Split from Does Clean Eating Help with Cravings

Alex · February 2016

This discussion was created from replies split from: does clean eating help with the cravings?.

JuliaHaleFitness · February 2016

Most processed food has tons of sugar and little nutrients. So when you eat t your body becomes addicted to the sugar and doesn't recognize the other stuff as food. So when you switch to clean eating (congrats for doing that by the way!) your body starts to reduce its sugar craving, your blood sugar stays normal aka no mood swings or hunger pangs, and you are giving your body so much good!

GoJohnGo71 · February 2016

This.

singingflutelady · February 2016

Not this

bendyourkneekatie · February 2016

This

ClosetBayesian · February 2016

No.

vivmom2014 · February 2016

I'm afraid you were given completely erroneous information filled with wild claims (see bolded).

And, your body always recognizes food as food.

lemurcat12 · February 2016

As I said in the thread this was split from, I often eat cottage cheese in the morning (a processed food), and it doesn't have tons of sugar or little nutrients. (At least, I appreciate the protein and calcium.) I eat other processed foods too, but I just ate breakfast, so it comes to mind. I don't suppose anyone making these extreme generalizations would actually care to address this point?

WinoGelato · February 2016

Asked your question to my Magic Eight Ball.... "Outlook Not So Good"

lemurcat12 · February 2016

I think it might be an effort to be even-handed -- the moved (derailing) post is a sugar is addictive/processed foods are EVIL one.

singingflutelady · February 2016

And the one two of us mentioned in the semantics thread

Scamd83 · February 2016

Help, I had some skittles and now my body doesn't realise broccoli is broccoli.

100df · February 2016

Not true for me. For the first few days the cravings are much less but after that the hungry horror sets in which is worse than when I try working some treats in. But sometimes working them in makes it worse so I think there's really no trick for the body or its different depending on what is going on. I think it's all head games for me.

senecarr · February 2016

Sugar being a type of carbohydrate, carbohydrates being a type of macronutrient, would mean the statement "has tons of sugar and little nutrients" is a contradiction. About the only way I could reconcile those statements is that it is for human nutrition but the sugar you're referencing is some kind of oligosaccharide that is not digestible by humans.

EvgeniZyntx · February 2016

in terms of the "nutritional debate" thread:
----

In a general sense - I would imagine that shifting to a "clean diet" - whatever that means for the person - will have a tendency to move towards less calorie dense foods. So, in a general theoretical way, yes it will have a tendency to improve satiety for the individual that is significantly over eating due to hunger signals before.

However, it is may be restrictive and without considering the other items impacting satiety (macro distribution, fatigue, exercise, sleep, stress...) it may be useless or counterproductive with regards to cravings.

Restriction in of itself can increase cravings. Telling myself I cannot ever have chocolate will make me focus a lot of energy on "not having chocolate" especially if it is around the house (and I'm not the only decider in that). In certain individuals, tight restrictions lead to binge behaviour.

I'd guess it's a personal evaluation to consider case by case. But personally, I believe that focusing on deficit rise, exercise fatigue, macro distribution, micro supplementation are both easier and more impactful. It may or may not be a case of "majoring in the minors".

In the person that is not getting to a minimum nutritional level - "clean" eating may, by being further restrictive - result in disordered eating type behaviour. We see lots of posts about high cravings, under eating (while "clean") and binge or fear of food behaviour.

I doubt there is a straight cut answer.

Alex · February 2016

Hey folks if you want to provide feedback on how we are moderating these discussions please send me or Nova a private message. This discussion is to discuss the topic of "Does Clean Eating Help with Cravings".

lemurcat12 · February 2016

I agree with this (and the rest of your post). What strikes me is that it's not "eating clean" (i.e., not ever eating certain foods that you deem unclean) that causes the benefit, but adding in less calorie-dense foods, which one can certainly do without "eating clean" and often other more calorie-dense whole foods that also happen to be filling (like foods higher in protein).

For "eating clean" itself to be helpful (as opposed to something that you just happen to also do when "eating clean" and that many others do while eating "dirty"), you'd have to determine that eating the foods you are cutting out cause cravings. That would not be the case for me, given the usual definition of "eating clean," in that I don't find that processed foods in general cause cravings for me. (I actually can't think of foods that cause cravings for me if I eat them, but cravings aren't really my issue.)

I also agree that for me focusing on not having things often causes me to want them more (not always, I give up things for a time to break an attachment to them, and typically do food-related disciplines for Lent), which is why as a basic dieting philosophy I think it makes more sense to focus on what you do eat -- creating a satisfying way of eating that meets needs, and has a macro/volume/nutrition break down that is satisfying for you. For me, I could be "full" on lower calories with a very low fat diet, but I wouldn't be satisfied and would feel bored after a while, so it is important to include extras, like good cheese and some dessert-type foods and the like.

Need2Exerc1se · February 2016

Potato chips (processed) have less sugar than whole potatoes (clean). Slim Jims (processed) have less sugar than raw honey (clean).

While I agree than reducing sugar is a good thing for most people and can reduce cravings for people who suffer from sugar cravings, your generalizations are all wrong. You can reduce sugar and still eat processed foods or you could eat clean and increase sugar.

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