80/20: Holidays, Food, Perspective

As we celebrate with family and friends this Thanksgiving, let us give thanks for our lives, our loved ones, and everything we have been given.

In having just kicked off the holiday season with Thanksgiving, we want to share something called the 80/20 rule to help you keep perspective especially during the holiday season. Eighty stands for 80% of the time that we eat balanced (plate model) and strive to optimally nourish ourselves. Twenty stands for 20% of the time that we nourish ourselves in other ways and let our relationship with food relax a little. We might eat a little more this 20% of the time, or shift our balance at the plate to bring in some more of one type of food we really enjoy for example.

Does the 20% mean cheating? One could call it that, but why? Is it really? We don't think so. Eating perfect is not the goal of Creating Peace with Food. Eating in balance, being mindful during meals, and truly enjoying the meal experience (food and our surroundings) is what Peace with Food is all about.

At the end of the day, the 20% is not going to make you gain weight, it is not going to throw off your goals, and it is certainly not going to hurt anyone. Instead, the concept of 80/20 explains how Creating Peace with Food includes nourishing ourselves well while at the same time letting ourselves be human and enjoy the process.

As we give thanks this season, let us utilize the 80/20 rule to nourish ourselves, enjoy our food, enjoy our surroundings, and focus on what is really important like the loved ones we are with.