Clean eating: yet another pious diet (Newspaper Article)

_Zardoz_

From todays Guardian

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jun/11/clean-eating-diet-food-gwyneth-paltrow-jay-rayner?CMP=fb_gu

J72FIT

Great article.

Quotes from the article...

"What does the phrase mean, apart from a wretched violation of the English language in a way that makes a good argument for corporal punishment? Oh, you know: it means joylessness, piety, self-regard, self-delusion and staggering pomposity."

"Clean eating can mean pretty much anything you want it to mean."

"Mostly what it means is: I'm much better than you."

IMO, the above quotes are some of the main reasons "clean eating" gets such pushback.

kgeyser

Thanks for the article. I enjoyed the author's style and the comments are hilarious.

GiveMeCoffee

Yet another reason you are one of my favorite people!

Here's is one of my favorite quotes from the article: "But pursuing a menu of any of these things in isolation will not make you a better person. It won't make you more deserving of our admiration. It will just turn you in to a self-deluding, sanctimonious bore."

_HeartsOnFire_

In...

For when the clean eaters show...

Stage14

Agreed. My husband and I are making a conscious effort cut out most processed food, but I hate the phrase "eating clean". It's more like "eating natural" though I suppose that could be seen as negative as well. At least natural vs processed is an accurate description though.


Every time I hear someone talk about eating 'clean', I always want to ask them to recommend their preferred food soap.

swalberg0625

Wow. I can't help but hear a display of hypocrisy in this article. Bashing those that eat clean isn't any better than clean eaters bashing others is it? And it's amusing to me that society thinks because certain people choose to be more disciplined/ educated about what they put in their bodies that it makes them better than anyone else. Yes you can define clean eating just about any way you want but IMO it is eating less processed foods and choosing more natural ingredients. I buy cookies out of a box sometimes instead of bake them, and hit up the sushi bar for some veg sushi, but I also cook/bake most my food at home so I know what I am putting in my body. And when I buy packaged stuff, I read the ingredients and cut out as much preservatives as possible.

Am I better than anyone else? No. Do I sometimes wish I didn't care so much? Yes. But at the end of the day, whether I die walking across the street or into my older years, I want to nourish my body with good whole foods; so that I feel good. As to everyone else, it is your body and it is your choice to do with it, feed it as you choose. I don't look down upon others that don't eat the way I do. Frankly it is none of anyone's business.

Sorry for the rant, just putting my opinion out there.

colibri23

Wow. I can't help but hear a display of hypocrisy in this article. Bashing those that eat clean isn't any better than clean eaters bashing others is it? And it's amusing to me that society thinks because certain people choose to be more disciplined/ educated about what they put in their bodies that it makes them better than anyone else. Yes you can define clean eating just about any way you want but IMO it is eating less processed foods and choosing more natural ingredients. I buy cookies out of a box sometimes instead of bake them, and hit up the sushi bar for some veg sushi, but I also cook/bake most my food at home so I know what I am putting in my body. And when I buy packaged stuff, I read the ingredients and cut out as much preservatives as possible.

Am I better than anyone else? No. Do I sometimes wish I didn't care so much? Yes. But at the end of the day, whether I die walking across the street or into my older years, I want to nourish my body with good whole foods; so that I feel good. As to everyone else, it is your body and it is your choice to do with it, feed it as you choose. I don't look down upon others that don't eat the way I do. Frankly it is none of anyone's business.

Sorry for the rant, just putting my opinion out there.

Begone with your well reasoned and fair minded comment! It has no place here amidst the bashing that will inevitably ensue!

_HeartsOnFire_

Yet another reason you are one of my favorite people!

Here's is one of my favorite quotes from the article: "But pursuing a menu of any of these things in isolation will not make you a better person. It won't make you more deserving of our admiration. It will just turn you in to a self-deluding, sanctimonious bore."

I I Dream of Jeannie!!!

Veil5577

I have friends who brag about "eating clean" which is ironic considering their diets consist of food with the dirt still on it.

williams969

I thought the article was cute and cheeky. I'm not offended in the least. I eat what some tell me is "clean" with the weekly or so "splurge." Back in the day of my youth (the rocking '80s) this type of eating was called "poor people food" (which we were). Duh, eating plain, homemade stuff was the cheap way to feed hungry mouths. I don't call it "clean" eating. I call it "I'm on Food Stamps, so I'm going to get the best bang for my few bucks" kind of eating. That means meat, produce, dry beans, and dairy take priority, and sauces, condiments, and boxed foods are just out of my budget usually.

I think it's a bit hilarious to see "celebrities" touting this as some type of newfangled way of eating to elevate themselves above others. Eat what you want and what makes you a better you, whatever that way is. Cheers!

melsinct

I understand this article was supposed to be humorous but for me it does nothing but feed into the “only elitists are mindful about what they eat” school of thought. Just because someone eats a diet based heavily in “real food” (as in not stuff from a package, with unnatural preservatives/additives, etc., which is how I will define clean eating for the purpose of commenting here) doesn’t make them elitist, holier than thou, or a Gwyneth Paltrow/GOOP disciple. It means they are trying to educate themselves about what they put in their body. Tell me again, why should we mock or shame people for that?

RHachicho

I think this topic actually says as much about the self conscious nature of people who think that trying to eat clean is elitist as it does about the elitist nature of those who eat clean.

There will ALWAYS be sanctimonious health obsessed fitness Nazi's out there. Terminology has absolutely NOTHING to do with it. Certain kinds of people will grasp at almost anything to make themselves believe they are better than other people. These are the same people who bought cars every damn year just so they could have the latest number plate.

Me and my friend affectionately refer to these kind of keeping up with the Jone's jobsworth sh*ts as "Drones", It's generally best to ignore their buzzing. Because it never goes away.

melsinct

I understand this article was supposed to be humorous but for me it does nothing but feed into the “only elitists are mindful about what they eat” school of thought. Just because someone eats a diet based heavily in “real food” (as in not stuff from a package, with unnatural preservatives/additives, etc., which is how I will define clean eating for the purpose of commenting here) doesn’t make them elitist, holier than thou, or a Gwyneth Paltrow/GOOP disciple. It means they are trying to educate themselves about what they put in their body. Tell me again, why should we mock or shame people for that?

I'd like to thank you for perfectly illustrating the point I wanted to make.

You say you eat "real food." So what do I eat? Oh that's right, processed crap/garbage/junk/frankenfood that will give me cancer and kill me.

And then you want to know why people look down on others for the way they eat. You've already done it in the way you label your diet. The first offense is yours, and then you wonder why there's backlash.

"I eat REAL food, you don't. How does that make me elitist?"

You've answered your own question.

Actually, I just couldn't think of a better way to describe what food without any additional preservatives, additives, etc. would be called. Don't hold my inability to think in the morning against me, LOL! That's fine to clutch your pearls over the use of the phrase "real food". I'm sure I could have phrased it better but couldn't think at the moment I was typing. Regardless, I try not to food shame ANYONE who is trying to do what they think is right for their body. I think a lot of people on MFP would benefit from taking the same approach. In the end, most of us have the same goals: be a healthy weight, be active, be strong, etc.

Amitysk

And...In!!

Meerataila

That's okay, keep eating crushed up insects, preservatives, and other nasties in your food. The more I read, the more grossed out I get.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shellac

http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/UnNews:Allowable_insect_parts,_rodent_hairs_in_food_increases


Those links alone are enough to make me wonder why I never thoroughly researched what exactly is in my food. But really I did know, I just didn't want to think about it. I'm really grossed out to find my multivitamin has Carmine in it, though. Thanks GNC.

swalberg0625

I understand this article was supposed to be humorous but for me it does nothing but feed into the “only elitists are mindful about what they eat” school of thought. Just because someone eats a diet based heavily in “real food” (as in not stuff from a package, with unnatural preservatives/additives, etc., which is how I will define clean eating for the purpose of commenting here) doesn’t make them elitist, holier than thou, or a Gwyneth Paltrow/GOOP disciple. It means they are trying to educate themselves about what they put in their body. Tell me again, why should we mock or shame people for that?

+1

swalberg0625

Wow. I can't help but hear a display of hypocrisy in this article. Bashing those that eat clean isn't any better than clean eaters bashing others is it? And it's amusing to me that society thinks because certain people choose to be more disciplined/ educated about what they put in their bodies that it makes them better than anyone else. Yes you can define clean eating just about any way you want but IMO it is eating less processed foods and choosing more natural ingredients. I buy cookies out of a box sometimes instead of bake them, and hit up the sushi bar for some veg sushi, but I also cook/bake most my food at home so I know what I am putting in my body. And when I buy packaged stuff, I read the ingredients and cut out as much preservatives as possible.

Am I better than anyone else? No. Do I sometimes wish I didn't care so much? Yes. But at the end of the day, whether I die walking across the street or into my older years, I want to nourish my body with good whole foods; so that I feel good. As to everyone else, it is your body and it is your choice to do with it, feed it as you choose. I don't look down upon others that don't eat the way I do. Frankly it is none of anyone's business.

Sorry for the rant, just putting my opinion out there.

Begone with your well reasoned and fair minded comment! It has no place here amidst the bashing that will inevitably ensue!

Haha well I have to admit your comment made me chuckle, but in a good way! :happy:

robinaddison

"Not that I advocate "eating dirty" as a protest. I am just as irritated by all that filthy Americana, the menus of fast food elevated only by the use of quality ingredients in the service of fat, salt and sugar. Sometimes that's OK. Sometimes it's great. Just as salads are sometimes great. But pursuing a menu of any of these things in isolation will not make you a better person. It won't make you more deserving of our admiration. It will just turn you in to a self-deluding, sanctimonious bore."

Brilliantly put.