As human beings, it’s truly unfortunate that we have such a tendency toward excesses, and from a holistic nutrition point of view, sugar addiction has become one of our worst vices. It is easy to set our bodies off-balance if we do not eat or drink correctly, yet generally we do not realize the consequences of doing so and tend to plow on with our muddled lives regardless. So many illnesses and diseases could be avoided if we paid more attention to our diet, and psychologically we could also lead a more fulfilled life and have a much more positive approach.

It seems that when we get stressed (and it is very easy to do that these days) our balanced diet becomes a distant memory and we load up on convenience foods and the very inappropriately named “comfort” foods. When we go for a “quick fix,” processed, simple sugars take the place of actual nutrition, and for a short time we genuinely believe that we feel better, although in reality, there isn’t anything which could be further from the truth.

To function ideally and to really understand the incredible importance of holistic health solutions, it’s essential that all of us adopt an 80/20 approach to our diets and to our bodies. Following the 80/20 rule will provide you with the opportunity to rapidly restore balance to your daily life, but only if you keep it in mind prior to each and every meal.

To understand what the 80/20 rule is all about we need to understand that our body is made up of both acid and alkaline and when these two become out of balance, chaos reigns! All foods need to be alkaline, acidic or neutral, with by far the largest amounts being made up of alkaline forming foods. In this instance, 80% should be alkaline, and the remaining 20% should represent the acid forming foods. This is a long way from the average American diet, unfortunately.

Alkaline-based foods are largely vegetables and fruits and some nuts & seeds, while acid-based foods include animal protein, starch, sugar, alcohol, dairy and some grains. For some reason it has become traditional to serve vegetables as “a side” and in very much smaller portions, whereas according to the 80/20 rule it should be the other way around. Give it a try: 80% alkaline forming food and 20 % acid food on your plate at each serving.

The 80/20 rule also tells us that we should train our bodies to become satisfied before we feel “full.” In other words, when you get to 80%, stop eating. After a fairly short period of time with this approach, you’ll be quite surprised at how much better you’ll feel.

Almost everything that we do, our careers, our personal lives, our aspirations, depend on how we maintain our health. This in turn has a great deal to do with how we eat, and if we apply the 80/20 approach to our diets we can expect to be far more productive, and have longer, happier lives as a result of our holistic nutrition approach.

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