I was reading the January '09 issue of one of my favourite fitness magazines the other day when I stumbled upon the Publisher's note. He was going on about how terrible he felt for eating a kit-kat bar because it wasn't part of his clean eating regime.
Seriously?! Has guilt become part of what we need in order to make ourselves fit and healthy? I don't see how this could have been inspirational to anyone at all. If anything guilt just feeds the feelings we already have when we eat things that we KNOW we shouldn't. I think most people would reach with "Wow...if he still has trouble with this, what hope in hell do I have to ever succeed? I'm just giving up!"
Because it seems to be a trend that is growing in popularity, I decided to look into clean eating and started with my favourite search engine, Google. I found a lot of websites boasting free meal-plans and recipes. At the bottom of the first of 10 (plus, I'm sure) pages, there was an article published on Canada.com, written by registered dietitian Samara Felesky-Hunt (http://dietitian-online.com) - perfect place to start!
Hmm...it seems to tell me things I already know. Food at a state that is closest to its natural state holds the most nutritional value! Over-processed food isn't good for you! Water is your best bet over pop or juice to quench your thirst! You should try to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables at every meal! Instead of adding sugar, try applesauce, honey, dried fruit or maple syrup to sweeten things! Lean proteins are the best protein! Healthy fats are good for you! Rah Rah Sisboom Bah! Sittin' on a grand stand, beatin' on a tin can, who can, we can! NOBODY ELSE CAN!!
So if these things are such common sense (which I believe them to be), then why is there such a huge problem with heart-disease, diabetes, obesity and other its-gonna-catch-up-with-you-sooner-or-later diseases? We cannot deny that our eating habits are the culprit (other than, of course, genetics and other factors that may come in to play). Why do we, as a society, fail to make common sense choices when it comes to eating?
Are we defeatists? Do we have too much emotional baggage and stress that leads us down dark, unrecognizable paths of self-loathing where our only comfort is the sweet, creamy taste of chocolate? Do we keep ourselves so insanely busy that its easier to stop somewhere to grab something in disposable (and not necessarily environmentally friendly) packaging rather than either a) slow down and take proper breaks during the day, or b) tote around sh*tloads of Tupperware so that we can eat healthier? What are all our excuses?!
I'm not here to advocate or speak against clean eating...yet. Is it the best thing for us? What happened to everything in moderation? Well, I think that went out the window when portion sizes continued to grow and change. Gotta give the consumer their money's worth!! Yah, they may get 3-4 servings in 1 entree at a restaurant, but look what they're paying for it! Ok, that's partially to blame. But what about us? We still need to be held accountable, right? It is our choice to plow through 3-4 servings verus eating 1 and asking them to pack the rest, right?
There seems to be a lot of information on clean eating, this might have to be a series. My general thoughts at this point are that clean eating seems to be physically healthy, but I question the effect on our emotions and our mental health. If you don't allow yourself some sort of treat every once in a while, then what fun is it? If you are being that controlling with what is and isn't allowed in your body, is it a borderline eating disorder? On the flip side though, if you're that attached to something that you would question your existence without it, then is it a deeper seeded addiction problem?
Food for thought...
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