Compass Communications

Part of the Clean Living Series

By Lisa Rowell

I’ve always loved cooking and baking with fresh, real ingredients. Choosing healthful options for my family always factored into what I put in my grocery cart. As a single, working mother, achieving that wasn’t always easy, and I am sure many can relate. Eating healthfully — or what I thought was — wasn’t always the most affordable, accessible, or time-effective option.  

There are so many opinions, professional or otherwise, about what we should or should not be eating. There are so many differing diets concocted by as many gurus. It can be so confusing. Some can even be harmful. For my family, I chose a more natural, whole foods approach to eating. It’s what some might refer to as clean eating. 

Getting to know our food

Nutrition information labels didn’t start making a wide appearance until the ’90s (although some manufacturers were listing info in the ’70s). Labeling became mandatory in the U.S. in 1994. 

We bought food that was available and affordable without much thought about it, other than what we had been taught in school. We ate what was put on our plates. We didn’t have access to the many important studies on nutrition that were to come. We’d later learn some of these studies were flawed or skewed. 

Our understanding of food science wasn’t as advanced as it is today. We were learning as well as relying on knowledge from previous generations. We heeded advice from our doctors (who received little to no nutrition training) along with charts like the USDA Food Pyramid from 1992. It was replaced with MyPlate in 2011 which remains the USDA’s nutritional standard.

We had limited access to fast food when I was growing up (in the pre-franchised Wendy’s dark ages). We ate home-cooked meals most nights. My mother took advantage of conveniences afforded to the typical American family of that era in preparing meals. That included an occasional TV dinner or boxed meal.  We assumed if it came from the grocery store, it must be good for us. 

By the time food labeling was implemented, I was feeding my own family. And you can bet I was reading those labels. 

Food and science

Science has come a long way in discovering how our bodies metabolize what we consume. That knowledge is growing. Science has contributed to our food looking, tasting, and smelling better, lasting longer, producing greater yields, and so much more. 

Within that science, there are currently about 10,000 food additives and chemicals known as GRAS or “generally recognized as safe” which are approved for our consumption by the FDA. Although some have been banned over the years (such as cyclamate and saccharin which were used in everything from baked goods to soft drinks), the industry is, for the most part, self-regulated. The U.S. is still using certain additives and pesticides that have long since been banned in European nations. Many of these were not in our packaged foods 40 or 50 years ago. 

We assume the products we are consuming are the same as they have always been. In the 1970s, bread was typically made with flour, water, yeast, and salt, but today it can contain a slew of additives, none of which would be found in a typical kitchen. We slather the industrial peanut butter — complete with sweeteners, hydrogenated oils, and stabilizers — all over it and eat it. (The peanut butter I buy has two ingredients: peanuts and sea salt.) 

Who among us didn’t binge eat an entire package of SnackWell’s devil’s food cookies in one sitting in 1994 thinking they were perfectly harmless? 

Butter was out, trans fats were in. We were told to limit eggs. Sugar was okay but not fat. Who among us didn’t binge eat an entire package of SnackWell’s devil’s food cookies in one sitting in 1994 thinking they were perfectly harmless? We were told they were.  

Who knows what we’ll discover about the health and environmental impacts of how we’re producing food in another 30 to 40 years? We’re becoming more aware of endocrine disruptors, neurotoxins, microplastic toxicity, and other  issues in our consumables, from packaging to the food we eat. Our bodies can only detox so much. 

I am not a scientist or a nutritionist, and I don’t understand what it takes to mass produce food. I do not possess the knowledge or background to suggest what anyone should or should not be consuming. I do, however, know that I have complete control over what is on my own fork.   

Is there an attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder connection with diet?

When my sons were in grade school (one in the 1990s and one in the early 2000s), they were each diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) — as are about seven million U.S. kids a year between the ages of 3-17. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 11.4 percent of our children are given a similar diagnosis. Stimulants, nonstimulants, and antidepressants are commonly used to treat ADHD. My boys were each prescribed Ritalin, and with it, a host of side effects. My kids each had more than one side effect from the medication I was told they had to take.  

Playing with our food

About the time my youngest was finishing the second grade (which he had to repeat due to these ADHD issues), I came across various articles indicating that diet might be a contributing factor in ADHD symptoms. The internet had become more readily available by then and I wanted to learn more. 

That summer, I started keeping a food log. Obvious things like sugary foods and drinks, including fruit juices, and even red apples (perhaps from dyes or waxes?) were noted in my food journal as being problematic. Overly processed foods also scored high in my journal as causing my youngest son’s ADHD symptoms to flare. As a working mom, I couldn’t control every single thing he ate in a day but I could track everything I fed him. I cut out the offending food items. Within weeks, my child’s demeanor had changed. 

By the time third grade was about to start, his healthcare provider agreed we could try backing off the medication dosage and then eventually we eliminated it. Whether he “outgrew” his ADHD or our change in eating habits contributed to the reduction of symptoms, I’ll never know. Of course you should always consult with your child’s healthcare provider about what’s best for your child. All kids are different and have different requirements. I simply started keeping a food journal and noting behavioral changes, then reported my findings to his healthcare professional. 

Twenty years later, the research and evidence is still lacking for a clear understanding of how the food we eat truly affects our health, especially when it comes to diagnoses like ADHD. But we’re starting to catch up. The National Institutes for Health (NIH) indicates healthy eating patterns and diets rich with nutrients “have been inversely associated with the risk of ADHD.” The organization states that ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood. Yet, the relationship between dietary patterns and ADHD has yielded inconclusive results from study to study. Some studies found positive associations between diet and ADHD and others found no significant association. There are plenty of available studies on the topic for the curious reader to explore. (Pay attention to who funds which studies.)

Clean eating, sort of

Clean eating is basically defined as choosing minimally processed or whole foods that are close to their natural state that are grown in environmentally conscious ways while limiting processed foods and refined sugars.  

All I can attest to is how my own family has been affected by adopting a primarily clean eating diet. We feel better, are sick less often, and have more energy. My goal was to try to eliminate as much added sugars, chemicals, dyes, and general crap from our diet as possible and prepare meals from scratch using real food. 

We don’t go overboard with the concept. I might have a soft drink or a fast food burger once in a blue moon. I enjoy a slice of cake once in a while or a night out for dinner and a glass of wine. But it’s not my normal habit, as it has become for so many Americans.  

Striking a balance is key. An obsessive and extreme fixation on consuming only “pure” and “healthy” foods is actually considered an eating disorder called orthorexia.

Starting to adopt clean eating can include simple and doable things like eating more organic fruits, vegetables, whole grains, berries, nuts, and seeds, while limiting ultra processed foods.

It can be simple choices like buying applesauce with no added sugars and only one ingredient: apples. Or learning to make your own from organic apples. Or buying plain yogurt and adding your own fresh fruit instead of the sugary cups loaded with dyes and unnatural stuff. Your taste buds will quickly become acclimated to not eating overly sweetened or salty foods. 

The American Heart Association recommends no more than six teaspoons of added sugar (different from naturally occurring sugars) per day for women and no more than nine for men. All it takes is one soft drink and you’re over that limit. 

Learn to prepare a meal from scratch rather than making it from a box or eating out, or try making a component of a meal from scratch, such as a side dish or a sauce instead of ripping open a packet. 

Read nutrition labels. I read all the ingredients and general nutrition information of every packaged food item I buy (much to the chagrin of my son when I put something back on the shelf). Labels can be confusing to understand but there are many reputable sources to learn how to navigate them. There is a lot of deception in food labeling. Learning to understand terms and alternative names of ingredients can help you to not be deceived. 

When making decisions about food and nutrition, focus on what’s practical and achievable. Start by doing one small thing at a time, like eliminating soft drinks one day a week or choosing an organic product with fewer ingredients over a cheaper one that’s loaded with additives and chemicals. Seek guidance from a nutritionist. You don’t have to go all in all at once. I sure didn’t. It takes time and continued effort. 

What I keep in my kitchen and what I keep out

I avoid ultra processed foods. All food is processed to some degree, from picking it to packaging it for sale. Ultra processed foods, on the other hand, have been significantly altered from their original state through industrial processes and may contain many artificial ingredients. 

What I generally keep on hand in my kitchen includes items such as dried beans, split peas, lentils and various rices and grains, nuts, baking ingredients such as unbleached and unbromated flour, and the usual baking soda, aluminum-free baking powder, kosher salt, and a variety of extracts, herbs and spices. 

The fridge is usually stocked with eggs, whole milk, plain yogurt (two ingredients: whole milk and live active cultures), cheese in brick form (we grate our own), grass-fed or pastured organic meats, and lots of fresh fruits and veggies. I keep a jar of yeast in case I want to make bread. 

I opt for extra virgin cold pressed olive oil but will occasionally use avocado oil, or unrefined organic coconut oil. I try to avoid seed oils. I use all oils sparingly.

There is a bowl on my kitchen windowsill that is currently filled with organic garlic bulbs, fresh tomatoes, basil, and a few onions. 

I don’t buy food items labeled as low fat or that contain a large number of ingredients, or those not recognizable as being edible or that I would not have in my own kitchen.  

Organic produce isn’t always available or affordable but I try my best to buy only organic from the “dirty dozen” which are known to have dangerous levels of pesticides. These are strawberries; spinach;  kale, collard, and mustard greens; grapes; peaches; pears; nectarines; apples; bell and hot peppers; cherries; blueberries; and green beans. 

Processed or cured meats (nitrite free) such as cold cuts, hot dogs, or bacon are a rare treat for us.  

My older son once complained there was no food in the house, only ingredients. I later overheard him bragging to a friend that his mother could whip up a gourmet meal from C-rations. 

Clean eating doesn’t have to be boring or difficult!  

When my kids were little, they’d reach for fresh fruits or veggies before they’d reach for a cookie. If we had cookies, I generally made them. A small amount of nuts, seeds, or berries is still a common snack in our home.  And I still bake treats regularly. 

A simple swap we make for soft drinks, is to combine a splash of cranberry juice blend (no ingredients other than 100 percent juice) or other pure juice in a glass of sparkling water. That’s less than 50 calories, with zero added sugars compared to a soft drink. Not to mention, you are avoiding high fructose corn syrup while getting a nice dose of your daily vitamin C and other vitamins and minerals. 

Not everything we eat is completely healthful, but we make a conscious effort to avoid chemicals, bad fats, tons of added sugars, dyes, or preservatives. 

We eat lots of fresh salads and vegetables, and less carbs and meats. Not everything you eat needs to be a party in your mouth. My kids got used to eating plain steamed vegetables with maybe a touch of sea salt or a sprinkle of an herb over having them doused in sauces.  

Preparing real food for those I care about is my love language. I find joy in the process of combining real ingredients and preparing a meal that tastes good and is truly good for you. 

Coming up in the series 

We’ll be exploring other areas of clean living in upcoming issues. Topics such as the cost of beauty;  plastics, pthalytes, parabens; eliminating clutter; how to get moving; clear thinking; what’s in our water; minimalism and more could be looked at. Let us know your thoughts by dropping us a note at info@LCCompass.com.