Why Nobody Cares That You "Eat Clean”

Joe String

J Fitness Training

Amongst the countless dieting protocols spoken of and utilized throughout the world of fitness, there is always going to be that one person who likes to be considered just a clean eater. He may not count macros, carb cycle, be on a bulk or a cut, but you bet that he is eating clean! Seriously, people, what does that even mean anymore?

Now that I have seen myself well into the fitness industry, I am obviously well aware of what is meant by clean eating. If those words are brought up in my presence, I usually just bite my tongue and go along with whatever is being said and think to myself, “This person has it all wrong.” Well guess what? That ends today.

For those of you that need a little background information, clean eating, contrary to what the name really implies, actually means consuming wholesome foods that are micronutrient dense and minimally processed. They are [usually] high volume/low-calorie and are what people consider “healthy” (we’ll get to that word later on as well.)

With the recent turn of the fitness industry (or should I say, with the recent discovery of how the body actually uses energy), clean eaters are, well, completely and utterly misinformed. You see, to me, clean eating is wiping your food down thoroughly before consuming it…and that’s what it should be to everybody else. Let us now take the time to look at why nobody cares that someone eats clean.

The Body’s Use of Energy

There is no doubt that the human body is an absolutely incredible machine. It is energy efficient, adjusts to its surroundings, is capable of completing simultaneous tasks and, above all, runs off of one source of energy. That source of energy is the calorie! Regardless of its source, the human body will take what it is given and use it to function. That function could be autonomic bodily function, such as digestion or resting metabolism or it could be a physical output, such as exercise in the gym.

Beating a dead horse, I know…but a “dirty food” that contains 120 calories will provide the body with the same amount of energy, and will be burned as such, as a “clean food”…whatever that even is. Sure, things such as satiety and such come into play, but when it comes down to the body burning energy, there is absolutely no difference.

Contradicting

As the clean-eating movement began to pick up steam, its enthusiasts were able to get others to believe that it is not possible to gain fat while eating nothing but the list of clean foods. Contradictory is far more than an understatement…take a peak at this list of clean food rules.

Eat more fruits and vegetables.
Eat less sugar.
Eat lean sources of protein.
Eat more Super Foods: almonds, avocados, acai berries, pomegranate, and sweet potato.

Okay, so this is barely even a fraction of the list that I was able to compile. The reason I decided to put these four down on paper is because they do the best job of exposing the clean-eating myths.

First off, eat more fruits…but less sugar? Look, I understand that products high in refined, white sugar are not the most micronutrient dense sources of food, but before looking at the chemical structure of different sugars, understand that fruit contains both glucose and fructose. Now, look at the image below.

Sucrose is nothing more than a combination of the two sugars found in fruit! Dear clean eaters, your logic makes absolutely no sense. Why avoid sugar…when you promote the consumption of it? Sugar itself does absolutely nothing to the body when speaking in terms of body composition change and weight gain. Stop saying, “Oh I don’t eat sugar.”

Next, eat only lean sources of protein? Once again, I see the idea behind this…it helps consumers end up eating a lower fat diet and thus, remaining hypo caloric. However, when attempting to diet and lose weight, is it really feasible to only consume two or three different protein sources without getting sick of them? Not only that, a whole egg, for example, has WAY more health benefits than its leaner, egg white counterpart. Explain to me the definition clean eating again?

This is by far my favorite clean eating claim because of the ignorance of the word moderation. The list of “Super Foods” seen above is comprised of, well, very nutritious and micronutrient dense foods. However, just because those foods are very nutritious and good for the body does not mean that one should go about eating a ton of them. “I ate healthy today. I ate SO many almonds!” Great job…120 grams of fat later!

Like I said, although these foods are “healthy” they are not the friendliest foods in terms of calorie content. In the end, a clean eater lacks the knowledge of actual nutrition. As an avid nutrition researcher, I am happy to hear a person is going to begin to consume nutritious foods to try and lose weight, but I cringe when I hear that said person ate his/her body weight in avocado.

Lack of Knowledge

Above, I mentioned that these clean eaters just lack the knowledge needed to understand proper nutrition. Before I come under attack, allow me to explain what I mean by that.

Obviously, the real definition of proper nutrition should be consuming the vast majority of calories from micronutrient dense, wholesome foods while reaching macronutrient requirements. Any clean eater that tries to tell you that his or her practices are remnant of that statement is simply not telling the truth. Reason being is that anybody that still says, “I eat clean” isn’t even aware of his or her macronutrient requirements.

What do I mean? Think back to what I said about the over-consumption of almonds. Would a man who actually knows the amount of fat he needs in a day binge-eat almonds and then say that he is healthy? NO! He would, instead, fit a normal portion of almonds into his diet to help him reach his macronutrient goals while also getting micronutrients, fiber and nutritious fats.

What Really Matters

Much like any other nutrition-based article I have ever written or has been published on this website, I am going to close this one out by explaining that a healthy eater consumes a wide variety of wholesome, nutritious foods while including some fun, flexible foods, and reaching his/her macronutrient goals. A clean eater simply does not exist. The next time you hear somebody claim that he or she is a clean eater, direct them to the nearest all-purpose surface cleaner and a roll of paper towels.

Other Articles You Might Enjoy

1. How to Start Flexible Dieting (IIFYM)

2. Cheat Meals: The “Clean” Eating Disorder

3. Top Five Benefits of Flexible Dieting

Contact Joe: joestring@jfitnesstraining.com