Podcast Summary: Culture Apothecary with Alex Clark
Episode: Getting Back To God’s Design In A World Of Conflicting Health Advice | Guest: Jordan Lee Dooley
Date: December 9, 2025
Host: Alex Clark
Guest: Jordan Lee Dooley, author of Be Good to Your Body
Overview
This episode centers on how to reclaim a simple, God-centered approach to health in a culture overloaded with conflicting wellness advice. Host Alex Clark and guest Jordan Lee Dooley, a bestselling author and mom of three under three, explore the emotional, physical, and spiritual tolls of both information overload and cultural extremes. Together, they advocate for discernment, stewardship, and a return to foundational, biblical principles for caring for the body.
Key Topics and Highlights
1. Information Overload and Discernment
- (00:00, 09:32) The modern health and wellness world bombards people with advice. Both Alex and Jordan discuss the need for discernment in filtering advice, rather than feeling pressured to apply every new trend.
- Jordan:
"It's just having a pause. Is this for me to apply right now? It's good to know. I'm thankful to know it. But is this something that I need to do something with now?" (00:05)
- Alex:
"I know my body. I know what's going on with me at any given time... It just depends on the season I'm in and what's going on." (10:37)
2. Jordan’s Personal Health Journey
- (02:45, 03:04) Jordan shares her struggles with body image, disordered eating, severe adult acne, hormone imbalances, infertility, and healing.
- Jordan:
"I wanted to lose weight, I wanted to be as thin as possible... I did a number on my hormones in college... all of a sudden started struggling with things like acne and miscarriages..." (03:04)
3. Returning to Biblical and Timeless Health Principles
- (04:54, 05:08, 22:04, 42:38) Emphasizing Genesis, Jordan explains how God's original design for health includes:
- Connection with nature
- Eating simple, whole foods
- Working with our hands
- Prioritizing community and relationships
- Rest as a rhythm, not a reward
- Jordan:
"He put us in a garden... We're made to be outside, we're made to be in nature, we're made to work with our hands." (05:08)
"It's not just food, but rest, community, movement, relationship—things that are difficult to 'buy,' and actually most foundational." (23:15)
4. Shifting Mindsets: Body as Gift, Not Project
- (06:22, 08:20, 09:04) The conversation addresses reframing the body—from a problem to fix, to a vehicle for God's purposes.
- Jordan:
"Our bodies really are like... that borrowed car. Not because you're obsessed with your body, but because you love the one who gave it to you." (09:04)
5. Avoiding Extremes: Obsession vs. Apathy
- (19:06-19:23, 21:29) The “ditches on both sides of the road”—one of body obsession (idolatry), the other of neglect (apathy).
- Jordan:
"Literally every single thing you do has weight and eternity and I think we forget that." (00:46, 19:23)
"Your health is not just about you; it's multi-generational. What we do to our bodies impacts our granddaughter's eggs." (21:29)
6. Timeless vs. Trendy Health Habits
- (42:38) Practical advice includes prioritizing basics over biohacks:
- Sunlight
- Movement
- Real food
- Rest
- Circadian rhythm
- Jordan:
"Am I even doing the timeless things?... If I'm not, then I really can't afford to be adding trends into my life." (42:38)
7. The Five “C’s” Sabotaging Health
- (24:27) Jordan’s list of cultural threats to wellness:
- Cultural Beauty Standards – Pressure to conform harms health.
- Careers – Workaholic, girl-boss culture misaligns with feminine biology.
- Convenience – Modern reliance on food delivery and processed products.
- Corporations and Chemicals – Widespread exposure to hormone disruptors.
- Conflicting Health Advice – Constant new “solutions” create confusion and stress.
- Jordan:
“We are sacrificing our health at the altar of convenience.” (26:31)
8. Practical Steps for Replenishing Health
- (22:04, 23:15, 49:36) Focus on what God made good and accessibly:
- Home-cooked, minimally processed meals
- Quality sleep and rhythms
- Intentional movement (even just walking)
- Deep relationships and community
- Jordan:
"Filling your plate... with intentional connection, rest, fresh air, movement that you actually want to stick with." (23:15)
9. Physical and Spiritual Integration
- (18:00, 18:56) Health, spiritual calling, and stewardship are deeply interconnected.
- Jordan:
"If your body is experiencing breakdown or you're neglecting the health of your body... that will take a toll on you physically and spiritually... There's a ditch on either side." (18:00–18:56)
10. Body Positivity and Biblical Stewardship
- (36:20, 37:36) Jordan critiques mainstream body positivity for placing focus on the self, rather than the Creator.
- Jordan:
"Body positivity... makes the body the focus. Do I love my body or do I love the One who gave it to me?" (36:23) "We could stand to love ourselves a little less... We actually already love ourselves." (37:33–37:40)
11. Dealing with Chronic Illness and Slow Healing
- (39:37, 41:08) Jordan shares her experience with endometriosis, hormone imbalance, delayed diagnoses, and trusting God through uncertainty.
-
“God is trustworthy whether or not we get the outcomes we want on this side of heaven.” (41:22)
12. Budget-Friendly Approaches and Family Dynamics
- (56:27, 57:33)
- Transition slowly to healthier products as you run out.
- Take advantage of sales.
- Lower toxin burden rather than striving for immediate perfection.
- For reluctant spouses, share information with curiosity and gentleness, not fear or control.
- Jordan:
“The goal is to lower your toxin burden, not replace everything at once... Do what you can, where you can.” (56:32)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Information Overwhelm:
"I call this bean soup culture... Not everything on the Internet has to do with you." — Alex (13:12–13:47)
-
On the Importance of Community:
"There’s this town... where they had really strong ties, they had lower rates of things like heart disease... [It shows] living in good, intentional, healthy community [supports] health." — Jordan (23:15)
-
On Slow and Simple Change:
“We can do little things to get 1% closer to God's design... and the more that we do that, the healthier we're going to get.” — Jordan (62:43–63:24)
-
On Resisting the Idol of Health:
“Be careful not to turn good things into God things. Don't turn health… into a God. Get back to God's design in the small, simple ways.” — Jordan (62:43)
Actionable Advice & Takeaways
- Discernment: Pause before applying new health information; not every piece of advice is for you or for now. (00:05, 09:39)
- Timeless Fundamentals: Prioritize sunshine, real food, rest, movement, and meaningful relationships before chasing trends and supplements. (22:04, 42:38)
- Stewardship over Perfection: Focus not on body idolatry or apathy, but on being a grateful steward of what God has given. (06:28–09:04)
- Holistic Approach: Integrate physical health with spiritual and emotional wellness. (18:00–18:56)
- Incremental Change: Swap out products as you run out, focus on lowering your toxin load, progress over perfection. (56:32)
- Family & Budget: Invite your spouse into the journey with patience and education, not control. (57:33)
Timestamps for Key Sections
- Filtering Wellness Advice – 00:00, 09:39, 12:01
- Jordan’s Story – 02:45, 03:04
- Biblical Foundations of Health – 04:54, 05:08
- Mindset Shift: Gift vs. Problem – 06:22, 08:20, 09:04
- Obsessing vs. Apathy – 19:06–21:29
- Timeless vs. Trendy Habits – 42:38, 43:54
- Five C’s Sabotaging Health – 24:27–28:47
- Practical First Steps for Healing and Rhythm – 48:35, 49:36
- Budget and Family Dynamics – 56:27, 57:33
- Body Stewardship and Legacy – 21:29, 21:52
- Dealing With Slow Progress – 41:08
Closing Thought
Jordan’s Remedy for Healing a Sick Culture:
“Do all the good things, but be careful not to turn them into God things. Don’t turn health… into a God. Go back to God. Get back to God’s design—even in small, simple ways. We’re never going to go back to Eden, but we can get 1% closer in our daily choices.” (62:43–63:24)
Find Jordan Lee Dooley:
Instagram: @jordanleedooley
Book: Be Good to Your Body (wherever books are sold)
Host:
Alex Clark, @realalexclark
This episode offers a refreshingly grounded, faith-based lens on health, challenging listeners to step back from extremes and nurture both body and spirit through timeless, foundational habits—always remembering the Giver above the gift.