The 90/10 Diet

You may have heard of the 80/20 diet before.  It means that 80% of your diet is made up of healthy, nourishing foods while the other 20% is the splurges or less-healthy foods.  It isn't strict in what it says you can and cannot eat, but simply gives you a template for how to eat the most balanced, and to not feel like you have to punish yourself when you splurge on something.

This diet is very similar to the 80/20 diet, but was created through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.  The 90/10 diet simply means that about 90% of your diet is healthy, clean, whole fruits, vegetables, grains, and lean proteins.  The other 10% is what you choose to splurge on, meaning a glass of wine, a little ice cream or piece of chocolate, a piece of cheese or an afternoon latte.

This is as much a diet as it is a simple lifestyle habit, and no foods will be the same for everyone.  

"One persons food is another persons poison" are the famous words I will always remember from my time at IIN.  This means that trying to compare yourself to others is pointless.  Someone may be fine with a certain food while you may not be.

It is recommended to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, with a focus on sweeter vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes, to satisfy sugar cravings.  Whole grains and beans are also encouraged, and lean organic proteins like chicken and fish are great too.

It's also recommended to take a look at your lifestyle as well - cooking meals at home, exercising, doing fulfilling work, finding any sort of spirituality that works for you, and working on healthy relationships with others.  Toxic relationships and unhealthy habits and stress should be focused on and in the long run, hopefully eliminated.

If you work with this diet for long enough, you may find you can easily be 100% clean, and not have the cravings for the less-healthy foods, but take it slow!

Foods to include:

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Whole grains
• Meat
• Poultry
• Fish
• Eggs
• Beans
• Dairy
• Nuts and seeds
• Healthy oils

Foods to avoid:

• Sugar
• Processed foods
• Refined grains
• Trans fats
• Caffeine
• Tobacco

Pros:

• Can be a lifestyle rather than a diet
• Wide range of nutrients and flavors
• Less restrictive than many diets

Cons:

• Some may require more strict guidelines to see results
• Might not work for those with allergies
• Food journals may lead to obsessive behavior