How do you keep your food intake "Clean"?

Mr_Bad_Example

I keep all of my food in wrappers... or boxes.







This seems to help my food stay pretty clean.

ninerbuff

And here's how this plays out...each and every time.

Person(s) A: I want to eat clean.
Person(s) B: What you mean?
Person(s) A: No processed food! No junk! No chemicals!
Person(s) B: Everything is made of chemicals. What do you mean by junk? What processes are referring to specifically?
Person(s) A: I meant artificial chemicals. And by junk I mean that the food has no nutritional value. I can't actually specify the processing I'm talking about in an articulate way, but basically mean anything that's packaged in a box and stored with artificial preservatives.
Person(s) B: Do you have some compelling evidence that these "artificial" chemicals have adverse reactions to humans that's based in credible, peer-reviewed science? Also, anything with either a macro or micronutrient has nutritional value; for that matter, water has neither, but we still need it. Again, what's your problem with packaged items and their preservatives.

And here's what never ever happens, but I really want it to.

Person(s) A: This is a faith-based nutritional initiative that I attempt to support with unconvincing evidence, but when that falls through I retreat into a "All I'm saying is that this works for me" stance--even though, I've been speaking in general terms about everything up until now, indicating that it should work for most everyone. And in two seconds, I'll attempt to deflect from the actual conversation (because I have nothing to add) by commenting about how mean and unsupportive people are. I may also talk about some sort of lifestyle change and journey because I need to reify this whole philosophy at this point.

BOOM.

Granted at one point in my career I fell into the "clean" eating thinking. Until I really studied it in depth and found out how physiology really works.

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

bcattoes

No more (or minimalize) processed crap! If you cant pronounce the names of the ingredients or the list takes up half the label, you shouldn't be putting it in your body.

I think if you're going to evaluate foods in that manner, then you do need to know what you're talking about to an extent. Your average person will look at pyridoxal phosphate and think it's an evil preservative when, in fact, it's vitamin B6, which is incredibly important for multiple reactions in amino acid metabolism. Likewise, tocopheryl acetate? That's vitamin E, folks.

Realize that the entire world is made up of chemicals. You're eating a whole fruit, almond milk, or a plain steak? Entirely composed of chemicals - while some chemical compounds are naturally occurring and others are synthesized (sometimes a chemical is naturally occurring, but industrial synthesis is actually less expensive), that's what things are made of. Chemicals don't HAVE to be evil and scary, but unfortunately, to many people they are due to school systems falling short in science education.

I personally prefer to cook with things that don't come out of boxes, but realize that even the foods you consider "clean" are still composed of chemicals.

There is no need to be so condescending.

The chemicals in the natural foods will not be listed on any label. If I buy a bag of quinoa, the label will say "quinoa" not all the chemicals that make up the quinoa. Chemicals on a label are typically added by man. Vitamins or stabilizers or whatever, some people like to avoid those.

bcattoes

So its not on the label then? That is what you are saying? We are talking about the label here, nothing else.

GMO isn't listed on labels. Do you have an issue with 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

Sadly that is true (for now). But I have several foods in my house that have 'non-GMO' on the label.

WhoHa42

soap

SugaryLynx

I keep all of my food in wrappers... or boxes.







This seems to help my food stay pretty clean.

Me want

Sunbrooke

Eating clean is just making sure you have a varied and balanced diet: fruit, veggies, lean meats, complex carbs... and leaving out all the processed foods like mac'n'cheese and ramen. But that should only be a concern if you want healthy skin, hair, longevity and **** like that. If you want to lose weight, just watch how much you eat and eat in moderation.
Personally, I like eating junk food. And the key to healthy eating is what you eat, not what you don't eat. You can eat a serving a hohos every day, and still be healthy, so long as you're eating veggies and fruit. So yeah, its making sure I get the nutrients my body needs to function well. I'm still going to eat poptarts though.

I love this. So true. I wound up adding so many healthy things that I like that I don't have much room for pizza and ramen. Sometimes I still eat those things, but with all of the nutrient rich stuff I'm trying to get in, there is less room now. Every time I turn around these is another healthy food I want to fit in. I eventually stopped even buying that stuff, so we have to go get it if we want it bad enough. I also don't eat stuff like rice cakes. I don't want to waste my appetite and money on puffed air!

Lesa_Sass

No more (or minimalize) processed crap! If you cant pronounce the names of the ingredients or the list takes up half the label, you shouldn't be putting it in your body.

I think if you're going to evaluate foods in that manner, then you do need to know what you're talking about to an extent. Your average person will look at pyridoxal phosphate and think it's an evil preservative when, in fact, it's vitamin B6, which is incredibly important for multiple reactions in amino acid metabolism. Likewise, tocopheryl acetate? That's vitamin E, folks.

Realize that the entire world is made up of chemicals. You're eating a whole fruit, almond milk, or a plain steak? Entirely composed of chemicals - while some chemical compounds are naturally occurring and others are synthesized (sometimes a chemical is naturally occurring, but industrial synthesis is actually less expensive), that's what things are made of. Chemicals don't HAVE to be evil and scary, but unfortunately, to many people they are due to school systems falling short in science education.

I personally prefer to cook with things that don't come out of boxes, but realize that even the foods you consider "clean" are still composed of chemicals.

There is no need to be so condescending.

The chemicals in the natural foods will not be listed on any label. If I buy a bag of quinoa, the label will say "quinoa" not all the chemicals that make up the quinoa. Chemicals on a label are typically added by man. Vitamins or stabilizers or whatever, some people like to avoid those.

LOL, the people in this thread touting the God made chemicals are only amusing to each other. Dont let these people get to you. There is a time that we say what we honestly believe to be true and back out and let them gang up and bully people.

Oh yea, to further blow peoples minds, I believe in God too. :flowerforyou:

judyde

I try and follow as close to Paleo nutrition as possible = try and eat as little or no processed food as possible. Paleo = if a caveman was alive how or what would he eat. No grocery store bag food etc. I too have had great success with this down 40 pounds and 25 inches. I also watch my carb intake, but with working out we still need 150g minimum or so porbably more for a guy. Good Luck on continued sucess!!! You got this! Read the websit "Mark's Daily Apple".

Lol, cavemen drank untreated water and sucked marrow out of bones.

AND had a life expectancy of about 40 years...

stacierose777

Real food is clean food. making things from scratch. For example if you want chicken nuggets and French fries for dinner. Buy the chicken and bread them yourself. some might even say make your own bread crumbs and make your own French fries. sweet potato fries are so yummy with olive oil and some seasoning. Trying to keep the chemicals out of it, the less hands it touches the less processed it is.

weber22c

There is no need to be so condescending.

Can you help me understand how I was being "so condescending"? I specifically noted that educational systems have really failed to help the average individual get a good grasp on science, i.e. what's worth being cautious about and what is a healthy substance with a scary-sounding name. Science education really is a tremendous issue throughout the world. To condescend means to patronize and act superior; I'm not superior, I'm LUCKY that I had the opportunity to learn about science, and I wish you had been afforded the same opportunity.

My point was not that processed foods are the same as unprocessed foods, but simply that if you're going to use chemical names on labels as a metric, you do need to exercise a certain amount of caution. A lot of those scary-sounding names simply represent healthy and necessary nutrients that are also found in unprocessed foods, and it would be a damn shame if someone lived in fear of food labels because they don't realize that the scary-looking name is actually a necessary micronutrient.

Education is empowerment. If you want to avoid certain preservatives in your food, go for it! Just don't shoot yourself in the foot by running away from vitamins.

SoTiredOfMe

That's insanely self-explanitory. What compirises an apple makes an apple. If there is an added chemical, then that IS the added chemical.

I'm not sure what you guys are trying to accomplish by belittling someone's way of eating. You're grasping at straws with your "arguments" and basically trying to push your views on others. Seriously, that is all I see on websites like this. "NO, OUR WAY IS BETTER, F YOU". Knock it off. Accept and move on.

jonnythan

I try and follow as close to Paleo nutrition as possible = try and eat as little or no processed food as possible. Paleo = if a caveman was alive how or what would he eat. No grocery store bag food etc. I too have had great success with this down 40 pounds and 25 inches. I also watch my carb intake, but with working out we still need 150g minimum or so porbably more for a guy. Good Luck on continued sucess!!! You got this! Read the websit "Mark's Daily Apple".

Lol, cavemen drank untreated water and sucked marrow out of bones.

AND had a life expectancy of about 40 years...

Common misconception.

In reality, the "life expectancy" of prehistoric men was artificially low because of infant morality and accidental death due to injury. For the most part people who avoided dying of a minor disease while an infant, or breaking their leg on a hunt and being left behind, lived well into their 60s, 70s, and 80s.

jonnythan

That's insanely self-explanitory. What compirises an apple makes an apple. If there is an added chemical, then that IS the added chemical.

I'm not sure what you guys are trying to accomplish by belittling someone's way of eating. You're grasping at straws with your "arguments" and basically trying to push your views on others. Seriously, that is all I see on websites like this. "NO, OUR WAY IS BETTER, F YOU". Knock it off. Accept and move on.

The point those posters are trying to make is that statements like "I won't eat it if there are unpronounceable chemicals in it" is silly, because everything has unpronounceable chemicals in it.

bcattoes

There is no need to be so condescending.

Can you help me understand how I was being "so condescending"? I specifically noted that educational systems have really failed to help the average individual get a good grasp on science, i.e. what's worth being cautious about and what is a healthy substance with a scary-sounding name. Science education really is a tremendous issue throughout the world. To condescend means to patronize and act superior; I'm not superior, I'm LUCKY that I had the opportunity to learn about science, and I wish you had been afforded the same opportunity.

My point was not that processed foods are the same as unprocessed foods, but simply that if you're going to use chemical names on labels as a metric, you do need to exercise a certain amount of caution. A lot of those scary-sounding names simply represent healthy and necessary nutrients that are also found in unprocessed foods, and it would be a damn shame if someone lived in fear of food labels because they don't realize that the scary-looking name is actually a necessary micronutrient.

You were being condescending by assuming that everyone that chooses to avoid man-made additives is doing so because they aren't educated enough to know what those additives are. That they needed you to educate them.

No science degree is needed to Google an additive.

verptwerp

For me ........ ingesting as few "chemicals" as possible ...... not easy, but I try :drinker:

Best wishes & enjoy your journey !

bcattoes

That's insanely self-explanitory. What compirises an apple makes an apple. If there is an added chemical, then that IS the added chemical.

I'm not sure what you guys are trying to accomplish by belittling someone's way of eating. You're grasping at straws with your "arguments" and basically trying to push your views on others. Seriously, that is all I see on websites like this. "NO, OUR WAY IS BETTER, F YOU". Knock it off. Accept and move on.

The point those posters are trying to make is that statements like "I won't eat it if there are unpronounceable chemicals in it" is silly, because everything has unpronounceable chemicals in it.

Wasn't the statement "unpronounceable chemicals on the label"?

thekyleo

No more (or minimalize) processed crap! If you cant pronounce the names of the ingredients or the list takes up half the label, you shouldn't be putting it in your body.

I think if you're going to evaluate foods in that manner, then you do need to know what you're talking about to an extent. Your average person will look at pyridoxal phosphate and think it's an evil preservative when, in fact, it's vitamin B6, which is incredibly important for multiple reactions in amino acid metabolism. Likewise, tocopheryl acetate? That's vitamin E, folks.

Realize that the entire world is made up of chemicals. You're eating a whole fruit, almond milk, or a plain steak? Entirely composed of chemicals - while some chemical compounds are naturally occurring and others are synthesized (sometimes a chemical is naturally occurring, but industrial synthesis is actually less expensive), that's what things are made of. Chemicals don't HAVE to be evil and scary, but unfortunately, to many people they are due to school systems falling short in science education.

I personally prefer to cook with things that don't come out of boxes, but realize that even the foods you consider "clean" are still composed of chemicals.

There is no need to be so condescending.

The chemicals in the natural foods will not be listed on any label. If I buy a bag of quinoa, the label will say "quinoa" not all the chemicals that make up the quinoa. Chemicals on a label are typically added by man. Vitamins or stabilizers or whatever, some people like to avoid those.

LOL, the people in this thread touting the God made chemicals are only amusing to each other. Dont let these people get to you. There is a time that we say what we honestly believe to be true and back out and let them gang up and bully people.

Oh yea, to further blow peoples minds, I believe in God too. :flowerforyou:

not really blowing peoples mind with the believing in god thing

thekyleo

That's insanely self-explanitory. What compirises an apple makes an apple. If there is an added chemical, then that IS the added chemical.

I'm not sure what you guys are trying to accomplish by belittling someone's way of eating. You're grasping at straws with your "arguments" and basically trying to push your views on others. Seriously, that is all I see on websites like this. "NO, OUR WAY IS BETTER, F YOU". Knock it off. Accept and move on.

calm thy jimmies

bcattoes

If you want to avoid certain preservatives in your food, go for it! Just don't shoot yourself in the foot by running away from vitamins.

Natural food has all the vitamins we need. If not, the human race would have died out long ago.