Everyone has heard the phrase “You are what you eat” but what exactly does that mean? Though it is a generalization it holds a very important nugget of truth. You can’t ignore what you use to fuel your body or how it impacts everything you do. Though in many people’s minds it has a direct relation to “getting fat” the truth is it is much more involved than that.

Nutrition impacts your mind, body, and soul!

Though there is a definite physical impact in what you eat the truth of the matter is that is only scratching the surface. There are a lot of things going on when we eat different types of foods. From something vital to functioning like keeping our colons healthy to something simple like keeping our skin clear. So let’s go over some of the basics of how your dietary habits impact your total fitness.

How your internal organs work.

Nutrition impacts how your organs do their jobs. In fact they can dramatically affect how your organs function. When your body processes food it determines what minerals, vitamins, and nutrients are available then it determines how best to use or react to them.

As an example salt plays a vital role in blood pressure and heart rate. The more sodium you take the more dramatically those two things are impacted.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends a sodium intake of between 180 and 500mg a day. That may seem like a good amount but the average American intake of sodium is over 3,400mg a day. Because salt is both a flavor enhancer and a preservative the more processed foods you eat the more sodium you are going to ingest. This is one reason why heart attacks and heart disease are so prevalent in the United States.

Every organ in your body derives its survival from the nutrients we put into our mouths. Each organ from our livers to our intestines relies on a balance of vitamins and minerals to keep functioning at a peak level. With a balanced diet the machine that is your body can be kept at optimal performance level for life.

Your brain and mood is also impacted by what you eat.

Your body and internal organs aren’t the only things depending upon the nutrition of your food choices but your brain is as well. How your brain functions. What your moods will be. How quickly you are able to think. All of these are impacted both short term and long term by what food you eat.

The most easily recognized impact on your brain is your emotions. What kind of food you eat can make you happy, or sad, or comforted. However it is not always obvious how a food actually impacts you. For example let’s talk ice cream! Ice Cream is the renowned go to food to eat when someone is feeling depressed. We see it in movies all the time. However, it doesn’t necessarily have the effect we think it does. 

Because of the sugar levels contained in ice cream our brain fires off all sorts of reward sensors telling you that you like it. Then your hippocampus kicks into gear reminding you how amazing ice cream really is! And bam! You are cured of your sorrow. That is, if you only have ice cream every once in a while. The more you have it, like any addiction, the more you need to consume in order to achieve the same result. Which, leads to a less healthy outcome.

Simply substituting ice cream with something like Grapes could have a huge impact on your overall health. Grapes are no nutritional wonder. In fact they are kind of the candy of the fruit world containing a ridiculous amount of sugar. However, they are significantly more challenging to eat in large quantities. While impacting the brain in the same way they also end up having a lesser impact on overall health.

Food also impacts cognitive ability. Such as how quickly you can solve problems or how well your memory works. How you might feel going into a workout can be impacted by what you ate leading up to it because of what your brain is telling your body to do. Which brings us to the last way eating impacts your overall health.

You won’t do things if you don’t have the energy to do it.