Clean Eating for Beginners

What is wrong with white eggs? I thought the shell colour has to do with the breed?

Everyone knows that the Rhode Island Reds are the only clean chicken . . .

For people who are sensitive to sugars, high carb foods, etc. finding their own definition of clean eating is not a joke, and it does a disservice to newbies to make it a joke. Some people have intense food cravings after eating sugar/higher carb foods that make it very difficult to eat a low calorie/weight loss diet. It is easier to eat "clean" and reduce the food cravings so sticking to lower calorie diet is possible. Here is a summary of some of the research that supports this, under the topic "not all calories are created equal." And by the way, if you are one of those people who can eat ice cream and cookies in limited amounts and not crave more, more, more then stop reading. This doesn't apply to you.

There is a great article in well.blogs.nytimes.com titled "How Carbs Can Trigger Food Cravings by Anahad O'Connor. it summarizes new resarch published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and research published in 2010 in the New England Journal of Medicine that shows that sugary foods and other processed carbs that are known to cause abrupt spikes and falls in blood sugar appear to stimulate parts of the brain involved in hunger, craving and reward. In other words if you eat these foods you want more. It isn't so much that in terms of actual energy/ calories there is a difference, but that these foods affect the neurotransmitters in the brain in a way that sets off craving and leads to overeating. That is why those who say it doesn't matter what you eat do a disservice to those of us who are sensitive to higher carb foods and the resulting cravings. In other words we need to stick to a lower carb/higher protein food plan to sustain a healthy way of eating that allows us to lose weight.

This research supports what I have learned by trial and error. I have lost 75 pounds (took about 18 months) by eating a low carb/high protein (all relatively speaking) diet; and avoiding foods that cause me to crave overeating (sugary and high carb foods). I also ate moderate calories and exercised most days.

What I experienced is that high carb foods set off cravings in me (not immediately but as I begin to metabolize them). I believe I am genetically sensitive to these foods, based on what I have read about the science, and that some people probably share that sensitivity and others don't (like alcohol and alcoholics). What was interesting to me, is that it took about 30 days for the craving to go away, and during that time I experienced symptoms that have been described by other types of addicts who have experienced withdrawal (tired, ache, feeling like the flu, etc.) What is also interesting to me is that it doesn't really depend on what kind of carbs -- I find that very high carb fruits like watermelon, pineapple, etc. set off the cravings as I begin to metabolize them while less ripe apples, pears, and berries generally do not. Brown rice, whole grain breads, etc. also don't work for me. I get plenty of carbs from vegetables, e.g. broccoli, eggplant, cauliflower, carrots, etc , less ripe apples, pears, etc. I also seem to need a lot more protein that what a lot of people talk about, and I eat that spread out four times a day.

At 60, I feel better than I have ever felt before, and don't crave the sweet/white flour stuff. I lift heavy weights, do kettle bells, a lot of aerobic exercise, and my arthritis is so much better I can even jog a moderate amount with the approval of my arthritis doctor. Amazing what weight loss, and increased muscle strength can do for arthritis!

I am so glad that this science and epidemiology is available to help others, and that I do not need to feel that I am a sample of one. So my definition of clean eating works for me, and I hope you find a plan that works for you.