Have you ever heard of the 80/20 rule?
I had not heard of this until I started my healthy lifestyle. This however, has been life changing on my journey! When I did the autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet it was pretty strict on the eating habits, but with good reason. Check out my blog article The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) Diet for more on this.
Anyway, let’s dive in on the concept of 80/20. We all only have one life to live and we need to live it to the fullest. So 80 percent of the time we want to be following that healthy lifestyle and the other 20 percent we want to be enjoying ourselves and living life how we want to live it. Lets break it down now.
The 80
It is important that majority of the time you are sticking to your healthy eating habits, whatever those may be. I obviously know that what works for one person may not work for the rest, but healthy eating does NOT have to be complicated. It may not be about following a certain protocol or diet, but just eating more organic fruits and vegetables daily. I think that is where people get lost honestly, they try to follow a diet, which is setting you up to fail essentially because it is only a short term thing and you not in it for the long haul. Making a lifestyle change is the ultimate goal and if that means following a diet for the short term to get yourself toward starting your long term goal than go for it! In the end, follow your healthy habits: healthy eating, exercise, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic care, etc. Doing ALL the things will keep your health on the rise. Point blank: take care of yourself!
The 20
We want to enjoy our life so this is where the 20 percent comes in. When you have that BBQ, birthday party or whatever outing it may be. Live your life! Enjoy that processed junk food item you may not normally indulge on, or that alcoholic beverage. Do NOT, I repeat DO NOT, sit and throw yourself a pity party while everyone else is having a good time. Get in there have a blast and make those memories. I am one hundred percent about doing this if my body is in a state where I can handle it. Obviously, if you are like me and are dealing with a chronic illness you may not be able to do this at every event you attend, but pick and choose. You know your body and if you think it cannot handle that treat then do not force it and wait until the next time.
My suggestion with this concept is start out being a little harder on yourself. Then when you feel more comfortable that you can actually stick to 80/20 and not fall into that slippery slope of it becoming 70/30, 60/40 etc, then implement this. I want you to succeed in living a healthy lifestyle and I feel like this rule can help you accomplish that.
XOXO ~ Brooke
*Disclaimer: Always consult with a professional medical practitioner before taking any dietary supplements or recommendations listed, especially if pregnant, nursing, taking prescription medications or under a doctor’s medical care.
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