I like to think I’m a pretty healthy eater (minus my big sweet tooth), but after booking a flight to Cancun the other week I realized it’s time to kick things in gear. My body doesn’t quite bounce back after a long night out like it used to in college, so I need a little something extra before jumping into bikini season again.
I’ve tried the juice cleanses and let’s all be honest here, they aren’t good. Anyone who claims that they taste delicious is lying to you and themselves. You’re drinking grass, so yes it taste like grass but if you don’t mind the taste then more power to you. I’m also not one for fad diets, if I’m going to make a change I want it to be one that will stick for longer than 2 days. I’m talking small changes each day, because let’s face it we’re all human and we all love food.
A few weeks back I met with, health guru aka Holistic Nutritional Counselor/Lifestyle Educator, Danielle. Danielle is devoted to helping people achieve their long-term health goals through small changes.
Danielle teaches how to have a healthy relationship with food while eliminating the amount of toxins we put into our body each day, which by the way is mind-blowing. However, Danielle taught me that it’s not about jumping on this big juice cleanse trend or cutting all carbs from our diet that will help us achieve our health goals. It’s about making small changes catered to our own bodies. This I like to call the 80/20 rule. The idea is to try and be healthy/active 80% of the time so you can enjoy and live a little the other 20%.
A health craze that involves desserts 20% of the time…let’s do this!
Image via
Dash of Sparkle
Make small changes this week to better your health. Whether it’s eliminating late night snacking or doing an extra mile on your run. Every person and every body is different, it’s important to make the small changes that work best for your schedule and your body. Below are a few different 80/20 rules to try out:)
80/20 Tips
1. Plan ahead with 80% healthy meals. If you know you will be eating out all weekend, be sure to pack your meals for work all week and cook at home for dinner each night. Eating healthy all week will allow you to splurge a little on the weekend.
2. Make sure your fat intake is 80% healthy fats. When looking at your meal, make sure the fats you are intaking are mainly mono and poly saturated fats. These are the healthy fats that are found in foods such as avocado or almonds.
3. Eliminate 80% of the not-so-healthy items when eating out. When eating out it can be so tricky to find healthy options especially when you are out with friends who are ok with a double cheese burger and fries as a meal. With having visitors quite often and living in a city of so many amazing restaurants I find myself eating out much more often than I used to, but when I go out I have my little guidelines I make for myself. If I’m going to a nice restaurant and ordering a protein and sides. I always make sure to order a grilled or plain protein (no breading or fried) and vegetables with no butter for the side. Hint: I used to work in a restaurant and almost every vegetable side gets coated with butter, so always ask for no butter. If I’m going to a place with more bar style food where everyone will be ordering burgers, I always look for options with no cheese, bacon or mayo. I also always ask if they have a whole wheat bun option.
4. Increase your workout by 20%. Changing your diet can be great for some, but not so much for others. Sometimes we just need an extra boost in the gym or our activities. If you typically take the elevator, try the stairs. If you normally jog 3 miles on the treadmill try adding a little incline or rotate with sprints.