Clean Eating Myths You Need To Stop Believing

1. GLUTEN FREE IS BEST

Clean eating Blogger Madeleine Shaw, the author of Get The Glow claims, “gluten is like sandpaper for the gut”, and encourages her followers to cut it out of their diets. However, gluten is only harmful to the gut if you suffer from Celiac Disease.

 

Despite bloggers claims, dietician Dr Alessio Pansano states that eating gluten is only a problem is you have a, “genetic disposition, a leaky gut, a faulty immune system and imbalanced gut microbes.” There is no need to cut it out if you have none of these issues.

 

2.  EATING ALKALINE HELPS MAINTAIN YOUR BODY’S PH

Natasha Corrett from Honestly Healthy claims that eating mostly alkaline foods brings pH of the blood to a level of slight ‘alkalinity’ and puts less stress on the body to return back to it’s natural alkaline state. Within a recent documentary on the clean eating trend she states your body, “might have to draw on the minerals from your bones to help pull yourself back to that state.”

However, there is no scientific evidence to prove that the food you eat contributes to the level of pH in your blood.

 

3. THE TERM ‘SUPERFOODS’

Some wellness bloggers have stated that superfoods are an essential part of a clean diet. This is the term used to describe foods rich in nutrients. Blueberries, flaxseeds, spinach and goji berries are all believed to be superfoods.

However, there were over a hundred cases of foods being mislabelled and so in 2007 EU regulations banned the term superfoods. The only exception being if it is accompanied by a specific authorised health claim that explains to consumers why the product is good for their health.

 

4. COCONUT OIL IS ‘HEALTHY’

Wellness blogger Natasha Corrett claims that coconut oil is a healthy alternative to butter and encourages her subscribers to use it instead of dairy products.

However, coconut oil is not as healthy as you may think as it contains 92% saturated fat, a higher percentage than that in butter and lard. Saturated fat can raise your levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol and your risk of heart disease and strokes.

“Coconut oil raises LDL cholesterol as much – or more – than animal fats,” cautions Dr. Kenney.

Dr Willett claims that canola, soybean and olive oil is a healthier alternative to coconut oil.

5. RAW FOOD IS HEALTHIER THAN COOKED

Healthy Lifestyle Advocate @fullyrawkristina is a fully raw vegan and claims eating raw is the healthiest diet to follow.

 

However, researchers from the Institute of Nutritional Science disagree. They found that a long-term raw food diet can leave you with low levels of the antioxidant lycopene which is a key factor in reducing risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

 

6. BLOGGERS ARE 100% HONEST

You can’t trust everything you read online. The ‘wellness’ industry is estimated to be worth £2,000,000,000,000 globally. Some people see the money-making side of the industry and create an account promoting it to make money.

Belle Gibson was the first ‘wellness blogger’. She told the public that she cured herself of cancer by clean eating. She had an app with Apple and a book with Penguin Publishing. It was later discovered that she lied about having cancer and it was just a scheme to make money.

If you are looking for safe and expertly supported advice on diet, food, fitness and health head to Not Plant Based. This blog was created by Laura Dennison and Eve Simmons. They offer, “honest, non-patronising advice, reviews and stories to aid those who are prone to unhealthy eating.”