You are what you consume!

Apr 5
2 min read

For those of us that are of a certain age, we remember the slogan, “You are what you eat”? For some reason, that phrase popped into my head the other day. As I thought more about it, I became curious as to where it came from. I found out that Victor Lindlhar, a nutritionist, wrote a book called You Are What You Eat: How to Win and Keep Health with Diet. The overall premise of the book was that healthy, eating habits directly determine physical health and well-being. This goes without saying.

I have been a little more fixated on food lately because for the past 30 days, I’ve been slowly overcoming a nasty stomach flu. Soups and the BRAT Diet have become my close companions. Given these dietary restrictions, it prompted me to reflect on how what we eat, and drink directly affects us physically, mentally and our overall health. Just as what we watch, listen to, read, and the things that we replay in our mind (all the things that we consume) … we eventually become.

I came across this short video on “You are what you consume,” by Daryl Black, speaker and author ( https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUG6HMeklAA/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==)

I especially like when he says, “What you watch, listen to, what you scroll, read, rehearse in your mind - It’s all shaping you!” He also goes on to say, “What you allow in, determines what comes out.” Growth isn’t just about what you start doing, but what you stop feeding.”

I think that idea can be applied to pretty much anything in life - Our content consumes us! Over the years, I have watched various TV series; however, the last few years, the “grimdark” series have become common place.

As I may have mentioned before, I was a naïve child and I recall Dracula type movies, such as Love at First Bite, spooking me. This movie is a comedy horror parody, which reimagines the Dracula story as a romantic comedy. It takes place in NYC in the 1970s. Four decades later, I still don’t care to watch dark, gritty shows, like Games of Thrones or Stranger Things. My husband and I started watching a high school series, which was a dark take on the Archie comics. It involved mysteries, organized crime and eventually supernatural elements. After two seasons, it started to get even darker and more sinister. Soon after we started season two, both of us began to become uncomfortable watching it and afterwards, a deep sense of uneasiness set in. We stopped watching the series and took it off our watchlist and immediately felt a sense of relief.

I am realizing that whatever I consume (food, or content), either good or bad, dark or light, violent or peaceful, and sad or joyful, can influence or affect me.

Lesson learned: As Daryl said, “What you feed consistently, will eventually lead your life. And, that you’re becoming what you consume!”