I don't eat clean. I won't eat clean. It's a stupid concept.

breeshabebe

Holy crap, this thing rolled...



The reason I have the "I Fight Cancer" shirt on in my profile pic is that I lost a good friend and mentor to cancer last year.

When he was diagnosed, he switched to an all-organic vegan diet that fits even the strictest definition of "clean eating." Perhaps it helped extend his life by a few months... I don't know. But it certainly did nothing to put the disease in remission.

I'm happy to hear that others had different experiences... though I'd be curious to know what other treatments they were doing for their cancers.

I also don't believe that everyone who eats processed foods is destined to get cancer. I know people who have lived on them all their lives (and I do mean *all their lives*, formula from the can and baby food from the jar and all) and they are completely cancer free. I'll be Exhibit A.

I find it crazy that cancer has come up so many times in this thread... I try to eat clean, but I never give 2 thoughts to doing it because I don't want to get cancer. I eat clean because I like the way it makes me feel and I like how it makes my skin look. If I am going to get cancer, man, I'm going to get cancer. What would I do if I drove myself crazy everyday avoiding certain foods so that I wouldn't get cancer, only to find that I got cancer anyways?
I do believe that there are great health benefits to eating clean, but some things are just out of our control.

BeachIron

Holy crap, this thing rolled...



The reason I have the "I Fight Cancer" shirt on in my profile pic is that I lost a good friend and mentor to cancer last year.

When he was diagnosed, he switched to an all-organic vegan diet that fits even the strictest definition of "clean eating." Perhaps it helped extend his life by a few months... I don't know. But it certainly did nothing to put the disease in remission.

I'm happy to hear that others had different experiences... though I'd be curious to know what other treatments they were doing for their cancers.

I also don't believe that everyone who eats processed foods is destined to get cancer. I know people who have lived on them all their lives (and I do mean *all their lives*, formula from the can and baby food from the jar and all) and they are completely cancer free. I'll be Exhibit A.

When my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, the first person I called was my aunt. She is a leading research scientist on the ties between cancer and nutrition. She received her Ph.d from Harvard at a time when she had to design her own program for this because it was such a novel idea. She has since then devoted her career to this exact link, with work both in the private sector and for the NIH. She has said to me on more than one occasion that it was frustrating work. The hope was that it would be key to many cancers, but it is not. Take BRCA1 and 2, for example. Those are genetic, not lifestyle, triggers. She told my wife to do what she has always told me to do, eat a well balanced diet, don't worry about food substitutions (if you want sugar then eat sugar just don't binge on it, for example), make sure her diet is rich in a variety of vegetables, lean meats, fatty fish, nuts, whole grains and dairy, eat less "junk food," enjoy some wine, and exercise daily. But at the end of the day, her advice was to find a surgeon and a oncologist who are damn good and with whom she could place her trust. Modern medicine provides the best chance of survival, not a vegan or any other diet. The most shocking thing we learned is that my wife shouldn't eat grapefruit and beets because they interfere with the chemo.

The reality is that I've lived this approach my entire life and my wife has too. We both became overweight for a short period of time from too many calories. I can't emphasize enough that in all of this, that we do eat a very well balanced diet, but it does include pizza, chicken wings, ice cream, and even the occasional fast food hamburger and milk shake. By no means though does any of that form the core. And I will never be so bold as to tell anyone that I eat "clean." And I personally find that the food substitutions that are made to perfectly good food border on the absurd. There just doesn't seem to be any justification for thinking almonds make better milk than cows, for example. The human diet varies from culture to culture and from person to person. We are omnivores. There are always incremental improvements that can be made, but the holier than thou, "I eat clean" and "food is evil" crowd needs to step back and look at the big picture.

PikaKnight

Holy crap, this thing rolled...



The reason I have the "I Fight Cancer" shirt on in my profile pic is that I lost a good friend and mentor to cancer last year.

When he was diagnosed, he switched to an all-organic vegan diet that fits even the strictest definition of "clean eating." Perhaps it helped extend his life by a few months... I don't know. But it certainly did nothing to put the disease in remission.

I'm happy to hear that others had different experiences... though I'd be curious to know what other treatments they were doing for their cancers.

I also don't believe that everyone who eats processed foods is destined to get cancer. I know people who have lived on them all their lives (and I do mean *all their lives*, formula from the can and baby food from the jar and all) and they are completely cancer free. I'll be Exhibit A.

When my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, the first person I called was my aunt. She is a leading research scientist on the ties between cancer and nutrition. She received her Ph.d from Harvard at a time when she had to design her own program for this because it was such a novel idea. She has since then devoted her career to this exact link, with work both in the private sector and for the NIH. She has said to me on more than one occasion that it was frustrating work. The hope was that it would be key to many cancers, but it is not. Take BRCA1 and 2, for example. Those are genetic, not lifestyle, triggers. She told my wife to do what she has always told me to do, eat a well balanced diet, don't worry about food substitutions (if you want sugar then eat sugar just don't binge on it, for example), make sure her diet is rich in a variety of vegetables, lean meats, fatty fish, nuts, whole grains and dairy, eat less "junk food," enjoy some wine, and exercise daily. But at the end of the day, her advice was to find a surgeon and a oncologist who are damn good and with whom she could place her trust. Modern medicine provides the best chance of survival, not a vegan or any other diet. The most shocking thing we learned is that my wife shouldn't eat grapefruit and beets because they interfere with the chemo.

The reality is that I've lived this approach my entire life and my wife has too. We both became overweight for a short period of time from too many calories. I can't emphasize enough that in all of this, that we do eat a very well balanced diet, but it does include pizza, chicken wings, ice cream, and even the occasional fast food hamburger and milk shake. By no means though does any of that form the core. And I will never be so bold as to tell anyone that I eat "clean." And I personally find that the food substitutions that are made to perfectly good food border on the absurd. There just doesn't seem to be any justification for thinking almonds make better milk than cows, for example. The human diet varies from culture to culture and from person to person. We are omnivores. There are always incremental improvements that can be made, but the holier than though, "I eat clean" and "food is evil" crowd needs to step back and look at the big picture.

[insert epic standing ovation gif]


^This. So much this!!!

randomtai

I suddenly want a pop tart now...

LoraF83

Holy crap, this thing rolled...



The reason I have the "I Fight Cancer" shirt on in my profile pic is that I lost a good friend and mentor to cancer last year.

When he was diagnosed, he switched to an all-organic vegan diet that fits even the strictest definition of "clean eating." Perhaps it helped extend his life by a few months... I don't know. But it certainly did nothing to put the disease in remission.

I'm happy to hear that others had different experiences... though I'd be curious to know what other treatments they were doing for their cancers.

I also don't believe that everyone who eats processed foods is destined to get cancer. I know people who have lived on them all their lives (and I do mean *all their lives*, formula from the can and baby food from the jar and all) and they are completely cancer free. I'll be Exhibit A.

When my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, the first person I called was my aunt. She is a leading research scientist on the ties between cancer and nutrition. She received her Ph.d from Harvard at a time when she had to design her own program for this because it was such a novel idea. She has since then devoted her career to this exact link, with work both in the private sector and for the NIH. She has said to me on more than one occasion that it was frustrating work. The hope was that it would be key to many cancers, but it is not. Take BRCA1 and 2, for example. Those are genetic, not lifestyle, triggers. She told my wife to do what she has always told me to do, eat a well balanced diet, don't worry about food substitutions (if you want sugar then eat sugar just don't binge on it, for example), make sure her diet is rich in a variety of vegetables, lean meats, fatty fish, nuts, whole grains and dairy, eat less "junk food," enjoy some wine, and exercise daily. But at the end of the day, her advice was to find a surgeon and a oncologist who are damn good and with whom she could place her trust. Modern medicine provides the best chance of survival, not a vegan or any other diet. The most shocking thing we learned is that my wife shouldn't eat grapefruit and beets because they interfere with the chemo.

The reality is that I've lived this approach my entire life and my wife has too. We both became overweight for a short period of time from too many calories. I can't emphasize enough that in all of this, that we do eat a very well balanced diet, but it does include pizza, chicken wings, ice cream, and even the occasional fast food hamburger and milk shake. By no means though does any of that form the core. And I will never be so bold as to tell anyone that I eat "clean." And I personally find that the food substitutions that are made to perfectly good food border on the absurd. There just doesn't seem to be any justification for thinking almonds make better milk than cows, for example. The human diet varies from culture to culture and from person to person. We are omnivores. There are always incremental improvements that can be made, but the holier than though, "I eat clean" and "food is evil" crowd needs to step back and look at the big picture.

[insert epic standing ovation gif]


^This. So much this!!!

Excellent post!

magerum

In 2006 I was on year 15 of an auto-immune disease that was eating me alive...At the advice of a doctor I began to eat "clean" about 90% of the time, as well as getting rid of many chemicals in my environment....shampoo, make-up, cleaning supplies, laundry soap...etc etc...and replacing them with chemical free alternatives....after all our skin is our bodies largest organ...within 3 months of doing this all my blood labs were closer to normal than they had ever been...Prior to doing this I was getting 3 IV's a week, 2 injections etc etc...the meds I was on just to keep things cleaned up and semi -functional was astounding....on month 4, (march 2007) I had my last injection.....listening to all that "HYPE" saved my life.
As for why I am here...cause I know it will be brought up.....it don't mater how clean you eat, if it's 3 or 4 thousand calories a day...you get fat!

an auto-immune problem is an entirely different issue than what i posted about. if you had become sensitive to foods or products that you were coming into contact with, then that's a different thread and different subject matter. for example, i would tell anyone listening that they shouldn't be afraid to eat peanut butter because it's not bad for them. if somebody then jumped in and said, "NO! i am allergic to peanuts and might die!", then obviously they have a special issue and are the exception to the rule. the rule is still valid, but it's obviously left unstated that some specific foods may not be appropriate for some people for entirely unrelated medical reasons.

Not to mention the 90% part of her comment. That gets right to the root of the issue. None of us are living on chips and Oreos. We just don't parade our "clean" diets around and tell everyone else they're going to be stricken with cancer. And, for the record, a couple of cancers are diet related but for most there is no evidence of such a connection. What we are saying is pay attention to your diet, but a little ice cream and a pop tart aren't going to sabotage your efforts if they fit into a well thought out plan.

...and what i would add is that if anyone has a little ice cream or a pop tart, that is nothing to feel shame or guilt about. in fact, having a little ice cream or a pop tart when you want it is a good way to avoid obsessing about ice cream and pop tarts and binging on a whole carton or box of them a week later.

What about ice cream ON a poptart? That sounds heavenly.


P.S. I'm not a clean eater. I am a eat whatever I want within reason eater.

Yeah it's pretty good





ETA: That's a pumpkin pie pop tart with pumpkin cheesecake Ben & Jerry's ice cream sandwich and red velvet pop tart w/ red velvet cake Ben & Jerry's ice cream sandwich.

DalekBrittany

Yeah it's pretty good

I feel like it would be good on a toasted brownie pop tart. I must try this.

magerum

Yeah it's pretty good

I feel like it would be good on a toasted brownie pop tart. I must try this.

Pro tip: Use a spoon, trust me.

randomtai

This:

dsjohndrow

A-Freakin'-men!

xDawnsgrace

In for "fit picks"

mmmmmmmm, i'd go with the rice krispy.

MercenaryNoetic26

Holy cow! This topic is still around, lol.

Love those scrumptious pop tart sammiches pics

bonniecarbs

I refuse to try the chocolate peanut butter pop tart. By the way this is a very good post and all the answers are interesting.

ihad

When my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, the first person I called was my aunt. She is a leading research scientist on the ties between cancer and nutrition. She received her Ph.d from Harvard at a time when she had to design her own program for this because it was such a novel idea. She has since then devoted her career to this exact link, with work both in the private sector and for the NIH. She has said to me on more than one occasion that it was frustrating work. The hope was that it would be key to many cancers, but it is not. Take BRCA1 and 2, for example. Those are genetic, not lifestyle, triggers. She told my wife to do what she has always told me to do, eat a well balanced diet, don't worry about food substitutions (if you want sugar then eat sugar just don't binge on it, for example), make sure her diet is rich in a variety of vegetables, lean meats, fatty fish, nuts, whole grains and dairy, eat less "junk food," enjoy some wine, and exercise daily. But at the end of the day, her advice was to find a surgeon and a oncologist who are damn good and with whom she could place her trust. Modern medicine provides the best chance of survival, not a vegan or any other diet. The most shocking thing we learned is that my wife shouldn't eat grapefruit and beets because they interfere with the chemo.

The reality is that I've lived this approach my entire life and my wife has too. We both became overweight for a short period of time from too many calories. I can't emphasize enough that in all of this, that we do eat a very well balanced diet, but it does include pizza, chicken wings, ice cream, and even the occasional fast food hamburger and milk shake. By no means though does any of that form the core. And I will never be so bold as to tell anyone that I eat "clean." And I personally find that the food substitutions that are made to perfectly good food border on the absurd. There just doesn't seem to be any justification for thinking almonds make better milk than cows, for example. The human diet varies from culture to culture and from person to person. We are omnivores. There are always incremental improvements that can be made, but the holier than thou, "I eat clean" and "food is evil" crowd needs to step back and look at the big picture.

DalekBrittany

Yeah it's pretty good

I feel like it would be good on a toasted brownie pop tart. I must try this.

Pro tip: Use a spoon, trust me.

I feel like you gave me good tips. Heres one for you: rice cream sandwiches. Rice krispie treat sandwiched with ice cream of choice. Smooth edges. Put in freezer for about 5 minutes. Pure delicious.

magerum

Yeah it's pretty good

I feel like it would be good on a toasted brownie pop tart. I must try this.

Pro tip: Use a spoon, trust me.

I feel like you gave me good tips. Heres one for you: rice cream sandwiches. Rice krispie treat sandwiched with ice cream of choice. Smooth edges. Put in freezer for about 5 minutes. Pure delicious.

IN. Sounds delicious

destructor2013

I've been a big proponent of eating what you want for years, long before I ever started exercising. You only live once so you might as well enjoy what you eat, right? That's not to say I eat nothing but junk food, but I'm not going to deprive myself of it just because some "expert" or book or what not says so. I believe with enough exercise you can eat what you want and still lose weight.

kennethmgreen

When my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, the first person I called was my aunt. She is a leading research scientist on the ties between cancer and nutrition. She received her Ph.d from Harvard at a time when she had to design her own program for this because it was such a novel idea. She has since then devoted her career to this exact link, with work both in the private sector and for the NIH. She has said to me on more than one occasion that it was frustrating work. The hope was that it would be key to many cancers, but it is not. Take BRCA1 and 2, for example. Those are genetic, not lifestyle, triggers. She told my wife to do what she has always told me to do, eat a well balanced diet, don't worry about food substitutions (if you want sugar then eat sugar just don't binge on it, for example), make sure her diet is rich in a variety of vegetables, lean meats, fatty fish, nuts, whole grains and dairy, eat less "junk food," enjoy some wine, and exercise daily. But at the end of the day, her advice was to find a surgeon and a oncologist who are damn good and with whom she could place her trust. Modern medicine provides the best chance of survival, not a vegan or any other diet. The most shocking thing we learned is that my wife shouldn't eat grapefruit and beets because they interfere with the chemo.

The reality is that I've lived this approach my entire life and my wife has too. We both became overweight for a short period of time from too many calories. I can't emphasize enough that in all of this, that we do eat a very well balanced diet, but it does include pizza, chicken wings, ice cream, and even the occasional fast food hamburger and milk shake. By no means though does any of that form the core. And I will never be so bold as to tell anyone that I eat "clean." And I personally find that the food substitutions that are made to perfectly good food border on the absurd. There just doesn't seem to be any justification for thinking almonds make better milk than cows, for example. The human diet varies from culture to culture and from person to person. We are omnivores. There are always incremental improvements that can be made, but the holier than thou, "I eat clean" and "food is evil" crowd needs to step back and look at the big picture.

Great post. Thanks for sharing this.

The idea of "evil foods" and "super/magic foods" will continue because of our desire for short cuts and easy answers.

I also think for some people it's easier to be black and white, all or nothing - to hold on to a rigid idea. Nuance, gray area, moderation, context, interpretation - these are concepts that are sometimes really difficult to process/understand/fit into our thinking.

celtbell3

I think a healthy balance of clean and non-clean is a good thing!

Hezzietiger1

yeh.. 3k-4k and u will obviously get fat.. but i eat clean.. not stupid. My body composition has changed tremendously since I cleaned my diet up. Also good nutrition does prevent/heal health issues, possibly not yours.. but many.

Thena81

i like eating as clean as possible, although, i do miss pop parts and i wish i had thought of that back then. maybe on a cheat day one day.. maybe..lol
but i feel better and it easier to lose weight for me

Sactown900

When I stalled at 20 lbs off, I started beating myself up for eating a few squares of Sugar Free Dark Chocolate with Almonds after dinner or no sugar cocoa powder in my AM Cappuccino. WTF? Too OCD! Still at it two months later and down 32 lbs.

One more stress GONE.

magerum

yeh.. 3k-4k and u will obviously get fat.. but i eat clean.. not stupid. My body composition has changed tremendously since I cleaned my diet up. Also good nutrition does prevent/heal health issues, possibly not yours.. but many.

I lose 1-2 lbs a week at 3k and maintain around 4,100. I reject your arguement.

ZoeLifts

yeh.. 3k-4k and u will obviously get fat.. but i eat clean.. not stupid. My body composition has changed tremendously since I cleaned my diet up. Also good nutrition does prevent/heal health issues, possibly not yours.. but many.

I lose 1-2 lbs a week at 3k and maintain around 4,100. I reject your arguement.

Well, this is awkward...

PikaKnight

yeh.. 3k-4k and u will obviously get fat.. but i eat clean.. not stupid. My body composition has changed tremendously since I cleaned my diet up. Also good nutrition does prevent/heal health issues, possibly not yours.. but many.

I lose 1-2 lbs a week at 3k and maintain around 4,100. I reject your arguement.

Well, this is awkward...

Lmao!

magerum

Sometimes you just have energy needs. If you've fullfilled your nutrient needs, you don't get extra credit for craming more in.

CountingCaloriesSuxass

You can say that again

justal313

I suddenly want a pop tart now...

tasty toaster tarts


Pastry
2 cups (8 ½ ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 quarter-pound sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pats
1 large egg
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) milk

Cinnamon Filling
1/2 cup (3 ¾ ounces) brown sugar
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, to taste
4 teaspoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 large egg, to brush on pastry before filling

Make the dough: Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Work in the butter until the mixture holds together when you squeeze it, with pecan-sized lumps of butter still visible. Mix the egg and milk, and add it to the dough, mixing just until everything is cohesive.

Divide the dough in half; each half will weigh about 10 ounces (about 280g). Shape each half into a rough 3" x 5" rectangle, smoothing the edges. Roll out immediately; or wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Make the filling: Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, and flour.

Assemble the tarts: If the dough has been chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to soften and become workable, about 15 to 30 minutes. Place one piece on a lightly floured work surface, and roll it into a rectangle about 1/8" thick, large enough that you can trim it to an even 9" x 12". Laying a 9" x 13" pan atop the dough will give you an idea if you’ve rolled it large enough. Trim off the edges; place the scraps on a baking sheet, and set them aside, along with the 9" x 12" rectangle of dough.

Roll the second piece of dough just as you did the first. Press the edge of a ruler into the dough you’ve just rolled, to gently score it in thirds lengthwise and widthwise; you’ll see nine 3" x 4" rectangles.

Beat the egg, and brush it over the entire surface of the dough. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each marked rectangle. Place the second sheet of dough atop the first, using your fingertips to press firmly around each pocket of jam, sealing the dough well on all sides. Press the tines of a fork all around the edge of the rectangle. Cut the dough evenly in between the filling mounds to make nine tarts. Press the cut edges with your fingers to seal, then press with a fork, to seal again.

Gently place the tarts on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Prick the top of each tart multiple times with a fork; you want to make sure steam can escape, or the tarts will become billowy pillows rather than flat toaster pastries. Refrigerate the tarts (they don’t need to be covered) for 30 minutes, while you preheat your oven to 350°F.

Sprinkle the dough trimmings with cinnamon-sugar; these have nothing to do with your toaster pastries, but it’s a shame to discard them, and they make a wonderful snack. While the tarts are chilling, bake these trimmings for 13 to 15 minutes, till they’re golden brown.

Remove the tarts form the fridge, and bake them for 25 to 35 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and allow them to cool on the pan.
Yield: 9 tarts.

Variation: Instead of brown sugar and cinnamon, fill the tarts with a tablespoonful of chocolate chips.

Or with jam filling: 3/4 cup (8 ounces) raspberry jam
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water

To make the filling, mix the jam with the cornstarch/water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool. Use to fill the pastry tarts.


Per Serving: 303 calories 23 carbs 22 fat 5 protein

Sabine_Stroehm

I eat pretty clean. It's not a "stupid concept" to me. I feel better.

Glad you're happy with the way YOU eat as well OP.

brower47

I just popped in to say that after yesterday's thread, I went out and had some fried sushi for lunch. It tasted awesome. The workspace where the sushi chef made it and the chef himself appeared quite clean. Hooray for a lunch of clean eating!