Psychological is a major factor influencing on our food selection and they may include values, attitudes, emotions, experiences and self concept. From memory, when I am unhappy or in an emotional state, I have a habit of stuffing my face with ice-cream. I was sitting on a bench waiting for my brother after school and I was really upset he was late to pick me up as i have always been afraid of being alone. A teacher had saw me crying so he stopped to see if I was alright, he then mentioned to me that when he was unhappy, he would go and eat something sweet to make him feel happy.

Afterwards, it has become a habit of my own; however, due to my self-consciousness of my weight, I had changed that habit to taking my frustration out in the gym. From this experience I have understood that food creates a feeling of warmth and your mind can strongly influence what you put in your mouth.

Food has always been socially recognised and has influenced food selections in various ways including factors such as culture, traditions, lifestyle, employment, education, geographic location and peers. During times of illness, it has been a cultural tradition to eat more porridge and soup as it was believed to be the best cure because when you are sick, you tend to not want to eat proper foods and since porridge and soup is a liquid substance, it is easily digested and swallowed.

Also, in previous years living in rural areas was a disadvantage as when the fruit and vegetables had arrived, they were not considered fresh, however not long, transportation became more efficient and products were fresh. I grew up in a small town so food selection was limited; however technology today has advanced so incredibly, when you walk down to the supermarkets, there is a wide range of foods to choose from.

The selection of foods in my family are influenced by numerous factors and questions as to who eats it, what we enjoy to eat, physiological and psychological factors, the media, cultural and social expectations and the advance in technology.

Physiological factors affecting my family’s food selection include hunger, thirst, our reactions to foods and the desire to eat and try new foods.

Referring back to the time I was young, I was always tempted to try new food as my father is a chef and enjoyed experimenting new ways of presenting foods. The appearance immediately gained my attention and the creative arrangement of the dish stimulated my appetite.

From my earliest childhood memory, my parents have always enjoyed the fresh taste of seafood and my siblings consisting of three brothers and a sister has always been meat eaters. As my brothers love all sorts of meat, my sister has an allergy towards prawns and I have always loved spicy foods and the taste seafood up until the stage one day, I ate so much lobster I threw up.

Today, I enjoy eating more fruit and vegetables as I have become highly concerned of my weight and because of this reason I had become a vegetarian for over a year, unfortunately, my body began to crave for meat and my mind soon gave in to my body.

The media has impacted negatively towards my family’s food selection as famous celebrities and models has developed an ideal image for the female body as being slim and are promoting products and diets to help us become thin. My parents are against this attitude as they believe being skinny is not the same as being fit and healthy. They encourage us to skip meals and exercise more often; however, we believe consuming less salt, sugar and fats and more fruit and vegetables is more appropriate.

At the age of twelve, I was once under the influence of the media, they were promoting diets pill to shed weight quick and easy, however I did not understand it was not the best and healthiest way to lose weight and i bought the pills. I eventually became overly obsessed with my weight and consumed more than recommended and fell ill vomiting all night.

You are what you eat is demonstrated when you assess an obese patient that is on a reduced fat diet. After several weeks of a properly balanced diet including meats, dairy, fruits, vegetables and grains the patient loses weight. With replacing all the fatty food with those that are healthy the patient is slimming down. Another example of that can be seen in a patient that has just had a major surgery. During the surgery the protein is used for blood clotting factors.

Protein is also needs after surgery for timely and proper wound healing. If they were eating the improper amount of protein they patient would have trouble with blood clotting and scar tissue formation. If a patient were to have a poor intake of protein you would encourage the intake of legumes, peas, lentils and peanuts.

You are what you eat because your health reflects on your diet. If an individual eats poorly and has an unbalanced diet it will take a toll on their health. An unhealthy diet may not appear to be a problem for you today but it will catch up with you eventually. If your diet includes a lot of fatty foods, like many Americans, you may become overweight. Being overweight causes a variety of health problems such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and a decreased life expectancy. So keep mind that you are what you eat and that it may affect your medical status in the future.

There are many reasons I believe that you are what you eat. When assessing an obese individual you would now that they have a nutritional problem. Likewise when you look at a frail underweight individual they may have a nutritional problem as well. Your health depends on what you eat.  Weather an individual is obese, underweight, recovering from surgery or has a debilitating disease a balanced diet has a significant role in good health.

A well balanced diet according to Lutz & Przytulski includes six to eleven servings of grains, two to four servings of fruits and three to five servings of vegetables. Also included in a balanced diet are two to three servings of dairy and two to three servings of meats. Lutz & Prztulski also states that you should eat fats and sweets sparingly. These six food groups compile a balanced diet.

When an individual does not have a well balanced diet they often develop deficiencies. When a person lacks calcium in their diet they are at risk of developing osteoporosis. This is a wasting or deterioration of bone that often leads to a fracture of the bone. You can prevent osteoporosis by having a daily intake of two to three servings. The intake of dairy keeps you bones healthy. Calcium will keep them strong so they do not break or fracture. You may not be able to tell if an individual has a calcium deficiency.

On the other hand when doing an assessment you may be able to tell if someone has a folic acid deficiency. They would have signs of heartburn, diarrhea, red smooth swollen tongue, fatigue, fainting, confusion and even depression. When an individual has a deficiency in folic acid they lack intake of green leafy vegetables, kidney and lima beans, beets and vegetables of the cabbage family. People who are usually develop folic acid deficiencies are poorly nourished children and those that are poverty-stricken.

Besides the physical benefits of staying active, physical activities can also contribute to good mental health.  Since physical activities help maintain a healthy body weight, they will, in turn, lead to positive self-esteem, greater self-efficacy, and improved academic and cognitive performance. Statistics show that young people who are physically active are less likely to use tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs.  Problems of juvenile delinquency can also decrease when appropriate physical activity programs are available.  Rebecca Hu, a yoga instructor, states that most of her students take yoga classes to relieve their stress and tension by doing this type of stretching exercises.  Similar activities such as kung fu and karate are also designed for people to release their tension. 

If those activities are not effective, they would not exist for more than a thousand years.  For most adults, leisure-time physical activity provides a balance to the demands of family and work. Regular physical activities and higher levels of fitness also allow daily tasks to be accomplished with greater ease and comfort and with less fatigue. Furthermore, there is a positive relationship between workplace physical activity programs and job satisfaction. Higher job satisfaction, in turn, can lead to better employee morale, increased productivity, and reduced absenteeism.  In short, physical activity helps prolong good mental health in various ways.

It should now be clear that being active and taking part in simple exercise is a good investment for one's health. Jogging, swimming and everyday sports are just a small fraction of the many forms of exercising that an individual can participate in. Being an active individual leads to a life that is reasonably longer and of higher quality than the lives of those who don't know the meaning of exercise.  It is good to play video games or watch television for a prolonged time once in a while but sometimes it is better to realize when enough is enough and it is time to get some fresh air. For maximum health benefits, it is important to maintain a regular pattern of activity. One sure way to reap these benefits is to participate in your favourite activities more often and more regularly. And while you're at it, why not take a friend or family member along? It will keep them active too and give you a little extra motivation.