I used to think people who said, “you are what you eat” were just the kind of folks who put chia seeds in everything and posted green smoothie selfies with hashtags like #vibes or #highfrequency.
I mean—come on. Food changes your personality? Get outta here.
But then it happened. One weird, out-of-the-blue lunch. A bowl of steaming, turmeric-laden chicken soup that tasted like someone’s grandma had cried into it while praying for your soul.
And no, it wasn’t just the flavor—it was like my brain rewired itself halfway through the second spoonful.
I left that meal smiling at strangers like a lunatic. I tipped a Grab driver extra just for showing up on time. Me. The person who usually rolls their eyes at small talk and prefers staring at walls in silence.
What the hell was that?
Let me tell you: food messes with you in ways you don’t even notice. Gut-brain connection is real, baby. Your intestines have their own nervous system.
They call it the second brain—not to be poetic, but because it literally processes more than just sambal and regret.
It talks to your actual brain. Through hormones. Through neurotransmitters. Through vibes you can’t detect unless you’ve been constipated for two weeks and suddenly you’re not and suddenly… you’re polite again.
You think I’m exaggerating? Think about the last time you were hangry. Did you feel like a kind and generous person? Did you want to hug your neighbor or forgive your ex? No. You wanted to stab someone with a fork and cry in a corner. That’s food altering your personality right there, just in reverse.
Now flip it. What if you eat something that gives your cells a standing ovation? A meal that doesn’t just feed you but reminds you who you are when you’re not anxious, sleep-deprived, or three seconds from yelling at a WhatsApp group chat?
Let’s take it deeper. Have you ever been in a depressive slump and then out of nowhere, had a warm bowl of rice, tempeh, some sambal terasi that kicked your sinuses awake, and suddenly your eyes cleared? Not just from the chili tears—but from the mental fog too? That’s not placebo. That’s the realest sh*t ever.
I’m not saying one meal is therapy (though some ayam betutu sessions have felt close), but food can be a trigger. It can tip you back into your body when you’ve been floating somewhere in a mess of overthinking and doomscrolling.
You are literally built from what you eat. Molecules from that chocolate, that egg yolk, that weird fermented thing your uncle swears cures gout—all of it becomes your cells. Your hormones. Your mood. Your personality.
It’s not just science. It’s… daily experience. It’s why some people are mean when they’re on keto and kind when they’re eating rice again. It’s why your friend becomes a philosopher after one sip of bone broth.
It’s why grandma’s cooking makes you cry and feel loved when she doesn’t even say much anymore. You feel her spirit in the sambal.
So yes. One meal can shift you. Not because it’s magic. But because you are what you feed yourself, in every way. Physically, emotionally, even spiritually if you’re into that. A single meal can reintroduce you to yourself.
Food can hurt. Food can heal. It can anchor you or break you. And the worst part? We don’t even notice until it’s too late—or until we’re three bites into something that tastes like closure.
So next time you’re picking between instant noodles and that weird healthy curry your cousin brought over, ask yourself—
“Do I wanna stay the same, or am I ready to be a slightly better bitch?”
Because food will change you. The only question is: into what?
This made me laugh out loud *and* think twice about that leftover curry in my fridge. The way you tied mood shifts to gut health was oddly validating—I’ve definitely felt more ‘human’ after a good meal.