Clean Eating Bashing?

jofjltncb6

Avoiding saturated fat is another myth, as there are plenty of heart healthy saturated fats (butter and coconut oil for example.)

There are many nutrition experts and scientists (I would guess most) that would disagree that butter should be considered a healthy fat.

True...there are many who are still influenced by the lipid hypothesis. These same people once espoused margarine as a preferable alternative to butter...and they pushed the low-fat approach to dieting. Not every expert keeps up with the latest research. That doesn't mean they are right.

(Personally, I'm firmly in the "butter is healthy" camp.)

Wetcoaster

Layne Norton thinks clean eating and IIFYM are both wrong.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6H2edyPLU8

waldo56

'Twood be a stroke of irony if it was found that eating clean increases one's chance of cancer or some other disease, since it is often touted as the cure to every possible ailment, plus a few made up undefined ailments.

Granted there is a good bit of selection bias, but lets be real here, in convos on the subject clean eaters are virtually never post-goal, the opposite is not true at all. The somewhat anonymity of these convos is always funny, this would absolutely NOT be a debate face to face.

Selection bias and all though, it is the post-goal non-clean eaters that the clean preachers tick off the most (myself included) with their BS. I'll take my diet of inflammation causing processed s*** and garbage, TYVM.

I personally think you're an idiot if you can't pronounce things on labels; you shoulda payed a bit more attention in chemistry, announcing hoity toity that you don't eat some foods because you are too dumb to pronounce ingredients does not make you sound smart. The next step, actually understanding what those names mean and what they do, must seem unfathomable.

Likewise questioning whether calories are real or or any of the other well known parts of physiology and nutrition likewise does not make you seem smart or intelligent. You are a conspiracy theorist that sucks at math that doesn't actually understand science at all.

bajoyba

Bashing "clean" eating and saying it isn't necessary for weight loss/fitness are two different things.

Personally, I really don't care how someone chooses to eat. Just do what makes you happy. What's most important for reaching your long term goals is to eat in a way that's sustainable for you, and often, as people get closer to their goals, they adjust their eating habits toward a more balanced diet without much trouble anyway.

Obviously, from a health standpoint, nutrient dense foods will do a better job at helping you meet your nutritional needs. I don't think anyone is arguing against eating whole foods, and if you truly enjoy eating "clean", then more power to you. I think the point a lot of us try to make is that you don't HAVE to eat "clean", and if you're struggling with it or don't enjoy it, you can simply eat what you like in moderation (and at a calorie deficit for weight loss) and still reach your goals.

We buy a lot of our produce from the amish and the local farmer's markets because we like to support local farmers and we like knowing where our food comes from. But that just isn't realistic or possible for us 100% of the time, and sometimes I just feel like popping a frozen pizza into the oven. I also eat chocolate pretty much every day. I just aim to eat a balanced diet and pay attention to my macros. I don't always succeed, but that's my goal.

My grandma is 91, is pretty healthy, and eats about as far from "clean" as just about anyone probably could. Hot dogs are among her favorite foods, and she has never liked to cook, so ALL of her food comes from cheap restaurants, drive-throughs,canned goods, and the freezer section of the grocery store. I would not enjoy eating that way, so I don't. But it seems to work for her.

jofjltncb6

Dude eat twinkies.....they help you lose weight.....said no one ever!!! Thought id drop my two cents;) Im out!

They can help you lose weight, if eating some Twinkies occasionally keeps you from binging on them when you finally give in to your desires.

By the way, look up "the twinkie diet." There was a guy who ate nothing but twinkies and some veggies and lost like 20+ lbs. All his health markers improved too.

While you're not wrong I'm always curious as to why a little every day vs a bunch once a week is preferable. When I see people say, "I eat ice cream every day!" and then I see they had 1/3 of a cup I wonder what satisfaction they really got from that. Great, a couple spoonfuls. My friend B.F. Deal is impressed. Why not just wait until Friday and throw down on a whole pint? Same difference as long as you look your calorie needs over a wider time frame. In the end it's a personal preference of course.

LOL @ 1/3 of a cup.

(LOL @ a whole pint too, I suppose too.)

kmbweber2014

Have we gotten an agreed-upon definition for "Clean Eating" yet? The definition might influence a person's decision to "bash" clean eating.

What is your profile picture? It look strangely delicious.

And OP I like your reasons for "eating clean", I attempt to eat homegrown and local as well for the same reasons. I prefer to grow my own food because it's cheaper, I live in a small town so I try to buy local what I can't grow, and I feel more energy when eating more veggies and fruits. But that's just me. I don't consider it "clean eating" per say, but I eat homegrown and local.

Forgot to add, I also like ice cream, Reece's, and Heath bars. So I eat those too.

bcattoes

Avoiding saturated fat is another myth, as there are plenty of heart healthy saturated fats (butter and coconut oil for example.)

There are many nutrition experts and scientists (I would guess most) that would disagree that butter should be considered a healthy fat.

True...there are many who are still influenced by the lipid hypothesis. These same people once espoused margarine as a preferable alternative to butter...and they pushed the low-fat approach to dieting. Not every expert keeps up with the latest research. That doesn't mean they are right.

(Personally, I'm firmly in the "butter is healthy" camp.)

Many still say margarine is preferable to butter, if the margarine contains no partially hydrogenated oils. Though most would likely recommend using less of both. To be an expert, one would have to keep up with the latest research.

blondiebabe92

I hate when people bash on clean eating. It's just turning something that could be full of enjoyment into a tedious task. We're still going to eat the way we eat... so why make us miserable doing it? Just let us be happy. ): Negative people = stop.

And clean eaters should just let moderation and IIFYM be. Can't we all just get along

rileyhunter169

Well; remember there is no black and white with diet. There is a difference between eating like a child vs. eating like a sensible person vs. eating like a teenager with orthorexia/EDNOS with large spectrum in between. Most actual flexible dieters will agree with eating minimally processed foods with good micronutrient/macronutrient profiles. Where it draws the line is being strict and inflexible and deeming foods "safe" or "clean" and only eating those foods which CAN or MAY lead to disordered eating and eventually... Unfortunately for the middle of the road camp, it's like being caught in the middle of a firefight between Iron fist Capitalists slash anarchists and Communists. They both suck, they both don't like us, but are okay with us. But at the same time; ridding of useless dietary politics and doing sensible like Canada is absolutely critical to battling obesity and disordered eating which are both huge problems. The majority of the population is kind of put off by bickering and bull****tery. The truth is always in the middle. Look for the middle people; that is where the holy truth tends to be 90% of the time. Balance.

kmbweber2014

Avoiding saturated fat is another myth, as there are plenty of heart healthy saturated fats (butter and coconut oil for example.)

There are many nutrition experts and scientists (I would guess most) that would disagree that butter should be considered a healthy fat.

Mmmmm butter, I like butter too. This is why I can't "eat clean", I love butter. But I do get locally made butter from the Amish community near by. Oh man it is the best butter ever!!

jofjltncb6

I just wish there was a different name for it. "Eat clean" and "Lift heavy" are just so ungrammatical.

On this note I get annoyed when people say "pick up heavy things." Heavy things? So you went to the gym to lift refrigerators? Benched a microwave? You lifted weights. Let's not make the whole process more grand than it really is.

People get their panties in a bunch of you say "weights" or "barbells" because there are ways to "lift heavy" that don't involve those things.

"Lift heavy" means to do resistance training that so significantly taxes your muscles you can't do large numbers of reps.

People just like to get their panties in a bunch in general. Half the time it doesn't matter what you say...

Well, ^that is an insulting thing to say.

How dare you.

HOW DARE YOU!!! :mad:

bcattoes

Avoiding saturated fat is another myth, as there are plenty of heart healthy saturated fats (butter and coconut oil for example.)

There are many nutrition experts and scientists (I would guess most) that would disagree that butter should be considered a healthy fat.

Mmmmm butter, I like butter too. This is why I can't "eat clean", I love butter. But I do get locally made butter from the Amish community near by. Oh man it is the best butter ever!!

Butter would be more 'clean' than margarine.

kmbweber2014

Avoiding saturated fat is another myth, as there are plenty of heart healthy saturated fats (butter and coconut oil for example.)

There are many nutrition experts and scientists (I would guess most) that would disagree that butter should be considered a healthy fat.

Mmmmm butter, I like butter too. This is why I can't "eat clean", I love butter. But I do get locally made butter from the Amish community near by. Oh man it is the best butter ever!!

Butter would be more 'clean' than margarine.

Yeah I'm not a margarine fan. I like the real stuff.

ThriceBlessed

There are an awful lot of people who are going to find something to pick on you for, no matter what.

I can't say I eat "clean" 100% of the time, but do aim to eat healthier more natural foods most of the time.

Would I be healthier if I avoided all processed foods and cooked everything from scratch myself after raising a lot of it on my own farm or buying it from organic food growers? Yes, I probably would be... I'd also be flat broke and in debt... but that is another story.

I do think that eating unprocessed foods is best, but for some people its just too hard to do. They are going to be better off if they can stay in their calorie range and at least avoid obesity than than they would be if they tried clean eating for a week, got discouraged, and went back to overeating.

So basically, I guess I am saying doing what works for you. Eat as healthy as YOU can given your personality, financial situation, culture, etc. And if what you are doing is working for you, don't worry about what anyone else says.

AnotherXFitGuy

I eat mostly whole foods because it means I can eat more food and feel full longer. I don't know if I would consider my diet "clean", because I feel like the definition of clean eating is ever changing... organic, paleo/primal, blah, blah, etc, etc.

For the sake of this post I'm going to refer to those who eat processed food and fast food "dirty" eaters" -- not because I feel that they are dirty, so don't jump down my throat.

The reason the "dirty" eaters and the "clean" eaters have so much animosity towards one another is because of the limitless condescension both sides display. The "my way is the only way" attitude is elementary and ridiculous.

I've seen many "dirty" eaters claiming that eating fried/processed/fast food that is calorically equivalent to whole foods is no different for your body and that there is no real health benefits to eating whole foods. Come on now... really? I mean, seriously?

What works best, is what works best FOR YOU. If you are able to stick to your calorie allotment and eat what you like, then YAY! Whatever you are able to maintain in the long run is always best.

I couldn't care less about how you or anyone else eats. I care about how I eat and how my son eats. I like eating what I consider healthy foods because it makes me feel good and I feel like I am teaching my son how to have a healthy relationship with food.

OP, I thought your post was well written and has inspired me to look into local farmers markets.

This sums it all up. Well said.

waldo56

Obviously, from a health standpoint, nutrient dense foods will do a better job at helping you meet your nutritional needs.

Except that the term "nutrient dense" as used is so detached from what it actually means that it is practically backwards.

Cookies are nutrient dense.
Vegetables are extremely sparse nutritionally.

People so worship at the alter of micronutrients, downright pointlessly I might add, and so demonize macronutrients, that discussion of nutrients is nonsensical. One would survive FAR longer on a diet of pure cookies than a diet of pure broccoli.

Eat a variety of foods and micronutrients aren't a concern. Nutrient deficiencies are rare in those without a very limited diet (with the exception of pregnant women).

This goes back to a theory of mine, that the vast majority of people in western society learned the basics of nutrition by reading cereal boxes while eating breakfast as a kid; with all the distortions the advertising and labeling creates. And that initial education creates a self reinforcing feedback loop (since noone is going to say that vitamins/minerals are bad) where much of society drastically overemphasizes micronutrients; people's idea of what is and isn't healthy food is to pretty much grade/tally how high the %'s are for each micronuturient, exactly how cereal advertises how crazy healthy it is (along with dumb slogans and catchphrases).

People would be MUCH better off shifting their ideas of nutrition and healthy/unhealthy foods from the amount of micronutrients found in food instead to the protein to calorie ratio of food. The protein to calorie ratio matters much, much more; "empty calories" are not calories that don't come with much in the way of micronutrients, "empty calories" are calories that don't come with much in the way of protein, which is the nutrient that matters, a lot, and you need a lot of it.

sugamonstaa

I follow the 80/20 rule too. I don't believe 100% clean eating is the only way to achieve your goals. I believe if you eat mostly healthy and fit in "bad" stuff in MODERATION or ONCE IN A WHILE you can do that too. You don't have to give up the "dirty" food you love as long as it's not a majority of your diet or once in a while.

DavPul

I just wish there was a different name for it. "Eat clean" and "Lift heavy" are just so ungrammatical.

On this note I get annoyed when people say "pick up heavy things." Heavy things? So you went to the gym to lift refrigerators? Benched a microwave? You lifted weights. Let's not make the whole process more grand than it really is.

Ever hear of odd object training?

jofjltncb6

Obviously, from a health standpoint, nutrient dense foods will do a better job at helping you meet your nutritional needs.

Except that the term "nutrient dense" as used is so detached from what it actually means that it is practically backwards.

Cookies are nutrient dense.
Vegetables are extremely sparse nutritionally.

People so worship at the alter of micronutrients, downright pointlessly I might add, and so demonize macronutrients, that discussion of nutrients is nonsensical. One would survive FAR longer on a diet of pure cookies than a diet of pure broccoli.

Eat a variety of foods and micronutrients aren't a concern. Nutrient deficiencies are rare in those without a very limited diet (with the exception of pregnant women).

This goes back to a theory of mine, that the vast majority of people in western society learned the basics of nutrition by reading cereal boxes while eating breakfast as a kid; with all the distortions the advertising and labeling creates. And that initial education creates a self reinforcing feedback loop (since noone is going to say that vitamins/minerals are bad) where much of society drastically overemphasizes micronutrients; people's idea of what is and isn't healthy food is to pretty much grade/tally how high the %'s are for each micronuturient, exactly how cereal advertises how crazy healthy it is (along with dumb slogans and catchphrases).

Well said, good points, and mind blown.


Great...

...now I want Lucky Charms.

_Resolve_

I "eat clean" because I wanted to change everything about myself. When I ate crap all the time I had no energy, my bmi was 62 % and my A1C was 14%. After 11 months of clean eating and hitting the gym daily I am a completely new person. If people can achieve what I have still eating processed foods and other crap, good on you.. I needed to change.