Eating "Clean"
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Avoid stuff that is already made. Frozen meals, meals in a box, processed snacks, etc as much as possible. I also avoid processed drinks as well (juice, teas, etc) because of all the added sugar. Try to eat as much whole foods as possible. Fruits, veggies, lean proteins. I know getting kids to like veggies is tough. Have you tried baking veggies in something? Like putting zucchini and spinach in your meatloaf? Putting veggies in your spaghetti sauce? Heck, even putting a little bit of cheese on it would be ok if it gets her eating the veggies.0
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Yeah, keep in mind:
Pranksters sat outside a farmer's market once and got a ton of people to sign a petition to ban DHMO.What is Dihydrogen Monoxide?
Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO) is a colorless and odorless chemical compound, also referred to by some as Dihydrogen Oxide, Hydrogen Hydroxide, Hydronium Hydroxide, or simply Hydric acid. Its basis is the highly reactive hydroxyl radical, a species shown to mutate DNA, denature proteins, disrupt cell membranes, and chemically alter critical neurotransmitters. The atomic components of DHMO are found in a number of caustic, explosive and poisonous compounds such as Sulfuric Acid, Nitroglycerine and Ethyl Alcohol.
http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html
Dihydrogen Monoxide is *water*.
H2 (di-hydrogen (2 hydrogens)) O (mono-oxide (1 oxygen))
So, yeah.
Chill. Drink more Dihydrogen Monoxide. Work on finding ways to like fruits and veggies. Have fun cooking from scratch. Seriously. It's not all out to get you.0 -
Also, as for "do your own research?"
Your research is only as good as your primary sources. You can do *plenty* of "research" online that will lead you to believe that Jewish lizards live underground and control the United Nations.
There's this thing called "confirmation bias." We tend to believe what we *already think.*
So, you can probably find plenty of "chemicals are evil" sites on the net. You can find plenty of "natural is good" on the net.
Doesn't change the fundamental fact that Vitamin C has a chemical name (Ascorbic acid) and that hemlock, in it's purest, most unsullied form will still totally kill you.0 -
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I can barely pronounce most of the ingredients.
you should consider taking a remedial English class at your local communtiy college. that should help solve this problem. :flowerforyou:0 -
The fact that I feel terrific every day and fully expect to live well into my 90s, I attribute to eating clean.
The fact that I feel terrific every day and fully expect to live well into my 90s, I attribute to stress-free living from daily cannabis use.
lucky.
Is it 420 yet?
I get off work at 3:30, home around 4. It usually works out about right...
Also this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBq8esOBGeE 0 -
Also, as for "do your own research?"
Your research is only as good as your primary sources. You can do *plenty* of "research" online that will lead you to believe that Jewish lizards live underground and control the United Nations.
There's this thing called "confirmation bias." We tend to believe what we *already think.*
So, you can probably find plenty of "chemicals are evil" sites on the net. You can find plenty of "natural is good" on the net.
Doesn't change the fundamental fact that Vitamin C has a chemical name (Ascorbic acid) and that hemlock, in it's purest, most unsullied form will still totally kill you.
This reminds me of a funny conversation I had with a friend that told me to read all the ingredients on my baby's food jar. It said, "bananas, water, citric acid." She questioned why citric acid was in there and that if I just ate a regular banana, I wouldn't get all those additives. I explained to her that it's basically lemon juice, and it's added to keep the yellow color of a banana. You wouldn't buy a jar of pureed banana if it was brown.0 -
You've gotten so much good advice about the "Eating Clean" part of this that I'm not even going to comment.
However, very concerned about your daughter. Get her help about the fruits and veggies aversion. You could be doing her a great disservice. Not nutritionally (ie vitamins and minerals) although that is part of it. I like to think of fruits as nature's dessert (natural sugar as opposed to processed sugar) and veggies as a filler (I can fill up on veggies for little calories and little fat but lots of fiber and necessary carbs). I've noticed both adults and children (to include teens and tweens) that eat the wrong portions of the wrong stuff because they don't or won't eat veggies. So they try to fill up on say pizza because it has tomato sauce and that's a veggie right? And they don't get full, or they have to have 4 pieces to my 1 piece because they don't touch the salad that goes with it. That to me are bad habits that can turn into obesity and lead to a lot of health risks. Perhaps she'll be lucky and not have it affect her until later in life but then she really doesn't have the tools to cope with it when it catches up to her.
Once the source of the aversion is found, then get her to help with dinner. Make it a point that there are always veggies with dinner. I'm blessed with a son that loves broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and probably brussel sprouts if I'd fix them for him. But I do see my friend's step-daughters who have to be tricked into eating veggies, like the cauliflower "mashed potatoes". And until they discovered that most of the "mashed potatoes" was cauliflower, they were eating it up and loving it. So you might have to find a way to trick your daughter. The wonderful thing is that there are a lot of recipes for "hidden" veggies that can be researched and gotten off the internet.
You can do this and discover what is right for you and your family!0 -
I've just realized or more like caring what exactly is in the food I eat. I can barely pronounce most of the ingredients. I want to eat clean, I really really do. I just don't know where to start.. I have a 12 year old with my same food habits and well she's even worse than I am.. she has an aversion to fruits and veggies - so much so it's almost a phobia. When I go to the grocery store I feel like everything is bad. The meat is bad because of what is fed to the animals, the dairy, the eggs, and the vegetables and fruit with all the pesticides and fertilizer... are strawberries really suppose to be that big??... I feel like I'm going crazy. I want to eat clean, but I don't know how...
The very best first step you can take is learning how to cook from single ingredients. Organic, grass fed, antibiotic free, etc. is all well and good if you have a lot of money to spend, but you would be surprised how much difference you'll see and feel just by cooking your own meals from the cheapest of ingredients. Just use raw or frozen ingredients that don't have additives.0 -
Hello
Sounds like you are pretty stressed out over this, I've been there.
I got some really easy advice to follow and this is what I do.
My friend said eat "Close to the hoof, and close to the plant" Meaning stay away from processed foods. Eat meat but avoid deep fried or processed deli etc. Eat leafy greens, fruits and veggies and not in a fruit cup but fresh, raw and "clean" . And drink tons of water.
I have great success in dropping weight when I clean up what I'm eating in this manner. Avoid all juices, pop, alcohol.
And when I slip up, guess what I tell myself..... "Its not what you do some of the time that matters most, its what you do MOST of the time"
Good luck hun~0 -
I've never consciously thought of "eating clean" but I do avoid as much of the processed, pre-packaged stuff as I can. I've almost become phobic of the unnecessary chemicals they add. I love using Corn Pops and Gorilla Munch as an example. Corn Pops has a huge list of ingredients while Gorilla Munch has three (corn, salt, cane sugar). Gorilla Munch tastes the same, maybe better, and has the same shelf life. I digress...
I'm not a huge fan of veg but I do love my broccoli. As boring as it can be, I stick to what I love. My diet is restrictive on fruit, but again for the amount of fruit I can eat I stick to what I love. The bf and I have experimented with stuff like plantain, avocado, or dragon fruit by buying only one and seeing if we like it. That's a good place to start.
Agreed. Nothing like a dripping slice of fresh, sweet pineapple to finish off your dayI like to think of fruits as nature's dessert (natural sugar as opposed to processed sugar)
Also, as for "do your own research?"
Your research is only as good as your primary sources. You can do *plenty* of "research" online that will lead you to believe that Jewish lizards live underground and control the United Nations.
There's this thing called "confirmation bias." We tend to believe what we *already think.*
So, you can probably find plenty of "chemicals are evil" sites on the net. You can find plenty of "natural is good" on the net.
This is why I encourage people to use Google scholar. Read the actual scientific studies behind food and dieting instead of people's personal opinions. Yes you will get conflicting studies, but I find the double-blind studies into any one topic are often in agreement vs the blind or not blind studies which are easily skewed by the participants' personal ideas or agendas. Researching isn't about asking other people for their opinions, researching is about reading science or doing your own science. Research is about education not having a conversation. Real research is what led me to the diet I'm currently on when prior to reading the studies I was against what I'm doing. Getting people's personal opinions and advice on how to do the diet properly is merely doing the polishing that the studies don't do, but I take advice with the science in mind. The double-blind studies dealing with processed, pre-packaged foods are also pretty much in agreement. It's unfortunate people stop educating themselves once school lets out :brokenheart: Or perhaps their schools didn't teach proper research skills :brokenheart: :brokenheart:
It's 420 somewhereThe fact that I feel terrific every day and fully expect to live well into my 90s, I attribute to eating clean.
The fact that I feel terrific every day and fully expect to live well into my 90s, I attribute to stress-free living from daily cannabis use.
lucky.
Is it 420 yet?
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I started by reading Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food". Excellent book.0
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Thank you all - I really needed to hear all of that. I am going to take one step and one day at a time. :happy: :happy:
Think about it this way, if all those "scary chemicals" really were bad, we'd all be dead. You've eaten them your whole life, so have I and everyone else you know. We're fine. So there's nothing to worry about.
Ignore the fear mongering. They're just trying to sell you stuff.
It is not true that all chemicals in food today have been eaten for our entire lives. New synthetic pesticides, fertilizers and food additives are approved every year. And to label it all fear mongering just because "we're fine' is just silly. It's like the smoker that has not yet contracted cancer declaring the warning on cigarettes "fear mongering" because, hey, he's fine. For now.
I'm not suggesting anyone needs to eat "clean" to be fine. Just pointing out how illogical the reasoning in that post is.0 -
I've never consciously thought of "eating clean" but I do avoid as much of the processed, pre-packaged stuff as I can. I've almost become phobic of the unnecessary chemicals they add. I love using Corn Pops and Gorilla Munch as an example. Corn Pops has a huge list of ingredients while Gorilla Munch has three (corn, salt, cane sugar). Gorilla Munch tastes the same, maybe better, and has the same shelf life. I digress...
I'm not a huge fan of veg but I do love my broccoli. As boring as it can be, I stick to what I love. My diet is restrictive on fruit, but again for the amount of fruit I can eat I stick to what I love. The bf and I have experimented with stuff like plantain, avocado, or dragon fruit by buying only one and seeing if we like it. That's a good place to start.
Agreed. Nothing like a dripping slice of fresh, sweet pineapple to finish off your dayI like to think of fruits as nature's dessert (natural sugar as opposed to processed sugar)Also, as for "do your own research?"
Your research is only as good as your primary sources. You can do *plenty* of "research" online that will lead you to believe that Jewish lizards live underground and control the United Nations.
There's this thing called "confirmation bias." We tend to believe what we *already think.*
So, you can probably find plenty of "chemicals are evil" sites on the net. You can find plenty of "natural is good" on the net.
This is why I encourage people to use Google scholar. Read the actual scientific studies behind food and dieting instead of people's personal opinions. Yes you will get conflicting studies, but I find the double-blind studies into any one topic are often in agreement vs the blind or not blind studies which are easily skewed by the participants' personal ideas or agendas. Researching isn't about asking other people for their opinions, researching is about reading science or doing your own science. Research is about education not having a conversation. Real research is what led me to the diet I'm currently on when prior to reading the studies I was against what I'm doing. Getting people's personal opinions and advice on how to do the diet properly is merely doing the polishing that the studies don't do, but I take advice with the science in mind. The double-blind studies dealing with processed, pre-packaged foods are also pretty much in agreement. It's unfortunate people stop educating themselves once school lets out :brokenheart: Or perhaps their schools didn't teach proper research skills :brokenheart: :brokenheart:
It's 420 somewhereThe fact that I feel terrific every day and fully expect to live well into my 90s, I attribute to eating clean.
The fact that I feel terrific every day and fully expect to live well into my 90s, I attribute to stress-free living from daily cannabis use.
lucky.
Is it 420 yet?
It is in the East.0 -
^Who let Miss Rational in?
I like her!
I snuck in the back.0 -
Thank you all - I really needed to hear all of that. I am going to take one step and one day at a time. :happy: :happy:
Think about it this way, if all those "scary chemicals" really were bad, we'd all be dead. You've eaten them your whole life, so have I and everyone else you know. We're fine. So there's nothing to worry about.
Ignore the fear mongering. They're just trying to sell you stuff.
Can you explain why all illnesses have quadrupled in the last 40 years? And new, unexplained illnesses? I'm not saying that all food is bad or that clean eating is "the way," but to say we have all been eating "scary chemicals" and we are all fine is completely ignoring the obvious.
^^^this !!!0 -
You feed your baby citric acid??? How could you? HOW COULD YOU????Also, as for "do your own research?"
Your research is only as good as your primary sources. You can do *plenty* of "research" online that will lead you to believe that Jewish lizards live underground and control the United Nations.
There's this thing called "confirmation bias." We tend to believe what we *already think.*
So, you can probably find plenty of "chemicals are evil" sites on the net. You can find plenty of "natural is good" on the net.
Doesn't change the fundamental fact that Vitamin C has a chemical name (Ascorbic acid) and that hemlock, in it's purest, most unsullied form will still totally kill you.
This reminds me of a funny conversation I had with a friend that told me to read all the ingredients on my baby's food jar. It said, "bananas, water, citric acid." She questioned why citric acid was in there and that if I just ate a regular banana, I wouldn't get all those additives. I explained to her that it's basically lemon juice, and it's added to keep the yellow color of a banana. You wouldn't buy a jar of pureed banana if it was brown.0 -
Shop the perimeter. So that is produce, meat/dairy. Stay out of the aisles with packaged treats...cookies, candies, snack crackers.
You'll be eating "cleaner" than about 80% of all Americans who equate the naturally occurring nutrients and phytochemicals in blueberries with a highly processed food which has zero nutritive value.
There is a cleaning eating group here on MFP where you'll find more of us!
For my own part, I'm 50, 21.5 BMI, just did a competitive stairclimb where I did 54 flight in 12 and a half minutes.
My weight I attribute to a calorie deficit.
The fact that I feel terrific every day and fully expect to live well into my 90s, I attribute to eating clean.
right, so everyone who does not eat "clean" by your definition (whatever that is) is a "dirty" eater that is not going to live a long life....?
lol...wowz..
I wish everyone a long and healthy life. My definition of "clean" is in my advice to the OP in the first line. I'd invite you to the Clean Eating Group here on MFP if you have any additional questions.0 -
Shop the perimeter. So that is produce, meat/dairy. Stay out of the aisles with packaged treats...cookies, candies, snack crackers.
You'll be eating "cleaner" than about 80% of all Americans who equate the naturally occurring nutrients and phytochemicals in blueberries with a highly processed food which has zero nutritive value.
There is a cleaning eating group here on MFP where you'll find more of us!
For my own part, I'm 50, 21.5 BMI, just did a competitive stairclimb where I did 54 flight in 12 and a half minutes.
My weight I attribute to a calorie deficit.
The fact that I feel terrific every day and fully expect to live well into my 90s, I attribute to eating clean.
Yeah, cause apparently "clean eating" is also competitive.
Who knew?!
I'm responding to the OP's request for guidance on "clean eating." Should you have additional questions, I've cordially invite you to join the Clean Eating Group here on MFP.0 -
The fact that I feel terrific every day and fully expect to live well into my 90s, I attribute to eating clean.
My grandmother lived to almost 98 and was on her own until the last two years. She ate whatever. I mean, she ate overall healthy, but she ate cookies and store-bought bread and jarred pasta sauce, etc.
My grandfather was an obese smoker most of his life and lived to 89.
And I've watched people with perfect, healthy lifestyles get sick and die in their 20s and 30s.
Good luck.
Thank you. I appreciate your good wishes and wish you the same.0 -
Also, OP, check out www.ewg.org which does a list of those produce items which you should buy organic whenever you can. GL!0
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So I had to look it up and compare. Corn Pops doesn't have a "huge list of ingredients." 3 main ingredients, (corn, sugar, and soluble fiber,) and a few minor ingredients (salt, molasses, annatto, starch, coconut oil,) and a preservative (BHT.)I've never consciously thought of "eating clean" but I do avoid as much of the processed, pre-packaged stuff as I can. I've almost become phobic of the unnecessary chemicals they add. I love using Corn Pops and Gorilla Munch as an example. Corn Pops has a huge list of ingredients while Gorilla Munch has three (corn, salt, cane sugar). Gorilla Munch tastes the same, maybe better, and has the same shelf life. I digress...
I'm not a huge fan of veg but I do love my broccoli. As boring as it can be, I stick to what I love. My diet is restrictive on fruit, but again for the amount of fruit I can eat I stick to what I love. The bf and I have experimented with stuff like plantain, avocado, or dragon fruit by buying only one and seeing if we like it. That's a good place to start.
That's not a "huge list" by any means. They aren't even scary words.
As for a nutritional comparison, same number of calories, same amount of sugar, and Corn Pops has more fiber and more vitamins. I would say Corn Pops is actually the more nutritious choice.0 -
So I had to look it up and compare. Corn Pops doesn't have a "huge list of ingredients." 3 main ingredients, (corn, sugar, and soluble fiber,) and a few minor ingredients (salt, molasses, annatto, starch, coconut oil,) and a preservative (BHT.)
That's not a "huge list" by any means. They aren't even scary words.
As for a nutritional comparison, same number of calories, same amount of sugar, and Corn Pops has more fiber and more vitamins. I would say Corn Pops is actually the more nutritious choice.
When I was reading In Defense of Food, Pollan mentions this. A few rules for eating include things like:
1. Don't eat anything your grandmother didn't.
2. Don't eat ingredients your grandmother wouldn't recognize.
3. Pick your food from the periphery of the grocery store, and not in the middle. (Most of the things in the middle of the grocery store are processed chemical foods... the stuff in the periphery include vegetables, simple breads, dairy and meat.
4. If you can't pronounce it easily, don't eat it. (This, of course doesn't apply to the interestingly-named quinoa).
Strike that... make it your GREAT-grandmother.0 -
So I had to look it up and compare. Corn Pops doesn't have a "huge list of ingredients." 3 main ingredients, (corn, sugar, and soluble fiber,) and a few minor ingredients (salt, molasses, annatto, starch, coconut oil,) and a preservative (BHT.)
That's not a "huge list" by any means. They aren't even scary words.
As for a nutritional comparison, same number of calories, same amount of sugar, and Corn Pops has more fiber and more vitamins. I would say Corn Pops is actually the more nutritious choice.
When I was reading In Defense of Food, Pollan mentions this. A few rules for eating include things like:
1. Don't eat anything your grandmother didn't.
2. Don't eat ingredients your grandmother wouldn't recognize.
3. Pick your food from the periphery of the grocery store, and not in the middle. (Most of the things in the middle of the grocery store are processed chemical foods... the stuff in the periphery include vegetables, simple breads, dairy and meat.
4. If you can't pronounce it easily, don't eat it. (This, of course doesn't apply to the interestingly-named quinoa).
Strike that... make it your GREAT-grandmother.
stupidest rules ever!
i honestly don't understand how anybody can be so gullible as to buy into this nonsense.
there is nothing to fear about food.
the huge diversity of food choices today is a good thing.
where food is placed in a grocery store is a silly way to choose your meals.
if you can't pronounce something, you need to go take a remedial English class at your local community college.
...ugh! there so much stupidity that passes for profundity these days. SMDH.0 -
If you're really worried about it and want to give your daughter some valuable lessons, try finding farms you can make a day-trip to. Grass-fed beef, pastured animals (don't let anyone try to tell you about "grass fed" chickens, those things will eat anything they can get), vegetable farms, etc. See if you can find a farmer who does a co-op or food delivery that is transparent about what they use in growing their produce. Pesticides don't have to be bad, but it's always nice to have peace of mind about where your food comes from.
This would also be wonderful for your daughter to understand that lettuces don't grow at the grocery store and that chickens aren't born nugget shaped. It may seem "cruel" to make her realize the meat she eats was once a fluffy sheep or clucking chicken, but it might help her really start to consider, even from a child's point of view, where her food comes from and what the "cost" is of what she chooses to eat, and naturally she will have many questions and you'll be right there to help her figure out the answers.0 -
stupidest rules ever!
My grandma had pretty awesome food, all the time. Chocolate chip cookies and Coke for breakfast. 0 -
Eating "Clean"
1. Turn on tap to get a nice stream of water.
2. Place food underneath stream of water and rub or scrub as needed.
:laugh:
.0 -
Especially when you take into account the obvious facts, like the fact that my grandmother is still alive, and still eats food, so I'm sure she recognizes modern food. Or the fact that farmers have engineered pigs and chickens to a point that they would be unrecognizable to someone 50 or 60 years ago.So I had to look it up and compare. Corn Pops doesn't have a "huge list of ingredients." 3 main ingredients, (corn, sugar, and soluble fiber,) and a few minor ingredients (salt, molasses, annatto, starch, coconut oil,) and a preservative (BHT.)
That's not a "huge list" by any means. They aren't even scary words.
As for a nutritional comparison, same number of calories, same amount of sugar, and Corn Pops has more fiber and more vitamins. I would say Corn Pops is actually the more nutritious choice.
When I was reading In Defense of Food, Pollan mentions this. A few rules for eating include things like:
1. Don't eat anything your grandmother didn't.
2. Don't eat ingredients your grandmother wouldn't recognize.
3. Pick your food from the periphery of the grocery store, and not in the middle. (Most of the things in the middle of the grocery store are processed chemical foods... the stuff in the periphery include vegetables, simple breads, dairy and meat.
4. If you can't pronounce it easily, don't eat it. (This, of course doesn't apply to the interestingly-named quinoa).
Strike that... make it your GREAT-grandmother.
stupidest rules ever!
i honestly don't understand how anybody can be so gullible as to buy into this nonsense.
there is nothing to fear about food.
the huge diversity of food choices today is a good thing.
where food is placed in a grocery store is a silly way to choose your meals.
if you can't pronounce something, you need to go take a remedial English class at your local community college.
...ugh! there so much stupidity that passes for profundity these days. SMDH.0 -
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So there are a couple of things on here that do concern me.
Organic VS GMO,/commercial...The difference is HUGE in production practices, not necessarily in "weaker chemicals = more chemicals" but in expected yield, time commitment, breeds of plants, etc, but it IS better for you. I'm not a crazy internet researcher, but I am a farmer. We don't sell commercially, just enough to keep us through the growing season, and supplement our diets, but I do know a lot of the commercial practices. They are necessary, because our population couldn't be supported by other means; however, if you have a choice, choose wisely. We still go to the grocery store every week. If you can get to the farmers market, go. If you can't, see about joining a CSA, as many deliver. Or get in touch with a local farmer and buy directly from the farm, especially if you're looking to get healthy meat. For most people, a weekly trip "to the country" is not feasible, but an extra freezer full of a side of beef/pork/a few chickens from one trip is well worth it. We don't raise our own cattle, but we buy from someone who does, and split it between my family, and four other relations. If you buy from a farmer, you can usually have the butcher make custom cuts (8oz steak instead of 12oz), but the bottom line is when you go to the freezer you know where your food came from. The farmer we buy from only gives antibiotics when the animals are actually sick, and no growth hormones. The last turkey I bought was running around on Friday afternoon, and we were eating it the next Sunday - no comparison in taste to the last butterball I bought. Eggs are MUCH better if you can find someone who raises chickens locally, and allows their hens free range. You'll see the difference in the yolk, and you'll taste the difference.
Your daughter is old enough that she can do a lot of the cooking, too. Have her help you plan the meals, and even if you eat cucumber 3 days in a row, it's a start in the right direction. We had a 12 and a 15 year old live with us until the younger one was a junior in high school. We started out having them help with picking out the meals, to help cooking the meals, to one night a week we just turned the kitchen over to them, and they cooked (sometimes hard to eat with a straight face...but they were so proud!) What I learned with them, was nothing worked cold turkey. We didn't drink soda, but they came from a house where all they drank was Pepsi and Mt. Dew. Instead of completely stopping them, we limited it to one 2 liter a shopping trip, until eventually they didn't even notice we stopped buying.
To add to the broken record, baby steps. Cook with whole food when you can.0
This discussion has been closed.
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