It’s another new year where healthy resolutions are made… and then… broken.
The gym feels less inspiring as we approach the middle to late February. “Eat cheats” become frequent. As March closes in and certain cookies are the hot item for sale, complaints of pounds become a reality. Swimsuit season is around the corner.
I’ve heard of so many diets since my early twenties. I’ve probably tried most of them along with the latest fad workouts. These include 90’s Taebo and 2000’s Zumba. Zumba dance just doesn’t work with my level of coordination. But hey, I tried.
The question is, “Why? Why do we do this to ourselves?”
To be healthier? Skinnier? More fit? Look good in a swimsuit?
Who is right when it comes to dieting and workouts?
I struggled as an emotional eater and wine drinker, especially under stress. When I sought connections between mental health and herbs during my self-discovery, I discovered a new type of healthy lifestyle. For the first time, losing weight wasn’t my core value. It came off naturally, close to twenty pounds of it.
Controlling mental health, like depression, through eating means educating on how to have a healthy brain. How do you have a healthy brain? You educate yourself about 80/20 eating. You learn the benefits of it. You also learn about activity, social interactions, and spirituality. These things have been linked to a happier, healthier lifestyle and mindset.
80/20 eating is feeding the body 80% of whole foods that are natural, unprocessed, and preferably organic. It’s shopping on the outside aisle of the grocery store around the fruits and veggies. It’s reaching for grass fed meat, cheeses and eggs.
20% of the eating allows for healthy, organic processed options, paying close attention to the additive ingredients. As a food advocate, Vani Hari, also known as The Food Babe, has a suggestion. In her teachings, she advises: if you don’t know what an ingredient is in a product and why it’s there, don’t eat it. It’s simply about researching or using Google to learn how certain ingredients can affect your health.
For those of us on a tight budget, the idea of 80/20 can feel financially challenging. This includes myself. Dollar boxes of macaroni and cheese are available. These products seem more realistic for feeding you or a small family. They are also suitable for a bigger family on a tight budget. Once you find the stores around you that serve 80/20 products at the best price, you can develop a routine. You will know which stores offer the best deals. Your buying habits will attract coupons for these products to your door. Another reason I love The Food Babe is that she provides an easy shopping list. She also offers a guide emailed for free when you sign up to her website. A stress free way for beginners. One simple way to cut on cost is checking out the high pesticide list for veggies and fruits. Buy organic for high pesticide products, like blueberries. Choose non-organic for those like avocado or banana that are protected in peel. You can also invest in a naturally organic fruit and veggie wash to clean non-organic food. A big bottle of wash is diluted with water and lasts months. Lastly, buy fruit and vegetables in season. They are cheaper then. You can prep and freeze them to use during their non-seasonal times.
I began cutting back on foods harmful to my brain and health. These foods contribute to conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer’s, and dementia. They also contribute to Parkinson’s, high blood pressure, asthma, and cancers. Additionally, they cause heart and liver problems. (The list sadly goes on), weight began to fall off unintentionally and naturally. I managed to reduce my medications. I even discontinued some that I had been on for years, like those for blood pressure and asthma. During a time in my life with extreme stress I became the most mentally and physically healthy in my life. I slipped back once, for about a month due to severe cortisol levels in the brain. Still, I understood why the change was happening. I was capable of getting back on track. It’s about actively educating and willing to be a healthier version of you.
If you are living an 80/20 brain boosting lifestyle diligently, then there is no dieting. It is about eating what works. It involves finding exercise movements that fuel your passions. It’s about spirituality that feeds your soul and discovering self-growth. Educate yourself on these aspects. Ready to start? I highly recommend trying Dr. Amen and wife, Tana Amen’s book, The Brain Warrior’s Way for beginning. After almost a year and a half of reading and educating, I discovered this diamond of theirs. It summed up all my research in one place.
The 80/20 lifestyle becomes a positive way on how to focus, love yourself, feel good and respect your body image.
Cheers to being a healthier you! 💚
The Clover Nook 
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