Food, Body, and Mind | You are what you eat?

Isn’t eating one of the most intimate acts? I mean, we cannot become more fused with something or someone else than with food. Although we love our partners, we would not be able to eat and make them part of our own physical self… “You are what you eat!” You’ve probably heard this rather philosophical question once in a while. Do you resonate with this quote? Is it true or rather oversimplified?

The statement “You are what you eat” traces back to the German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach. Back in his lifetime (1804-1872), he resisted the predominant belief system thathuman existence is based on the rational mind. His opponent was René Descartes who said “I think, so I am”, and therefore he valued human’s mind as the superior entity.

The food choices we make usually trace back to our tradition and culture. However, at some point your body or mind will tell you to choose differently. Whether it’s because of a food intolerance, a disease or because you learned more about nutrition, ethics or ecology.

I addressed the effects of food on the human body, mind, and spirit in recent articles. These three entities are interconnected and therefore, everything you put into your mouth affects every aspect of yourself. I would even go further by saying that body and mind are one and the same, just perceived in different appearances. The following quote brings it straight to the point:

“The mind is in every cell of your body.”
(Candace Pert)

Not only our physical body is based on the non-visible, but also our foods contain subtle energy. Whatever you feed your body with, it impacts your vibrational frequency on a subtle level. So, can we therefore conclude “You are what you eat”? Does this quote resonate with you? Let’s dive into a few aspects I’d love to share with you on this topic. Enjoy reading!

 

 

 

 

 

~ Foods and the body ~


What you put into your mouth definitely tells a lot about yourself, starting on the physical level. First question: What do we need to exist as human beings? – If you asked a scientist or a spiritual teacher, I guess both of them would agree with the same answer: energy. This energy is supplied by different sources:

  • foods
  • nature (sun, water, air)
  • love (relationships, intimacy)
  • physical activity
  • career (purpose)
  • spirituality

These aspects are all available to us for sustenance and good health. So food is just one piece of the puzzle, but also quite an important one.

Our bodies are made up of a few trillion cells which are structured in tissues and organs. These cells are constantly in a process of rebuilding, replacing, breaking down, and building up. Therefore, energy as well as building material and bio-catalysts are needed to keep up the metabolic function. Food provides us macronutrients, such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. It takes this complex journey through the digestive system: gross material is broken down into smaller particles which then become absorbed into the blood stream:

  • Glucose is the number one source for your body to produce energy out of. It is processed on a cellular level where it becomes our main energy molecule called ATP (adenosine triphosphate).
  • Proteins are the body’s building materials. Thus, these food particles are literally about to become one with your body.
  • Vitamins and minerals allow your body to function properly.

So, nutrients provide a foundation for structure and functions of every single cell in the body.

However, energy can also be supplied by other sources, beside ATP. Have you noticed that you’re not as hungry as you used to be when you spend all day out in nature, in the sun? The sun is our primary source of energy. This becomes clear when you think of the growth of plants. The sun literally is an essential energy provider and “nutrient” for us as well; you probably know that it enables us to produce the essential Vitamin D in you skin. Nature provides us food, water, air, sun, yet everything we need to thrive on.

Furthermore, we as human beings do also hunger for love, touch, achievement, success, art, self-expression, excitement, adventure, and spirituality. All of these aspects can equally fuel us with energy, but only if we pay attention to these areas and honor them. They also influence and therefore form our bodies and minds to the human beings that we eventually evolve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ Foods and the mind ~


Different kinds of food will not only make you look and feel differently, but they will also make you think in a different way. Old Indian sages already knew about the mental impact of food:

“The subtle energy of your food becomes your mind.”
(The Upanishads)

There is a direct link between food and mood which is even proven by science. Mental illnesses like depression or anxiety are linked to certain dietary patterns (rather animal than plant foods) as well as gut health. When it comes to mood: Did you know that over 90 % of serotonin, the human “happiness hormone”, is produced in the gut (not in the brain)? The intestine is a very powerful and influencing organ of the body.

I want to emphasize the tight interconnection between mind and food again: What we eat affects the way we feel. How we feel affects the way we think. How we think affects the way we act, which means our thoughts determine what we do. Our actions become our habits, yet our personality and with our actions we create reality. Everything starts with energy on a subtle level.

“When food is pure, the mind is pure.
When the mind is pure, concentration is steady.
When concentration is achieved one can loosen all the knots of the heart that binds us.”
(The Upanishads)

The foods you eat become manifested physically in your body and mentally in your thought patterns. You feel attracted to those types of foods you’re matching with vibrationally. If you are not happy with your food choices, your physical appearance and/or your thoughts, then choose differently. You always have a choice, moment to moment. Feel insight and observe if something is changing.

 

 

 

 

 

~ Your attitude on food ~


You probably know one person or another, who sticks very strictly and dogmatically to a specific diet or follows certain rules that are scientifically regarded as “healthy.” I’m talking about people who pass on their own responsibility to an external authority. However, these type of people may express rigidness, doggedness, maybe even a sickish or orthorexic-like appearance.

On the other side, some people obviously enjoy a piece of cake once in a while, they love their chocolate and do not always make the “healthiest” food choices; but they appear very shiny and happy. Do you know those people?

„To safeguard one’s health at the cost of too strict
a diet 
is a tiresome illness indeed.“
(Francois Duc de La Rouchefoucauld)

The thoughts and attitude towards your nutritional choices are as equally important as the food by itself. In my bio-individuality article, I pointed out that there is no one diet fits all approach. What eventually counts is that you feel aligned with what you eat, how it makes you feel, think, and look. If your mindset towards the food on your plate is honestly conscious and positive, you will experience true health benefits. It reflects your appreciation, respect, and love towards yourself, everyone and everything else. Beyond yourself, your food choices have a greater impact on the world and other living beings. However, everything starts with yourself, your degree of self-love and therefore self-care.

  • How is your relationship to the food you eat?
  • Do you take time for shopping, preparing, and eating?
  • Do you eat with regret or joy?
  • Is your food intake simply an act of necessity in order to appease your tummy rumbling?

If you start building up a relationship (by taking time for shopping, preparing and eating) with your foods, at some point you’ll probably become more conscious about it. You may question your own eating patterns and those of society which is the first step into a mind shift.

I believe that “healthy” (pure, mindful, conscious) thoughts go hand in hand with nutritious, ethically, and ecologically tolerable food choices. At that point, you won’t struggle anymore with choosing between cheap products from a mass production industry or high quality, organically produced foods. You can make eating a very joyful part of your life, even if it’s not always the “healthiest” meal, but it is your conscious choice. Thus, you will feel aligned with it and nourished by it.

 

 

 

 

 

~ Conclusion: Nutrition and yourself ~


As you can see, food is so much more than something to eat which stills your hunger. There is a deep interconnection between nutrition and yourself. One influences the other. Your food physically becomes your cells and provides you energy, but it also influences your mental and emotional state and well-being. Taking it the other way round: How you think and feel will affect your actions and therefore also your food choices.

Living a healthy and happy life is indispensably connected to a state of thriving from the inside out. Do you want to go beyond a mediocre feeling in your physical body with aches and pain every now and then? Do you want to really thrive, being boosted with life energy and vitality? Nutrition is an essential tool of holistic health that allows you to experience vitality, and a clear mind. It fuels you for physical exercise as well as for a fulfilled career. Feeling well in your body will allow you to build nourishing relationships, it will enable you to become familiar with a spiritual practice, and eventually to give your life a meaning.

Back to the question: “You are what you eat?”. I truly believe that our food choices do tremendously reflect who we are. Physically, mentally, and spiritually. Nutrition becomes part of our characters, it shapes our personalities. Moreover, I am convinced of the healing power that food can have. We as human beings are meant to live healthy, happy, and fulfilled. Mother earth gives us all the remedies we need to thrive as well as food items we need in case of illness.

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
(Hippocrates)

What are your thoughts on this quote? Feel free to share your opinion with me. Thank you, loves, for going this journey with me. Sending you a big hug and lots of love!

Namasté,

yours Isabel!

 

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