You Are What You Eat

Perhaps all of us have already heard of the saying "You are what you eat." But how much thought do we put on it? Do we stop and think for a while that the foods we eat have direct impact on our overall health and well-being?


Yes, most of us are guilty of indulging on what pleases our senses, in this case, sense of taste. We go for what is delicious, and what is rich, regardless if they are healthy or not. You can often see people chowing down on palate-ticking foods like burgers, fries, pizzas,  doughnuts, cakes, lechon kawali, crispy pata, chicharong bulaklak, lechon, and the list goes on. Sounds mouthwatering, right? I mean, who among here cannot resist that alluring, crispy fried chicken skin, or that enticing crunch of potato chips? Yup, count me in. 


People who frequently luxuriate on such "sinful foods" are living for the day, not caring about how these can affect their health in the long run (which can only mean they do not keep their health in mind). Take sodas, for example. Don't we just crave for its sweet, refreshing taste, especially in these hot summer days? I even know some people chugging them every single day, replacing water as their main drink. But they can cause diabetes and obesity, because of its very high calorie and sugar content. And because sodas crystallize calcium oxalate in the kidneys, it may lead to the development of kidney stones, and worse, renal disease. Burgers, chicken skin, chicharong bulaklak and lechon are foods rich in cholesterol - BAD cholesterol. The kind that sticks to your arteries and accumulate over time, leading to cardiovascular diseases and stroke (Well, I'm sure we ARE all aware of that. It's just that most of the times we choose taste over health impact).


In reality, what seems to be a delicious, "innocent" indulgence may be a paved road to a serious health problem. Remember that we cannot always have too much of a good thing. As the Filipino quote says, "Lahat ng sobra ay masama." It really takes a conscious effort (and needless to say, strong will) to turn away from these guilty pleasures and start eating healthy. We are what we eat, as the saying goes. And opting for healthy foods only speaks that we keep in mind that our health and well-being should come first.