Clean eating
A diet trend focusing on whole foods and avoiding processed items.
Clean eating is an umbrella term for a variety of diets that emphasize consuming whole foods while avoiding convenience food and other processed items, based on the belief that this approach offers certain health benefits. Some variations of the diet also exclude gluten, grains, or dairy products and advocate the consumption of raw food. The concept has gained notable popularity as a dietary trend.
Quick Facts
- Original meaning
- High protein, low carb, avoiding sugar, fat, and junk food to build lean muscle without gaining body fat
- Key popularizer
- Tosca Reno through 'Eat-Clean' books
- Notable advocates
- Ella Mills
- Natasha Corrett
- Hemsley sisters
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- Clean eating trends have become increasingly popular through blogs, television segments, and magazine articles.
- Many health and wellness gurus who promote clean eating base their information on personal experience.
- Advocates include Ella Mills, Natasha Corrett, and the Hemsley sisters.
Definition
The term "clean eating" originated in the bodybuilding community in the 1990s, where it meant eating high protein and low carb while avoiding sugar, fat, and junk food to build lean muscle without gaining body fat. Its meaning shifted in the 2000s following a series of popular "Eat-Clean" books by Tosca Reno, wife of bodybuilding magazine publisher Robert Kennedy. Today, many understand clean eating as the belief that consuming whole foods and avoiding convenience and processed foods offers health benefits, with some variations excluding gluten, grains, or dairy and promoting raw food.
Criticism
The term "clean eating" covers a range of diets. Most agree that focusing on whole foods, fruits, and vegetables while cutting back on processed, sugary items is healthy. However, stricter versions that eliminate entire food groups face criticism for lacking scientific support. Some warn this approach could raise osteoporosis risk by cutting out calcium from dairy. These extreme forms are often labeled fad diets.
More in Fad Diets
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