Eating clean is a way of eating in which the food consumed is as close to its natural state as possible. That means no processed foods, nothing that comes in a box - basically if it's man-made, chances are it shouldn't be eaten. To give you an idea of eating clean, bodybuilders tend to eat this way. However, most people who are trying to eat healthier and lose weight find it difficult to follow.
I run another blog about clean eating and many times, depending on the topic, people will leave comments like "that isn't clean eating." I have even received emails about the links I point to for recipes stating that I need to learn what clean eating is. I totally think it's fine since I started the blog in the hopes to get better at eating clean.
Yet, lately I have been less and less interested because I feel like I have fallen into the category of those who just want to eat healthier without having labels applied to my meals. Just recently, someone left a comment that resonated with me:
Please just stop. Stop with the "clean" and "dirty" eating or "clean" and "dirty" foods. Food is food. A meal is a meal. You do not "cheat" when you eat "dirty" food. The moral attachment that occurs when labeling foods in this way serves to generate guilt and is counterproductive to the goal of fat loss. Eliminate these words from your vocabulary and you'll be happier and less neurotic. [view the comment in full here]
That comment made a lot of sense to me which is probably why I haven't been able to really get into writing much on that blog. I still like the idea of eating clean. It makes sense and I believe people who do it are very satisfied with their results.
Are you a clean eater? Do you feel like there is a moral attachment to eating that way?
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Overeating or eating unhealthy is very psychological for a lot of people so why not use that psychology to promote eating healthier.
Food is food, but there is good food and bad food. Nothing wrong with the terminology “clean eating”.
Cheers,
Rafi Bar-Lev
It makes perfect sense to distiguish between foods that are close to their natural state – “clean” – and foods that have been refined, coloured and pumped full of fat and sugar – “dirty”. I use the distinction very often myself and it’s a great way to highlight the difference between foods that are natural and good for you and foods that are man-made and bad for you. If you can’t handle that distinction then feel free to replace the word “clean” with ["insert your word of choice"] and the word “dirty” with ["insert your word of choice"]. The words really don’t matter, as long as they indicate in some way that the natural foods are good for you and the refined foods are bad for you. Ultimately I think the problem isn’t the categorizing of foods as “clean” or “dirty”, it is the belief that you shouldn’t eat any dirty foods. If you’re a bodybuilder, eat 100% clean. If you’re a competitive athlete, eat 100% clean. If you’re a normal person with a job and a social life, moderate your intake of dirty foods but don’t feel you have to cut them out completely. Nor should you feel guilty if you eat dirty foods once in a while, just don’t live on them. If you are in the habit of living on dirty foods then attaching a bit of guilt to that behaviour probably isn’t a bad thing. If I didn’t feel a smidgen of guilt every time I had a curry and 5 pints I’d be eating like that every night and probably weigh about 30 stone by now. That smidgen of guilt doesn’t ruin the delicious scrumptious experience that is a lamb rogan josh, naan bread and pilau rice, washed down with Cobra of course… it just makes sure I do that once a week instead of once a night. The person who posted that comment has missed the point that guilt can actually be very productive. It is only when people feel guilty for eating the smallest amount of dirty food that it becomes a problem.
I just found the site and this was the first post that came up. I googled ‘fitness blog’ because I’ve seen a couple other fitness or diet blogs after developing an interest lately and they’ve been pretty interesting! So I said I’d shop around! Good first impressions here!
Anyway where was I? Clean eating! I’ve been a pretty clean eater for the last 2 months and I think it’s been the most worthwhile change I’ve made to my life in a long time! After the first week or so it stopped being a challenge and I really started to enjoy it. I’m a 16 year old guy and it’s not a very common thing for people my age to eat well. I feel like it’s ‘my thing’. And I feel the effects too. I’ve never felt so good! I feel fresh and healthy. Maybe that’s a placebo, but whatever. (I started exercising more as well about 2 weeks ago. The combination makes me feel just awesome!)
With regard to weight loss, I don’t think weight loss comes as a direct result from eating clean foods, because a calorie is a calorie. You can overeat on anything. But the oppurtunities where I would normally have eaten chocolate or had a cookie have left little gaps in my calorie intake. I lost about 8-10 pounds in the last month or two (I’m not entirely sure of my original weight).
Now the reason I started this comment slipped my mind for a while and I just started talking slightly off topic. Last night I ate a chinese take away. I felt guilty. I know it’s okay to eat this food every once in a while, but I couldn’t help feeling regretful. For me, this was mainly because I felt I had broken something I was doing well with. Similarly (though probably less drastic) as a cigarette smoker who is trying to quit might feel when they’ve had their first in a while.
Oh and I started to eat healthily because I thought it might keep my blood pressure low when I found out that it was a little higher than the average, which I didn’t like.
Apologies if this comment is a little all over the place, I was just throwing down whatever came into my head)
In response to James’ post, I think for most apparently healthy individuals there will be a direct correlation between weight loss and eating a diet of only natural foods (vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, legumes, and very lean protein sources) as opposed to highly processed, packaged foods. It is difficult for most people to overeat when the plate is full of high fiber, highly nutritious, natural foods. If it is mostly processed, energy dense food it is much easier to consume too many calories.
As far as labeling a manner of eating or classification of foods, I think it becomes a matter of opinion, just like fitness and exercise. One person idea of “clean” or “dirty” may not be exactly the same as another person’s.
Sorry for the grammatical error. I meant “One person’s idea of “clean” or “dirty” may not be exactly the same as another person’s.”
I personally don’t like the term “clean” or “dirty” for use with the way we eat. I think a combination of both ways of eating is more than acceptable.
I agree with using the “clean” and “dirty” terms. This helps me pick the foods I know are good for me. Labeling food is not bad if you are trying to retrain your mind into making better life choices. I have never been able to get the results from any other so called “diet”. I started it after I had a small stroke and I was scared because the so called experts couldnt really show me how to prevent them so I went on my own and found the “clean eating” life style change. It was either wait around for another small one or even a big one that left me paralized. I truly have found my new way of eating. I will never go back to the old ways. This way is not for everyone. My own husband eats all the “dirty” foods and has a lot of health problems, but he will not change because he will not even taste a fruit or vegetable. This is quite difficult to live with him too:)
I say just try your best. It’s basic health knowledge to get plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains in your body on a regular basis. It’s basic knowledge to stay away from junk food and fast food. If you do these things, that’s living clean. Anything else is just going the extra mile. Atleast that’s how I feel.
I’ve never associated any type of morality with “clean eating” or “cheat” meals. I think the term “clean” is used to emphasize eating more natural foods rather than the processed foods. Those two terms are a regular part of my vocabulary and will continue to be. If a person feels guilty, it’s probably for a valid reason and not because of mere words. After 6 days of clean eating, a moderate cheat is a great way to reward yourself and regain focus.