Clean eating for noobs?

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3/14/13 12:38 A

The thing is, the site you cited in the first place invalidates that claim. The sources who claim that canning remove nutrients are simply lying to you.

You must know that there's a wealth of information, AND misinformation, on the internet. So how do we tell the difference?

Well, for one thing, sites that promote veganism or a raw diet will not necessarily have the most scientifically accurate statements about food on them. They pick and choose articles and potentially skew the meaning of actual results, to showcase and promote the particular lifestyle they are endorsing.

So who do you trust?

Well, Fitday.com, Mealtime.org, Provena Medical Mercy Centre, and the Better Health Channel in Australia (all from a quick googling) all state that canning only minimally affects nutrients, if at all, and that the rumour that canned vegetables are less nutritional than fresh is completely false.

These sites aren't pushing a particular diet plan. They are much more likely to be reliable than a few independent outliers.

If you do some more research yourself, I think you may find that the information you've been led to believe about canning may not actually be supported by science.

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3/13/13 9:34 P

I actually read it in The Raw Truth by Jeremy Safron but I didn't know how to reference that here. There's also extensive facts and links to articles and studies on veganforum.com under canning. Sorry for not taking the time to cite more valid sources.

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3/13/13 9:25 P

If you're looking for reading material, check out the Clean Eating books by Tosca Reno. There's one called "Just the Rules" that's a quick read. She's written a few others including a couple of cookbooks.

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3/13/13 9:07 P

You're using brighthub as a source? Seriously??

"I read it on the internet, so it must be true!"

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3/13/13 7:42 P

I guess I mean that canned veggies are more nutritious than a cosmic brownie, but for all purposes, not actively healthy. Canned foods loose 60-80% of their nutrients in the process, including the important phytochemicals and antioxidants.
Sorry for the confusion. If you are interested in more reading this might clear it up:
http://www.brighthub.com/environment/science-environmental/articles/72052.aspx

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3/13/13 7:25 P

GENESIS129: "The vegetables are nutritionally void."

Site linked: "Despite some reports to the contrary, no reliable evidence has been found that the heating process during canning kills nutrients, making the foods less valuable as a good nutrition source. [...] Fresh and frozen foods are the recommended forms in order to gain the most nutritional benefit with the least side effects. However, canned foods can be healthful as well, particularly if they create a tendency to include more fruits and vegetables to the dinner plate."

Not sure what your point was GENESIS. You seem to think canning removes nutrients, but this is not supported by the site you link, which goes on to state canned vegies are a good way to increase your daily vege intake (although fresh and frozen are better).

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3/13/13 6:05 P

In regards to #5, the difference between organic and generic vegetables will not affect your weight and overall health, but canned foods WILL, even if organic.
Canned vegetables are drenched in salt and laced with Bisphenol-A, which is harmful. The vegetables are nutritionally void. You're always better off with fresh, then frozen and dried fruits and vegetables. I hope this helps a little! :)

Here's an article on canned foods: http://www.healthytheory.com/should-you-stop-eating-canned-foods

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3/13/13 5:27 P

Miss Roky,
I am replying to your question #3, regarding weight loss. My small group just had a discussion on this exact topic this morning. As a rule, we all felt that even clean eating can be unhealthy if you do not practice self-control(portion control).
We all did however, agree that it is better for you than all the processed foods. We are all on a mission to make better choice and are make steps(although they may be small steps) to a better, more healthy self. Good luck on you journey.

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3/13/13 3:55 P

Hey everyone :)
So im pretty new to this "eating clean" thing. I'm NOT looking for a strict diet that I'm not able to maintain, but rather healthy alterations I can make in our day to day life that we can actually stick to long term. I've been googling up a storm, but some things you have to read novels to get 20 different "takes" on what is and isnt right. I have a few questions...

1. BREAD...I get that im looking for "whole grain", but what other ingredients should i be watching for/against? Any specific brand and where can I buy them. I live in AB, Canada and it seems most brands i hear of are American.
2. Pita's... is there such thing as "clean Pitas"
3. Weight loss?? Does it happen just "eating clean"/working out/portion control?
4.Pasta? Again... clean brands? what to look for?
5. Organic vs. clean.....in terms of canned goods.. are they essentially the same? Organic is no chemicals/clean is avoiding overprocessed foods/added chemicals...
HELP!!
I really want to do this, but its WAY harder to find all the answers I'm looking for than i thought.
THANKS!!!!!!!

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2/15/13 9:53 P

there are clean eating books or magazines you can get. Robert Kennedy publishing has some.

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2/15/13 6:48 P

Okay, by those definitions I am apparently already mostly eating "clean," so I guess no books required! Kind of a bummer, I was looking for a new fitness read. : P

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2/15/13 5:54 P

There is no official definition, no.

Start by not eating anything from a packet, pouch, jar, can, box, bag, or can. Eg if you use tomato sauce with your meals, make your own by purchasing tomatoes and some herbs and spices and cooking them down into a sauce - no added sugars or preservatives in that! :)

Try to stick to food "as it was grown". Eg you would eat an apple, no problem, or a steak or fillet, fine. But you would avoid apple sauce or a sausage, as these are not how those "were grown".

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2/15/13 5:13 P

There's no official definition, and what it means depends on the person using it. MOST people use it to mean whole foods, prepared from scratch, with high nutritional value, as opposite to prepackaged or junk food.

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2/15/13 4:53 P

So I have frequently seen folks on SP and other fitness sites referencing "clean" eating, and the phrase has been tossed around in some of the nutrition books I've read, and it seems like different people mean different things when they use the term. Is there a particular book or other source of information I should be looking at regarding "clean" eating? Is there one official definition, or does it truly just mean different things depending on which food philosophy you subscribe to? If it's something I wanted to try, where should I start?

My usual sources of information (Google, Google, and, oh yeah, Google) have turned up too many options for me to make any sense out of the information, so I'm hoping someone here can point me in the right direction. Thanks!

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