Why “Clean Eating” is a Myth by Armi Legge

grrrlface

Because you can still eat clean and be obese? Just because you eat a certain way doesn't guarantee weightloss or health, it is how much.

Now this week I could not wait to eat clean after eating so much processed food last week! It does make me feel better and more satisfied but I'm not gonna preach it to everyone.

As for the hair (diet/genes/lifestyle) arguement. It's all three but does play a huge part. If, for example, I had a pregnant client I would tell her to eat a cleaner diet to keep her hair in good condition as you lose less hair while your pregnant, you need the nutrients to keep it looking good. Got dandruff? Could be dry skin caused by your diet (as someone mentioned their ezcema cleared up after eating clean) so diet is very important for your hair! (eta: and skin!)

mspoopoo

It also comes from genetics and other lifestyle habits.

It still amazes me when people are fooled by heavily photoshopped photos. The photo on the right was taken in a studio with lighting, makeup and hair artists and probably 100s of shots to get that one and then photoshopped.

mspoopoo

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.

It's just someone who put on twist on something to make a buck. Just like all the other diet gimmicks. Same with IIFYM.
A few years from now, it will be something else.

Plus he is just wrong like he says, "No Food Directly Damages Your Health" Tell that to the person with peanut allergy.

tootoop224

In to read later.

FourIsCompany

I have my own ideas about what "clean eating" (also called a healthy, balanced diet) is FOR ME, but I never push it on others or judge how others eat. I'm not a "clean eating" snob. I don't insult vegetarians or vegans, nor do I shame people who eat a bunch of processed and fast food (which I call "crap food"). I eat some occasionally, myself. I am confused when people eat mostly crap food, and then complain about their weight or health. But that's their journey. Their business.

I think the problem over the phrase "clean eating" is caused by the many "clean eaters" who preach it like a religion or look down their noses at people who eat otherwise because it makes them feel good or special. And I hate that as much as the next person.

I think many people who claim to "eat clean" do it in an obsessive way or at least claim to, eating THEIR version of clean 100% of the time. And if that works for them, I don't have a problem with it. When they start proselytizing to me, trying to convince me to eat as they do, like they have found the holy grail, then I have a problem with it. I am as capable of deciding what food works for me as I am of making other decisions about my life. I don't need to be told how to eat or how to live.

I don't think "clean eating" is a myth. I DO think we each define it for ourselves, if we use the phrase at all. And I'm ok with that.

I think people who insist there is no such thing as "clean eating" are pretty much doing the same thing as those who insist there is only one way of clean eating.

5ftnFun

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.

It's just someone who put on twist on something to make a buck. Just like all the other diet gimmicks. Same with IIFYM.
A few years from now, it will be something else.

Plus he is just wrong like he says, "No Food Directly Damages Your Health" Tell that to the person with peanut allergy.

It's apparent you did not read the article.

Under the section "No Food Directly Damages Your Health," he says "There are specific medical reasons for avoiding certain foods. And by “medical reason,” I don’t mean some naturopath, acupuncturist, homeopath, or voodoo priest reading chicken entrails said a certain food is bad for you. I mean a real doctor diagnosed you with a specific illness, and based their dietary recommendations on sound scientific evidence." .............He sites people who have a severe peanut allergy as an example.

ndj1979

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.

fred flinstone was not exactly slim and trim ....

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

What's "food from nature?"

Even the organic fruits and veggies come from huge swaths of cleared land that has been primed for optimal growth, cultivated in mass quantity, picked for minimum spoilage at market, and shipped in huge, diesel-fueled trucks to market.

Not sure there's any "nature" there unless you're out hunting pig with a bow and arrow and picking the blackberries in the swamp or something.

BeachIron

In . . .

to watch this thread go the same direction as all the others.

Some lessons are very hard to learn.

clarkeje1

bump to finish reading later

Sabine_Stroehm

It also comes from genetics and other lifestyle habits.

It still amazes me when people are fooled by heavily photoshopped photos. The photo on the right was taken in a studio with lighting, makeup and hair artists and probably 100s of shots to get that one and then photoshopped.

I pretty much ignore someone's arguments about "lifestyle" when they post those photos, yes.

WendyTerry420

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.

:flowerforyou:

This is an excellent article, well researched and documented, and logically presented. I approve of this message.

choijanro

Very nice article ,,


well to put it simple,, if u want to get big or bulky,, just consume many calories
and if u want to get small or slim,, just consume less calories,,,


Calories In & Calories Out = Balance Diet+Exercise

Bry_Fitness70

"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

Nicely worded!

Your nutritional regiment is one-dimensional if you only focus on the quantity of food consumed without regard to the quality of what you are consuming. A good diet doesn't entail shoveling garbage in your body, ensuring that you are eating less than your daily caloric allowance, and then patting yourself on the back and celebrating like you are doing something spectacular.

Clean eating is prioritizing the quality of the food you are consuming and being a discriminating eater, not just blindly counting calories.

jen_zz

Love the Alan article!

FourIsCompany

In . . .

to watch this thread go the same direction as all the others.

Some lessons are very hard to learn.

I'm new... what direction do the other threads go and what is the lesson?

benol1

Hi,

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.

For a bit of balance, I recommend that you watch this video. It goes for over an hour, but it is worthwhile.
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/uprooting-the-leading-causes-of-death/
kind regards,

Ben

BeachIron

In . . .

to watch this thread go the same direction as all the others.

Some lessons are very hard to learn.

I'm new... what direction do the other threads go and what is the lesson?

I will not be sucked into this thread. I will not be sucked into this thread. I will not be sucked into this thread. I will not be sucked into this thread. I will not be sucked into this thread. I will not be sucked into this thread. I will not be sucked into this thread. I will not be sucked into this thread. I will not be sucked into this thread. I will not be sucked into this thread. :bigsmile:

tmpecus78

I just ate a half dozen donuts! YUM! u mad bro?

SJVZEE

It also comes from genetics and other lifestyle habits.

It still amazes me when people are fooled by heavily photoshopped photos. The photo on the right was taken in a studio with lighting, makeup and hair artists and probably 100s of shots to get that one and then photoshopped.

I didn't know who the second person was so I did some google imagining and yeah, she doesn't look like the posted picture in 'real' life Also, for the above picture of Gillian-that was taken while she was doing the reality show I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. Throw anyone in the wild for a few days without good sleep, makeup and a hair dryer and see how they look :huh: Not a fair picture comparison at all. Here's a good article about the pictures and the whole 'I look better because of my diet' debate http://persephonemagazine.com/2012/03/13/takedown-my-diet-is-making-me-beautiful-also-known-as-i-am-better-than-you/