It's January again! That means that the holidays and festivities are over and resolutions have been set. Now the trick is to keep them. The usual resolutions after all that delicious food and the drinks are to lose weight, exercise more or live healthier. All kinds of diets are tried again but still fail, often because they are difficult to follow or have strict rules. It can be much simpler than that. The 80-20 rule shows this and at least provides a good base! Read more here!

What is the 80 -20 rule?

There are several interpretations of this 80 - 20 rule. It starts with the Pareto principle which was established by Vilfredo Pareto in 1906. He found that about 80% of the outcomes are caused by 20% of the causes. This principle is actually usable in many situations in your life. Of course, it cannot be tied down to exact percentages but it's a way of looking at a situation. For example, consider a classroom full of children. The biggest noise is caused by a few children. This in itself is an interesting principle to understand and grow as a person. When you imagine situations for yourself, you can determine whether you might be putting a lot of time into something that doesn't pay off much.

Besides this way, the 80 - 20 rule is also looked at from a healthy lifestyle perspective. There are articles that insist that you should try to eat healthy 80% of the time and about 20% may be "unhealthy" food. Another way is eating meals that exists for 80% out of fruits or vegetables and for 20% out of meat or fish. Of course, you don't have to weigh everthing to this exact ratio. It's all about the idea behind it that you start eating more healthy products. That's why this is a lot easier to stick to. For many people it fits well into the daily schedule! Still, it is already a very good step toward a healthier diet!
 

Benefits of fruits and vegetables

Of course, everyone is free to make their own interpretation of this rule. The 80% vegetable and 20% meat or fish is a nice version to keep in mind if you ask us. This ensures that you get all the healthy vitamins and minerals you need! However, it is still important to vary in those 80% vegetables. Nothing is as boring as constantly eating the same thing and in doing so you are missing the point. 
Everyone knows that fruits and vegetables are good for you, but what exactly it is good for? Here are a few quick facts to keep in mind when you are dreading that piece of broccoli on your plate:
 
  • They contain lots of fiber which helps your digestive system tremendously, not called your second brain for nothing so take good care of it!!
  • Thanks to the vitamins and minerals you maintain your body and help your immune system!
  • In its simplest form, losing weight is nothing more than consuming less calories than you burn. Fruits and vegetables are low in calories so you can eat a lot and still lose weight.
  • They help you lower blood pressure. This reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease which is still one of the biggest causes of death! In addition, unhealthy food can often increase blood pressure!

We don't want to claim that this 80-20 rule is the golden path to a toned body. Our interest is in awareness of the benefits of fruits and vegetables. All kinds of supplements, deetox packages and other pills are put on the market, much of which would be useless if we ate a little healthier. Nature has given us beautiful and delicious products and then we start taking manufactured pills instead to achieve the same goal.

The problem

If you were to ask people, "Would you like to eat healthier?" almost everyone would say 'Yes'. So why doesn't it happen? Often, inspiration and time are a problem that gets in the way. Because of this, the choice is quickly made for the well-known inspiration-less recipe or the takeaway. All very recognizable, but sorry, these of course aren't good arguments.

It's very easy to find all kinds of recipes on the Internet and social media nowadays. These are often simple and also very quick to prepare. In the 15 to 20 extra minutes it takes to order something or to go to a drive-trough and wait, you can prepare a delicious fresh (and maybe even cheaper!) meal. It's mostly just your mindset that you need to adjust and try it out.

If you really want to do it the right away, then try a recipe with the following vegetables, as they are considered the top 5 healthiest produce! Of course this is debatable but these 5 do stand out on many levels! And don't forget that variation is important, but with these products you will be fine!

If you have any questions left regarding the these healthy produce, please contact me, Jorran van der Meijs, via Dit e-mailadres wordt beveiligd tegen spambots. JavaScript dient ingeschakeld te zijn om het te bekijken. and I will help you!

Let’s start January Fresh and healthy! But how? Let’s start January Fresh and healthy! But how? Let’s start January Fresh and healthy! But how? Let’s start January Fresh and healthy! But how? Let’s start January Fresh and healthy! But how?