Clean Eating – Separating Fact from Fiction

Is clean eating, healthy eating?

The latest trend that seems to be on the rise for quite a while now is “Clean Eating”. What does it mean? Is there any merit to the claims that proponents of this trend make? We all want to lose some weight, right? We all aspire to eat healthily and take care of our bodies. I know that it is easier said than done but we try. And there is always a new trend out there that claims to be the solution to all our problems. In this article, we are going to separate fact from fiction. Keep on reading to find out more.

Is clean eating, healthy eating?

The idea of clean eating stems from the belief that whole foods, in general, are healthier and better than processed food implying that eating whole fruits, vegetables, and foods is better for your health. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist or an expert to figure out that eating fresh fruits and vegetables is good for your overall health. No argument there. The problem arises when this wave of clean eating tries to drown processed foods and claims to be the only worthy contender for the healthy eating throne. If we take a closer look, we will find that “clean eating” barely equates to healthy eating.

The idea of clean eating promotes a culture of restrictive eating since it classifies foods as good and bad. Before we move any further let’s establish that no food is inherently good or bad. There is no such thing as dirty or impure food. The sections of food that are most heavily demonized by the clean eating movement are dairy products, sugar, and anything that contains gluten. There is no scientific evidence to support the claim that these foods are bad or unhealthy for our bodies. In fact, some of these foods are essential for our bodies. The clean eating movement is essentially creating an environment where food is becoming a source of guilt for many people.

The villain for the clean eating community is processed food but is it really the big bad monster that they make it out to be? Well, actually it is not. First of all, not all processed foods are the same. Yes, we should generally avoid processed foods that are high in salt, sugar, and fat content. But there is no reason to avoid frozen, packaged, fermented or fortified processed foods. There is no reason to call them unhealthy. If anything processed food is making it easier for more people to indulge in healthy eating by giving them easy access to vegetables, fruits, and all kinds of different foods.

The key here is to eat healthy instead of overly focusing on eating clean. A healthy diet is all about balance. A healthy eating individual will prioritize the nutrients in their food over whether it is processed or clean because it’s really not important. As long as you are taking a balanced diet that is giving you all the nutrients that your body needs, you are eating healthy, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I hope that you find this article helpful. Best of luck!

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