What's in a name?

My wife immediately noticed that the name of my blog is a play on a term from the Harry Potter series (for the uninitiated, the "Death Eaters" are followers of the main villain, Voldemort). Its geeky origins aside, Life Eaters has two meanings for me.

First, it is from the philosophy that whatever we eat affects our entire life. We don't just eat food. It isn't just raw fuel. We eat a longer life. We eat strength and vitality. We eat good vision, good hearing. We eat better moods. We eat our success. Whatever you put into your body determines what you're going to get out of it.

Second, on the flipside, eating isn't just about what we put into our mouths. It's taking walks. It's getting healthy doses of sunshine. It's smiling (I once heard a centenarian call it her "Vitamin S"). It's getting clean air. It's getting a good night's sleep. It's forming and maintaining meaningful, human bonds.

A "Life Eater" to me is someone who consciously works to enrich their lives.