Is Clean Eating Ruining Your Relationship with Food?
Several years ago, I went through a serious clean eating phase. Everything had to be organic, home-cooked, and free from anything “bad”. I followed strict rules: no eating after 8pm, no processed sugar, and a “detox” three times a year - which basically meant cutting out all dairy, gluten, soy and living on smoothies and green powders while trying to parent and work.
If that sounds exhausting? You’re right, it was!
The Reality Behind My Clean Eating Phase
I still remember standing in my kitchen, weighing out mulberries because they had less sugar than raisins. I swapped them into lunchboxes like I was doing my kids a favour. Spoiler: they hated them.
Birthday cakes were gluten free, dairy free, sugar free - and taste free. Watching my children poke at them with children’s forks at their own parties should have been my wake-up call.
But the clearest memory is crying in a supermarket in France. Surrounded by fresh baguettes and croissants, I sobbed because there was no gluten free bread. I truly believed a single bite of gluten would poison me. Looking back, I see the irony: on holiday in a country famous for its food, and I couldn’t enjoy any of it.
What Does “Clean Eating” Even Mean?
This is the question I wish I’d asked myself sooner: if some food is “clean”, does that mean other food is… “dirty”?
Clean eating often sounds harmless at first: eat more vegetables, whole grains, pulses, and fruit. Drink water. Eat fewer biscuits. I guess that might make sense.
But the way clean eating is sold online takes it further. Entire food groups are demonised. Dairy and wheat get banned. Sugar becomes public enemy number one. I even went as far as fearing fruit because of its natural sugar.
One influencer will tell you butter is evil. Another says butter is fine - but only if it’s grass-fed and organic. Someone else says all processed food is bad but pushes their own protein powder (which is, funnily enough, processed). It’s confusing, inconsistent, and often perpetuated by people with no nutrition qualifications.
The Real Danger: Rigid Rules and Food Fear
For me, clean eating didn’t make me healthier - it made me obsessed. I spent hours meal planning, ingredient hunting, and reading labels. I felt proud when I stuck to my plan, but guilty and ashamed when I didn’t.
This kind of rigid thinking triggers an “all or nothing” mindset. Eat perfectly or fail completely. Have a biscuit? Well, the day is ruined - might as well binge on everything now and start again tomorrow.
This is the trap. Clean eating promises control, but for many people it creates anxiety, fear and guilt. Some even develop disordered eating patterns or conditions like orthorexia - an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating.
So, Is Clean Eating Always Bad?
Well… a diet rich in whole foods - vegetables, whole grains, pulses, fruit - supports long-term health. We know fibre helps digestion. Fruit and vegetables provide vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Whole grains can lower cholesterol and help keep your blood sugar steady.
BUT you don’t need to ban birthday cake to eat well. You don’t need to fear pasta sauce. You don’t need to cry in a supermarket because a baguette doesn’t fit your rules.
A Balanced Approach
Rather than labelling food as clean, try asking:
Am I eating a variety of foods?
Am I eating enough?
Does my food give me pleasure and energy?
Can I eat food without stress or obsesssion?
Balance doesn’t mean perfection. It means flexibility. Sometimes you eat the salad. Sometimes you eat croissants. And - crucially - you move on with your day.
If This Sounds Familiar…
If you’re nodding along because you’ve been there, I really get it because I’ve been there too and I’ve helped many clients untangle this. You deserve a peaceful relationship with food, free from guilt and rigid rules.
If you’re ready to break free from “clean eating” rules and enjoy food again? Join my free masterclass on how to eat well without fear or restriction. Just click here to sign up.
Got questions about clean eating or want a bit of support? Just pop your details in the form below and I’ll send you a couple of simple tips you can use straight away.