I want you to think a little bit about why we eat, not what we eat, but why. I’m not talking about any psychological motivation but the most basic reasons why we eat. Food is an important part of our day, we can’t survive without it so it’s pretty vital, and in fact it’s pretty much the same category as breathing.
Most of the food we take in gets used for two things either fuel or repair and growth. Let’s start with fuel, most people will agree that your body is an amazing machine it’s a piece of engineering that surpasses anything manmade that has ever gone on land, sea, air or beyond, and when you think about machines like the space shuttle, the SR-71, a nuclear submarine or a Ferrari Enzo you suddenly realise just how incredible it really is. We have all dreamed about owning that sports car some of you may have actually owned one, so think about the care it takes. Think about how you keep it clean, keep the engine serviced, about how it feels to dive and how good it feels as you pull into the petrol station to fill up and people’s heads turn to look at you and your lovingly cared for machine. Now I want you to think about getting out of it, walking up to the pump and you have a dilemma do you go for the premium unleaded which is going to burn cleanly, keep your engine running smoothly, give you more MPG and improves its overall performance or do you reach for the petrol, that leaves carbon deposits in your engine, pumps out soot and burns off in a few miles and makes you go slower? Bit of a no brainer really.
The other main use for food is repair and growth. Our bodies go through a constant process of renewal. Bones break down and regrow, our muscles are constantly being damaged, repairing and growing and our hair and nails continue to grow for our entire lifetime. Although we can re process some of the materials we still need more and that has to come from an outside source. That source is our diet. When you think about that for a moment you suddenly realise that the old adage “you are what you eat” isn’t so much of a cliché after all. Again think about the sports car, what exactly is it that makes it so special? Is it the shape of the body or the power of the engine or the way it makes you feel? In reality it’s a combination of everything. When we look at a high end sports car the first thing you notice is how well built it is. The quality of its parts is really what sets it apart from the standard models.
With all the money you have spent on the car and your emotional attachment to it you’re going to take care of it. After all you may have it for 5-10 years so it needs to last.
Oh hang on our bodies are designed to last a lifetime and unlike cars when something goes wrong replacement parts aren’t always an option.
Like anything in our life with our food we have choice, but that choice goes beyond taste. It affects our health, our physique and ultimately our happiness. So before you make that choice ask yourself do you want to be made from the best of everything, run on quality fuel and performing at the highest level you can, or would you rather be slow, inefficient and not really getting anywhere?
You decide!
No comments:
Post a Comment