Why “Clean Eating” is a Myth by Armi Legge

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  • StacyReneO
    StacyReneO Posts: 317 Member
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    And I hate to burst everyone's bubble but "whole food" "clean foods" and "organic foods" - yeah - they are all just chemicals too.

    How are meats, fruits and vegetables chemicals?
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    And I hate to burst everyone's bubble but "whole food" "clean foods" and "organic foods" - yeah - they are all just chemicals too.

    How are meats, fruits and vegetables chemicals?
    Everything that exists in the universe is a chemical or a mishmash or chemicals.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,662 Member
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    i'd agree that there really isn't any food thats going to stall your weight loss efforts if you eat it and otherwise stay in your calories window.

    Theoretically you could still run into problems with things like diabetes if you take it to an extream and your genetically predispossed.

    For me, i just kind of get on a roll. one piece of cake turns into three or four kind of thing.

    the more i stay away from processed foods, the easier it is for me to stay on track for my calorie and macro goals.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,662 Member
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    And I hate to burst everyone's bubble but "whole food" "clean foods" and "organic foods" - yeah - they are all just chemicals too.

    How are meats, fruits and vegetables chemicals?
    Everything that exists in the universe is a chemical or a mishmash or chemicals.

    i think they were probably referring to additives, pestacides, hormones, etc
  • Jennloella
    Jennloella Posts: 2,287 Member
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    Armi Legge

    So... no one else is going to comment on this name?

    hahah exactly what I was thinking.
  • mrmagee3
    mrmagee3 Posts: 518 Member
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    So when did CICO become a valid argument against the thesis of clean eating? AFAIK, clean eating doesn't diverge from the CICO hypothesis at all.
  • shannashannabobana
    shannashannabobana Posts: 625 Member
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    The biggest problem with the idea of “clean eating” is that “clean” has no objective definition.
    This is the biggest thing I took from this article, but if you are personally 'eating clean' you have a definition for yourself. Most definitions are at least partially based on natural, whole foods. You can't convince me that eating more of those is a bad thing.
    No Food Causes Nutrient Deficiencies
    Well of course not, but the lack of certain foods patently will cause nutrient deficiencies. Witness sailors with scurvy, rabbit starvation and a whole host of other issues.
    Eating “less junk” means “zero junk” in your mind.
    This only applies to people who go too far. You can go OCD in many ways, but I suspect eating no twinkies is probably healthier than eating all twinkies. So, as far as potential damage goes, this is not an issue unless your idea of junk food is skewed. Which it may well be, but that's a definition problem, not a problem with the general idea of decreasing junk food.
    “Clean Eating is a Scam”
    Eh. Anytime people are asking you to buy something associated with their 'diet', ie, books, special foods etc., can lend itself to scamming. But if someone's definition of 'eating clean' is eating a variety whole foods like meat, fruits and veggies, who is doing the scamming exactly? The farmers market fig sellers of america? Beef, it's what's for dinner? All of these people are coming together to make sure this gets off the ground? Not any more than any seller of anything in the world. As long as you remember caveat emptor every time you are about to open your wallet you will be fine :)
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 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.

    Yep. They were walking all the damn time.

    Wait...they didn't have cars back then? Bummer, dude.

    ever seen the flinstones? Of course they had cars back then...

    But you had to use your feet to make it go. The invention of the car engine is what started the obesity epidemic.

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    If I want to log dinosaur riding, do you think I can just use the horseback riding entry in MFP? Or would that not account for the T-Rex riding burn...
  • nicarey19
    nicarey19 Posts: 126 Member
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    Bump for later. Interesting convo.
  • AprilSchulte10
    AprilSchulte10 Posts: 95 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.


    Slow is my way too..
  • WhiteRabbit1313
    WhiteRabbit1313 Posts: 1,091 Member
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    "...Perhaps this being words on a screen, you didn't see the grin on my face when I typed that..."

    LOL! I sure didn't see it! No worries. That's why I asked!

    I "get" what you're saying about people not researching, though. Personally, I was a little obsessed in my quest to figure out why I was overweight, so that has definitely skewed my knowledge base from the average person's. I sometimes think everyone else has read what I have, etc. Anyway, I came to the same conclusions you did. Eat less to weigh less. ha!
  • Nkechiye
    Nkechiye Posts: 25 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.
    Well said and my thoughts exactly.

    I am practicing a mostly vegan lifestyle.
    When I say mostly vegan I mean that I eat no eggs, milk, chicken, fish, pork or beef, but I do have cheese sometimes.
    It has only been two weeks, but I too feel less anxiety, more energy and my skin is much brighter and clearer and my mind is much sharper, not to mention the dramatic weight and inches lost

    A vegan lifestyle is believed by some to also aid in curing cancer. I watch a lot of holistic documentaries and the information is fascinating. The claims of remission in cancer is fascinating as well.

    There will be a naysayer for every method of diet or lifestyle.
    Just chose what makes you happy and feel good and clean eating makes ME FEEL GREAT.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Read your post.
    Read his blog.

    Each person should do what they believe is best.
    I'll keep eating foods that I believe fuel my body, and are better for me.
    :flowerforyou:
  • jakedner
    jakedner Posts: 186 Member
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    in to read the articles later...
  • Luvleanliving
    Luvleanliving Posts: 4
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    Hey friends! This is my first post, and I just have to jump in. I couldn't agree more! As a health coach, it makes me crazy to see my colleagues debunk calories and go on every detox plan that shows up. I feel angry when I see so many blow off our training and flock to every supplement sold as both the best way to lose weight AND Make Money.
  • ice1200s
    ice1200s Posts: 237 Member
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    This is yet another article, in the growing list that I've read, saying it's not what you eat, but HOW MUCH you eat.
  • QueenWino
    QueenWino Posts: 106
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    Some of these threads are great in that people can really argue or feel their way to a topic answer but others are just too hard to swallow; I really hoped what I thought as an observation wouldn't be berated, etc/ I attended UC Davis, top ag school in the US, I know science, and my decision to offer up anecdotal observation re skin/hair of my clean eating friends was to spotlight another bit.; sometimes we get caught up in pounds but the other signs of great health are beautiful and more awesome than a 24 inch waist.
  • lauraleighsm
    lauraleighsm Posts: 167
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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!

    But we also didn't have girls going through puberty 5 years earlier then a decade before.
  • lauraleighsm
    lauraleighsm Posts: 167
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    Some of these threads are great in that people can really argue or feel their way to a topic answer but others are just too hard to swallow; I really hoped what I thought as an observation wouldn't be berated, etc/ I attended UC Davis, top ag school in the US, I know science, and my decision to offer up anecdotal observation re skin/hair of my clean eating friends was to spotlight another bit.; sometimes we get caught up in pounds but the other signs of great health are beautiful and more awesome than a 24 inch waist.

    YES! I don't define myself as healthy based on my size. I define myself as healthy because I eat a lot of organic whole foods. Two years ago I had a ****ty immune system. I had strep, shingles and colds every other week. It was horrible. Since eliminating the majority of processed foods and eating all of my fruits and vegs along with good quality supplements, I have had one cold in the past year!

    I will not feed my kids fast food or gmo laden snacks. The more I limit their refined sugars, the less they seem to crave it.

    Poptarts and ****ty foods aren't FUN to me. They are poison.
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
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    "The potential to over-consume a food does not mean that you will. "

    This one sentence actually sells the clean eating approach. Clean eating focuses on nutrition dense foods rather than calorie dense foods. Yes, potential is going to effect each person differently, but why stack the deck against yourself? Why make it harder to be properly fed without being fattened? Why put up with a food that had calories added for the pure purpose of making it taste better?

    You can lose weight eating a set amount of anything (e.g., twinkies), but you won't feel well doing so. But that's you and you are welcome to do to your body what you want. I'll eat clean, feel better, lower body fat, and get to the proper weight/healthy blood markers. Good luck

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