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Have you ever heard the saying: ‘you are what you eat’? On the face of it, this might seem like something of a meaningless statement. Sure, it sounds good…. But what does it actually mean?
While the saying might be clichéd, the fact is that it is far more accurate than most people realize. You literally are what you eat; to the point where every last molecule in your body will have come from something you consumed (or your mother consumed if you’re still young!).
This is perhaps most apparent when you look at protein. When you consume protein, your body breaks it down into the constituent amino acids. These amino acids are then in turn recombined in order to form our muscles, our hormones, our bones and even our brains!
Meanwhile, we use acids from our foods to trigger reactions between the different nutrients in our diets and to allow them to combine and dissolve as necessary. Vitamins and minerals perform a range of other tasks, further aiding in the construction of various body parts, hormones, neurotransmitters, bones and more.
Your body simply recycles what you put into it and uses it to keep on building you. At the same time, it is also our food that gives us the energy we need to function. Carbohydrates and fats fuel the process of constantly healing, growing and changing our bodies as well as being used for their nutrition as well.
And our bodies adapt to the amount of energy and the amount of sustenance they’re given. If we don’t get enough of what we need, then gradually our bodies change shape to do without. If we eat too many calories, we store them as fats. If we consume too much sugar, we become less sensitive to insulin…
So understand this: our bodies are constantly changing. The only question then is whether you want to be growing and improving, or deteriorating. The biggest deciding factor in determining this outcome? That would be your diet!
