Origins of the phrase: You Are What You Eat
The phrase “You Are What You Eat” has been around for centuries. The first use of the phrase is attributed to French author Anthelme Brillat-Savarin who wrote in 1826 “Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es.” (Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are). A similar phrase, “man is what he eats” surfaced in Germany in the 1860’s. It wasn’t until 1920 that it appeared in English and in 1942 the nutritionist Victor Lindlahr launched it’s future popularity by publishing “You Are What You Eat: How to win and keep health through diet.”
The Medical Community and Nutrition
In spite of these early references, the belief that food has a major effect on health as well as disease, still is not high on the priority list as a treatment when health professionals deal with the resulting diseases. Most health professionals are too busy trying to keep up with the new advances in technology and research and the new drugs on the market. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to take care of patients and stay up to date on the new discoveries. Who has time to study nutrition if you are a health professional? And yet wouldn’t that seem to be a logical first step when dealing with disease? Find out what the fuel source is first and change that and see what symptoms can be eliminated before administering drugs to deal with the effects of abusive fuel?
Be Pro-Active
The health professionals who take it upon themselves to study nutrition in depth in an effort to better help their patients deal with and eliminate disease appear to be in the minority. That is a shame in my opinion. For that reason we owe it to ourselves to read up on the link between food intake and health and educate ourselves so we can be proactive in improving our health.
A great free resource is the magazine Healing Our World put out by the Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach Florida. Digital copies are available online and print copies are available as well, all at no cost. In its latest issue “Finding Peace. Stress: Avoidance and Management” a variety of health professionals have written articles on how we can deal with stress and depression through a variety of ways including by eating a healthy whole foods diet. In the article “The Power of a Healthy Plant-Based Lifestyle in Helping Overcome the Grief of Losing a Loved One” Chris Gonzalez writes,
“As I have come to find out our food becomes our blood, our thoughts, and our feelings. Naturally, if we are consuming foods that are vibrant and full of energy this will translate into a better outlook for us. In addition, food is energy that can help us achieve many things such as a healthy weight, mental clarity, and eagerness for life… By becoming actively involved in the kitchen, I began to transform my mind and body through food. Replacing processed, refined, nutrient-void foods with organic, nutrient-dense whole plant-based foods allowed me to feel better about myself and to understand that we have the power to change our health one meal at a time. With the proper combination of diet, exercise and sleep you can change any situation around for the better, including one such as grieving the passing of a loved one.”
If we are indeed what we eat, stop now and take stock of how you feel. Are you enjoying optimal health? Are you on your way? Or do you feel you are going downhill and picking up momentum?
Before you grab for the bottle of pills, consider the braking power you have.
Look at your fuel and consider starting there.
It could just change everything.
For tips on how to get started check out my article Eat Yourself Healthy posted elsewhere on this Blog.