“Clean Eating”

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When healthy eating become unhealthy…

(The following definition and explanations are taken from a document
developed by the Centre for Clinical Interventions and Kate Fleming, Dietician.)

“Clean Eating” can be described as eating only select foods from the major food groups and eliminating foods high in sugar, trans-fats, preservatives and/or additives. It also involves choosing foods based on how they are processed or manufactured.  Clean Eating may appear to reflect traditional healthy guidelines, however it is common for those attempting to eat “cleanly” to progress from limiting their intake of certain food types to avoiding these foods altogether.  Restricting our food intake in this way can pose serious risks to both our physical and mental well-being.

I’m going to boil down lots
of type into a few bullet points
about the risks and then list
some questions that help
determine if someone is
eating to cleanly.

RISKS
  • We may miss out on key nutrients by avoiding whole food groups.
  • It may lead to Orthorexia Nervosa, the obsession with eating righteously, cleanly, or perfectly.
  • We may have hormonal imbalances or heart problems.
  • If it’s extreme our mental health could be adversely affected. The more we attempt to control our intake, the more we feel a sense of deprivation leading to preoccupation with eating habits.
  • If we become preoccupied with our eating habits it can affect our ability to concentrate at work or school, give us a sense of superiority over others, and make it difficult to eat with others.
  • Limiting intake, eliminating whole food groups, and preoccupation with eating habits can impact our mood by causing us to be irritable or depressed, or causing shame and guilt when we can’t live up to the standard we’ve set.

Is your eating too “clean” or inflexible; here are eight questions to ask yourself.
If you answer yes to a couple of these, you may need to seek help.

  1. Have I cut out specific foods or entire food groups?
  2. Do I find myself feeling guilty after eating “bad” foods or a sense of pride/achievement after eating good or “clean” foods?
  3. Is it very difficult or impossible for me to eat a meal prepared by someone else?
  4. Am I starting to limit socializing with others so that I am able to stick to my eating habits?
  5. Do I judge other people’s eating habits or encourage them to eat in a similar way to me?
  6. Do I spend a large amount of time planning my meals in advance?
  7. Do I often spend time researching wellness blogs that stipulate nutritional components of foods and the need to follow specific ways of eating?
  8. Am I finding it difficult to concentrate or perform at work or school because I can’t stop thinking about food, planning my meals, or perfecting how I am eating?

Finally, here are a few suggestions on how to overcome “clean eating.”

  1. Follow a balanced flexible eating plan that is based on dietary recommendations
  2. Include all food groups.
  3. Allow yourself, without feeling guilty, to eat foods such as chocolate and cake in moderation.
  4. Limit the amount of time you spend researching what you “should” eat and critically evaluate the information you do receive.
  5. Get help from a professional – doctor, dietician, etc. – if needed.

 

This list picture shows the good and the bad of what’s been scientifically proven. I think it’s really well done.

 

 

Here are some notes I
took during this class.

  • Balance – core food groups, Variety – balance within the core food groups, Moderation – portion sizes and hunger/fullness cues (Notice in the section above, they reference these three guidelines.)
  • Fats shouldn’t be eliminated because they are needed to absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K. (Side note: fats are needed for brain development – it’s been proven that when the country as a whole went toward low fat diets, the rate of Alzheimer’s went up dramatically.)
  • The digestion system doesn’t have a brain; it just does its job to turn food into energy.
  • There is a state of the body called Rest and Digest which indicates the digestion system is doing its job. If the body is in Fight or Flight mode, it can’t also be in Rest and Digest; therefore, the body doesn’t absorb nutrients as well if there is anxiety over a meal.