Back when I was having daily hives, I started a food diary to try figuring out what was causing it. I also kept a food diary when I had gestational diabetes and was tracking how different foods affected my blood sugar numbers after eating. That led to the discovery that the breakfast of Cheerios and milk was causing a high blood sugar spike. The same thing with white bread, potatoes and pasta.
Keeping a food diary can be pretty simple. A simple way to start would be, on a sheet of paper or spreadsheet, make 3 columns:
Date/Time food was eaten Food eaten How you felt afterwards
In the first column, write down the time you ate something.
In the second column, write down what the food was
In the third column, write down how you were feeling before you ate and how you felt afterwards
It’s a real pain to do, but well worth it. I always think oh I don’t need to write it down, I’ll remember, but I never do. Tracking what you eat for a while lets patterns emerge. For example, if you get a lot of headaches, you can track back the days you have one and see what you ate and see if those days had anything in common.
It also lets you see how much processed or sugar filled food is eaten vs how many vegetables are eaten.
Challenge:
Take 3 days and write a food diary. Keep the format simple like above. Be honest and write everything you eat down, no matter how bad for you the food is. This is only for you and to give you a peak into your daily eating habits. At the end of the 3 days, review what was eaten and commit to switching out something not good for you for a more nutritious option.