Since the ‘clean eating’ backlash has begun, many people have distanced themselves from the term and claimed they never used it or that they used it under (they say) a different definition. Various prominent bloggers have taken to erasing certain words, phrases, and even entire blog posts from their websites. While I won’t deny this is a good thing there’s one issue I have: they won’t admit they were wrong.
How are we supposed to realise our mistakes and to change and improve if we just erase history? That’s not how it works. Deleting posts and pretending they never happened isn’t the right way to go about this. Despite all the media attention I know of only a tiny handful of people who are actually willing to admit they were wrong (none of the ones you see on TV though), and not even one who will apologise for potentially misleading people. You may disagree but I don’t think that’s ok.
I don’t want to be hypocritical. I’ve deleted posts in the past, sure, but usually because I’ve looked back and decided they were terrible recipes and I can do better. I still have a blog post up about superfoods which has a disclaimer at the top linking people to an updated post featuring my changed views backed up with evidence rather than information from press releases. I even still have a post up about “detox tea” (oh god) with another disclaimer linking to a post about how detoxes are BS. I made mistakes. And that’s ok. In fact, it’s a good thing because it makes me human, and it allows others to be ok with their mistakes too.
I fully admit that I am responsible for people wasting their money on useless products like maca powder and teas that do fuck all except make you poop more. I know because I received commission from some of these products. In the same way, I then accepted I needed to act like a responsible qualified scientist and stop promoting bullshit, and then went on to complete a masters in nutrition because I felt a responsibility to provide accurate and evidence-based information. I got clued up, I made a change, and I admitted to it. Why is that so hard for others to do?
This post is inspired by my amazing friend Maxine Ali, who recently reposted one of her old recipes and highlighted the way she used language back then compared to now. It’s a wonderfully simple but open piece, and I’d like to do something similar here.
I want to share some of the things I used to say, and say why they were wrong. After this I’m going to remove these from my old blog posts, because I don’t want someone to stumble across one of these posts in isolation and think that’s an accurate representation of my views, because it’s not. I think that’s fair.
Some examples…
“I always keep a stock of frozen bananas just for this purpose, so I can enjoy a tasty sugar, dairy, gluten, preservative, egg, and hassle-free treat anytime I like.”
Personally, I don’t think banana ‘ice cream’ can be compared to dairy ice cream. They do not taste the same. Also, there’s nothing wrong with eating sugar, dairy, gluten, preservatives, or eggs. Nothing at all.
“I love adding maca powder to my pancakes as it gives me such a buzz of energy that leaves me ready for the day ahead.”
Superfoods aren’t a thing. Superfoods are entirely a marketing tactic and buying expensive superfood powders is a waste of money. The evidence supporting maca is mostly inconclusive. I’ve written more about this here.
“I’ve never been a huge granola fan due to the large amounts of refined sugar usually found in packaged versions”
Sugar is sugar, whether it’s refined or unrefined, that doesn’t change the chemical composition. Certain types of sugar (e.g. coconut) have a couple of micronutrients in them, but they can hardly be called a nutrient-dense food, and you’d need to eat buckets of the stuff to get any of the benefits, whilst also enjoying all the negative effects of sugar overconsumption.
“…these taste just like ‘normal’ dark chocolate but without all the added sugar and preservatives and other nasties! I always use coconut oil as it is completely raw, organic, and fair trade, and so so so delicious! Although coconut oil contains high amounts of saturated fat, these are mid-chain fatty acids which are the preferential fuel source for your body, so when you consume these your body prefers to metabolise them straight away rather than store them as fat. So unlike regular chocolate these will fuel you with slow release energy and won’t give you any side effects like a sugar high and slump, headaches, or lethargy. Not to mention the raw cacao providing you with lots of vitamins”
THERE IS SO MUCH WRONG WITH THIS PARAGRAPH. Chocolate is amazing, even with “all the added sugar”. Preservatives are often essential to make sure less food is wasted, and can even be something as simple as lemon juice or salt.
Coconut oil…a lot of the claims made about coconut oil refer specifically to MCTs, and coconut oil contains more than just MCTs. There’s nothing majorly specifically wrong with it (although you could make a case for the high saturated fat content), but claiming it’s something amazing and incredible is not accurate. I do still use it on occasion, but when it fits with the flavour of a dish, rather than for any health reasons. Coconut oil is great with curry, but doesn’t belong in Mediterranean cuisine.
Raw chocolate can definitely give you sugar highs and slumps. Ask anyone who’s enjoyed too many samples at VegFest. Raw cacao doesn’t provide you with “lots of vitamins”. Sure, it has a little bit, but it’s not necessarily significant in the context of an overall diet.
On spiralising: “As the weather is getting warmer I’m finding myself eating more and more raw foods, especially at lunch, as I don’t want anything cooked and I have exams coming up so don’t want to spend ages in the kitchen.”
The irony of this is that I didn’t own a spiraliser at the time so it actually took me forever to make “zoodles” or “courgetti” using a julienne peeler. Carbs are awesome, just eat noodles. Also, raw food isn’t necessarily more nutritious than cooked food.
“This quiche filling is raw, vegan, and paleo, making it suitable for pretty much all dietary requirements, and is especially for those people who are intolerant to soy products – no tofu here!”
Some might argue its quite an achievement to make a dish catering to this many dietary requirements but to me it just screams desperation and fad. Fad fad fad. For some reason, I really liked to attack tofu in the past. I think I read one thing somewhere online (probably from a certain blogger) that soy was bad for women’s hormones and that was it, it was gone from my diet. Tofu is a great source of plant protein, so please don’t fear it.
“As always, these are gluten free pancakes”
Why?! I never had issues with gluten; no allergy, nothing. I honestly don’t know why I did this to myself. No doubt I was once again following advice from Instagram.
I’m a scientist, and science is constantly updating what we know to be true about the world. In the face of new evidence and new knowledge, science doesn’t pretend we were right all along, it simply updates and changes and progresses. So, I’m acting like the scientist (and imperfect human) I am. I admit I was wrong, but that’s ok. I have improved.
I don’t know what the backlash is, but I really appreciate this post. You’re so right. If we just pretend we were never wrong, if we never allow people to know we were wrong, how will any of us grow? It is especially bad when you not only delete your wrongs, but then turn around and point the finger at people that are still making all the same mistakes. Good for you for being honest.
Exactly! And I feel there’s a lot of this happening in the ‘health blogging’ world and no one is really talking about it the right way.
Because, if you talk about it, you get BANNED!
That is so sincere and humble 🙂 hugzzz from the other side of the world 🙂 keep rocking ❤️
Thank you!
How can you say there’s nothing wrong with eating dairy?!
Because there isn’t, at least not from a health perspective. Ethics is a whole different can of worms that I don’t and won’t go near.
Also if that’s all you took away from this post then I think you completely missed the point…
Good on you Pixie……and yes, all our ancestors ate carbs/meat/ veg/dairy/sugars etc etc etc and still lived a comparatively healthy life because they worked and knew how to burn it off. Different societies and different cultures use their own natural ingredients i.e. coconut oil in south of India. Possibly this is more to do with the abundance of coconut trees first and health benefits later.
Hence we all come back to the same point about having a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
As for being “wrong about dairy” Lizzy, if we are so worried about taking milk from the cows, we should also be upset about eating vegetables, grains as all of them are living things or products of living things!
Excellent post Pixie, thanks for being honestly you – a person that grows and changes over time (as we all do). I’ve personally learned so much from following you and your scientific brain :0) x
Great article – well done.
Amen. Thank you for admitting your wrongs of the past. Honestly, it’s nothing to be ashamed of but in fact the way all of us evolve in life. We can only learn from our faults and being honest about them is a sign of strength.
One thing I’m curious about: how and where did the backlash you mention start? I must have missed it.
Thank you! I personally started writing about how I disagreed with ‘clean eating’ back in 2015, but the backlash from the scientific community and the media started last year (I think, it’s hard to pinpoint an exact moment), and has now led to many many articles and a few BBC documentaries on the subject.
Brilliant piece. I was suckered into clean eating last year which triggered a relapse into an eating disorder I thought I’d conquered 20 years ago.
Thank you so much for this, it’s going to be a long road back to recovery but articles like this really help.
Huge huge respect and kudos for writing this.
I’ve been against the clean eating mantra from the start, shocked at how much sheer BS was shared in its name, how much inaccurate advice given, even occasionally dangerous – especially to those impressionable individuals who took it all literally.
And I’ve been disappointed, since the backlash grew in momentum, to see the big names of the niche distance themselves from their initial stances, but without admitting they were wrong, that they shared incorrect information, that they made a mistake. Instead, as you say, they have deleted or edited old content to hide what they initially preached, and pretended that they meant something wholly different to how clean eating is seen now.
I wish they had the strength, courage and honesty that you have.
Thank you those were my thoughts exactly! I was so disappointed at their reactions.
Very well done, and very bravely done – unlike some. It’s been a despairing time, watching people, mainly young women, delete more and more things from their diets, in an effort to obtain some golden hued nirvana, that just doesn’t exist.
This is very heartening to see, so THANK YOU.
And this post just got you added to my list of blogs to read.
What are you thinking? Rule #1 of the internet is “I am never wrong, ESPECIALLY when I am”!
Seriously, though, a good read and it is nice to see you are prepared to question your own beliefs, as well as the half-thought-out and damaging nutri-nonsense, the main purpose of which is to fill newspaper space and make quack ‘doctors’ rich.
Extra honesty points for posting actual examples.
Too funny to read. In a good way 🙂 I need to go through my old blog posts and evaluate my language as well 😐
I’m not sure what inspired this post but you have a new reader. Thank you. Eat real food…. It’s that simple, right? 😋
Much frustration inspired this, as is usually the case with my blog posts haha!
Much frustration inspired this, like most of my blog posts haha!
Really glad see a food blogger consistently evaluating and revising their philosophy in public and with honesty.
As a vegan, I wish you had qualified the “Nothing wrong with eggs and dairy” to include the word “nutritionally” to distinguish it from “ethically.”
Well done you for owning up. A little moderation in all things seems to me to be a mantra we should always return to…she says with a piece of carrot cake and cup of coffee to hand 😉
Excellent article. Takes a lot of character to admit errors in such a public way. We need more bloggers like you.
Spoken like a true scientist. What a refreshing article 😊!
Well this is an awesome blog post and you are definitely on the read list from now on! 😀
Thank you for your honesty! I work as a nurse, going back to school for my DNP currently. Even working in healthcare and knowing about proper nutrition, I still take a second thought when I see different blog posts or “claims” about health foods/fads. I appreciate you taking the time to educate yourself and look for answers backed by science. I wish more people would at least take the time to explore both sides of an issue before choosing their stance.
This is so wonderful that you chose to write this post and all the things you did to amend the posts that were wrong. Respect! This is what scientists should do, there is nothing wrong with changing your beliefs and making different and better decisions once you know more.
I do like your honesty – particularly Chocolate is amazing!
When you know better, do better. I appreciate and applaud your courage in refuting some of your own statements. This takes a lot of guts! I am a consumer confused by all of the “eat this, don’t eat that” rhetoric online. I have made my share of food mistakes, too, believing in one thing I read or heard. I’m also a farmer’s daughter and some of my income is derived from the Ag industry so I am very concerned about the way consumers are driving farming practices based on their “Instagram”. Your post encourages people to learn more (maybe a Masters degree is more than most would do). In North America we have the luxury of questioning our food sources and demanding more or better. That luxury comes with a responsibility to understand all sides of the choice and the implications of our influence. Please keep using science as your guide and sharing your knowledge in ways that your followers can relate to.
This is great. Well done on your honesty and humility: let’s hope it starts some kind of trend. x
I always thought that the term “clean eating” meant eating whole foods (not processed) with an emphasis on plants and a deemphasis on carbs – that nothing was really off-limits except heavily processed, packaged/prepared foods. Regardless, I thank you for being human and evolving your thinking as you gain more knowledge and, most importantly, for “owning” that journey! Good job!!
Great post. As a biochemist this is refreshing honesty.
First of all, I think the spirit of this post is great. You are brave to admit to being wrong, and absolutely right that science is self-correcting. It’s also great that you incorporate references into your blog posts instead of being a shill for some company that sends you free stuff. So in the spirit of honesty, maybe there’s something else to address? As a real scientist with a PhD, and who works as an academic scientist, I think that you calling yourself a scientist is a bit of a stretch. You can be a science advocate, or a science communicator, but writing blog posts with references in them doesn’t make you a scientist just because you have a BSc at university. You can love science but not BE a scientist, and being skilled at science communication (such as reading academic journal articles and distilling them into prose for laypeople to understand) is extremely important. So don’t sell yourself short on your skills, but it’s not really accurate to call yourself a scientist, either.
Yes, to be honest that has been something that has played on my mind recently, and I think ‘science communicator’ is more accurate. My first paper has recently been accepted for publication, and I am currently working on a voluntary basis with my old university to conduct follow-up studies and so on, but I realise that this probably still isn’t enough to justify it. I appreciate you saying this though, and I think I will change this from now on, so thank you. Who knows, maybe one day I will give in to the pressure from my supervisor (and parents!) and do a PhD!
Great post but I think you may have missed one, which is about organic food. There are so many people out there who genuinely believe organic is better and are being misled into buying expensive food which is not superior in any way, and is actually unsustainable in it’s production.
I definitely agree with you on that, and I have actually written a whole blog post on the subject of organic food. The main reason I haven’t included it here is that it’s one of the few things I personally didn’t fall for, probably because when I started blogging I was just a poor student who couldn’t afford organic food. But yes, 100% agree.
I think the world would be a better place if we could admit when we were wrong and move on (after all, we’re all learning and growing), and everyone else can accept that and move on too.
Thanks for modeling mature, healthy behavior for us on the interwebs!
+1 new reader. For science!
This is such a wonderful post! Keep doing what you’re doing, it’s amazing.
Being wrong, failing to hit targets, not achieving goals – that is where the learning is. Evolution tells the story of a series of failures over millions of years to where we are today. Not perfect but able to adapt.
I really enjoyed this post
Great! I myself find it annoying when people can’t grow past their preconceived ideas.. fads…
It is so hard to be self-critical – especially going back and re-reading old cringey texts. Thank you for sharing & updating old posts.
Yay Science!