biblio Diet by Dr. Josh Axe and Jordan Rubin. If you have ever wondered how to use the Bible as an "owner's manual" for your health, this is the episode for you! Before we jump into the book, Katie kicks things off with a fascinating Random Revelation about the toxic, heavy-metal origins of the phrase "Mad as a Hatter," and gives us a quick update on her Earthley parasite cleanse. Then, we break down the core principles of The Biblio Diet, exploring the incredible healing testimonies of the authors and the biblical case for using food as medicine. We talk about everything from the nutritional powerhouse of ancient, fresh-milled grains to the surprising health benefits of eating your strawberry leaves! We also get incredibly real with some "Crunchy Confessions." From pregnancy cravings for Lucky Charms to devouring nostalgic chocolate chip cookies at our parents' houses, we are here to remind you that nobody is perfect. The crunchy journey is all about grace over guilt, relying on the Lord's new mercies every morning, and remembering that true health involves stewarding our minds and hearts through forgiveness just as much as it involves eating well. In this episode, you'll learn: Random Revelation: The real history behind the "Mad Hatter" and the devastating effects of mercury poisoning in the 1700s.Healing Testimonies: How Dr. Josh Axe and Jordan Rubin utilized biblical health principles, faith, and prayer to overcome severe, life-threatening illnesses.Fruit Leaves for Healing: Looking at Ezekiel 47 to understand why God created the leaves of fruit trees for medicine (and how you can easily start eating strawberry tops!).The Bread of Life: Why ancient grains and fresh-milled wheat are nutritional powerhouses compared to modern, highly-processed white bread.Crunchy Confessions: Our honest struggles with sugar cravings, visiting family, and why we are swapping "YOLO" for "YALF" (You Actually Live Forever).Mindset Medicine: The physical health benefits of practicing true, biblical forgiveness and maintaining a positive, low-cortisol mindset.Exercise as Stewardship: Why physical movement is a vital part of stewarding our temple in a modern, sedentary world.Resources mentioned: The Book: The Biblio Diet by Dr. Josh Axe & Jordan Rubin -https://amzn.to/4q03Aec Parasite Cleanse: Earthley Wellness - https://www.earthley.com/products/parasite-detox-bundle/?affiliateId=aa0c047c83cd93f47dc6c300Podcast Mentioned: The Josh Axe ShowChapters: 00:00 Welcome, Early Mornings, & Toddler Wake-Up Calls 02:15 Random Revelation: The Toxic Origins of the "Mad Hatter" 07:10 Katie’s Parasite Cleanse Update 11:30 The Biblio Diet Review: Healing Stories from Josh Axe & Jordan Rubin  17:45 Eating the Leaves: Biblical Fruit and Strawberry Tops  21:30 The Bread of Life: Ancient Grains & Fresh-Milled Wheat  25:15 Crunchy Confessions: Pregnancy Cravings & Nostalgic Cookies  32:00 Grace Over Guilt: New Mercies & The "YALF" Mindset  36:45 Exercise, Forgiveness, and Mindset Medicine  42:00 The Biblio Meal Plan & Wrapping Up Remember, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Connect With Us:  Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crunchychristianmama Follow us on Instagram @crunchystewardship  FREE How to Afford Non-Toxic Living Workbook: https://crunchystewardship.com/how-to-afford-non-toxic-living

  6. Jul 24

    Prayer, Health, and Crunchy Stewardship Conversations

    Send us a Message! Are you looking to deepen your spiritual life while taking better care of your physical and mental health? In this episode of Crunchy Stewardship, hosts Katie Fiola Jones and Chrissy Rombach dig into the unexpected, physical, and neurological benefits of prayer. From lowering stress hormones to physically changing your brain structure through neuroplasticity, God designed prayer to heal us inside and out. Plus, Chrissy kicks things off with a fascinating "Random Revelation" about why Jesus prayed out loud—and how switching from silent prayer to spoken prayer might completely transform your prayer life! In This Episode, We Cover: Chrissy’s Random Revelation: The biblical evidence that Jesus prayed out loud, why He instructed us to "close the door," and how praying out loud keeps you focused.Posture & Prayer: How changing your physical posture—kneeling, opening your hands, lifting your arms—engages your mind and heart in a deeper way.Calming the Nervous System: The physiological science of how prayer activates the vagus nerve, shifts your body into "rest and digest" mode, and lowers cortisol and adrenaline.Rewiring Your Brain (Neuroplasticity): How just 12 minutes of daily focused prayer can shrink the stress-center of the brain (the amygdala) and strengthen executive function.Approaching God Like a Child: Learning persistent, confident, and unfiltered prayer from young children.Historical Examples: Insights from Martin Luther King Jr. and Philippians 4 on finding contentment and peace in life’s most stressful seasons.Scripture & Resource Mentions: 📖 Philippians 4:6–7 – "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God..."📖 Philippians 4:11–13 – Learning the secret of contentment.📖 Acts 7📚 Book: A Praying Life by Paul E. MillerChallenge of the Week: If you normally pray silently in your head, try praying out loud this week! Whether in your closet or on your commute alone in the car, speak your prayers directly to God and see how it refreshes your prayer life. Connect With Us: Grab a raw milk latte, subscribe, and leave us a review if you enjoyed this episode!Share this episode with a friend who needs a reminder of God's peace todayConnect With Us:  Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crunchychristianmama Follow us on Instagram @crunchystewardship  FREE How to Afford Non-Toxic Living Workbook: https://crunchystewardship.com/how-to-afford-non-toxic-living

  7. Jul 17

    Mid-Year Life Update: Parasite Outbreaks, Vaccine Research, and Going Down Rabbit Holes

    Send us a Message! Welcome back to Crunchy Stewardship! We are about halfway through 2026, so we decided to hit pause on our regular deep-dives for a mid-year life update. We are pulling back the curtain to share what we are currently learning, researching, and challenging ourselves with right now. Spoiler alert: we do not have it all figured out, and the crunchy journey is always a work in progress! In this episode, we are going down some wild rabbit holes. Katie shares her upcoming plans to time a parasite cleanse with the full moon (just as a major parasitic outbreak hits Michigan!), and how she is tackling the 1,000 Hours Outside challenge using a budget-friendly spreadsheet. Chrissy shares her intensive, neutral deep-dive into researching the childhood vaccine schedule, looking at package inserts, and asking the hard questions about chronic disease rates. We also chat about the value of reading theology and cultural books that we completely disagree with, and how challenging our own perspectives ultimately builds a much firmer foundation for our faith! In this episode, you'll learn: Random Revelation: The recent Cyclospora parasite outbreak hitting the Detroit area, and the best ways to protect your gut (hello, raw garlic and papaya seeds!).The 1,000 Hours Outside Challenge: How Katie is tracking her family's outdoor time and using summer camping trips to offset the freezing Michigan winters.Vaccine Deep-Dives: Chrissy’s approach to researching vaccines without the overwhelm, utilizing package inserts, and comparing global chronic disease rates.Stewarding Our Minds: Why we are intentionally reading books we disagree with, and how learning to form your own logical, biblical arguments strengthens your faith.Conspiracy Corner: We touch on the Federal Reserve, bioweapons, and why asking "why" is the most dangerous (and important!) question you can ask in the crunchy world.Resources & Links Mentioned: The Books We Are Reading (and Debating!): The Secrets of the Federal Reserve by Eustace Mullins: https://amzn.to/4fdIWDLIrresistible by Andy Stanley: https://amzn.to/44xkS8xSeven Days That Divide the World by John C. Lennox: https://amzn.to/4vBIoMxGetting Over Yourself: https://amzn.to/4wKTMaaHow to Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates: https://amzn.to/4w5ALz4Crunchy Resources: Earthley Wellness Parasite Cleanse: https://www.earthley.com/products/parasite-detox-bundle1,000 Hours Outside Challenge: https://www.1000hoursoutside.com/Just the Inserts (Vaccine Label Resource): https://justtheinserts.com/Katie the PA (Vaccine Research on Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/katiec.pac/Chapters: 00:00 Welcome & The Mid-Year Check-In  02:15 Random Revelation: The Michigan Parasite Outbreak  08:30 Conspiracy Corner: The Federal Reserve & The Power of "Why"  14:15 Theology Talk: Reading Books We Disagree With  27:30 Katie’s Goal: Tackling the 1,000 Hours Outside Challenge  33:10 Chrissy’s Deep-Dive: Navigating Vaccine Research & Inserts  45:00 Empowering Yourself Through Education & Wrapping Up Remember, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Connect With Us:  Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crunchychristianmama Follow us on Instagram @crunchystewardship  FREE How to Afford Non-Toxic Living Workbook: https://crunchystewardship.com/how-to-afford-non-toxic-living

  8. Jul 10

    Sowing Generously: How to Build Margin in Your Budget to Bless Others

    Send us a Message! Welcome back to Crunchy Stewardship! Following up on last week's budgeting deep-dive, we are shifting our focus from saving money to freely giving it away. Generosity isn't just a biblical mandate; it actually comes with incredible physical, mental, and emotional health benefits! Before we get into the budget, we are spilling our "Crunchy Confessions." We talk about the natural products we completely regret buying, the deodorants that ruined our shirts, and the sticker shock of 100% organic cotton underwear. Plus, Chrissy drops a massive Random Revelation about how the FDA allows companies to hide MSG in your favorite "healthy" foods using sneaky ingredients like citric acid and natural flavors. When it comes to our finances, God cares far more about our heart posture than our accounting technicalities. We discuss the theology of a cheerful giver, how to build a "blessing fund" into your monthly budget, and why learning contentment is the absolute best financial strategy you can implement. In this episode, you'll learn: Random Revelation: The FDA loopholes that allow companies to hide MSG in plain sight (watch out for carrageenan, maltodextrin, natural flavors, and citric acid derived from GMO corn!).Crunchy Confessions: Our honest reviews of natural products that didn't work out, including tongue scrapers, Avalon Organics conditioner, and Dr. Squatch deodorant.Clean Deodorant Swaps: Why we actually love Cleo & Coco and Little Seed Farms.The Cost of Organic Cotton: Navigating the sticker shock of Pact apparel versus the budget-friendly options at Quince and Sam's Club.The Theology of Giving: Looking at 1 Corinthians 9:7 and Acts 20 to understand why God loves a cheerful giver and how generosity impacts our physical health.The Blessing Fund: How tracking your expenses (like that $400/month coffee habit!) creates the necessary margin to bless others spontaneously.Contentment over Scarcity: Why praying for your "daily bread" is a prayer for contentment, and how faithful stewardship of a small budget prepares you for greater kingdom impact.Resources mentioned: Clean Deodorant: Cleo & Coco | Little Seed FarmsOrganic Cotton Apparel: Pact | QuinceBook Recommendation: Redeeming Money by Paul David TrippFinancial Coaching: SeedTime (Mission Driven Millionaire) https://checkout.seedtime.com/referral/rNllzz8e/hFtmrylRRW7I0zu8Chapters: 00:00 Welcome & The Health Benefits of Generosity  02:15 Random Revelation: Hidden MSG, Citric Acid, and Natural Flavors  09:30 Navigating Food Allergies & Post-Junk Food Detox Breakfasts  13:45 Crunchy Confessions: Tongue Scrapers & Pit Stains  17:20 Clean Deodorant Swaps & The Sticker Shock of Organic Cotton  23:50 The Theology of a Cheerful Giver (1 Corinthians 9)  27:10 Chrissy’s Testimony: Blessed to Be a Blessing  31:40 Creating a "Blessing Fund" & Finding Margin in Your Budget  36:15 Tithing: Before or After Taxes? (Heart Posture vs. Accounting)  41:20 Paul Tripp, Contentment, and Praying for Daily Bread  48:00 Wrapping Up Remember, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Connect With Us:  Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crunchychristianmama Follow us on Instagram @crunchystewardship  FREE How to Afford Non-Toxic Living Workbook: https://crunchystewardship.com/how-to-afford-non-toxic-living

See All (62)

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

In this podcast we are taking a deep dive into what it means to steward our lives as God originally intended for us with the resources that God has given us. We will look at topics like food, medicine, finances, mental health and lots more through a natural lens with a biblical foundation. 

Information

  • Creator
    Katie Fiola Jones & Chrissy Rombach
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    62
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Crunchy Stewardship
  • Show Website
    Crunchy Stewardship

You Might Also Like