There is something I have to get off my chest.
I hate. HATE. I mean, DESPISE. the term 'clean eating'.
It seriously makes me want to punch people! I hate how smug it is. I hate how it implies that any other kind of eating is 'dirty'.
The thing is, I'm about 90% on board with the principles behind it. Yes, I agree that whole, natural foods are probably better for you. Yes, I think that over-processed foods probably do something a little weird to your body. But the moral superiority that seems implicit in calling it 'clean eating' just makes me gag. I honestly find it a bit offensive.
I guess I prefer how Kath refers to it as 'real food' on her awesome blog Kath Eats Real Food. At least calling it real is (somewhat) more objective. It IS more real -- it doesn't have so many fake man-made chemicals, or processing. It's in its more original, authentic (real) state. So that's kind of okay. But clean is just such a loaded word here. I'm genuinely uncomfortable with the comment it makes.
This post is not directed at anyone in particular! Actually, I don't even remember anyone talking about this much lately. It's more brought on by the fact that I picked up an issue of Clean Eating magazine the other day, and I really quite like it, but I'm totally embarrassed buying it or carrying around because I think I look some holier-than-thou wanker.
Anyway, that's all. I just had to say it. Clean eating = boo, for me.
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9 comments:
i hate the word slacks oh and package. they sound wet
hell to the yeah
LOL I get what you mean and I am even guilty of this phrase! Yikes...I guess for me, "Clean eating" is not eating out every day!
Please dont punch me!
I don't particularly like the word "ointment."
oh man, you should check out swistle.blogspot.com today. She is talking about how food is the new morality....
I also despise 'clean eating', like if I eat a cookie that isn't organic vegan I personally roasted a baby seal over an open fire and ate him fur and all.
But I guess, that would be clean...
Love that magazine...
Maybe I can give you a different perspective on this. The term "clean eating" comes out of the bodybuilding community, where it is how folks eat while they build muscle or train for competition. For them, "eating clean" is part of a path to a goal in creating a certain body composition. So everything they put in their mouths is related to that goal - thus they eat lots of lean protein to build muscle and avoid processed foods and high GI carbs that will put on fat. So they try to eat clean most of the time but usually have scheduled "cheat meals" where they eat whatever they want. So in that context we are talking about a group of people who are generally very physically fit and I don't think the term seems as loaded.
Now of course the bodybuilding community can get pretty sanctimonious, too. But I think the thing to understand is that "clean eating" was not developed for the average person looking to lose weight... but people like Tosca Reno (who comes out of the world of fitness competition) marketed it towards us because it is effective. (And it doesn't have anything to do with being vegan; most weightlifters eat lots of animal-based foods).
what bugs me even more is that we now have to "shed" our weight instead of "lose" and to do that we have to eat healthfully. WTF does that even mean???? Sheesh.
Fun post!
Oooh, I am totally with you!
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