Nourish Your Body and Mind Through Journaling
What you eat impacts the way your body functions and plays a big role in your overall health. Making better food choices helps build a stronger immune system, improves digestion, boosts energy levels and reduces your risk of developing many serious health conditions, including heart disease.
Ever wonder how keeping track of the things you eat can help improve your eating habits? Beth Hils, MEd, RD, LD, dietitian at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, shares food journaling tips, including how to get started.
Benefits of Keeping a Food Journal
“Tracking food intake is a tool that helps reduce mindless eating and promotes accountability to reach your health goals,” says Beth. “When you measure and track each bite of food and sip of beverage you’re taking in, you’re more likely to be more mindful of your daily intake and make those bites and sips count.”
If you struggle with emotional eating or binging late at night, tracking everything you consume may help you identify the patterns that trigger these behaviors so you can work to overcome them.
How Food Journaling Can Help with Emotional Eating
Keeping a food journal is a great way to better understand your eating habits. Record emotional happenings or strong feelings associated with when, where or why you ate something. This can help you spot emotional triggers in the future. Also log any physical reactions after eating something, especially if your body had a negative reaction.
Food journaling can also help you identify the “Whys”, such as:
- Why do you eat when you’re not hungry?
- Why do you choose to eat sweets over fruit?
- Why do you feel worse after eating certain foods?
- Why do you eat more (or less) when dining with friends or family?
Choose a Method You Like
There are many ways to keep track of your food, don’t limit yourself to just pen and paper.
“Do what works best for you,” says Beth. “There are many methods to choose from, but the only one that will work is the one that’s right for you.” Don’t be afraid to try multiple formats, you may find success using a combination of approaches. The goal is to make it easy and enjoyable so you’re more like to stick with it.
Try to be patient with yourself if you aren’t consistent at first. Set reminders on your phone or ask a friend to be your food journal buddy.
Avoid Common Food Journaling Pitfalls
Some of the top mistakes that people make while food journaling are:
Incorrect Portion Sizes
Use measuring cups and a food scale for accuracy rather than eyeballing it.
Forgetting to Include Condiments, Sauces, and Gravies
These can be high in fats, calories and sugars – these little extras can add up quickly.
Tracking Later in the Day
It’s important that you track your food in real time; don’t wait until the end of the day and try to recall everything that you ate. If you prefer to use a pen and paper to track, use something small enough to fit in your pocket or purse.
Get on Track Today with Healthy Eating
If you have concerns about your eating habits or your relationship with food, talk to your primary care provider. They can provide guidance and resources based on your specific needs.
Healthy eating is one of the primary components for preventing heart disease. To learn about other modifiable risk factors and their impact on heart health, visit the St. Elizabeth Take Time for Your Heart program. This virtual content hub is filled with practical tips, tools and preventive strategies to help you make positive changes for a healthier you.
