Why “Clean Eating” is a Myth by Armi Legge

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bound4beauty
bound4beauty Posts: 274 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I LOVE Armi Legge. He's so smart, so real and gets to the heart of things without making you want to pull your hair out. He's made me a critical thinker in an area where I've always let my emotions rule over common sense. Being desperately unhappy with your weight will do that. Being desperate for years will make you grab on to every new weight loss gimmick and gizmo that comes down the pike. Empower yourself with knowledge, backed up by science and turn a deaf ear to all the nonsensical noise. And for goodness sake, read Armi's blog. You'll learn a thing or two!

http://impruvism.com/clean-eating/

I know this is a controversial topic and I fully expect a debate from all sides. But,the only way to make an educated decision is listen, learn and then make up your mind.
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Replies

  • ashandloggiesmom
    ashandloggiesmom Posts: 92 Member
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    Very interesting. My take on "clean": I think that the body would be best served eating what is found only in nature, We didn't eat processed foods when we were hunters and gathers. We ate meat, berries, fruits and vegetables and nuts. We drank only water. I doubt there were many overweight folks back then. That being said, we live in a different time, one with cake and mac and cheese and all and it's delicious, so I won't stop eating it. But that stuff should not be primary in our diet and for a lot of people it is, and there you have the basis for a lot of health problems. Everything in moderation, balanced diet will always be best in my opinion.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
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    In to read later.
  • Wetcoaster
    Wetcoaster Posts: 1,788 Member
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    Alan Agaron has a great article on the subject also.....

    http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-dirt-on-clean-eating/




    And also Layne Norton who thinks Clean Eating vs IIFYM are both wrong :)

    http://www.shreddednation.com/clean-eating-vs-iifym-layne-norton/
  • jenifr818
    jenifr818 Posts: 805 Member
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    In for the inevitable debating, name-calling, and general insults that will be thrown around

    jsMJAWb.gif

    ETA: Yes, I will log those popcorn calories
  • tracieangeletti
    tracieangeletti Posts: 432 Member
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    It's enough to make you want to pull your hair out. In one day at the gym people, trying to be helpful, suggested I cut out dairy, wheat, sugar, and someone also said to cut out meat. Ummmm... what then should I eat? I am reaching my limit as to what I can cut out and how far I can cut my calories. This has to be sustainable for life and I seriously can not see myself never eating dairy, wheat, sugar, and meat. I have decided that if my weight loss is a little slower so be it. As long as I'm going in the right direction I'm good.
  • helenrosemay
    helenrosemay Posts: 375 Member
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    Very interesting. My take on "clean": I think that the body would be best served eating what is found only in nature, We didn't eat processed foods when we were hunters and gathers. We ate meat, berries, fruits and vegetables and nuts. We drank only water. I doubt there were many overweight folks back then.

    I'm betting we didn't live that long then either, or have as much fun!
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
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    I LOVE Armi Legge. He's so smart, so real and gets to the heart of things without making you want to pull your hair out. He's made me a critical thinker in an area where I've always let my emotions rule over common sense. Being desperately unhappy with your weight will do that. Being desperate for years will make you grab on to every new weight loss gimmick and gizmo that comes down the pike. Empower yourself with knowledge, backed up by science and turn a deaf ear to all the nonsensical noise. And for goodness sake, read Armi's blog. You'll learn a thing or two!

    http://impruvism.com/clean-eating/

    I know this is a controversial topic and I full expect a debate from all sides. But,the only way to make an educated decision is listen, learn and then make up your mind.

    That's a pretty good take on it. I strive to eat well, eat a lot of foods as close to their natural state as possible, but I also don't worry about having a sandwich every once in a while, or splurging on ice cream every few weeks.

    I am for Paleo but I will eat beans. I'm probably on plan 75-80% of the time.

    Very few people can be super-anal about an eating plan and not get sick of it eventually We all know how to eat well and how to control our calorie intake. We just need to do it in a way that we can maintain on a consistent basis without feeling deprived.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
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    It's enough to make you want to pull your hair out. In one day at the gym people, trying to be helpful, suggested I cut out dairy, wheat, sugar, and someone also said to cut out meat. Ummmm... what then should I eat? I am reaching my limit as to what I can cut out and how far I can cut my calories. This has to be sustainable for life and I seriously can not see myself never eating dairy, wheat, sugar, and meat. I have decided that if my weight loss is a little slower so be it. As long as I'm going in the right direction I'm good.

    Someone has to be full of crap. Could it be all of them?
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    Thanks for all the links. Good reading, and very thought provoking.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,535 Member
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    Very interesting. My take on "clean": I think that the body would be best served eating what is found only in nature, We didn't eat processed foods when we were hunters and gathers. We ate meat, berries, fruits and vegetables and nuts. We drank only water. I doubt there were many overweight folks back then. That being said, we live in a different time, one with cake and mac and cheese and all and it's delicious, so I won't stop eating it. But that stuff should not be primary in our diet and for a lot of people it is, and there you have the basis for a lot of health problems. Everything in moderation, balanced diet will always be best in my opinion.
    Maybe not overweight, but many died of disease and sickness at an early age. While I don't disagree that eating more nutrient dense food is a better option, it can easily be said that people today (due to better health care compared to caveman times) live longer even eating bad.
    I will definitely agree that moderation is best. One of the factors in a healthy life is happiness. And for many, eating what they like is part of that.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,925 Member
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    Context and dosage once again. Somewhere there is a happy place that satisfies ones needs without compromising health and sanity.
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
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    It was the whole, "You HAVE to eat clean/healthy" mentality that caused me to fail umpteen times in the past. Being on here and meeting people who believe in everything in moderation, portion control, IIFYM etc... has literally saved me. I am no longer tempted to fall off the wagon, because it isn't a hard bumpy torturous road of tuna, Brussels sprouts and brown rice everyday. It's an easy ride now: a sustainable lifestyle that includes ice cream, chips and chocolate. :love:
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    Very interesting. My take on "clean": I think that the body would be best served eating what is found only in nature, We didn't eat processed foods when we were hunters and gathers. We ate meat, berries, fruits and vegetables and nuts. We drank only water. I doubt there were many overweight folks back then. That being said, we live in a different time, one with cake and mac and cheese and all and it's delicious, so I won't stop eating it. But that stuff should not be primary in our diet and for a lot of people it is, and there you have the basis for a lot of health problems. Everything in moderation, balanced diet will always be best in my opinion.

    Hunter/gatherers burned an insane amount of calories everyday just trying to survive, they rarely had a chance to sit down and rest except when they were sleeping. They also had short lifespans. The energy expenditure of today's society is absurdly low when compared. It has waaaaay more to do with the fact that our society is consuming much much more, and burning much much less, it is not some certain chemical in the processed foods that is causing obesity, it is the fact that people who are obese are running a caloric surplus every single day, the end.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    Alan Agaron has a great article on the subject also.....

    http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-dirt-on-clean-eating/




    And also Layne Norton who thinks Clean Eating vs IIFYM are both wrong :)

    http://www.shreddednation.com/clean-eating-vs-iifym-layne-norton/

    That article by Alan is Awesome

    Although Layne initially says that IIFYM is also wrong, he ends up explaining how it is much better than clean eating, when done right, which most people do.
  • glin23
    glin23 Posts: 460 Member
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    The Alan Aragon article definitely has some food for thought. Thanks!
  • RhonndaJ
    RhonndaJ Posts: 1,615 Member
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    Really good article. I like the perspective.
  • MommyisFit
    MommyisFit Posts: 139 Member
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    I don't believe clean eating is a myth for everyone. I also don't think it is necessary for everyone. Everybody is different. I feel my best when I eat foods from nature and not processed foods. It isn't always about calories - you can lose weight eating processed food too. I feel so much more satisfied when I eat clean. Since switching my eating, I have also gotten rid of anxiety and depression, cleared up all of my eczema, and have way more energy.

    That being said, I know it is not for everyone and even I have a 'cheat' every once in awhile. It is about finding the lifestyle that works for you and you can see yourself following for the long haul.
  • QueenWino
    QueenWino Posts: 106
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    I have friends from diverse backgrounds who eat clean 95% (I am probably at 80-simply because I cook a ton, love farmer's markets and ancient grains, but I use white flour upon occasion, as well as the devil wheat thins or ruffles when weakened), and my observation is you could pick a clean eater out of a group of same aged women and men because their hair and skin without makeup looks a lot better than a same weight, fitness level mac n cheese and lean cuisine and weight watchers packaged this and a can of soup that eater. When I cleaned up my eating to the level I am at currently my hair w/in a month started shining so much that friends would ask if I'd started using a gloss. As far as weight loss, I agree 100% that clean eating will not surpass other plans, but I think the external evidence of good health and vibrancy far exceeds any needed arguing about there being benefits to a plan involving highly nutritious foods from honored farming practices vs antibiotic filled meats and dairy, major chain agriculture w/toxins sprayed haphazardly across the land, and plants that are unable to reproduce. It is MUCH harder to clean up one's eating, and it is not for everyone as it is HARDER, but it shouldn't be vilified.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I doubt there were many overweight folks back then.

    Probably not, but not because of what they ate or didn't eat. It was more about availability and the physical exertion necessary to acquire food at all.
  • moonshine_betty
    moonshine_betty Posts: 169 Member
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    It was the whole, "You HAVE to eat clean/healthy" mentality that caused me to fail umpteen times in the past. Being on here and meeting people who believe in everything in moderation, portion control, IIFYM etc... has literally saved me. I am no longer tempted to fall off the wagon, because it isn't a hard bumpy torturous road of tuna, Brussels sprouts and brown rice everyday. It's an easy ride now: a sustainable lifestyle that includes ice cream, chips and chocolate. :love:

    This. I still sometimes struggle with thinking this way and I find that it's the times when I feel I have to be super strict and "eat clean" that I am more likely to fall off the wagon. I'm an everything in moderation kinda gal and it works for my sanity.

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