What is “clean eating” anyway and why is everyone so focused on it? You hear and read about “cleaning up your diet” all the time nowadays, but with such a vague term combined with various ideas about what foods are healthy, it can be confusing to know how to effectively “clean up” your diet. Do you stop eating meat? Stop eating bread and pasta? Both? Do you buy everything at Whole Foods and trust it’s “clean”? Do you have to give up coffee? There were various times that, despite having a basic understanding of nutrition, I asked all of these (silly) questions.
When I started getting more serious about running I wanted to clean up my diet to improve performance while training to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I thought that eating clean meant lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein and low fat (all this came from runners resources). I tried to eat this way to fuel my body for increasing mileage and general good health while pushing myself to the limits of my endurance. What did I actually experience from eating this way? Insatiable hunger, lots of digestive issues, and energy highs and lows. Yes I was running well (at first), but it didn’t last. I wound up injured, too thin, and sick with digestive problems. So what was wrong with my approach? Lets go through it and find the problems. *Remember, this is only my experience and should not be taken as medical advice.
For starters, the whole “low fat” thing was very wrong. Fat is a huge component of the whole “I think I’ll stop eating now” phenomenon and FAT. IS. NOT. FATTENING. OR. BAD. FOR. YOU! Seriously, chuck that mentality out with the snackwell cookies. I know, you’re thinking “but I already eat a half avocado in my salad and 2 tablespoons of nut butter so I’m good”. But I’m telling you I’ve been there and you are probably not eating enough fat. Now if you told me you are eating a whole avocado with every meal, pouring lots of olive oil on your salads and adding plenty of REAL butter or ghee to your veggies, potatoes, eggs, etc, then I might say it’s enough. When I started eating paleo the amount of fat that I quickly realized I needed to eat astounded me. It also contributed to making me feel better than I’ve ever felt in my life. Stop associating fat with nasty fried restaurant food and processed junk and dive mouth first into some really healthful and delicious sources. Avocados are great, and you don’t need to stop at half! Virgin coconut oil, grass fed butter or clarified butter (ghee), olive oil, grass fed meat (NOT just lean cuts!), raw coconut butter, raw nut butters without added sweeteners or salt, are all great “clean” sources of healthy fats. They are a vital part of “clean eating” and in my experience the best way to feel satiated quickly. You can almost feel the fat nourishing you on the inside!
Eat animal protein Animal protein from good sources, preferably pasture raised, grass fed, or organic, is essential for getting nutrient dense sources of protein in your diet. Meat, seafood and eggs from reputable sources. And no, the “grass fed” thing is not to be trendy, grass fed animals are healthier animals, and their meat contains more vitamins, minerals, higher ratio of healthy fats, and fewer toxins. Trendy or not how can you argue with that?
Whole grains are not as “clean” as you think. We all agree that refined grains do not have a part in a healthful diet. But we seem to worship “whole grains” like life begins and ends with them. If you were to only buy into the dietary advice that you’ve heard day in and day out for your lifetime you would believe whole grains should be the mainstay of your diet. I believed this and my beliefs did me wrong. What I believe now is that they are at best neutral and at worst harmful in many ways depending on the particular grains and how you personally tolerate them. Even if you don’t have an intolerance to substances in wheat and other grains (like I discovered I do), there are truths about whole grains that should be known.
Here’s what Whole9life has to say: “While whole grains leave the bran and germ portion intact (increasing the fiber and micronutrition content compared to refined grains), they are far from nutrient-dense when you compare them to vegetables and fruit.
A daily diet based on “healthy” whole grains provided more than three times the sugar and sodium as a diet featuring vegetables and fruit, but provides less fiber, potassium, and substantially less magnesium, iron, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and K.
In addition, many of the minerals technically present in whole grains are not accessible to the body, thanks to anti-nutrients called “phytates” found in the bran. These phytates grab hold of minerals like calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium found in the whole grain, creating an insoluble and undigestible complex. As these nutrients are no longer in a usable form, they are not absorbed into the body—and you don’t get the benefits. (If you can’t use the minerals, they may as well not even be there.)” Read more from Whole9life here
So pretty much the only place I had it right was fruits and veggies! To sum up, to “clean up” your diet, do the following things:
- Eat lots of vegetables, cooked and raw, and some fruit (veggies before fruit!)
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Eat more fat than you ever thought you’d need (pour it on those veggies!)
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Eat more animal protein than you think you need too, preferably from pasture raised sources.
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Skip or drastically limit grains to make room for the more nutrient dense foods listed above.
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It should go without saying, but anything that comes from a package is generally not a “clean” food. If you eat some packaged stuff for convenience, check the ingredients for the truth and not the nutrition label. The list of ingredients will show you what has actually been added rather than just the nutrient breakdown. Some Larabars only have nuts and fuit as ingredients and are a good choice, for example.
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Similiarly, avoid or drastically limit anything with added sugar or artifical sweeteners. Check those ingredients!
So why do all of this anyway? Can it help you? Well, yes it can. But you won’t really know how it can affect YOU unless you try it for yourself. In general though, if you are used to eating a lot of grains and sugar your body will go through an adjustment period for 1-2 weeks, after which you will start to notice more consistent energy levels, better digestion, better mood (less irritable!), improved recovery from exercise, clearer skin, clearer mind, and less random aches and pains. If you already eat pretty clean, you’ll probably feel the benefits even sooner with just a few tweaks. Be a science geek and think of it as your own personal case study.
Have you tried to “clean up” your diet in the past and what did you notice? Have you found that cleaner eating affects your athletic performance in any way? Does it affect your general quality of life?
Love this, love this, LOVE THIS! 🙂
I am loving the book Diet Cults, in particular how it calls out so many ‘trendy’ fad diets on how they try to project themselves as the ‘one true path’ to health – but they are not. There IS no ‘one path’ – but there are some really bad roads we have been led down.
For me it is always a ‘follow the money’ thing – Fat was blamed because it allowed the corn and sugar industries to get a free ride. Guess who wins in the ‘fat free’ movement? Corn farmers who have a lobby that buys off politicians. And it is a dangerous game that has led to obesity and chemical changes in our children. It is also dangerous because so much of our meat animals are fed nutritionally deficient … yep, corn.
Also, the term ‘whole grain’ can mean things that have been processed and had their elements reconstituted – so it is only ‘whole’ when you look at a list of nutrients and percentages.
And Fat … wow, that has been an amazing part of my personal transformation and the change of healthy eating habits for my family. Personally I am thinner than ever – and eat MUCH more fat than ever before. And more protein.
I have a guest post coming up talking about our nutritional journey – my wife has a bunch of allergies and intolerances (whereas I am like a garbage disposal that can consume anything without consequence), and what we have seen and learned has been amazing.
Four out of the last 7 days our meals have been ‘gluten free’ – and yet full of flavor, filling, and robust enough for two teen boys 6’2 and 6’3!
Knowledge is power … thanks for sharing your story!
I think I have to read that book! I find the political side of food/nutrition fascinating and a little disturbing. Finding out what really works for you as an individual beyond the conventional recommendations is really empowering! Glad you enjoyed reading!
This is great timing for me. I have severe celiac and last night was doubled over in pain again. I had been glutened once again. Reading some lit on celiac I have decided to eliminate greek yogurt to see if this helps. The fat thing has always scared me. I need to eat more for sure. I only eat about a tablespoon oh coconut oil, about a couple of teaspoons of olive oil and a few nuts a day. How much do you find to be enough for someone who isn’t marathon training?
So sorry you’re not feeling well! I really just go by how I feel to determine how much fat I need each meal. It took me a while to get it right. You can play around with different amounts and types and see what works to keep you feeling satiated for 4 hours or so. Also I really don’t count the cooking fats that I use since a lot of it gets leftover in the pan. If you haven’t been eating much fat at all you may need to work up to digesting more of it. Have you heard of whole30? The book It Starts With Food is a great resource!
The reason for eliminating dairy is because I am ALWAYS bloated!
Heather – that is so true with my wife: for her it is gluten-based stuff generally that is bloating, dairy often sends her to the bathroom! (ugh TMI). But the important thing to know that those sorts of things are not normal!
I don’t like labeling food as “clean”. So what is the wine I am drinking? “Dirty?” lol. I guess it is, but I enjoy it so it is worth it. Also, your body needs sugar… you just have to find the right balance. I hate how some runners are afraid of sugar when as athletes we NEED it. As for grains… I NEED GRAINS. I love carbs. I need them for running. I drastically reduced my carbs for about 6 months when I first started weight training. I actually think I was eating too little of them. Well, I slowly reintroduced them to my diet and guess what happened? I got a six pack. No joke. I eat very well, and yes that includes pasta and cereal and oatmeal and sweet potatoes and quinoa, and donuts and ice cream. I love all the food. And I feel great. Eating well 80% of the time works for me. The other 20%? Wine and ice cream, baby!
Clearly you are happy and it’s working for you! I hear you on wine and ice cream…those are my 2 favorites actually and don’t bother me much as long as it’s not too often. Totally agree with finding the right balance of nutrients to thrive and feel your best 🙂
I am knee deep in the clean eating journey right now!! I started a pseudo whole30 2 weeks ago (a beer on Friday nights and store bought mayo still!). If I eat something un-whole30, I make sure it’s still paleo (no dairy, grains, sugar, legumes). I feel pretty good, and have almost totally cut out my sugar cravings!! Neighbors brought us brownies the other night, and although I stated at them for a moment, having a bowl of strawberries instead was an easy choice, which I consider a HUGE victory! But I haven’t noticed any changes in my weight. I have about 15lbs to lose, and although “its not about looks”, sometimes it is!! I want to feel more fit, I want to look more fit, and I want to lose weight so that running will feel better not carrying so much with me on runs! I think I need to increase my veggie intake and decrease my fruits. Still tweaking the foods I eat, but overall feeling way better and totally hooked on “clean eating”.
Any suggestions for veggie packed lunches on the go or snacks? I’m not in a kitchen at lunch time, so I pack my lunches early in the morning after making lunch for my girls, and I end up throwing a bunch a fruit, nut butter and a protein (chicken or tuna) into my bag and running out the door. Lunch is the meal I’m still working on 😉
Also, forwarding this blog post to as many fellow runners as possible. She sounds like she was an amazing girl and started an amazing cause…
http://www.shutupandrun.net/2014/05/lets-finish-this.html?m=1
Enjoy your Sunday!!
When my husband did a whole30 I packed his lunches for work and they were always a salad in the form of a bunch of different veggies, and avocado, egg salad, chicken salad, or steak/chicken/turkey that had been pre-cooked and wrapped separately so he could heat it up at work and add to the salad. He kept olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper at work too. Tessemae’s also makes good whole30 compliant dressings. Snacks for him at work were nuts and fruit since they’re so portable. He also brought leftover dinner sometimes and occasionally I made him a stir fry to take to work and heat up.
As for the weight, I believe that after a solid month of eating clean, if you are inclined to either lose or gain weight you will start to see it happening toward the end. Since changing your eating habbits is not a “diet” in that the purpose is not weight loss, I think you will only experience it if that’s what your body needs to be at its healthiest. It sounds like you’re feeling great so of course that is an awesome start!
Thanks for linking to that post, such a sad story and incredible girl.
great insights! it’s always fun when people throw around words without meaning 🙂 these are great tips for distinguishing between clean and dirty.
Or “clean” and “less clean” 🙂 Depends on who you ask of course! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Thanks for sharing! I really want to start experimenting more to see what works for me. And since I cook alot for my husband, I guess he will be coming along for the ride too:)
Yup my husband too 🙂 now he’s thrilled on the rare occasion I go out with friends and make a “kid dinner” – pizza and chicken nuggets or something. That’s more up his alley for sure but oh well 🙂
Thanks for resharing this post on FB. I find the whole things with fats really interesting. I’ve subscribed to the whole low fat thing for so long it’s really hard to break the mindset. Now that I am Paleo, I’m wondering if being lowfat is doing more harm than good??? I can’t seem to break out of this plateau as far as weight/body composition. I get good protein and am low carb, but I wonder if I need more fat to burn fat?? My trainer is always on me about eating more fats. Thought????
Fat is so important, I’ve found, and getting rid of that “fat makes you fat” mindset is hard because it’s been drilled into us and still is by many sources. It’s just not true. Eat more fat, for sure! And I really recommend the books “Eat the Yolks” by Liz Wolfe and “It Starts With Food” by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig. Really basic and enjoyable reads that clear up a lot of the misconceptions we have about food.