As we head into the final stretch of our fast, it’s time to ask – what am I going to eat afterwards?
By fasting we hit a reset button on our bodies and consumption habits. In theory, the slow and conscious re-introduction of food will allow me to choose what and when I am asking my body to accept as the foundation for future habits. The mental and emotional relationship with food is a different ballgame, but one that will hopefully be easier to play starting from a clean physical slate.
So what habits do I want to establish? Identifying what healthy foods and practices are, is easy. Making them happen can seem impossibly hard. Part of the problem I had with eating well, was a dependance on unhealthy food and alcohol to cope with life stress. I’d like to build in safeguards for me to not go back to this behaviour, and yet there has to be some balance to indulge sometimes and enjoy treats without feeling guilty.
Enter the 80/20 rule. It’s a simple principle that states 80% of what you put in your mouth will be healthy, and 20% will be allowable indulgences. It’s not a new concept. A google search will reveal many sites describing how individuals uniquely apply the rule to their lives. Some decide to eat only healthy/organic food on weekdays, and allow themselves to indulge on the weekends. Some break it down to meals, so if there are 21 meals per week, they treat themselves for 4 of them. It all depends on what works most easily for each person in terms of sustaining the habit, and what each considers an indulgent vs. healthy food option.
What I like about the 80/20 rule is that it’s just enough structure to be able to feel the freedom of choice and avoid worries by being just a bit more conscious of what I eat. I don’t have to feel guilty about that piece of cake because I know I’ve planned for it and earned it, and it won’t cause me any weight gain. I don’t have to feel like I’m depriving myself when I decide to eat salad instead of nachos because I know that I’ll be indulging in something I’ve decided is even tastier tomorrow.
Here will be my treats/indulgences:
• alcohol
• dairy (cheese, butter, ice cream)
• baked goods (bread, pizza, pastry)
• chocolate
• sausages
• outside meals (restaurant/delivery/fast food)
Here’s how I’ll try to apply the 80/20 rule:
1. Smoothie or oatmeal for breakfast. Lean protein for lunch (i.e. salmon/chicken on spinach salad). Low-carb light dinner (i.e. green juice or soup). Snack on raw fruit, vegetables, and nuts every 1-2 hours over the day to keep metabolism up and cravings away. Drink water, coconut water, and herbal teas. One dessert per week.
2. Meal plan and grocery shop for whole organic ingredients on Friday or Saturday. Prepare lunches, snacks, and dinners for the coming week on Sunday. Meals will be at least 50% vegetable. Cook with olive or coconut oil. Mix sausages in with recipes, do not eat solo. Use cheese as a topping or condiment, not as a main ingredient.
3. Limit of one outside meal per week. (Mmmm, cheeseburger.)
4. Drinking alcohol only permitted on social occasions, none at home.
5. Eat until you are 80% full, then stop. No eating past 8:00 p.m.
I’m going to dedicate myself for the month following our fast to really ensuring I do the above (in addition to regular exercise). By comparison to the juice fast my taste buds should be heaven! Hopefully by the end, it won’t require much effort to keep going.
