Eating Clean without Making Food an Idol

Eating clean without making food an idol is not an impossible concept. While it might be difficult for many individuals, there are things you can do that prevent you from making food an idol as you try to eat clean. Unfortunately, there are many things associated with clean eating today, some of which are not positive. If you want to eat clean, it's important to be aware of yourself and your predispositions. If you have an eating disorder or have had one in the past, it is best not to engage in eating clean or any diet as it could trigger you back into your disorder or make it worse. 

Eating "Clean"

As someone who has struggled with anorexia for over a decade, I am all too familiar with the idea of eating clean. Eating disorders obsess over clean eating and avoid "unclean" foods. While no foods are unclean foods, clean eating demonizes many foods, such as sugars, carbs, and fats. There is nothing wrong with sugars, carbs, and fats because your body needs them. That said, you need to be honest and truly ask yourself why eating "clean" is important. Is it to improve your health, try a new trend, or lose weight? 

Once you can answer this question, it can help you wisely decide if you want to try eating clean. If you have an eating disorder, have had an eating disorder, or are predisposed to having an eating disorder, the idea of eating clean can quickly become restrictive to you. Clean eating eliminates any processed foods, and for those who struggle with an eating disorder, clean eating can be a way to hide disordered behaviors. Only eating fresh produce and non-processed foods might sound good and even healthy, but it is not healthy for most people. 

Clean eating needs to be better displayed as eating what is healthy for you and satisfying. If you start eating clean and forbid yourself from having certain foods, you will only want them more, and in this way, these forbidden foods will become an idol in your life. Not to mention that if your clean eating turns into an eating disorder, it can be a hard road to come out of. This is why it is best to be cautious with clean eating and consult your doctor and mental health professionals before starting a new diet. 

Avoiding Idols

If you engage in clean eating, giving your body what it needs, eating until you are satisfied, and eating what your body is craving, you are doing right. However, if you are clean eating in the way that you only eat low-calorie food, fear anything processed, and have a list of forbidden foods, you probably need to stop what you are doing. As someone who struggles with anorexia, getting involved in disordered eating is not something I would advise. It can quickly overtake your entire life, and you will lose yourself in the process. 

Many people try clean eating or other diets to lose weight with the idea that they would be happier if they lost weight. This isn't true because if you are not happy with the weight you are currently at, losing weight won't fix that. Clean eating might help you lose weight, but massive weight loss can be a sign of a more serious illness. Even if you don't lose weight while eating clean, you might find it becomes obsessive. You may feel stressed if a friend invites you over for pizza, your spouse wants to take you out to dinner, or your kids want ice cream. 

If clean eating becomes uncontrolled, it will develop into orthorexia or anorexia for many people. Many people might think this is a bit dramatic, but it really isn't. Eating disorders have been at an all-time high since the pandemic. The number of those struggling with eating disorders has skyrocketed, including both men and women hospitalized due to their illnesses. Therefore, it is fine if you want to try out clean eating, but if you find it is becoming disordered, you must stop. 

Clean eating requires you to take many food groups out of your diet, which can make you crave them even more. As mentioned, this will make you start treating food as an idol. You could even begin to see eating clean as an idol because it brings you comfort and joy. Anything we place above God in our lives becomes an idol for us. This can include clean eating or a specific type of food. This is why it is important not to become obsessed with clean eating nor to deprive ourselves of what our bodies need because it will only cause us to create idols out of these very things. 

Balanced Eating

Instead of practicing something that could cause you to develop an eating disorder or make food an idol, try to practice balanced eating. This means you give your body what it needs without depriving it of what it wants. Clean eating requires taking out desserts, sweets, and comfort foods. These might be your favorite foods. Instead of cutting them out, allow yourself to have them while telling yourself you can have more later if you want. By deleting the restrictive mindset, your body can eat what it needs without eating more than what it needs. 

Our bodies are amazing creations of God, and we can trust them. If we hurt our bodies by restricting what we eat, we will only be hurting them, and it might take a while before our body trusts us again. God didn't create us to be at war with our bodies or food. Rather, God gave us our bodies to do great things, like walk, run, and go where we need to go. God has also given us food, and it is there to nourish us. Sadly because of the fall of man and sin in the world, many of us struggle with eating or with our bodies. 

We need to bring all these concerns before God and place them at His feet. Ask Him to help you see your body the way He does and help you with your relationship with food. God says you are amazing and beautiful just as you are (Psalm 139:13-16). He didn't make a mistake when He made you; your body is beautiful. In the same way, don't demonize food or make it an idol in your life. Food is something we all need and we all deserve. 

If you want to try eating clean, go ahead, but be aware of your boundaries and consult with a physician beforehand. If you start to notice obsessiveness, disordered eating, depression, or anxiety, it might be time to stop clean eating. Try balanced eating and see if that helps you eat better, and avoid making food the idol of your life. It is also always important to go to God in prayer at these times and ask for His advice. God delights to help you in everything, including in aspects related to food and your body. 

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Dzmat

Vivian Bricker loves Jesus, studying the Word of God, and helping others in their walk with Christ. She has earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master's degree in Christian Ministry with a deep academic emphasis in theology. Her favorite things to do are spending time with her family and friends, reading, and spending time outside. When she is not writing, she is embarking on other adventures.