Be Healthy and Satisfy Your Cravings – the 80/20 rule

Rejoice! Treats are still possible and even desirable on the path to good health. Give yourself some leeway especially early on. Use the 80 / 20 Rule. If you consume what is great for you eighty percent of the time, your body can process the other twenty percent without too much trouble. Think of the 80% / 20% Rule as a sliding scale – a contingency that you don’t have to be too rigid, but also don’t have to feel defeated if you “cheat”. It’s easy to occasionally “slip” on the path to better health, and for those who have a tendency towards self-criticism or perfectionism there might be an inclination to “beat oneself up” and feel like a failure. Sound familiar? Don’t be fooled by these old patterns. There are zillions of healthy recipes and ideas to replace the old – a trick of those who succeed is finding healthy foods to replace favorite treats. Be kind, gentle, compassionate and patient with yourself. Trust the process. Know that this is an expedition with many phases; give yourself time to grow, to change, to learn and adapt. You didn’t build a lifetime of habits ove ight, and they probably aren’t going to change ove ight. When you feel you’ve slipped, and more than likely that time will come, forgive yourself and gracefully get back on track. The truth is you are probably more disciplined and committed than the majority of folks, so just “let it go”, return to “good habits” and resume your course. A Candy Bar or a Pomegranate? What a question! Which would you choose? I know I’d choose – the pomegranate of course – Those sweet juicy red-purple seeds popping out as you break it open – just waiting to get munched and squirt that sweet juice into your mouth….mmmmm- better not have on a white shirt – or be near the carpet or furniture. I was reading today David Wolfe telling about how bright beautiful colors in our foods let us know they’re full of antioxidants derived from hydrogen molecules that help carry toxins out of the body. In fact pomegranate has demonstrated some protective factors from prostate cancer. And well, a candy bar, made of refined sugars and all kinds of yukky things, that well…I wouldn’t want to put into my body. For $1 - $1.50 I’d grab a pomegranate in a heartbeat and not be able to wait to get home to crack that baby open!