What the hell is "clean eating", anyway?

[Arch0wl]

A subset of the bodybuilding community (and even the underground bodybuilding community friendly to performance enhancing drugs) is obsessed with "eating clean."

Truly, I have no idea what this is because I've heard so many differing opinions.

Some people say it's avoiding processed foods, but this seems ridiculous since that wouldn't necessarily change the nutrients in the food, and it's unclear how this would radically alter your muscle development at all.

Purely in terms of macronutrients I *guess* this could mean some kind of fat/carb ratio, but again, everyone has some different take on this, and it seems like one of the more new-agey concepts bodybuilders like to talk about.

In terms of subsets of micronutrients, I could see arguments for reducing sugar or sodium, but that's for blood sugar and blood pressure levels respectively. Trans fats are obvious to avoid, too. But beyond this, I'm really not sure what "clean" could mean, since not only is this vague ("clean" is someone's perception of a certain nutrient balance, we don't actually know what that nutrient balance is) but it varies from person to person.

Is there some kind of established science to what a "clean" bulk would look like, or is this just broscience?

[Arch0wl]

relevant: http://evidencemag.com/clean-eating/

[Mahou]

I thought "clean eating" was a myth.

[MosaicMan3]

Nice article! It was a decent read, there was a couple bullshit parts possibly using old studies. But 99% of it is right on point, and one of the most well written health articles I've read.

Clean eating is extremely subjective, just like the word "natural".

Personally when I tell a client to eat clean I'm referring to:
Whole foods,
little to no preservatives,
little to no artificial flavoring.

The reason why is artificial preservatives have 0 nutritional value, and in excess have potential negative side effects. For example, in the Marines we aren't allowed to more than 10 days of eating only MRE's because after 2 weeks or so they are proven to effect mental health, and make you "fucked in the head". I'm sure you can spend over 10 hours googling "why preservatives are bad"

And me personally I don't want to have my kidneys and or liver put effort in digesting something with little to no nutritional value.

But in its entirety eating clean is what YOU accept it to be.

[SCWolf]

I don't really think it's that complicated. It's just a word used to describe foods that are healthy. If you only eat healthy foods, you're a clean eater. If you eat lots of dense, not so healthy foods you're eating dirty foods.

Also for that matter, if you confuse what's natural and what's not with bodybuilding you're missing the big picture.

[Arch0wl]

But that just shifts the question to "what is healthy?" and "what is non-healthy?"

Like, ice cream is extremely healthy for you if your blood sugar levels are low. Sodium is healthy for you if you have extremely low blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, avoid sodium. But a specific food won't be intrinsically "healthy."

[SCWolf]

I feel you're being too specific about a general concept

Some foods are inherently healthy without being situational. Same goes for certain foods that are unhealthy.

[Reincarnate]

Disclaimer: I don't consider myself sufficiently informed on this topic.

That being said: My understanding is that it's largely broscience. As long as you're meeting your macro and micronutrient targets and keeping an active lifestyle, EAT WHATEVER THA FUUUUUUUUUCK YOUWANNAEAT.

[Arch0wl]

Originally Posted by SCWolf

Some foods are inherently healthy without being situational. Same goes for certain foods that are unhealthy.

Like what, though?

Not trying to get on your ass about this or anything, I just don't know how to reconcile this with what I've read elsewhere.

[Reach]

Any food that is 'intrinsically healthy' probably just has high micronutrient density, low/no sodium and cholesterol, no trans fats, no/little sugar. I can't think of much else to meet the requirement.

Unhealthy? Anything high in the above.

Though, quantifying health in terms of a single meal or combination of meals is probably where things go wrong. Anyone can eat an unhealthy food and still be healthy, conversely someone that is in poor health can eat healthy foods and still be unhealthy. Health is much more than what you eat.

Additionally, you can eat combinations of foods that are potentially not the most optimal in terms of the above criteria that get you to the same place anyway. e.g. most americans don't really eat any fruit or vegetables on a regular basis but 99% of the population has sufficient micronutrient intake in pretty much every category other than vitamin D.

[SCWolf]

Originally Posted by Arch0wl

Like what, though?

Not trying to get on your ass about this or anything, I just don't know how to reconcile this with what I've read elsewhere.

Well, for example

If someone were eating two meals a day, and both meals consisted of tilapia, grilled chicken breast, brown rice, potatoes and vegetables, this person would be considered a clean eater.

If someone were eating two meals a day that consisted of KFC and McDonalds, they would be considered a dirty eater.

That's kind of what separates the two. Regardless of whether or not they're hitting their macros.

[Reincarnate]

Perhaps:

"Dirty" foods = foods that can be abused easily, often found in significant proportions in the diets of most overweight, unhealthy people.

There's nothing inherently unhealthy about, say, pizza -- but it's real easy to blow your macros and overeat, which can lead to obesity and health problems, etc.

It's harder to overeat if your diet is composed of satiating foods with low caloric densities.

[MosaicMan3]

The natty thing is a whole topic of its own. It isnt cut amd dry. Some pro federations only ban anabolic steroids, but prohormones are acceptable, some follow the ada restrictions. Some require to pass a piss est while others restrict use from the past 7 years ad some forever. And require polygraphs to help prevent some liars.

On a personal level, some individuals consider some supplements as unnatural, while some extremists consider any processed foods as unnatural. It's all up to the individual or the federation.

Just like what clean eating truly is. My healthy diet includes jolly ranchers, and I eat them while Im cutting, and for me that is clean, but someone who abuses it, is not eating clean.

[SCWolf]

Originally Posted by Reincarnate

Perhaps:

"Dirty" foods = foods that can be abused easily, often found in significant proportions in the diets of most overweight, unhealthy people.

There's nothing inherently unhealthy about, say, pizza -- but it's real easy to blow your macros and overeat, which can lead to obesity and health problems, etc.

It's harder to overeat if your diet is composed of satiating foods with low caloric densities.

Yes

[NorthStrong]

I don't like to use clean / healthy, preferring micronutrient-dense foods as an alternative term.

However, in some cases, unhealthy foods can be healthier. I like the example of this - would you live longer eating ice cream, or celery? Ice cream, because your energy intake wouldn't be ridiculously low.

[SCWolf]

My goal was to explain what the terms mean in relation to bodybuilding/fitness, definitely not by what actually defines clean and dirty. If it seemed like I glossed over valid opinions, it's not because I don't think they make sense, I was basically trying to explain what this idea means to the fitness community specifically.

I don't actually give a shit what I'm eating, as long as it fits my daily targets.