You Are Why You Eat

In 1863 Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach wrote an essay titled Concering Spiritualism and Materialism and included the phrase, man is what he eats. The idea carried over into English around 1930 when Victor Lindlahr used the phrase when describing the connection between the food we consume and our health.

He was a strong advocate for what was known as the Catabolic Diet, proof that fad diets are constantly emerging and are nothing new. Lindlahr went on to promote the phrase on radio shows and in his book by the same title.

Growing up the phrase was commonly heard though I can’t remember if it was specifically taught in our family or just a general maxim that had gained popularity. Much like knowing the benefits of eating an apple a day, most people were aware of the connection promoted by Lindlahr.

Even after his popularity had diminished, the phrase carried on with a life of its own and was used to promote a diet of healthy eating of whole, less processed food. The thought was if you eat healthy, you will be healthy.

For a long time, and still today, the majority of diets or nutrition plans follow this same logic. We mostly focus on eating certain foods and avoiding others.

Paleo, keto, Atkins, whole 30, vegan, carnivore diets and vegetarianism all focus on this same concept of emphasizing one or two types of food and cutting out others. The danger of this can be that certain moral qualities are associated with food. Some foods are labeled good, while others are bad. People can be labeled as good or bad as well based on what diet they choose to follow.

We can become dogmatic about certain approaches and identify strongly with a method. In a very true sense we become what we eat.

The terminology around nutrition reflects this as men and women increasing identify themselves based on the diet they follow. I am paleo, I am keto, I am vegan. Because of this there can be a tendency to become deeply entrenched in a certain style and even have a combative stance towards anyone holding a different opinion.

This happens when we over identify with food. An alternative opinion is no longer neutral, it must be dismantled so we can prove our method is better nad healthier.

Keep in mind that the majority of these discussions are held theoretically without considering the individual people being asked to follow them. What that means is rather than trying to find the right approach to food for the individual person in front of you, the assumption is that everyone would benefit from following the same, one size fits all approach. This is rarely the case in other areas of health, be it physical, mental or emotional and should be questioned just as much when applied to nutrition.

Rather than use the phrase “what”, we would benefit by rethinking about “why” we eat. Just as much as what we eat, our overall health is impacted by why we eat.

The emphasis shifts from the specific foods we consume, or not, to our motivation and desired outcomes driving our nutrition choices as well as the environment in which they take place.

We all eat for many reasons beyond a desire to sate our hunger. Comfort, enjoying time with friends or family, traditions, boredom, performance, loneliness, even entertainment or only a few of the reasons we eat that have little or nothing to do with hunger.

When we focus more on the why behind our nutrition it allows for each one of us to have a voice in the process. It can force nutrition coaches to listen to their clients before offering a “solution” or dietary plan which may or may not align with the client’s goals. Rather than assume the goal is to lose weight or look a certain way, this approach opens the door for a deeper and more meaningful conversation and respects the individuals opinions and values.

Asking why you eat creates the space needed to have a conversation that includes factors from a variety of angles when approaching food: satiety, enjoyment, religious preferences, environmental concerns, social events, community involvement, personal relationships, animal rights issues, and portion control.

All of these are contributing factors that can be so easily ignored when all we focus on is what is on the plate. By emphasizing food choices without considering these other factors we ignore other areas of our health. A diet that keeps us from beign able to enjoy a night with our friends is bad for our social and relational health. A diet that leaves us feeling deprived and unhappy will wreak havoc on our emotional and mental health. 

What we eat is important and does play a big role in our health. Why we eat though is a conversation that needs to happen to make sure our diet fits with our overall goals and purpose in life. Thinking rightly from the beginning will give us the best chance at developing a healthy relationship with food that can help us achieve success in other areas of our life as well.