Clean eating?

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bethfartman
bethfartman Posts: 363 Member
in Food and Nutrition
What is does ‘clean eating’ mean to you guys that are adopting such as a lifestyle? I find the term confusing since I often see it associated with recipes that include processed foods like cheeses and I think of ‘clean’ as only unprocessed whole foods- does it make a difference if it's processed via a somewhat natural process vs a mechanical or otherwise 'unnatural' process? I think the confusion lies with the fact that I just don’t understand the true meaning of it all. Enlighten me!
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Replies

  • mindysreadyforchange
    mindysreadyforchange Posts: 107 Member
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    I would love to hear the responces to this! Thanks for posting!
  • AlyssaNorth
    AlyssaNorth Posts: 57 Member
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    Watching.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-dirt-on-clean-eating/
  • Wonderwoman2677
    Wonderwoman2677 Posts: 434 Member
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    From what I've read it means if it didn't grow in the ground or have a mother it isn't clean. I think dairy products are a grey area.
  • kingscrown
    kingscrown Posts: 615 Member
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    I have a Tosca Reno book that talks about eating clean. I eat someone where between her and the Engine 2 diet. I see now she's getting on the Vegetarian kick too. You might get more info from just reading her site since it's free. http://toscareno.com/
  • haroon_awan
    haroon_awan Posts: 1,208 Member
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    This is a response I normally post to some forums:

    Your nutrition has to be good too. Ideally you should be eating something every 3-4 hours to keep your metabolism going constantly. Make sure you eat something in between breakfast, lunch and dinner such as a snack of fruits, nuts or low fat cheese. Eat fruits, vegetables, wholemeal/wheat/grain/pulses, lean protein, and healthy fats. Healthy fats are key to weight loss and fitness: soya, seeds and nuts, oily fish, avocados, flaxseeds, extra virgin olive oil etc. You need these in your body.

    Example of a day’s food:
    Breakfast needs to be wholegrain toast or oats, lean protein and fat like eggs or soya, piece of fruit, add some salad if you like.
    Mid morning snack, have some fruit, nuts or low fat cheese or yoghurt (low in sugar and fat).
    Lunch needs to wholegrain, lean protein, vegetables and healthy fats (like breakfast).
    Mid afternoon snack same as the mid morning snack.
    Dinner same as lunch.
    Be sure to drink 2-3 litres of water and avoid fruit juices (especially ‘concentrate’ ones).
    Alternatively you can have 5 small meals a day instead of the in-between snacks.

    Skipping lunch and having a big dinner is just silly! People who do this and are really skinny generally don’t eat enough are the ‘lucky’ ones who eat whatever and still don’t put on any fat. But the years always catch up to them. Look at most of the adults around you, they are all overweight and unfit, and it’s because they spent years eating crap and it catches up with them, even if it takes 5 years for it to happen.

    Only choose foods from the top 3 tiers of this guide http://www.teambeachbody.com/eat-smart/michis-ladder and workout 5-7 days a week doing a variety of workouts: cardio and upper body training.

    Stay away from coke, pepsi, diet coke/pepsi, chocolate, crisps, doughnuts and takeways eg fish and chips, pizza, Chinese, McDonalds, Burger King etc because this is all poison to your body. The same for alcohol and cigarettes.
  • Squiggs67
    Squiggs67 Posts: 178
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    I understand it as domestic fruits and vegetables, fish, grass fed beef, pork and chicken, nuts, legumes.
    If I was following a 'clean eating' diet I wouldn't eat wheat, sugar or dairy. This may or may not be in line with what others think it is, it is just my idea of clean eating.
  • bethfartman
    bethfartman Posts: 363 Member
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    http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-dirt-on-clean-eating/

    Thanks @acg67! I saw that article too while looking around forums for my answer, but after reading it I had more questions. It seems all in all, like a fairly general meaningless word and could easily be replaced with the word 'healthy' or something similar. I thought there was more behind it, but I don't seem to finding that.
  • AntSteps
    AntSteps Posts: 20
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    These sites help me:
    http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating/
    http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/real-food-defined-a-k-a-the-rules/
  • xXKatrinaXx
    xXKatrinaXx Posts: 234
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    To me it just means as little processed foods at all.
  • bethfartman
    bethfartman Posts: 363 Member
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    Only choose foods from the top 3 tiers of this guide http://www.teambeachbody.com/eat-smart/michis-ladder and workout 5-7 days a week doing a variety of workouts: cardio and upper body training.

    That's a good link too!
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    This is a response I normally post to some forums:

    Your nutrition has to be good too. Ideally you should be eating something every 3-4 hours to keep your metabolism going constantly. Make sure you eat something in between breakfast, lunch and dinner such as a snack of fruits, nuts or low fat cheese. Eat fruits, vegetables, wholemeal/wheat/grain/pulses, lean protein, and healthy fats. Healthy fats are key to weight loss and fitness: soya, seeds and nuts, oily fish, avocados, flaxseeds, extra virgin olive oil etc. You need these in your body.

    Example of a day’s food:
    Breakfast needs to be wholegrain toast or oats, lean protein and fat like eggs or soya, piece of fruit, add some salad if you like.
    Mid morning snack, have some fruit, nuts or low fat cheese or yoghurt (low in sugar and fat).
    Lunch needs to wholegrain, lean protein, vegetables and healthy fats (like breakfast).
    Mid afternoon snack same as the mid morning snack.
    Dinner same as lunch.
    Be sure to drink 2-3 litres of water and avoid fruit juices (especially ‘concentrate’ ones).
    Alternatively you can have 5 small meals a day instead of the in-between snacks.

    Skipping lunch and having a big dinner is just silly! People who do this and are really skinny generally don’t eat enough are the ‘lucky’ ones who eat whatever and still don’t put on any fat. But the years always catch up to them. Look at most of the adults around you, they are all overweight and unfit, and it’s because they spent years eating crap and it catches up with them, even if it takes 5 years for it to happen.

    Only choose foods from the top 3 tiers of this guide http://www.teambeachbody.com/eat-smart/michis-ladder and workout 5-7 days a week doing a variety of workouts: cardio and upper body training.

    Stay away from coke, pepsi, diet coke/pepsi, chocolate, crisps, doughnuts and takeways eg fish and chips, pizza, Chinese, McDonalds, Burger King etc because this is all poison to your body. The same for alcohol and cigarettes.

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  • hopsonc24
    hopsonc24 Posts: 143 Member
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    Clean eating: Does it grow from the ground or come from a mother. If so, its clean.

    Fruits, veggies, beans (they all grow from the ground) meat and eggs (comes from a mother)
    Nothing processed

    As whole as you can eat.
  • juicygurl1
    juicygurl1 Posts: 195 Member
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    I read a couple of books in regards to "cleaning up" my diet. The Perfect 10 and The Metabolic syndrome program. both authors offered similar advise on healthy choices of food to eat and avoid. Both author stated that eating processed dairy products were unhealthy in other words stop eating Velveeta, American or canned cheese spread. I can honestly say without using resource quotes that since I have changed my eating habits from ordinary foods containing trans-fat, artificial flavorings, excessive sodium, and no sugar I feel 100 times better. I can walk without limping and less knee pain. I stopped snoring at night, my entire body doesn’t ache and my skin condition of rosacea diminished; balls in your court…
  • Stagolee
    Stagolee Posts: 74 Member
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    I think in practice it just means 'clean' as compared to that persons' prior diet (meaning nutrition).

    So for someone new, clean eating may be no burgers and shakes.

    For some others it may be locally organic legumes and spinach blah blah blah

    In my opinion, being the 'clean eating' police with any other person is an error.
  • Staput33
    Staput33 Posts: 1
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    Check out www.heandsheeatclean.com. They have a whole section on what eating clean means. They also have a lot of recipes which are very good.
  • emo1234
    emo1234 Posts: 13
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    organic
  • bethfartman
    bethfartman Posts: 363 Member
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    I think in practice it just means 'clean' as compared to that persons' prior diet (meaning nutrition).

    So for someone new, clean eating may be no burgers and shakes.

    For some others it may be locally organic legumes and spinach blah blah blah

    In my opinion, being the 'clean eating' police with any other person is an error.

    Thanks, that explains it best for me. I realize now it's a general term as opposed to a specific eating plan- everyone seems to have a different take on it. I was associating it with something like the recently trendy paleo diet. I would say I eat pretty 'clean' already, but as I'm not a huge fan of generalizations, I would probably never use that term to actually describe the way I eat.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Clean eating: Does it grow from the ground or come from a mother. If so, its clean.

    Fruits, veggies, beans (they all grow from the ground) meat and eggs (comes from a mother)
    Nothing processed

    As whole as you can eat.

    So butter, cooking oils etc are all out?
  • bilberryjam
    bilberryjam Posts: 72 Member
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    I think in practice it just means 'clean' as compared to that persons' prior diet (meaning nutrition).

    So for someone new, clean eating may be no burgers and shakes.

    For some others it may be locally organic legumes and spinach blah blah blah

    In my opinion, being the 'clean eating' police with any other person is an error.

    Absolutely.

    I think it's worth noting, too, that most people who 'eat clean' are actually 'trying to eat clean.'

    For me, it means staying away from sugar, junk food, ready meals; eating refined carbs in moderation (if I have bolognese, I want it with spaghetti, not quinoa; I just have less spaghetti); and cooking healthy meals at home. (Good quality cheese - yes, please. Cheese from a tube - no thank you.)

    But, like anyone else, I have good days and bad days - the secret to sticking with it is not to sweat the bad days.

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