In the early 20th century, Leo Tolstoy, in his ascetic quest for a “good life,” embraced a vegetarian diet to resist all forms of violence, which included to “God’s animal creations.” His diet was meant to “support life” — both his and others, a belief and lifestyle shared with his pen friend, Mahatma Gandhi. For Tolstoy, God’s grace began at the table — like chicken soup for the soul, without the chicken.
Historically, food abstinence has a long tie-in to spiritual, political, and health choice. Nowadays, it is not usual for people to attribute their palate preferences to genetics, peak athletic performance, or simply a desire to feel better. The platitude “you are what you eat” can be easily written off as an idea without teeth, but philosophies defining something as mundane as diet can lie at the core of personal identity, social establishment, and ethical reflection.
Food choices can also be altered for pointed medical purposes. The concept of healing through intestinal absorption is at the heart of many common medical curee — often through ingestion of pharmaceuticals in pill form. Therefore, it is not inconceivable that anything passing through our digestive tract can have a profound effect on our physical and emotional wellbeing. In short, daily meal choices have proven to have a long-term effect on overall health, making diet the target in any healthy lifestyle.