Have you ever heard the expression “you are what you eat?” It is a saying we hear quite frequently and it is often treated as a joke towards us or other people when we eat a type of food too often. Have you ever considered if it was true? Although you cannot technically become what you “eat” in a literal sense, you could inherit some of the “traits” we associate with the food. Food in general can be categorized by the nutrition value that they have. Nutrition plays an important role when it comes to food since the food you eat affects your body on the inside. Your organs, such as your heart, liver, and digestive system have a direct impact from the food you eat.
Comfort foods, which include pizza, burgers, pasta and even ice cream can cause major health problems if not eaten in moderation. Although we associate these foods with “good feelings” brought upon by tryptophan (an amino acid that helps produce serotonin), our body does not resonate with food in the same way we do. Multiple foods we eat that just out of habit have high levels of sodium, saturated fats and sugar which make them appealing to eat but in the long run can cause massive amounts of damage to our body if eaten impulsively. Foods like this have little to no nutritional value or are majorly outweighed by the salt, sugar or fat in them.
A major reason we are so attached to specific foods is the memories that are attached to them. This causes the rush of dopamine to happen. It is also due to how accessible these high calorie foods are in modern day society. Nutritious foods, even when in high demand, are more expensive per item than an average junk food option is. A common example of this can be the comparison between one food in particular, chips. Chips, although can appear very unhealthy, can differ when being contributed to someone’s diet. Most people aim towards food packed with protein and others may aim for food that is more packed with salt. The overall difference between these two is most important to consider when buying one of the two since it caters to what you are likely to spend on it. An average bag of LAYS classic chips are usually around $2.00 to $4.00 and also most likely are on sale at the time of purchase for even cheaper than this. On the other hand for people considering less calories, less salt, less fat and most importantly more protein in chips may be charged at least two times the price for these foods despite being healthier for you to actually consume. For example, a popcorn brand called Angie’s BOOM CHICKAPOP that is marketed to be a more healthier alternative to other popcorn brands is marketed to be $1.29 per 1 oz bag while a bag of LAYS can be sold at just a dollar for two 1 oz bags. Although the difference may not seem huge to many and others would be more than willingly to pay more for a healthy alternative to food, the processed ingredients and mass consumption of junk food is something that is too commonly looked past in society.
Another common misconception that causes people to think positively or negatively about a food product is the title of the product. For instance, when most people think of the cereal Raisin bran they often assume the cereal is on the healthier side. This is because of the mentioning of the word “bran” mentioned in the logo on the box which causes almost anyone to not think twice about the contents of the box and more importantly, the nutritional value inside the cereal. The thought process of considering these types of foods “healthier” alternatives can end up causing significant damage to your nutrition. Imagine this scenario, You are sitting at the dining room table with your family and they offer you some cereal. You ask for a raisin brain since you assume it is the best option for you since you are watching your weight. Curious about how much you should have per serving you read the nutritional label and find out that just 1 CUP of raisin brain has at LEAST 17g of sugar by itself without adding the skim milk you have in your fridge, which can lead up to 26g of sugar by just ONE serving. Considering all this, one would assume that this much sugar would cause health problems to arise which is true. The over consumption of sugar can lead to weight gain, diabetes and heart disease and also leads back to the development of Depression.
When trying to find the connection to mental health and food, the easiest way to find the connection can be through how you feel after you eat particular foods. For instance, processed foods or fast foods can make you feel sluggish and tired. Likewise, eating fresh fruits and vegetables provide energy throughout the day. These types of foods can be found to increase depression and anxiety when eating recklessly or carelessly which also causes loss of vitamins and nutrients when consuming the food. Although not necessarily intentional, this can lead to eating disorders if the person is severely struggling mentally with their relationship with food or nutrition in general.
