You Are What You Eat

While thinking about the phrase "you are what you eat" I recognize it in the way that I think most people in mainstream American culture do--health reflects diet. Diet influences both our physical and mental health. The foods that we take into our bodies can range from being very nutritious to being bad for us. If we maintain a healthy diet, we can benefit from good health, greater strength, and possibly a longer life whereas having an unhealthy diet can lead to poorer mental and physical health. Of course diet is only one aspect of our health and other things such as exercise and genetics play a role in our overall health.

While examining the "you are what you eat" phrase, I thought that it can take on many other meaning besides health reflecting diet, as suggested. One other way that I interpret the saying is cultural, you eat what you know and what is available. I believe that for the most part, people's diets consist of resources that are available to them, at least historically. Many islander and seafaring cultures probably have a lot of fish and seafood in their diets, whereas inland cultures probably hunted more often. based on what was available in the environment, cultures had to adapt to what they had and foods became embedded into the culture, even now after Westernization has occurred and many cultures have other food options available to them. besides culture, food is very telling of an individual. By looking in someone's kitchen you may be able to guess their ethnicity, religious affiliations, socioeconomic status, whether they are a college student, a vegetarian, a health freak, or a single parent of two.

Dolfsma, Wilfred. Consuming Symbolic Goods: Identity and Commitment, Values and Economics. New York: Routledge, 2008. Print.