WHAT IS FOOD?

That may seem like a silly question, but thinking about what food IS and WHAT IT DOES for our bodies can help you begin to understand why what we eat matters so much.

So then, what is food?

Food is our energy source. The nutrients we eat are digested and absorbed and then screened by the liver to decide what needs to be done with them. We can use them right away for energy, store them for use later, or excrete them. ATP is the bodies energy currency. We need ATP for nearly every action we do. From standing up to digesting from sprinting to lying down, we need a constant stream of ATP. The two most important raw materials for making ATP are triglycerides (stored energy from fatty acids) and glycogen (stored energy from carbohydrates). Say you eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Our digestive system breaks down the bread and jelly’s complex carbohydrates into glucose for energy. It breaks down the protein from the peanut butter into amino acids for building muscle. It breaks down the fat from the peanut butter into fatty acids or triglycerides. Everything from that meal will be used by are body for different things, at different times. As we are going along with our day our body will use and make ATP as it is needed. If we are standing still we don’t need much at that moment. We start to sprint and use our stored ATP to get going. After about 10 seconds of sprinting our ATP is running low so our body switches to its glycolytic energy system which uses stored energy from our glycogen stores. After a few more minutes, this sources runs out and your body switches to the oxidative system. By this point you are likely breathing heavy and slowing your pace down.

Food is also medicine. The food we eat includes macronutrients, micronutrients, phytochemicals, zoochemicals, fiber, and water that play important roles in our body. We already know macronutrients are the breakdown of proteins, carbohydrates and fat from the food we eat. We also know that micronutrients provide our body with the vitamins and minerals it needs from the food we eat. Phytochemicals are the nutrients we get when we eat fruits and vegetables (i.e. plants). Zoochemicals are the nutrients we get when we eat animal products. Fiber assists our body with its processes. The proteins we eat are broken down into amino acids for muscle building. The carbohydrates we eat are broken down into glucose for stored energy. The fats we eat are broken down into fatty acids

Food is also information. When we eat food we are delivering messages to our body to do this, don’t do that, release this hormone, don’t release that one, express this protein, don’t express that one. Food sends off instructions that kick of a chemical chain throughout our body.

Food is also communication. When we gather with others, we often do it around a table sharing a meal. Food allows us to share our time, our culture, our likes or our dislikes, and our love with others.

Food matters.

It matters to our bodies and it should matter to you. Think about that next time you sit down in front of a plate of it and take time to appreciate how it works with your body, fuels your body, provides your body with information, and allows you time to slow down and connect with others.

Happy eating!