Clean Eating- Guardian Newspaper Article

[di reston]

Hi everyone! Thought you might be interested in following article. What are YOUR thoughts on all this?

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/aug/11/why-we-fell-for-clean-eating?


di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde

 

[GotGarlic]

Hi everyone! Thought you might be interested in following article. What are YOUR thoughts on all this?

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/aug/11/why-we-fell-for-clean-eating?

I saw this a few days ago.

"She was a “gluten-free, sugar-free, oil-free, grain-free, legume-free, plant-based raw vegan”."

"But the “clean” diet that Younger was selling as the route to health was making its creator sick. Far from being super-healthy, she was suffering from a serious eating disorder: orthorexia, an obsession with consuming only foods that are pure and perfect. Younger’s raw vegan diet had caused her periods to stop and given her skin an orange tinge from all the sweet potato and carrots she consumed (the only carbohydrates she permitted herself)."

She wasn't just suffering from orthorexia; she was suffering from malnutrition. No oil or butter or other fat means the body cannot absorb vitamins A, D, E or K. The body also needs carbohydrates to survive. Her periods stopped because her eating habits could not sustain her own body, much less that of a possible child.

This is why I have always hated the term "clean eating." It implies that any other way of eating is dirty and wrong and can lead to this kind of extremism, or guilt that you're not living like this.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I saw this a few days ago.

"She was a “gluten-free, sugar-free, oil-free, grain-free, legume-free, plant-based raw vegan”."

"But the “clean” diet that Younger was selling as the route to health was making its creator sick. Far from being super-healthy, she was suffering from a serious eating disorder: orthorexia, an obsession with consuming only foods that are pure and perfect. Younger’s raw vegan diet had caused her periods to stop and given her skin an orange tinge from all the sweet potato and carrots she consumed (the only carbohydrates she permitted herself)."

She wasn't just suffering from orthorexia; she was suffering from malnutrition. No oil or butter or other fat means the body cannot absorb vitamins A, D, E or K. The body also needs carbohydrates to survive. Her periods stopped because her eating habits could not sustain her own body, much less that of a possible child.

This is why I have always hated the term "clean eating." It implies that any other way of eating is dirty and wrong and can lead to this kind of extremism, or guilt that you're not living like this.

All of which works on your calcium intake, putting the calcium into your bones instead of your arteries.

To me "Clean Eating" means minimally processed foods. I avoid sugar and carbs, because of my diabetes. My downfall these days is rye bread.

 

[Andy M.]

Many folks today are so in need of a simple fix that will make all their problems go away, they'll grab onto any fad that comes along in hopes of a solution.

 

[CraigC]

One look at one of these raw eating, walking cadavers should be all you need to see.

 

[skilletlicker]

Many folks today are so in need of a simple fix that will make all their problems go away, they'll grab onto any fad that comes along in hopes of a solution.

Yup. You hear it all the time. "All the experts are wrong. I have the real truth. Any thing different is fake." And around such assertions, cults are created. MyFitnessPal.com is a useful tool but it is also a place where fanatical adherents to every crackpot "nutritional" fad congregate and proselytize. And no amount of logic or evidence will dissuade the believers because it becomes a matter of faith and tribal allegiance.

 

[Steve Kroll]

Human beings are amazingly adaptable, when you think about it. Despite being around in our present form for tens of thousands of years, we have many different views on what exactly constitutes the perfect diet. Some say veganism is best. Others stress low carb. Or low fat. Or mostly fish. Others say you need a balance. We seem to be able to survive (although not necessarily thrive) on many different diets.

But the funny thing is - and this seems to be a uniquely human trait - is that every one of us who believes we're eating "healthy" is convinced that our diet is absolutely the best, and that everyone else is wrong.

Last night I was in Hy-Vee and saw a couple at the checkout. They looked to be somewhere in their fifties, or maybe early sixties. In their cart they had two cases of Twinkies, a case of Little Debbies, a case of Mountain Dew, and three or four different types of chips/snack foods. Not a veggie in sight. They were obviously alive, but didn't look particularly healthy. In my estimation, their diet isn't the best. But I could be wrong about that.

Myself, I eat a lot like PF: low carb, higher fat, moderate protein. Every so often I might sneak a little bite of potato here and there. As a diabetic, this way of eating seems to work for keeping my blood sugar down and my metabolism functioning normally. Would I advocate my diet being for everyone? Absolutely not.

 

[Andy M.]

Human beings are amazingly adaptable, when you think about it. Despite being around in our present form for tens of thousands of years, we have many different views on what exactly constitutes the perfect diet. Some say veganism is best. Others stress low carb. Or low fat. Or mostly fish. Others say you need a balance. We seem to be able to survive (although not necessarily thrive) on many different diets.

But the funny thing is - and this seems to be a uniquely human trait - is that every one of us who believes we're eating "healthy" is convinced that our diet is absolutely the best, and that everyone else is wrong...

It sounds like you're talking about religions rather than diets. You could substitute the word religion for diet and the general intent of the statement would be right on.

 

[CWS4322]

I believe in eating real food and I prefer to eat food that is in season where I live. That includes fats, veggies, fruits, dairy, and meat. I don't eat processed foods. I also don't eat bread, pasta, white rice. One of the things I have noticed, is that I don't have cravings and I have no inclination to eat between meals.Because I eat my biggest meal in the morning, I am not hungry in the evening. That's when I eat steamed or raw veggies, fruit, maybe some cottage cheese. Our grandparents used to consume most of their calories in the a.m. and afternoon. It works for me. The only time I eat in the evening, is when I am making walleye from LOW.

I have been eating this way for about 7 years. Do I feel deprived? No.

 

[skilletlicker]

...
Last night I was in Hy-Vee and saw a couple at the checkout. They looked to be somewhere in their fifties, or maybe early sixties. In their cart they had two cases of Twinkies, a case of Little Debbies, a case of Mountain Dew, and three or four different types of chips/snack foods. Not a veggie in sight. They were obviously alive, but didn't look particularly healthy. In my estimation, their diet isn't the best. But I could be wrong about that.
....

Your assumption that what you saw in their cart truly represents their diet could be wrong or not. But if that is their diet, the quality of nutrition is terrible and that is not a matter of opinion or an issue on which there are two sides worthy of consideration.

The ability to tell black from white from shades of gray is not always easy. But sometimes it is. Facts are real things. So are wisdom and discernment.

 

[Steve Kroll]

It sounds like you're talking about religions rather than diets. You could substitute the word religion for diet and the general intent of the statement would be right on.

I think one could make the same claim about any number of things, including politics or preferred car models. It usually boils down to "I'm right and everyone else is wrong."

By the way, I'm not very religious, but I do like to eat. So maybe food is my religion.

 

[CWS4322]

I think one could make the same claim about any number of things, including politics or preferred car models. It usually boils down to "I'm right and everyone else is wrong."

By the way, I'm not very religious, but I do like to eat. So maybe food is my religion.

I like to cook, not that fond of eating!

 

[Andy M.]

...By the way, I'm not very religious, but I do like to eat. So maybe food is my religion.

Then going to a restaurant is like going to church. After all, there's bread and wine and you leave money there.

 

[GotGarlic]

I think one could make the same claim about any number of things, including politics or preferred car models. It usually boils down to "I'm right and everyone else is wrong."

By the way, I'm not very religious, but I do like to eat. So maybe food is my religion. [emoji38]

You're missing the influence of external pressure in this case, which does make it like a religion. People are shamed and made to feel guilty for not doing it right. When she started telling her readers that she had an eating disorder, she was attacked. It wasn't just about her and her choices.

 

[GotGarlic]

Human beings are amazingly adaptable, when you think about it. Despite being around in our present form for tens of thousands of years, we have many different views on what exactly constitutes the perfect diet. Some say veganism is best. Others stress low carb. Or low fat. Or mostly fish. Others say you need a balance. We seem to be able to survive (although not necessarily thrive) on many different diets.

But the funny thing is - and this seems to be a uniquely human trait - is that every one of us who believes we're eating "healthy" is convinced that our diet is absolutely the best, and that everyone else is wrong.

Yes, humans are omnivores. But it's not as complicated as people make it out to be.

http://www.huffpost.com/us/entry/4472930

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Cute bulldog, GG, but what was the article?

 

[GotGarlic]

Cute bulldog, GG, but what was the article?

Oops. Sorry.

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4472930

 

[tenspeed]

I ignore the magic diet articles. I eat everything, but also try to keep things in balance. I try to avoid desserts, fatty red meat, deep fried foods, and other things that are generally recognized as not particularly healthy. Otherwise, some of everything is fine, including carbs. I get a fair bit of exercise - a few thousand miles per year on the bike, plus some other activities. Oh, and wine is a grocery.

 

[Just Cooking]

well hell... I'm doomed.... but happy....


Ross

 

[skilletlicker]

Yes, humans are omnivores. But it's not as complicated as people make it out to be.

http://www.huffpost.com/us/entry/4472930

Thanks for the article GG. I think the crux of it is in this paragraph:

To get a grip on the truth about diet and health, it requires an objective review of a vast literature. I know, because I have been obligated to do it. To substantiate a preselected gripe, however, such as “grains are the enemy,” is vastly easier. There is no need to search the literature comprehensively and deal with what you find. You need only decide what you believe in advance, and select out the studies that support it — however few they may be. It doesn’t take many scientific papers to make an argument seem fully substantiated and even erudite. But what you will not know unless you search the literature comprehensively yourself is how often the six papers convincingly cited are at odds with 6,000 papers that are not. Sorry, folks, but pseudo-erudition in support of dietary nonsense really is that easy — and while the authors are the richer, the rest of us are the poorer, fatter and sicker for it.

I certainly have neither the training nor the time, to acquire "an objective review of a vast literature." Nor to "search the literature comprehensively" myself to find out "how often the six papers convincing cited are at odds with 6,000 papers that are not." So like most of us, I must rely on a consensus judgment of the vast majority of professionals who have devoted years of study and experience to acquiring the expertise to make those judgments.

So when I hear somebody, in any field, say that the experts or elites have all got it wrong and I alone have the experience, revelation or common sense to see the truth which, believe me, I'm not sharing with you because of all the money I'm making off it, I cover my wallet and head for the exit.