Put your thinking caps on. We're gonna do some math.
You may have heard of the 80/20 "principle" --where if you eat well 80% of the time, you can splurge the other 20%... some people have cheat days where they eat anything they want for one day, usually the same day, every week. Is this good? Does it help you stay on track? Maybe. But the more I have thought about this supposed principle, the more I think it could end up hurting you more than helping you. Think about it:
If you subscribe to the 80/20 principle, that usually means that 20% percent of your food, or more than an entire day's worth of meals, is just plain bad food. Little to no nutrients. Processed. Greasy. Fried. Artificial. Or maybe you just ate too much.
If food what we need to give us energy, we should want to eat the food that will give us the most, and the best, energy.. I know we don't always want to eat those kinds of foods--but 20% bad food per week is a lot. A serious amount. Even 20% of $20 is $4-- I could buy a lot for $4.
Essentially what we do to ourselves each time we insert edible foodstuffs, or stuff posing as actual food, into our mouths (processed, fried, fatty, farmed, cholesterol-laden foods would be examples of these foodstuffs), we are basically saying to our bodies "I don't care how this will make me feel." Usually when I eat something high in sugar, like ice cream or a slice of cake, I feel like taking a loooooong nap. What's wrong with this picture!? Food should be giving me energy, not taking it away.
So if we say "I don't care" to 20% of what passes through our pieholes (I hate that word), I believe we are limiting ourselves and our health. If I want to have a health level at 80%, an energy level at 80%, heck, even a sex drive (yep, I said it!!!) at 80%, -- then I will strive to feed my body properly at least 80% of the time. But I don't have time for that. Twenty percent of my day is a lot. Twenty percent makes a huge difference. Can you imagine if our savings accounts had 20% interest rates?! Back in my school days, an 80% grade on a test was as good as failure for me. It was one point away from a *gasp* C! I can't afford to sacrifice 20% of my health and energy level every day of my life because I am causing my body to struggle to cleanse itself 20% of the time because I fed it garbage.
I really want to at least aim for 100%. I will probably never, ever get there. I'll still have my cravings, and I'll still give in to them now and then. And you know what, they come less and less often these days--because the more good, wholesome food I give my body, the more of that kind of food it craves.
I've got to aim higher than 80%... because if I'd like to live at 100% for 100% of my life, I think need to care a bit more than that.
3 comments:
I've only heard for the 80/20 rule in reference to marriage. :) Never food. Good idea though!
I've never heard about it in the context of marriage, lol :) what is it?
Well, for food, i think the 80/20 rule is actually a BAD idea... always aim for 100%, not 80%.
I think what you are saying is very true. We should always strive for the best. But I believe that if a person who doesn't have a habit of eating well at all would be better to at least START OFF with this method. Then little by little as they see the benefits of eating healthy and the disadvantages of eating unhealthy, they will learn to actually WANT to eat well 100% of the time.
Thats just my two cents.
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