The bestselling author and nutritional therapist took to her Instagram account to share a few words about the ‘clean eating’ controversy that she’s been all too often dragged into
The subject of ‘ clean eating ’ has been one of the most contentious over the last year, most notably following the BBC’s ‘Dirty Truth’ programme which aired back in January. With mounting media attention and debate as to whether the approach was doing more harm than good, the so-called ‘gurus’ at the forefront of the trend were being increasingly named and shamed.
In our experience, the pseudo gurus need to be separated from bona fide nutrition experts in order to ensure that fact-based advice is differentiated from the more fictitious. Healthy eating’s not about fads nor a one-size-fits-all approach and one person that shares that ethos is nutritional therapist and Get The Gloss Expert, Amelia Freer .
Taking to her Instagram account before going on maternity leave, the bestselling author decided to share a few choice words about the controversy that she’s found herself dragged into all too frequently. “In a world where stories sell, the topic of 'clean eating' has become a vehicle for media controversy,” she writes. She makes her stance about healthy eating clear:
“Without wading into the debate itself, or making this personal to any detractors, I would simply like to say that there is a sensible, middle ground: on the one hand, healthy, balanced and nutritionally dense diets are irrefutably important for long-term health; on the other hand, unrealistic, hyper-inflated, nutritionally restricted diets based on bad science (particularly when accompanied by imagery that promotes an unhealthy relationship with our bodies) are undeniably damaging – particularly as we are now exposed to such messages in unprecedented volumes, especially here on social media.”
She adds, “Given these potential risks, I always try my best to present you with evidence-based information, alongside plenty of food inspiration and ideas, which help you to make informed decisions about the nutritional choices that feel right for you.”
She also highlights the importance of the evolving nature of nutritional science and how refreshing her outlook to reflect the most credible recent research is pivotal to her role. “But nobody is perfect, and the status quo of scientific conclusion regularly changes its mind – therefore my views have, and will continue to shift and grow with changing evidence,” she says. “This is simply a reflection of the continual learning required to work in any sort of scientific career. And also the ongoing learning for how best and contentiously to use social media, something I am still grappling with.”
In her closing lines, she encourages her followers to not lose sight of what’s really important. “As an industry, the responsibility of promoting good nutrition must be taken very seriously. But good nutrition does still matter – perhaps now more than ever. I hope you will not lose sight of this truth amongst the maelstrom of debate.”
It’s a stance that we agree with. Common sense trumps extremes in our experience when it comes to long-term changes to the way we eat - a point that Amelia’s Positive Nutrition methodology demonstrates very well. It’s not about being spoon-fed information or regimented calorie-counting, but rather having the tools needed from credible experts to hand in order to work out what works best for us as individuals.
See more of Amelia Freer's nutritional advice and recipes here