Totorus

Photo credit by Jeriff Cheng

This statement is often said, but hardly taken seriously by anyone. There’s truth to this saying though. Because the food that one consumes reflects in his body eventually.

The amount of food one takes in can show in the bulges. If one eats more than his daily energy requirement, it will show in the love handles at the waist area, which will slowly spread out to the fat pockets in the body such as the thighs, arms, and upper back area.

Those with high-carbohydrate diets usually have softer flabs as they turn into fat if unused. The most famous manifestation of carbo-loading is the beer belly. A bottle of beer consists of malt and barley, making its carbohydrates content equal to one cup of rice or 2 slices of bread. Yet in one sitting, people can consume 2-3 bottles. This reflects in the belly portion eventually, after regular drinking sessions.

Those with high-protein are usually leaner since protein is a muscle-building nutrient. But this lean look are still fat, no matter how much taller the person is. But excess nutrients taken from protein are more compact, giving a “big-boned” look. The effect makes one look solid versus the soft and flabby fat.

Even the amount of fruits and vegetables can make a difference in ones appearance. Having enough servings of this food group will make ones skin and hair have a healthy glow. This is because of the vitamins and minerals that are in fruits and vegetables.

Drinking enough glasses of water will also manifest its benefits in ones physical appearance. Taking in 8 glasses of water a day helps the body to flush out toxins in the body, which clears the skin from pimples and other forms of impurities that come out with pollutants. It also helps one to manage his weight as water ensures that all the nutrients in the food consumed are converted into the energy that the body can use instead of being stored as fat.

A healthy diet would not only show in ones appearance, it will also reflect in the person’s behavior. Physical health affects the mental performance. One who is in good physical shape would also be more alert, alive, and energetic. And by being so, one can afford to achieve more in a days work as his body can cope with the work.

Unhealthy diet on the other hand can lead to many discomforts that slows down a person both in physical movements and mental reaction. This makes the individual seem sluggish and slow. This makes tasks harder to finish as concentration is divided between getting into the proper frame of mind and the work that has to be done.

The saying “you are what you eat” is true because the balance of food groups one observes to consume in a day will show eventually in his body frame and take a toll on his physical and mental performance. It’s not meant to be taken literally that eating more chicken will make one a chicken.