clean eating

raymax4

I have seen many people state clean eating does not work. I'm just curious, how do you define clean eating? In your opinion, what is it's successes, or failures. What is it's opposite dirty eating?

queenliz99

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/822501/halp-my-sandwich-isnt-clean/p1

abatonfan

My definition of clean eating - Anything that complies with the five second rule (if dropped).

There is no true definition of clean eating. It typically doesn't work, because "clean eating" diets can be highly restrictive and might not model how the person will eat for the rest of their lives. Depending on what stuff people constitute as "dirty", nutritional deficiencies could develop (such as B12 if someone considers any type of meat as dirty).

The only successes I see is that it *might* encourage people to consume more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Kalikel

Everyone who says they eat clean has their own definition. There is no consensus, one agreed-upon-by-everyone definition.

I eat healthy. I have lots of fruits and veggies, no-fat dairy, whole grains, and lean, white meats. And tuna. If that fits for someone's definition of "clean", yay. If not, that's okay, too. If they don't include me in their idea of "clean," I'm not offended or hurt and wish them well with their plan.

My objective is to be healthy, not to follow a diet plan. So I eat what is right for me. Everyone should do what is right for them.

auddii

I don't know that it doesn't work. Eating at a calorie deficit works. Types of food you eat are more personal preference based on your goals, personal satiety, possible medical conditions, and what you enjoy eating.

Need2Exerc1se

My definition of clean eating is all natural, unprocessed or minimally processed foods. If by "work" you mean work for weight loss, it will work if you don't overeat.

DeguelloTex

I don't define clean eating because it holds no interest for me. It's like people saying that they eat "healthy," as if eating something they don't is unhealthy.

It seems like its failure is demonstrating that it's an objectively superior way to eat.

I guess its success would be to get some people to pay more attention to what they're eating.

tennisdude2004

raymax4 wrote: »

I have seen many people state clean eating does not work. I'm just curious, how do you define clean eating? In your opinion, what is it's successes, or failures. What is it's opposite dirty eating?

When you say it doesn't work - in what way?? to nourish the body and to keep the person alive??

Clean eating is whatever you want it to be. I'm not sure there is any particular or definitive guide.

I'm sure it's just a better and healthier way of eating to the standard diet.

MrsSylvie

clean eating has been working for me! i have not felt this energetic, at least 3wks out of the month, in decades.

i am not all up on what the term "clean eating" really entails but, for me it is eating heathy based foods 99% of the time instead of junk and processed foods. Now eating my meals throughout the day instead of living on coffee and eating one big meal a day and snacking on junk food at night...it is basically doing the opposite of what i use to do! i gave up added sugars, now measure my portions, make sure to eat my daily raw fruits & veggies everyday (which i blend into a smoothie most days), i now snack on foods like veggie sticks, natural fruit/veggie & seed based snacks, etc..
Basically clean eating for me is eating healthier natural foods and also making sure i only eat the amount of calories my particular body/lifestyle needs per day..and drinking enough water per day as well.

I was telling my DD the other day that i have not taking any migraine medication or a sleeping pill in three weeks and have not had constipation issues (had for years) since i changed to eating clean..Proof to me, it works....however, after first week, the weight loss does seem a lot slower, actually nil this week, but that is more than likely because of my body type and lack of regularly exercising some.

Kexessa

abatonfan wrote: »

My definition of clean eating - Anything that complies with the five second rule (if dropped).

This can be extended by 15 seconds if I just cleaned the floor in the last hour and the dog didn't lick what was dropped.

Other than that I don't define clean eating. I eat whatever I want within my calories.

Serah87

CI/CO and being a deficit is what works. There are no magical foods.

rsclause

"Clean Eating" Nope, I am not taking this bait

mantium999

rsclause wrote: »

"Clean Eating" Nope, I am not taking this bait

Bateing is always better than baiting

AJ_G

Sure it can work, but the question is for how long? The more foods and food groups you cut out of your diet because they've been arbitrarily labeled "dirty", the more difficult it is to adhere to your diet. When you inevitably find yourself in a situation where you eat one of those foods again (a friend's party, sporting event, night out, etc.) and you have one bite of your now forbidden food, you're going to binge on that food, and that is extremely unhealthy, and can develop into an eating disorder. Some clean eaters go a month without binges, some can go 6 months or even a year without binges, but in the end they all binge, it's only a matter of when. Don't become an orthorexic, create a healthy, sustainable diet that focuses on hitting healthy calorie and macronutrient goals, and not demonizing food groups.

kshama2001

I don't have a definition of "clean eating" but can say that the less convenience foods and high glycemic load foods I eat, the better I feel. This does work for my health but no one should assume that I think it will work for them.

kshama2001

AJ_G wrote: »

Sure it can work, but the question is for how long? The more foods and food groups you cut out of your diet because they've been arbitrarily labeled "dirty", the more difficult it is to adhere to your diet. When you inevitably find yourself in a situation where you eat one of those foods again (a friend's party, sporting event, night out, etc.) and you have one bite of your now forbidden food, you're going to binge on that food, and that is extremely unhealthy, and can develop into an eating disorder. Some clean eaters go a month without binges, some can go 6 months or even a year without binges, but in the end they all binge, it's only a matter of when. Don't become an orthorexic, create a healthy, sustainable diet that focuses on hitting healthy calorie and macronutrient goals, and not demonizing food groups.

You're making some awfully sweeping, and incorrect, assumptions. Let's take Froot Loops as a food I wouldn't eat for a number of reasons, including the artificial colors and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.

The more foods and food groups you cut out of your diet because they've been arbitrarily labeled "dirty", the more difficult it is to adhere to your diet.

Not eating Froot Loops doesn't mean I have excluded the food group of grains.

When you inevitably find yourself in a situation where you eat one of those foods again (a friend's party, sporting event, night out, etc.)

I haven't run into Froot Loops in decades.

you have one bite of your now forbidden food, you're going to binge on that food, and that is extremely unhealthy, and can develop into an eating disorder.

I wouldn't take a bite and even if I had this wouldn't trigger a binge or an eating disorder O_o

Need2Exerc1se

AJ_G wrote: »

Sure it can work, but the question is for how long? The more foods and food groups you cut out of your diet because they've been arbitrarily labeled "dirty", the more difficult it is to adhere to your diet. When you inevitably find yourself in a situation where you eat one of those foods again (a friend's party, sporting event, night out, etc.) and you have one bite of your now forbidden food, you're going to binge on that food, and that is extremely unhealthy, and can develop into an eating disorder. Some clean eaters go a month without binges, some can go 6 months or even a year without binges, but in the end they all binge, it's only a matter of when. Don't become an orthorexic, create a healthy, sustainable diet that focuses on hitting healthy calorie and macronutrient goals, and not demonizing food groups.

What food group would be cut by 'clean eating'? Individual foods, sure, but we cut individual foods for various personal reasons.

_John_

"Clean eating" is one of the better ways to succeed at CICO without tracking calories...

kgeyser

AJ_G wrote: »

Sure it can work, but the question is for how long? The more foods and food groups you cut out of your diet because they've been arbitrarily labeled "dirty", the more difficult it is to adhere to your diet. When you inevitably find yourself in a situation where you eat one of those foods again (a friend's party, sporting event, night out, etc.) and you have one bite of your now forbidden food, you're going to binge on that food, and that is extremely unhealthy, and can develop into an eating disorder. Some clean eaters go a month without binges, some can go 6 months or even a year without binges, but in the end they all binge, it's only a matter of when. Don't become an orthorexic, create a healthy, sustainable diet that focuses on hitting healthy calorie and macronutrient goals, and not demonizing food groups.

Why would I eat a food that I don't eat? Where are these parties where only one food is served, and who is forcing me to eat food at the party? Why would I go to a sporting event or eating establishment during a night out, and order something that I don't eat? I'm not a clean eater, but that makes no sense no matter how you eat.

Also, do you have any studies to support your claim that all people who eat clean inevitably binge, or is that just hyperbole or an anecdotal assertion?

J72FIT

No such thing as "clean eating..."

_John_

Also, do you have any studies to support your claim that all people who eat clean inevitably binge, or is that just hyperbole or an anecdotal assertion?

Using anecdotes to support ridiculous claims is the first play called from the internet debate playbook.

It's a stall tactic to buy time to find a poorly executed study that made it an obscure journal where the author's cronies were the peer reviewers and the journal editors...