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. If we paid more attention to our daily eating habits, a vast number of illnesses and diseases could be avoided by most people, and psychologically speaking, we could also lead far more fulfilling lives and have a much more positive outlook on the future as well.

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. Processed, simple sugars flood into our diets as we get the quick fix and we believe that we feel better, although fundamentally nothing 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 really develop a good understanding of what the 80/20 rule is actually all about, it’s crucial to realize that our bodies are made up of both acid and alkaline properties, and when the balance between these two opposites is lost, everything falls apart! All foods need to be alkaline, acidic or neutral, with by far the largest amounts being made up of alkaline forming foods. In this case 80% should be alkaline and the acid forming foods should represent 20%. When it comes to the average American diet, unfortunately, this goal is quite far from the usual mark.

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.