What Can Food Teach Us About Life?
Updated: Apr 10
Written by Kate Taylor, Registered Nutritionist
Kate is a Registered Nutritionist and the Founder of Eat Drink Think Nutrition Limited. Kate supports systemic health & wellness through personalised nutrition, diet and lifestyle strategies & recommendations, and particularly specialises in Brain health, cognitive function and Dementia risk-avoidance.
When we drill down to the fundamentals of anthropology, sociology, psychology, and even philosophy, the human being is inarguably the sum of its parts and environmental influences. And what are we fueled by, both physically and cognitively? Food. So, why wouldn’t food help guide us in a few life lessons?
Whilst this may seem reductionist, it may simultaneously seem logical. We use food throughout our lives for many different purposes, nourishment, relaxation, socializing, gifting, peace-making, caregiving, health-sustaining, a source of income, and a display of earnings. So why not delve a little deeper and speculate on how food could instruct us in a few life modalities? Are these lessons hiding in plain sight right under our noses (and palates)? Maybe, maybe not, but it’s interesting to think about.
Firstly, the root vegetables. Rooted and maturing in the ground, but the extent of their productivity often depends on the conditions of the environment in which they are grown. Has their home soil been manipulated with fungicide, insecticide, or pesticides which, whilst keeping potential predators away, may be infiltrating their innate cellular composition and potentially depleting their robustness and quality? Has their DNA been tampered with to make them more aesthetic, potentially undermining their core health-beneficial qualities gleaned specifically from their randomness? The potential life lesson here could be that genes set the scene, but the environment pulls the trigger. Our health is not always fully dictated by genetics, it often includes elements of our external environments – mindset, motivations, experiences, exposures, decisions, and, of course, diet are crucial parts of our ongoing healthscape… not dissimilar to the landscape (soilscape) of a root vegetable.
Secondly, few foods are wholly black or white, and neither is life. Food with a variety of deep, saturated colors is highly beneficial for brain health, the anthocyanin polyphenol in blueberries, the carotenoids in cherries, carrots, and sweet potatoes, and the chlorophyll in green leafy vegetables are notable contributors to nurturing and nourishing brain health and cognitive function. This may also be aligned with life itself, which is rarely starkly black-and-white but instead infused with hues, blends, and tones where intrigue, perspectives, and knowledge-enhancement lie.
Just like colorful foods are saturated with nutrient goodness, so could life’s variety be, conveniently linguistically termed ‘the spice’ of life (spice itself infusing potent color into its collaborations).
Thirdly, mold and mycotoxins are health-detrimental in (the majority) of food, just as moldy influences in life become toxic if left lingering. Would you eat a thoroughly moldy piece of food? Probably not. (Certain molds within cheese are palatable, but that’s about all from a food perspective.) Mold is insidious, if it takes root in our gut, lungs, or brain, this incurs detrimental ripple effects on our systemic health and certainly our cognitive function. A similar scenario could be said of moldy (toxic) influences in our environment, not only when living/studying/working in a mold-infested building but also amongst the environmental influences we are surrounded by.
So, just as with food, where one sight or smell of moldy food is often enough to promptly discard the item, so too could the same gut instinct apply in life when getting the slightest sense that a toxic influence may be bringing you down. In both scenarios, the choice to detoxify could be paramount to your greatest wealth asset, your health & wellness.
Whilst compiling this article, it struck me that I have often been accused of overthinking, but I don’t mind. As a nutritionist, an aspect of my job involves ascertaining root causes and mediating influences behind the symptoms my clients are presenting. Of course, evidence is sought, and rigorous research is undertaken in my clinical recommendations, but sometimes a little bit of multi-perspective probing helps view the whole picture and build a more health-affirming support plan, diminishing false hopelessness and welcoming health optimism.
If a functional medicine perspective on nurturing, nourishing, and supporting your brain health and cognitive function is of interest, the time to act is now, why postpone what could be actioned today? Investing in your brain health and Brainspan could just be the wisest decision you will ever make.
Please note that these are general recommendations. They are not personalized and do not account for or include recommendations for any existing health imbalances or medical conditions. In these cases, please consult a medical professional and/or a nutritionist/dietician expert if you have a particular health or dietary requirement.
Read more from Kate Taylor
Kate Taylor, Registered Nutritionist
Kate is an advocate of proactive and preventative healthcare through optimising and personalising the basics, nutrition, diet, and lifestyle. Kate's experiences watching those around her develop and decline from Dementia instilled in her a mindset of 'prevention is better than cure' and that, particularly when it comes to Brain health and Dementia risk-avoidance, the perception 'false hopelessness' should not triumph over health optimism. Whilst sensitive to the fact that Brain health and Dementia risk-avoidance is multifaceted and cannot be solely addressed by nutrition, Kate's professional nutritional aspiration is to empower & inspire people that diet and lifestyle are integral foundations to health, healthspan, and importantly, Brainspan.
References:
Aarane, M., Ratnaseelan, M.B.S., Tsilioni, I., et.al. (2018) Effects of Mycotoxins on Neuropsychiatric Symptoms and Immune Processes. Clinical Therapeutics.
Bhardwaj, R.L., Parashar, A., Parewa, H.P., et.al. (2024) An Alarming Decline in the Nutritional Quality of Foods: The Biggest Challenge for Future Generations' Health. Foods. doi: 10.3390/foods13060877
Crupi, P., Faienza, M.F., Naeem, M.Y., et.al. (2023) Overview of the Potential Beneficial Effects of Carotenoids on Consumer Health and Well-Being. Antioxidants (Basel). doi: 10.3390/antiox12051069
Harding, C.F., Pytte, C.L., Page, K..G, et.al. (2020) Mold inhalation causes innate immune activation, neural, cognitive and emotional dysfunction. Brain Behav. Immun. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.11.006
Liew, W.P., and Mohd-Redzwan, S. (2018) Mycotoxin: Its Impact on Gut Health and Microbiota. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00060
Martins, T., Barros, A.N., Rosa, E., et.al. (2023) Enhancing Health Benefits through Chlorophylls and Chlorophyll-Rich Agro-Food: A Comprehensive Review. Molecules. doi: 10.3390/molecules28145344
Iswiinarti, O.N. (2025) The Impact of Toxic Relationships on Depression and Anxiety in Early Adulthood: A Systematic Review. Jurnal Pskiologi.
Pei, X., Zhang, W., Jiang, H., et.al. (2021) Food-Origin Mycotoxin-Induced Neurotoxicity: Intend to Break the Rules of Neuroglia Cells. Oxid. Med. Cell. Longev. doi: 10.1155/2021/9967334
Wang, L., Lan, W., and Chen, D. (2024) Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) Anthocyanins and Their Functions, Stability, Bioavailability, and Applications. Foods. doi: 10.3390/foods13172851
