90/10

by Beth Haley

IIN Class Notes

This is the first diet I have studied for my integrative nutrition class with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN). I instantly liked this one because, for me, an eating style that is easy to sustain, and one that is more of a lifestyle than a “diet”, would be something I would try.

The 90/10 (Integrative Nutrition Diet) was created by IIN’s founder and director, Joshua Rosenthal, MScEd

Sources: Joshua Rosenthal’s Integrative Nutrition: Feed Your Hunger for Health and Happiness

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What is Bio-Individuality?

The foods that work for one person, aren’t necessarily the foods that work for another person. There is no “one-size-fits-all” diet. Each person is different.

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What are Primary foods?

Health isn’t just food. Primary foods are not found on your plate. They are lifestyle elements such as cooking, finding enjoyable ways to be active, doing work you love that is satisfying, developing your spirituality, getting adequate sleep, playing board games with friends and family, getting the kids to the park to play, getting out into nature, inviting people over for dinner, and establishing and maintaining healthy and supportive relationships. When these primary foods are in healthy balance, along with a healthy diet, the body tends to be able to heal itself on its own.

Toxic people and unhealthy relationships, unhealthy practices or habits, and stress and tension should be kept at a minimum.

Dr. Tieraona Low Dog from the Mountain Rose Herbal Radio Podcast episode titled: “5 Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle” which was recorded at the Free Herbalism Project and hosted by Mountain Rose Herbs, stated it this way (paraphrased):

There was a large study done by Brigham Young University, more than 144 studies (that’s more than 300,000 people), which found that being lonely or socially isolated was as dangerous for their health, as smoking 3/4 of a pack of cigarettes a day, being an alcoholic, never exercising, and was twice as dangerous as being obese.

Nourishing our social relationships (a huge part of our primary foods) is necessary for wellness, healing, and overall health.

The New York Times

Science Daily

BYU News

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90/10 Integrative Nutrition Diet

The idea of the 90/10 Integrative Nutrition Diet is that you eat healthy foods 90% of the time and eat less healthy foods 10% of the time.

In other words: instead of fighting your wants, you can indulge cravings 10 percent of the time, and then adhere to your healthy foods 90 percent of the time. This gives you some flexibility to indulge guilt-free, while maintaining a healthy overall balance.

The 90/10 plan is easy to follow, and you decide how to organize it to best suit your needs.

The general food list includes more fruits and vegetables, sweet vegetables to help with sweet cravings, beans, experimenting with whole grains and proteins, and drinking plenty of water.

Useful tool: Food Journaling. This may include elements such as, your emotions surrounding certain foods which affect your eating habits.

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Included:

• Vegetables

• Fruits

• Whole grains

• Meat

• Poultry

• Fish

• Eggs

• Beans

• Dairy

• Nuts and seeds

• Healthy oils

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Foods to avoid:

• Sugar

• Processed foods

• Refined grains

• Trans fats

• Caffeine

• Tobacco

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PROS

• It’s a lifestyle not a diet

• There is a wide variety of foods and nutrients that you can eat

• It is very adaptable to each individual

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CONS

• Some people need a more rigid guideline to meet specific goals

• People with allergies may not be able to eat the variety of foods allowed

• Journaling can be a helpful tool unless it becomes obsessive

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This is a general outline of the 90/10 Integrative Nutrition Diet, and some of the principles Joshua Rosenthal works with in his book, Integrative Nutrition: Feed Your Hunger for Health and Happiness, and in his course at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.