Maximalist: All Healthy and No Joy

My quest for achieving overall wellness can sometimes feel like an all-or-nothing battle. This false dichotomy led me to pursue perfection in my diet. No refined sugar. No processed meats. No seed oils. As I look back, this mindset was certainly overambitious and took away some of the little joys in life (such as having a coffee milkshake from Ikedas).

I grew up in a house that emphasized minimizing overly processed food while still leaving room for treats. But as I gained more control of my daily eating, I became more and more concerned with what nutrients I gave my body. 

Cutting out most processed foods was somewhat easy as my palate prefers dishes that are somewhat farm-to-table. I began to feel better and less lethargic. So, I removed more and more processed ingredients from my diet. But as my progress began to slow and my cravings for Trader Joe’s pumpkin ice cream intensified, I felt like I had lost my way. My wellness journey had deviated from my initial goal. Instead of it being a way of feeling better, I felt like it was a brutal chore. 

Until last summer, I viewed living a healthier lifestyle as a binary choice. However, during my internship, I learned about the 80/20 principle–roughly 80% of outcomes come from 20% of the inputs. This concept is mainly referenced in natural sciences and finance, but I think the same theory applies to one’s overall wellness. 

Instead of striving for perfection, I try to focus on only blacklisting certain ingredients (e.g., high-fructose corn syrup, colored dyes, antibiotic meat, etc.) that have the most pronounced impact on our wellness. I still minimize my sugar intake but am much more lenient to have the occasional ice cream pint or a homemade crepe. 

By concentrating on the 20% of ingredients that are the worst for our cells and yield the worst bodily impact, I think I have found a sustainable approach to a healthy diet. The 80/20 principle has taught me the importance of balance. It's not about being perfect; it's about making progress.