So, you might be wondering why a physician named her podcast ‘The Real McCoy on Health’?

Yes. McCoy is actually my last name. In fact, often, when I introduce myself as Dr. McCoy, some Trekkie in the room will call out ‘Bones!’— to which I reply, ‘Live Long and Prosper!’

But, moving on from the obligatory

Star Trek detour, how did the phrase “the Real McCoy” come to be a part of our language—and my choice for a podcast name? Well, that phrase has its own fascinating backstory, and digging into it became something of a side quest for me.

There were actually several contenders for origin stories for this phrase . . . from a Scottish whiskey company operating in the mid 1800’s to a boxer who rose to prominence around that same time. Yet, there was no definitive evidence tying the phrase’s true origin to either of these stories. In fact, my inspiration for using this phrase is a story I find personally meaningful—a story about a man named Elijah McCoy. And while I could also find no definitive evidence that Elijah was a follower of Christ, his story—along with his first name—just feels like a Kingdom story to me.

But to understand why this story moves me so much, we have to start at the beginning.

Born for a Purpose He Almost Never Got to Live Out

Elijah McCoy was born in 1844 in Ontario, Canada—the son of George and Mildred McCoy, two formerly enslaved people who had escaped Kentucky through the Underground Railroad.

From a young age, Elijah had an extraordinary gift for mechanics. So . . . his parents, recognizing what God had placed in their son, made an extraordinary sacrifice — they sent him to Edinburgh, Scotland at the age of fifteen to train as a mechanical engineer. He completed his studies and apprenticeship with excellence. He was qualified. He was ready.

But when he moved to the United States, where his family had since relocated, no one would hire a Black man as an engineer. The most he could get was a job as a fireman and oilman for the Michigan Central Railroad—lubricating locomotive parts by hand, a task far beneath his level of training.

But this is where his story gets even more remarkable.

The Gift That Refused to Be Buried

Elijah could have decided that his gifts were wasted, and that his preparation had been for nothing. He could have very easily grown angry. And he could have directed that rage toward one of the few outlets available for a Black man dealing with racism in that day – toward family members, toward God, or inwardly to manifest as bitterness or depression.

In reading this part of Elijah’s story, I can’t help but think of times I allowed discontent to creep into my own spirit. It was usually due to being stuck in a hard space longer than I wanted, or when God’s timeframe for answering a prayer was much longer than my own. With the passing of time—and increasing maturity—I’ve come to embrace a different response: asking God to help me complete whatever purposes for which I remained in that space. That’s why Elijah’s response to his environment is so compelling to me. Despite being stuck in an absolutely soul-crushing environment at a relatively young age, Elijah refused to let resentment choke out the gift inside him. Instead, he fixed his attention on the railway inefficiencies right in front of him and freely released his creativity into solving them.

You see, the existing process of lubricating trains by hand was incredibly tedious. The trains had to stop repeatedly so all their parts could be oiled. So, he designed a solution—an automatic lubricating cup that continuously distributed oil to moving parts while the engine was still running. He patented it in 1872.

This invention transformed the railroad industry. Other manufacturers rushed to produce imitations. But railroad purchasing agents quickly learned the difference. Whenever they wanted the original—the one that actually worked—they asked for ‘the real McCoy.’

Today this phrase has come to mean anything that is excellent and impossible to imitate.

Over the course of his lifetime, Elijah McCoy registered over 57 patents. The man who was told by the world that he had no place in his field left his name permanently woven into our language.

And so yes, this feels like a kingdom story to me. But not because I am romanticizing the injustices or the evil Elijah McCoy endured. What I am honoring is his response to those injustices—and the determination that would not let him abandon his pursuit of the purpose he was created to fulfill.

But—full disclosure here—Elijah’s life did not have a storybook ending. Initially, he didn’t have the capital to manufacture his own inventions. So, he had to assign most of his patent rights to companies that profited more from his creations than he did. It was not until his seventies that he was able to form his own manufacturing company. However, a few years later, an automobile accident took the life of his wife, Mary. That same accident left him with injuries that eventually robbed him of his ability to continue his work.

I tell you this not to end on a sad note, but to highlight an important, albeit hard, truth. Elijah never received all the credit, all the wealth, or all the recognition his gift deserved. But he kept on building and kept inventing anyway, well into his eighties.

And the truth is, none of us will receive our full reward here on earth, either. That reward is reserved for our next phase of existence in the presence of our heavenly Father.

So, Elijah’s story isn’t about being repaid in full for perseverance in this life. It’s a story about identifying a purpose that’s worth pursuing whether or not we see the reward this side of heaven.

So, what does Elijah’s story have to do with us, here, today?

What This Means for Us Here in This Space.

And so, I named this space ‘The Real McCoy on Health’ partly because it’s my name. But I also named it in honor of Elijah McCoy’s struggle against the forces seeking to smother his gifts and his refusal to abandon his purpose. These forces were launched even before Elijah came on the scene . . . from his parents’ dangerous escape from slavery into Canada where Elijah was born, to their sacrifices to send Elijah to Scotland for training. And later, from the struggles of a 15-year-old in an unfamiliar city far from home, to his ongoing fight for credit and recognition of his inventions.

Likewise, there is a God-planted form of excellence or gifting within each of us. God’s Word gives trustworthy proof of that. In 1 Peter 4:10, we read that “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” And in 1 Peter 4, verse 11, we read: “If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.” [NIV, Emphasis added]

Our health and strength are resources provided by and entrusted to us by our Father—not solely to fill personal ambitions, but to support our work as stewards of God’s grace in the lives of those around us.

Because of this, we can count on the enemy trying equally hard to prevent us from identifying our gifts or using them in line with God’s purposes. In fact, one of the enemy’s strategies is attacking our health, our strength, and at times, the lifespan God desires for us. And so, whatever level of health and strength or gifting God has given us, it deserves to be prayerfully protected, nourished, and shared with the world.

This is what Elijah McCoy did with the gift entrusted to him. And this is what we are here to do, in this space, together. Yes, our full reward is still ahead of us—but that doesn’t mean we can’t run hard after the goodness and reward God makes available to us here, in the land of the living.

I will close with this prayer—one that you can pray over your life each day: Lord, help me identify the gifts You have placed within me and align them with Your purposes. And give me the wisdom, health, strength and years to complete the purposes for which You created me.

Join me in the next episode of The Real McCoy on Health where we launch into our first series: a discussion of Lifestyle Medicine or, as I like to call it, ‘The kind of medicine your God-given purposes absolutely deserve.’

And until next episode, always remember. . . Your God-given purposes deserve your best health!

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotation designated NIV (above) is from The Holy Bible: New International Ver­sion®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

This is the Real McCoy on Health — and I’m so glad you found it.

What happens when you stop managing your health on your own terms and give God free rein — over your sleep, your stress management, your eating habits . . . everything?

Vitality is renewed. Purpose capacity expands.
And you start showing up differently for everything God has called you to do.

Want to learn more? Just keep reading — or listening — because what we’re building here just might change how you read your Bible, how you treat your body, and how you show up for your calling.

I’m Dr. Lisa McCoy, and welcome to The Real McCoy on Health, brought to you by Kingdom Health for Kingdom Purposes.

Now, there are a few things you need to know about me. The most important thing I can share with you is that I absolutely love the LORD—in a sold-out-to-Christ, never-turning-back kind of way. But I’m also a medical scientist and living proof that the two are not mutually exclusive. I’m board-certified in preventive medicine with a subspecialty in lifestyle medicine, I’m a medical epidemiologist, and I’m certified as a nutrition coach.

In case you’ve never heard of lifestyle medicine, it’s a mainstream medical subspecialty that uses lifestyle interventions as a primary line of treatment for many chronic diseases. If you consistently work these interventions, you can reverse diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, or other diseases we used to believe were irreversible and improve Alzheimer’s symptoms. Or, you can use these interventions to reduce your chance of ever developing these illnesses in the first place.

But here’s the important part: The reason lifestyle medicine is so effective and so powerful is that its core principles align perfectly with what we read in God’s Word.

In future episodes, we’ll be talking a lot more about the power of God at work within the six lifestyle medicine interventions and how you can fully claim this power for yourself.

Next, though I am a medical doctor, I am not here to tell you to simply eat less cake and exercise more. Most of us already know we should eat better, move more, and sleep enough. We just don’t do it consistently. And another checklist or ‘30-day reset’ is not going to fix that. What actually creates lasting change is understanding how your body was created to function and why it matters — not just for your waistline but how it impacts your calling, your capacity, and your access to many things God desires for your life.

When you begin to understand how God designed your physical temple to function, and when you start to see your body as a mission-critical resource, something shifts. You start reading the Bible differently as the Holy Spirit uses that understanding to open your eyes to new, health-related applications of God’s Word. You start making choices differently. You understand that caring well for this temple isn’t just good stewardship or sound theology. It’s a truly dynamic kingdom health and purpose fulfillment strategy.

That’s the kind of transformation we’re seeking at The Real McCoy on Health – a transformation that spans physical, emotional and spiritual health.

And so, this series is not about living a long life just to fulfill our own ambitions. It is not even about hitting 120 years or threescore years and ten or whatever longevity goal you’re shooting for. It’s about seeking the wisdom, health, and longevity we need to fulfill God’s purposes for our lives.

Finally, since people absorb information in different ways, I’ve tried to make it easy to follow along in whatever format works best for you.

If you prefer reading, subscribe and join me here at drlisamccoy.substack.com.

You can also listen to the Real McCoy on Health podcast episodes here on Substack or search for ‘The Real McCoy on Health’ on Spotify, Apple or other podcast platforms.

Whichever way you choose to follow along — don’t miss what God has for you in this.

Subscribe now and join us on this journey.

And, until our next episode, always remember: Your God-given purposes deserve your best health.

This is The Real McCoy on Health — and I’m so glad you found it.