Thoughts on "Clean Eating"

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CrittaHipHop
CrittaHipHop Posts: 17 Member
edited July 2016 in Food and Nutrition
Good afternoon everyone,

So im on my 22nd day of this 30 day clean eating challenge and I find it very good but difficult at the same time. It has really pointed out to me that there is not much clean food that's "quick".

I did modify the rules just a touch as im addicted to sugar free jello and added a water flavor enhancer but outside of that I have stuck to the rules.

Basic rules are, if you cant pronounce a name of an ingredient you cant eat it. If there is an ingredient that you couldnt find on a regular grocery store shelf, you cant eat it. Anything that is processed, you cant eat.

Thoughts?

So far im down 15 lbs in the 3 weeks. Because of my large intake of vegetables my calorie count is not reaching as high as some would like but im eating a ton. (Not sure if this is the point or not?)
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  • gvizzle74
    gvizzle74 Posts: 123 Member
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    i try not to make things harder on myself - i eat what i enjoy. i love to cook so i don't buy prepackaged foods and i prefer to eat fresh - i will buy canned tomatoes though. i'm also not a fan of saying i "can't" have something - i'm a grown up, i can do what i want, and if i want to eat something processed and terrible - i will. it will be a one off, not a regular pattern of behaviour.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    CrittaHipHop wrote: »
    Good afternoon everyone,

    So im on my 22nd day of this 30 day clean eating challenge and I find it very good but difficult at the same time. It has really pointed out to me that there is not much clean food that's "quick".

    I did modify the rules just a touch as im addicted to sugar free jello and added a water flavor enhancer but outside of that I have stuck to the rules.

    Basic rules are, if you cant pronounce a name of an ingredient you cant eat it. If there is an ingredient that you couldnt find on a regular grocery store shelf, you cant eat it. Anything that is processed, you cant eat.

    Thoughts?

    So far im down 15 lbs in the 3 weeks. Because of my large intake of vegetables my calorie count is not reaching as high as some would like but im eating a ton. (Not sure if this is the point or not?)

    I know phonics so I guess I can eat anything

    processed leaves raw uncut veggies and fruits...eggs in the shell I guess could be counted. *wonder how many calories are in an egg shell*
  • hmltwin
    hmltwin Posts: 116 Member
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    Regarding the rules... well, I can pronounce a lot of chemical names, since I've had practice since college. However, I'm guessing the rule about the ingredients being findable in a grocery store would take care of that. My only real question would be: what is considered "processed". I mean, ground beef has been processed. Is that out? Are you expected to grind the wheat into flour? Or, since flour is found on grocery shelves, do you just have to make the bread from scratch? I'm at work from 6:30 AM until almost 5PM. When would I have time to make everything from scratch?

    I can respect the idea behind "clean eating", but in practice it's really difficult for the average person to do. As you've said, there isn't much "clean" food that's quick. I suppose that I could eat at Panera every night. Most of their menu is clean (all of it will be by the end of the year), but that's not really feasable either.
  • cosmiqrecovery
    cosmiqrecovery Posts: 171 Member
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    a lot of people can't pronounce quinoa right, does that make it dirty? i say just eat what makes you feel good (within reason).
  • lemmie177
    lemmie177 Posts: 479 Member
    edited July 2016
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    Good for you for trying something new and making progress towards your goals.

    Yes, the pronunciation rules are silly, but its obvious the intent is to make the whole thing accessible and easily practiced. Its not actually dogma.

    Ideally, you'll come out of your 30 days having learned more about what works (and what doesn't) for you longterm, both diet and lifestyle-wise.

    Quickest, easy food I know of is sweet potato. Just stab a bunch of holes with a fork and pop in the microwave. Hope you don't consider nut butter processed, cause it makes for a pretty amazing topping.
  • amandaeve
    amandaeve Posts: 723 Member
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    I grew up eating a certain way, and later it was told to me it was "clean eating". I am not dogmatic about it, it's just the food I was raised with, so I find eating that way simple. Those rules sound silly. I have a chemistry degree and can pronounce and identify the processing ingredients in food.
    I do a few simple things. Rather than buying cans of beans, I buy dry beans, cook a huge batch and then freeze containers for when I need beans. However, I am not obsessive. I live in an apartment right now that has a tiny freezer. So I buy canned beans. In a year I will have standard sized freezer again and I will do it how I've always done. Most of the reasons I eat the way I was raised come down to cost savings. Buying bulk ingredients is so much cheaper than buying processed food that I can splurge on expensive market produce and come out ahead. Friends often make fun of me because my kitchen is full of "ingredients" instead of "food". So, I don't have bags or Doritos, I pop popcorn for snack. I'd rather eat an apple than applesauce; that sort of thing. I admittedly spend more time preparing food than some. Sundays I cook up a huge batch of rice, lentils and veggies and separate them into 5 containers for lunch. This takes about an hour of my time, which is a lot longer than tossing a frozen dinner in the microwave, but it's worth it to not taste the salt in processed food. But, yeah, I still eat nut butters, and breads, and all sorts of things. I even eat ketchup with high fructose corn syrup and microwave my food in plastic containers, so I'm no saint.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited July 2016
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    CrittaHipHop wrote: »
    there is not much clean food that's "quick".

    Raw fruits and vegetables, cooked vegetables (most take no time), fish and other lean meats (most cook pretty fast), lentils (if you consider them "clean" although they are processed). My favorite fast meal is a vegetable omelet, although granted I often eat it with feta (processed) and cottage cheese or smoked salmon on the side (processed).
    Basic rules are, if you cant pronounce a name of an ingredient you cant eat it.

    I can pronounce pretty much any chemical name, so this would not be a problem for me. And happily for me I do know how to pronounce quinoa too.
    If there is an ingredient that you couldnt find on a regular grocery store shelf, you cant eat it.

    You'd have to know what it is, though, right? Like someone here was ranting about the terrible chemical in her KFC that turned out to be, wait for it, baking soda! Pretty sure baking soda is easily found in the grocery store.
    Anything that is processed, you cant eat.

    Things that are processed include: bagged spinach and kale, dried pasta (even though it has basically one ingredient and is not meaningfully different from what I could make at home), flour, canned tomatoes (although out of season they are probably more "natural" and certainly more tasty than the ones carted in from who knows where), plain greek yogurt, cheese, canned beans, frozen fish, frozen vegetables, olives, olive oil, butter, coconut oil, boneless, skinless chicken breast, lean ground beef, bacon, smoked salmon, canned tuna (I hate this, so whatever), nut butters, coffee and tea, a "paleo" meal made from fresh ingredients that one can buy premade from a local service in my town (a lot of CF boxes are pickup places, which is why I know about these -- I've tried them, tasty, but too expensive), I could go on and on.

    To each their own, but I fail to see why it's beneficial to avoid all processed foods.
    So far im down 15 lbs in the 3 weeks. Because of my large intake of vegetables my calorie count is not reaching as high as some would like but im eating a ton. (Not sure if this is the point or not?)

    Probably. Large losses at first are normal, and I don't know how much you have to lose, but there are reasons not to have too aggressive a deficit and to make sure you have enough protein. IMO, not worth losing more (I'm 125, would like to be 120 or maybe a bit less) if I lose muscle.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    My thoughts are that you can...and it's very easy to have good balanced nutrition consisting substantially of whole foods and still eat processed foods and be just fine. This type of stuff is just dietary extremism...you don't have to be extreme in this way to be a healthy individual...

    I eat a balanced and varied diet consisting of around 6 servings of vegetables daily along with a couple servings of fruit...plenty of whole grains and legumes and whole food starches like potatoes and sweet potatoes...I eat primarily lean sourced protein...lots of cod and salmon and chicken and also leaner cuts of beef and pork and I get most of my fats from things like avocados, nuts, and good cooking oils. I also enjoy a good pasta dish and taking my kids out for pizza or ice cream once in awhile...sometimes I'm just pressed for time so I hit up a Subway for lunch or something...

    Personally, I think the whole movement (if that's what you want to call it) creates a bunch of ridiculous food phobias that are borderline disorders and in fact, I've seen pretty much full on eating disorders arise from this kind of nonsense.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,948 Member
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    Clean eating is nothing more then a cult...
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    J72FIT wrote: »
    Clean eating is nothing more then a cult...

    You know, I was just thinking of those lines. What struck me was the idea of the "Cargo Cult":
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cult
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cult_science

    Adherents don't pay attention to what what is understood scientifically or not understood. In fact, there is open hostility to science and understanding. Instead the cult posits a ritualistic ideal that mimics what the adherents imagine that good health entails, and then expect the benefits to come from following the rituals.

    Because it is a mystical understanding, the specific rules and definitions don't matter so much - 1 ingredient, 2 ingredients, "unprocessed", pronounceable, not from a box or can or bag, perimeter of the store, etc. - what matters is that there are rules to be followed and rewards to be granted to the adherents: feel more energetic! softer skin! better sleep!

    I do think some of the more thoughtful proponents of "clean eating", including several participants in these forums, will concede that it is a dietary philosophy more than anything else: we "should" eat a certain way because it is "good". And bully for that. But I would wager that most people who ask about "clean eating" don't have that mindset - instead it's all about rules to be followed. How many posts do we see where someone bemoans that they have been "eating clean but not losing weight"?
  • Moxie42
    Moxie42 Posts: 1,400 Member
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    Different things work for different people. It blows my mind that with BILLIONS of people on this planet, that anyone can think there is only ONE day to lose weight/ get healthy/ whatever. There are many people who DO live clean lifestyles (or mostly clean) whether out of desire or necessity, and are perfectly happy that way, and that's okay. There are others who eat pizza and ice cream every day, and still reach their goals and are happy- that's okay too!

    Anyway, good for you for trying something new and working towards your goals! I'm also towards the end of a 30-day super-clean eating plan. I LOVE it! I absolutely believe that "anything in moderation" is fine but for me, moderating was extremely difficult and stressful. Coming from a 10-year history of binging and eating craptastically crappy crap, moderating meant obsessing over everything and constantly trying to balance on the fine line between moderation and over-indulgence. I had an unhealthy relationship with food, I tried to "get away" with what I could, and even many healthy meals were just healthy versions of junk food! I was miserable, everything felt like a struggle, and time and time again I gave in and over-indulged. This went on for years.

    Now I feel better than EVER. I'm not bloated, my skin has cleared up, my allergies have improved significantly, I'm sleeping better, I have more energy, and I haven't had heartburn or stomach problems in weeks. I absolutely plan to keep it up, not just as strictly. I know what it feels like to eat well, and it's better than I could have imagined. I still plan to have things like pizza, pasta, and wine- but I don't crave those things anymore. I don't feel deprived without them. So I feel confident that I CAN moderate! Has the past month been easy? Not always, but it's been worth it. Going to the gym almost every day isn't easy for many people either but no one is saying "Never go to the gym because going every day is unsustainable."

    As far as quick meals go, I agree, that's been difficult. So I started looking up crockpot recipes on Pinterest. Last night I spent less than 10 minutes prepping ingredients. This morning I spent 2 minutes putting it all into the crockpot. When I get home from work, dinner will be ready- chicken enchilada stew. So easy!
  • jjdig
    jjdig Posts: 45 Member
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    Clean eating does seem to be the "in" thing to do at the moment - far from a new idea, though.
    As I try to simplify and detach from processed foods it takes a bit more planning and getting out of the "easy rut".
    I know so very little about biochemistry -- I mean, sure - read a label, know that XYZ is in it. Or, shake the herbs and
    salts on and know you added them. It's probably more knowing you aren't eating a bunch of preservatives than anything else.
    That whole "shelf life" topic.............. and colorings......... and "natural" flavorings...... what was that book ? Fast Food Nation? A real eye opener on all that stuff.... :)
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,651 Member
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    CrittaHipHop wrote: »
    Basic rules are, if you cant pronounce a name of an ingredient you cant eat it. If there is an ingredient that you couldnt find on a regular grocery store shelf, you cant eat it. Anything that is processed, you cant eat. Thoughts?

    You missed one of the most repeated "clean eating" rules,
    The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
    Sounds familiar? :D

    OMG, that's hilarious!
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,136 Member
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    I would starve because my definition of "processed" is the very basic definition.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Moxie42 wrote: »
    Different things work for different people. It blows my mind that with BILLIONS of people on this planet, that anyone can think there is only ONE day to lose weight/ get healthy/ whatever. There are many people who DO live clean lifestyles (or mostly clean) whether out of desire or necessity, and are perfectly happy that way, and that's okay. There are others who eat pizza and ice cream every day, and still reach their goals and are happy- that's okay too!

    Anyway, good for you for trying something new and working towards your goals! I'm also towards the end of a 30-day super-clean eating plan. I LOVE it! I absolutely believe that "anything in moderation" is fine but for me, moderating was extremely difficult and stressful. Coming from a 10-year history of binging and eating craptastically crappy crap, moderating meant obsessing over everything and constantly trying to balance on the fine line between moderation and over-indulgence. I had an unhealthy relationship with food, I tried to "get away" with what I could, and even many healthy meals were just healthy versions of junk food! I was miserable, everything felt like a struggle, and time and time again I gave in and over-indulged. This went on for years.

    Now I feel better than EVER. I'm not bloated, my skin has cleared up, my allergies have improved significantly, I'm sleeping better, I have more energy, and I haven't had heartburn or stomach problems in weeks. I absolutely plan to keep it up, not just as strictly. I know what it feels like to eat well, and it's better than I could have imagined. I still plan to have things like pizza, pasta, and wine- but I don't crave those things anymore. I don't feel deprived without them. So I feel confident that I CAN moderate! Has the past month been easy? Not always, but it's been worth it. Going to the gym almost every day isn't easy for many people either but no one is saying "Never go to the gym because going every day is unsustainable."

    As far as quick meals go, I agree, that's been difficult. So I started looking up crockpot recipes on Pinterest. Last night I spent less than 10 minutes prepping ingredients. This morning I spent 2 minutes putting it all into the crockpot. When I get home from work, dinner will be ready- chicken enchilada stew. So easy!

    it blows my mind that people think that only eating "non processed" and "pronounceable" ingredients is "clean"

    it is one of the most inane things I have ever read.

    Don't you think that most of us eat whole foods 80% of the time but refuse to label food as bad because we've ground it down or it has 85.62% sodium chloride and 14.38% other trace minerals: sulphate, magnesium, calcium, potassium, bicarbonate....AMG NOOOOOOO. (sea salt)

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