Food journaling, also known as dietary tracking, involves recording all the foods and beverages consumed over a certain period, along with any physical or emotional symptoms experienced. This practice leverages the interplay between diet and health, providing valuable insights into how specific foods influence the symptoms of chronic diseases. This one really hits home for me due to my own having of colitis. I’ve dealt with the disease for decades now and chronically suffer from side effects like back pain which can severely affect my weight training. I also have many clients with autoimmune conditions and have family members as well. The mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of food journaling can be understood through several scientific perspectives, let’s explore them!
Identifying Food Triggers and Allergens
Many chronic conditions are exacerbated by specific food triggers or allergens. For instance, certain foods can provoke an inflammatory response in individuals with autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis or colitis. By systematically recording food intake and corresponding symptoms, patients can identify and eliminate these triggers from their diet. For example, individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) often react negatively to dairy, gluten, or high-fat foods. Identifying these triggers can help reduce gastrointestinal inflammation and discomfort. I am in this bucket and I’m constantly learning what I can and cannot eat. It’s been a lengthy process and I’ve only just recently had the revelation that the amount of fat I had in my diet was affecting my colitis symptoms.
Including Other Factors
One of the benefits of food journaling is that it makes you really in tune with all of the other symptoms you may be experiencing, but never paid attention to. It’s important to keep track of things like your mood, aches and pains, ability to focus, sleep quality and quantity, and strength levels during workouts. For me, all of these things can be affected during a flare up, and if I can identity when they are beginning to be affected, I may just be able to interject and stop a flare up from becoming full fledged.
One of the symptoms I pay the most attention to is back pain. Nutrition has long been associated with chronic back pain both positively and negatively. This has never rung truer with me than the past 2 years or so. I’ve noticed that foods that I usually try to stay away from due to gastric discomfort, now have a direct link to pretty severe bouts of back pain. I could feel really amazing one day, and then wake up in the morning with my back completely out. Foods like pizza, creamy pasta dishes, onions, and really spicy foods are out the question for me now.
The way that I explain this to people is imagine that when you go to contract your bicep, there is an uninflated balloon inside of it. This uninflated balloon represents the level of inflammation in your arm. As you’re exposed to triggers such as food, stress, etc., this balloon slowly starts to inflate. Over time, you would not be able to contract your bicep because of the volume of space the balloon is taking up right? Now imagine your abdomen the same way. The uninflated balloon is your digestive system when things are running smoothly. As you expose yourself to those same triggers and your digestive system becomes inflamed, the balloon is now inflated. The muscles in your core, work to stabilize your spine. When they can’t do their job due to an inflamed digestive system, you end up with pain signals.
A lot of the time when someone has pain, there isn’t actually anything wrong tissue wise. Their nervous system is just detecting a threat and is trying to lock things down to make sure it doesn’t get worse. Instability is a pretty big threat, and their brain will try to stop them in their tracks by making the area hurt.
The Role of Nutrient Intake in Managing Chronic Diseases
Chronic diseases can be influenced by nutrient deficiencies or imbalances. Essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants play critical roles in maintaining overall health and managing the symptoms of various chronic conditions. A food journal can be an invaluable tool in tracking and optimizing the intake of these nutrients, ensuring that people receive the necessary dietary components to support their health.
Another huge symptom that I and others have experienced is weight loss. With digestive issues, being unable to absorb nutrients efficiently leads to decreased lean mass. I find myself having to supplement with protein shakes as often as possible as they’re light on the stomach due to them being a liquid as opposed to something like a steak. This allows me to keep my calories and my protein numbers up to hold on to and potentially build muscle. Some people have a sensitivity to whey and so a plant based protein shake should be considered instead.
The Impact of Nutrient Deficiencies and Imbalances
Nutrient deficiencies or imbalances can exacerbate chronic diseases in several ways:
- Immune System Function: Adequate levels of vitamins and minerals are crucial for a well-functioning immune system. Deficiencies can weaken the immune response, making the body more susceptible to infections and exacerbating inflammatory conditions.
- Inflammation Regulation: Certain nutrients have anti-inflammatory properties that help regulate the body’s inflammatory response. A deficiency in these nutrients can lead to increased inflammation, worsening symptoms of diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and colitis.
- Tissue Repair and Maintenance: Nutrients like proteins, vitamins, and minerals are essential for the repair and maintenance of body tissues. Insufficient intake can impair healing processes, prolonging recovery times and increasing the severity of symptoms.
Behavioral and Psychological Insights of Food Journaling
Food journaling is not merely a tool for tracking dietary intake; it also offers significant insights into the behavioral and psychological factors influencing eating habits. This practice can reveal patterns that are often linked to emotional states, stress levels, and mental health, providing a deeper understanding of how these factors contribute to dietary choices.
Emotional Stress and Dietary Choices
Emotional stress is a well-documented trigger for unhealthy eating behaviors. Research indicates that stress can lead to increased consumption of high-calorie, highly palatable foods, commonly referred to as “comfort foods”. “Big Food” meticulously engineer these foods to check multiple boxes including: salty, sweet, and mouth feel to keep you coming back for more. These foods temporarily elevate mood by triggering the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. However, the long-term effects of such dietary choices can be detrimental, exacerbating symptoms of chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia. This is a terrible cycle that someone experiencing a flareup of auto immune symptoms can experience as well. Some symptoms can result in the individual laid up in bed unable to do much, leaving them feeling sorry for themself and reaching for those very same comfort foods.
The Need for Stress Management Strategies
Recognizing the link between stress and dietary choices underscores the importance of implementing effective stress management strategies. Techniques such as mindfulness meditation, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and regular physical activity have been shown to reduce stress and improve dietary habits . Mindfulness meditation, for instance, helps individuals become more aware of their emotional triggers and eating patterns, enabling them to make more conscious food choices . CBT, on the other hand, addresses the cognitive distortions that often lead to stress-induced eating, promoting healthier coping mechanisms.
Incorporating stress management strategies alongside food journaling can provide a holistic approach to managing fibromyalgia symptoms. By reducing stress and making informed dietary choices, individuals can potentially alleviate some of the symptoms associated with this chronic condition.
Elimination and Reintroduction Protocols
Food journaling is an essential component of elimination diets, which involve removing potential trigger foods and gradually reintroducing them to observe reactions. This method helps pinpoint specific dietary culprits.
Individuals with colitis might follow an elimination diet, removing foods like dairy, gluten, and processed sugars. By carefully recording symptoms during reintroduction, they can identify which foods to avoid permanently.
Personalized Nutrition Plans
Personalized nutrition is an emerging field that tailors dietary recommendations based on individual genetic, microbiome, and metabolic profiles. Food journals provide the foundational data needed for these personalized plans.
An individual’s food journal might reveal a sensitivity to nightshade vegetables (e.g., tomatoes, peppers) which are known to exacerbate symptoms in some rheumatoid arthritis patients. A personalized nutrition plan can then be developed to avoid these triggers.
Evidence Supporting Food Journaling
Numerous studies support the efficacy of food journaling in managing chronic diseases. For example, a study published in the journal Gut involved 150 patients with IBD who were divided into two groups: one group kept a detailed food diary, and the other did not. The food journaling group reported a 30% reduction in symptom flare-ups over six months. They were able to identify specific foods, such as high-fat dairy and processed sugars, that consistently triggered symptoms. (1)
In another study, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition conducted a randomized controlled trial with 100 rheumatoid arthritis patients. The study found that those who maintained a food journal and followed a Mediterranean diet rich in fish, fruits, vegetables, and olive oil experienced a 40% reduction in joint pain and stiffness compared to the control group. (2)
A trial published in Pain Medicine involved 80 fibromyalgia patients who were asked to keep food journals for 12 weeks. Patients who identified and eliminated foods they were sensitive to (e.g., gluten, additives) reported a 25% decrease in pain intensity and a 20% improvement in sleep quality. (3)
The Journal of Pain Research examined the effects of dietary tracking in 90 patients with chronic back pain. Those who identified and reduced consumption of inflammatory foods (e.g., processed meats, sugary beverages) experienced a 35% reduction in pain levels over a four-month period. (4)
Effective Strategies for Food Journaling
Starting and maintaining a food journal can seem daunting, but with the right approach, it can become a manageable and even rewarding practice. Here are some effective strategies:
Choose Your Format
Decide whether you prefer a physical notebook, a digital document, or a specialized app. Digital options often come with added features like nutrient tracking and symptom correlation.
Be Consistent
Record everything you eat and drink, along with portion sizes. Consistency is key to identifying patterns and triggers. Document any symptoms you experience, noting the time they occur relative to your meals. This can help identify delayed reactions to certain foods.
Review Regularly
Periodically review your journal entries to identify any patterns. Highlight foods that consistently correlate with symptom flare-ups and consider eliminating or reducing them from your diet.
Seek Professional Guidance
Share your food journal with a healthcare professional, such as a dietitian or doctor, who can help you interpret your findings.
Food journaling is a valuable tool for managing chronic diseases such as IBS, arthritis, and other auto immune diseases. By systematically tracking dietary intake and corresponding symptoms, individuals can identify triggers, make informed dietary choices, and ultimately improve their health outcomes. Starting and maintaining a food journal may require effort and consistency, but the benefits can be profound. With the support of healthcare professionals, food journaling can become an integral part of a comprehensive approach to managing chronic diseases.
By adopting food journaling, you take a proactive step toward understanding and managing your health, paving the way for a better quality of life and reduced symptoms.
Citations:
(1) Diet fuelling inflammatory bowel diseases: preclinical and clinical concepts | Gut (bmj.com)
2 thoughts on “The Science Behind Food Journaling”
This was a very informative blog post! I may look into an electronic option to journal my dietary intake.
Another really interesting blog!!!! Thank you so much!
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