Are you familiar with the phrase “you are what you eat”? You likely may have heard this phrase being used by nutritionists or physicians during a physical examination, as this statement is used to correlate your physical health to the things that you consume. We know that the body requires various amounts of food and water in order to sustain itself and function properly, as the energy that our bodies produce results directly comes from what we ingest.

When a person is working to transform their bodies by losing weight most individuals get the best results through some regiment of diet and exercise. Although some may be able to see improvement through a change in diet or exercise independently, the best results occur when we are changing what we “put in” and working harder on our “output” in return. The diet is important because our bodies utilize food as nourishment to allow us to be able to perform, and a positive change in our diet will allow us to produce differently through changing what we consume. We can’t overlook the physical work as a rigorous exercise routine will help transform our bodies. With a poor diet, you will not be able to get the same results as you would through healthier eating, and regardless of the amount of exercise you will ultimately work harder to produce less. In the same way, if you give your body unhealthy foods as a form of nourishment, then it will give your body unhealthy and sometimes negative effects as a result.

Well let’s consider not just our physical bodies, but also include our mental bodies in this equation as we discuss our mindset. Your mind is very similar to your body in that what you put inside of it is going to produce the things that manifest around you. For instance, if you surround yourself in an environment with negative thoughts your mind can get comfortable with these and work to create negative environments and moods around you. However the inverse effect is proven to be the same, in that if you create a mindset that is feeding on positive thoughts your body will be able to use them as nourishment to create positive vibes and outcomes for your life. It is important to look at the mind as the nourishment that our bodies need in order to produce positive outcomes and better situations in our lives. Because the mind is the most powerful tool that shapes us, we must begin by giving ourselves positive thoughts as a form of nutrition.

 “Both negative and positive live inside of the mind, and the one that is going to grow is the one that you feed”

The way that we are able to exercise our minds is through how we think. Thinking can be the outcome of many mental exercises such as reading, writing, creating, problem-solving, or even meditation to mention a few. You can begin to change your life through how you think by creating experiences that allow you to enjoy situations from different perspectives. This is why there is a fresh and uncomparable excitement that accompanies participating in an activity for the first time because your mind is being stretched to learn something new. I personally have come to enjoy meditation as a great way to exercise how I think, and I have experienced it in many forms such as private prayer, public mindfulness participation, or even sensory deprivation via float lab therapy. Although meditation is a practice of emptying the mind of thought, this within itself is a healthy exercise to reset your mindset from outside influences. They say that we are one in three parts by way of our mind, body, and soul…and I agree with all three completely.

The goal for you and I should be to create a buffet of appetizing nourishment for our minds which will come from the experiences we create, the work that we do, and the family and friends that we surround ourselves with. Since results are best achieved through diet and exercise, we should also look to continue to learn and exercise our minds through experiences that allow us to think and un-think alike. If you agree in some capacity that you are what you eat, then I implore you to consider that you are also what you think.

If you give your mind the proper diet and exercise that it needs you will soon find yourself in the best shape of your life.

TGIF

Thank God I’m Free