The 'Clean Eating Trend' – What's it all About?
It is likely that you have heard of the phrase ‘clean eating’ or seen the hashtag #EatClean, in fact unless you have been living in a cave for the last few years, this trend for ‘eating clean’ is everywhere and doesn’t seem to be disappearing anytime soon. But what does it actually mean, where did it come from and is it really good for us? To answer these questions and get some clarity on the clean eating revolution, let’s delve into the basics of clean eating.
What is ‘Clean Eating’?
The phrase ‘clean eating’ can actually mean different things to different people depending on how extreme you want to make it. In very generalised terms, most people promoting the ‘clean eating’ trend tend to use the term to mean only eating ‘clean’ foods in the diet and by ‘clean’ they mean that only foods in their natural state should be consumed. This means cooking from scratch and not eating any form of processed foods. Clean eating also tends to mean eliminating refined sugar from the diet too and not consuming foods or drinks where refined sugar is found. More extreme versions of ‘clean eating’ can include cutting out gluten, grains, meat and dairy products or in some cases consuming foods only in their raw state. You only have to observe the huge variety of books that have been written on this trending topic to see that people’s definitions of clean eating varies greatly. The term has been universally adopted yet promotes a whole array of different eating choices and beliefs, which in essence makes the term ‘clean eating’ pretty much meaningless, as it has no universally agreed upon definition.
In reality the phrase ‘clean eating’, in its simplest form, is absolutely nothing new, it is really only a rebranded and seemingly more marketable version of eating a healthy and unprocessed diet, but the power (or should that be the madness?) of social media has created a modern day branding on what in essence is eating healthy foods cooked from scratch, with no added sugar. In other words eating well!
Where did the ‘Clean Eating’ phrase come from?
It is hard to pinpoint exactly when and where this phrase of ‘clean eating’ came from, but it is likely to have been around for longer than you think. You only need a quick search on Instagram to see the millions of posts using the #CleanEating phrase, which cements the popularity of this ‘revolution’. In today’s world of social media, it only takes one person to write a post or blog that could possibly go viral and literally at the click of a button you potentially have a worldwide audience for whatever you have to say. This of course can be harmless, but it can also be very harmful if advice is given on topics that a person or blogger is not qualified to offer advice on. This is certainly happening more and more in the online world in the area of food and nutrition, yet seemingly does not deter many people from following advice. It is mainly down to the popularity of these bloggers, celebrities and social media platforms that the term ‘clean eating’ continues to dominate both online and off and shows no sign of dying off anytime soon.
Is ‘Clean Eating’ good for us?
As mentioned above, as there is no clear definition of this term, we cannot really simply ask the question is it good for us or not, as that solely depends on what definition you are using to describe this ambiguous term. If we are using it to describe eating a diet rich in plant based foods and eating foods in their natural state to cook up fresh healthy dishes from scratch then yes, it is good and healthy for us and should be an eating choice we all aim for. However, if the term is used to describe an eating practice that is very restrictive and eliminates big parts of what is actually a healthy balanced diet (as some bloggers, books and websites have described clean eating to be), then no, clean eating in this way is not healthy or good for us, especially in the long term.
Many dieticians and nutritionists, including myself, are not a fan of the term ‘clean eating’, however the ‘clean eating revolution’ isn’t necessarily all bad, because what this popular term has created is worldwide open discussion on diet and food and the sharing of healthy recipes and creative and natural ways to reduce sugar for example. In other words the more marketable term of ‘clean eating’ has likely bought an awareness back to consumers on the importance of focusing on a healthy diet and has also highlighted specific foods that many people may have previously stayed away from yet are now consuming because attention has been bought to them. As long as people stay mindful that variety in the diet is good and that no food should really be termed as ‘good or ‘bad’ or ‘clean’ or ‘un-clean’ because doing this can be unhealthy for our mind. All foods in correct moderation can be enjoyed, even ones that don’t adhere to the many definitions of ‘Clean Eating’.