Eating clean?

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  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    I agree with the posts that have mentioned that homemade versions of some foods are quite different than commercial versions when considering the topic of "eating clean".

    Maybe psychologically; but to your body, it really doesn't matter: bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/hormonal-responses-fast-food-meal.html/
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I agree with the posts that have mentioned that homemade versions of some foods are quite different than commercial versions when considering the topic of "eating clean".

    which has nothing to do with clean vs unclean
    Others have already stated in this thread that eating clean can be subjective (such as chicken being unclean for vegetarians), so I would say it can depending on who you ask.

    still does not change the fact that homemade mac and cheese is not anymore clean that kraft mac and cheese...
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    kuranda10 wrote: »
    Our general rule of thumb for "eating clean" is would our great grandfathers recognize/pronounce these ingredients.
    So:
    Homemade mac & cheese - clean; Kraft blue box - not clean
    Homemade bread - clean; in a plastic sleeve - not clean
    etc etc.

    We of course don't always achieve it, but we at least try.

    I always get a kick out of the "grandparents" definition. My grandparents and great-grandparents ate all kinds of things out of boxes and bags: snack cakes, candy, white bread, kielbasi, pudding, macaroni and cheese, etc.

    Does that means these foods are "clean?"
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
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    newmeadow wrote: »
    Here's the ingredients in Hawaiian Punch:

    Ingredients: Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup And 2% Or Less of Each of The Following: Concentrated Juices (Pineapple, Orange, Passionfruit, Apple), Purees (Apricot, Papaya, Guava), Citric Acid, Natural And Artificial Flavors, Pectin, Gum Acacia, Sucralose, Glycerol Ester of Wood Rosin, Sodium Hexametaphosphate

    If I was in Hawaii and wanted to make some punch, I'd probably leave out the Ester of Wood Rosin and Sodium Hexametaphosphate. If I did want to add those ingredients, I might want to visit a hardware store or the chemistry lab of a local high school. I think to do such a thing though, would make the punch very, very dirty, in comparison to, say, the homemade variety. Where the fresh fruit was pressed in a juicer with some sugar and ice cubes added.

    The glycerol ester is to keep the ingredients all well mixed and the hexametaphosphate is for texture. Neither is dirty and if you wanted to keep your homemade for more than 1-2 days until it doesn't taste good anymore you might want to add something to it too.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    I've always known it to mean eating natural foods. The closer a food is to it's natural state, the cleaner it is.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    AnvilHead wrote: »
    _Terrapin_ wrote: »
    Is organic skim milk clean? Curious.

    It would probably be easier to start a list of what 'isn't' clean.

    And that list would be totally subjective and most likely completely ignore the concepts of context and dosage within a well-rounded diet. Orthorexics would have a field day with it, though.

    Why would context and dosage matter?
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    I've always known it to mean eating natural foods. The closer a food is to it's natural state, the cleaner it is.

    so frozen strawberries are less clean than ones you picked from a garden?
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,967 Member
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    It's subjective. To me it's just eating "real" foods in their most natural state. So like meat and potatoes basically lol. I don't really get it. Why is processed a bad thing? Things like rice and oatmeal are processed but generally are foods that are "acceptable" to eat under the "clean eating" philosophy.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    edited December 2015
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I've always known it to mean eating natural foods. The closer a food is to it's natural state, the cleaner it is.

    so frozen strawberries are less clean than ones you picked from a garden?

    Unless we have an unseasonable freeze. ::laugh::

    Seriously though, while I don't think I'd be that strict with the definition I suppose it is a gray area. If nothing was added to the strawberries before freezing them then I'm not sure I'd consider them less clean, but I can definitely see where some might.
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I've always known it to mean eating natural foods. The closer a food is to it's natural state, the cleaner it is.

    so frozen strawberries are less clean than ones you picked from a garden?

    Unless we have an unseasonable freeze. ::laugh::

    Seriously though, while I don't think I'd be that strict with the definition I suppose it is a gray area. If nothing was added to the strawberries before freezing them then I'm not sure I'd consider them less clean, but I can definitely see where some might.

    What? How? Following that logic, anything that needs preserving at all would be 'unclean' but I don't see a lot of "clean eaters" living without refrigerators.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    3bambi3 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I've always known it to mean eating natural foods. The closer a food is to it's natural state, the cleaner it is.

    so frozen strawberries are less clean than ones you picked from a garden?

    Unless we have an unseasonable freeze. ::laugh::

    Seriously though, while I don't think I'd be that strict with the definition I suppose it is a gray area. If nothing was added to the strawberries before freezing them then I'm not sure I'd consider them less clean, but I can definitely see where some might.

    What? How? Following that logic, anything that needs preserving at all would be 'unclean' but I don't see a lot of "clean eaters" living without refrigerators.

    beat me to it...

    so any frozen vegetable or fruit is now unclean?

    This exemplifies the ridiculousness of the clean eating concept.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    hesn92 wrote: »
    It's subjective. To me it's just eating "real" foods in their most natural state. So like meat and potatoes basically lol. I don't really get it. Why is processed a bad thing? Things like rice and oatmeal are processed but generally are foods that are "acceptable" to eat under the "clean eating" philosophy.

    There are many philosophies. Some do not consider any grains "clean" because there is a process to remove the inedible parts of the plant. I find this funny because most of the same people think wild or naturally raised meat is clean, even though they remove parts to get to the meat.

    When most people speak of processed foods they aren't talking about whole grains or raw meat. They are talking about cured meat, foods that have been pre-prepared with additives, synthetic foods, etc.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    3bambi3 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I've always known it to mean eating natural foods. The closer a food is to it's natural state, the cleaner it is.

    so frozen strawberries are less clean than ones you picked from a garden?

    Unless we have an unseasonable freeze. ::laugh::

    Seriously though, while I don't think I'd be that strict with the definition I suppose it is a gray area. If nothing was added to the strawberries before freezing them then I'm not sure I'd consider them less clean, but I can definitely see where some might.

    What? How? Following that logic, anything that needs preserving at all would be 'unclean' but I don't see a lot of "clean eaters" living without refrigerators.

    I don't understand? How does a refrigerator change food?
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
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    3bambi3 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I've always known it to mean eating natural foods. The closer a food is to it's natural state, the cleaner it is.

    so frozen strawberries are less clean than ones you picked from a garden?

    Unless we have an unseasonable freeze. ::laugh::

    Seriously though, while I don't think I'd be that strict with the definition I suppose it is a gray area. If nothing was added to the strawberries before freezing them then I'm not sure I'd consider them less clean, but I can definitely see where some might.

    What? How? Following that logic, anything that needs preserving at all would be 'unclean' but I don't see a lot of "clean eaters" living without refrigerators.

    I don't understand? How does a refrigerator change food?

    How does freezing change it?
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    3bambi3 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I've always known it to mean eating natural foods. The closer a food is to it's natural state, the cleaner it is.

    so frozen strawberries are less clean than ones you picked from a garden?

    Unless we have an unseasonable freeze. ::laugh::

    Seriously though, while I don't think I'd be that strict with the definition I suppose it is a gray area. If nothing was added to the strawberries before freezing them then I'm not sure I'd consider them less clean, but I can definitely see where some might.

    What? How? Following that logic, anything that needs preserving at all would be 'unclean' but I don't see a lot of "clean eaters" living without refrigerators.

    beat me to it...

    so any frozen vegetable or fruit is now unclean?

    This exemplifies the ridiculousness of the clean eating concept.

    "unclean"?? That wasn't your question and has nothing to do with my answer.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    edited December 2015
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    AnvilHead wrote: »
    _Terrapin_ wrote: »
    Is organic skim milk clean? Curious.

    It would probably be easier to start a list of what 'isn't' clean.

    And that list would be totally subjective and most likely completely ignore the concepts of context and dosage within a well-rounded diet. Orthorexics would have a field day with it, though.

    Why would context and dosage matter?

    Because there's nothing "unclean" or unhealthy about eating a slice of pizza or a candy bar (or whatever other "unclean" food is your favorite object of loathing) occasionally within the context of a healthy, well-rounded diet. Barring a medical condition/allergy, calling something "unclean" or "unhealthy" is ridiculous and unnecessary when it's eaten/drank in sane amounts and has the proper context in the diet.

    A bowl of ice cream or a couple pieces of chocolate for dessert will have no deleterious effects upon your health, weight loss or body composition. Subsisting entirely (or even mostly) upon ice cream and chocolate would certainly have deleterious effects upon your health, weight loss and body composition.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    edited December 2015
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    3bambi3 wrote: »
    3bambi3 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I've always known it to mean eating natural foods. The closer a food is to it's natural state, the cleaner it is.

    so frozen strawberries are less clean than ones you picked from a garden?

    Unless we have an unseasonable freeze. ::laugh::

    Seriously though, while I don't think I'd be that strict with the definition I suppose it is a gray area. If nothing was added to the strawberries before freezing them then I'm not sure I'd consider them less clean, but I can definitely see where some might.

    What? How? Following that logic, anything that needs preserving at all would be 'unclean' but I don't see a lot of "clean eaters" living without refrigerators.

    I don't understand? How does a refrigerator change food?

    How does freezing change it?

    http://www.extension.umn.edu/food/food-safety/preserving/freezing/the-science-of-freezing-foods/
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    edited December 2015
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    3bambi3 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I've always known it to mean eating natural foods. The closer a food is to it's natural state, the cleaner it is.

    so frozen strawberries are less clean than ones you picked from a garden?

    Unless we have an unseasonable freeze. ::laugh::

    Seriously though, while I don't think I'd be that strict with the definition I suppose it is a gray area. If nothing was added to the strawberries before freezing them then I'm not sure I'd consider them less clean, but I can definitely see where some might.

    What? How? Following that logic, anything that needs preserving at all would be 'unclean' but I don't see a lot of "clean eaters" living without refrigerators.

    beat me to it...

    so any frozen vegetable or fruit is now unclean?

    This exemplifies the ridiculousness of the clean eating concept.

    "unclean"?? That wasn't your question and has nothing to do with my answer.

    ummm, I said so frozen strawberries are now less clean than strawberries from the garden and you said yes...

  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    AnvilHead wrote: »
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    _Terrapin_ wrote: »
    Is organic skim milk clean? Curious.

    It would probably be easier to start a list of what 'isn't' clean.

    And that list would be totally subjective and most likely completely ignore the concepts of context and dosage within a well-rounded diet. Orthorexics would have a field day with it, though.

    Why would context and dosage matter?

    Because there's nothing "unclean" or unhealthy about eating a slice of pizza or a candy bar (or whatever other "unclean" food is your favorite object of loathing) occasionally within the context of a healthy, well-rounded diet. Barring a medical condition/allergy, calling something "unclean" or "unhealthy" is ridiculous and unnecessary when it's eaten/drank in sane amounts and has the proper context in the diet.

    A bowl of ice cream or a couple pieces of chocolate for dessert will have no deleterious effects upon your health, weight loss or body composition. Subsisting entirely (or even mostly) upon ice cream and chocolate would certainly have deleterious effects upon your health, weight loss and body composition.

    Um, okay. We obviously have very different definitions of "clean eating" so I guess I need a little context. How does health figure in?
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    3bambi3 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I've always known it to mean eating natural foods. The closer a food is to it's natural state, the cleaner it is.

    so frozen strawberries are less clean than ones you picked from a garden?

    Unless we have an unseasonable freeze. ::laugh::

    Seriously though, while I don't think I'd be that strict with the definition I suppose it is a gray area. If nothing was added to the strawberries before freezing them then I'm not sure I'd consider them less clean, but I can definitely see where some might.

    What? How? Following that logic, anything that needs preserving at all would be 'unclean' but I don't see a lot of "clean eaters" living without refrigerators.

    beat me to it...

    so any frozen vegetable or fruit is now unclean?

    This exemplifies the ridiculousness of the clean eating concept.

    "unclean"?? That wasn't your question and has nothing to do with my answer.

    ummm, I said so frozen strawberries are now less clean than strawberries from the garden and you said yes...

    No, I didn't. And "less clean" =/= "unclean"