Food journaling has had a bad reputation, and I totally get it. The idea of tracking everything you eat and drink down to the last detail can be daunting, and might even become a source of stress. Being overly meticulous about every tiny moment of your day could eventually lead to a negative relationship with food and your body. But have you ever tried to include mindfulness in your food journal? If not, keep reading!
In this blog post, I’m going to tackle this topic in more depth to show why and how you should practice mindful food journaling with the right approach to improve your health, rather than harm it.
Let’s dive right in!
Why should you start a mindful food journal?
Being surrounded by so many distractions wherever you go can make it hard sometimes to pause and become aware of your feelings, both mentally and physically. Your inner cues might also be diminished by illness, dysfunction, or as a side effect of medications, which makes it even more challenging.
As discussed in my previous blog, mindful eating allows you to pay attention to the food you’re consuming and how it makes you feel. It’s the art of presence during mealtimes which brings your awareness to the present moment. Writing down your food intake, as well as the physical and emotional feelings in response to eating helps you make more conscious food choices and allows you to tune into your internal cues of hunger and fullness.[1] It can also help you identify any sensitivities or symptoms you might be experiencing especially when it comes to gut health.[2]
Not gonna lie, it took me YEARS to figure out how to practice mindful food journaling. Now I teach my clients to do so, and because of this newfound awareness and intention they now have, they can finally tune into their bodies cues, figure out what foods serve them well, and also challenge their prior misconceptions/thoughts about food. Sounds pretty great, huh?
Mindful food journaling prompts
These prompts will help you start a mindful practice in your daily life:
When, Where & What?
The first step is to write down the time and the intervals between each meal. Then add your location during these meals, whether it be at your dining table, at your work desk, or on your couch. Sometimes I eat hiding in the pantry from my kids (lol). Then describe what you ate, and note that it doesn’t need to be extremely detailed and count every gram, a brief overview of the food is more than enough.
What was your hunger state before and after eating?
This includes your hunger and satiety levels before and after the meal or snack. The hunger/fullness scale is a great tool to help you here. Write down the type of hunger as well:
- Physical hunger: It’s the one that builds gradually, and occurs several hours after a meal. It’s the body’s natural response to needing fuel.[3] Our body can tell us we are hungry by shakiness, dizziness, headaches, and mood changes.
- Emotional hunger: This one is sudden and unrelated to time. This type of hunger happens when we seek food to fulfill an emotional need.[3] Remember that food is also designed to provide pleasure, so it makes sense that we would seek out food for a natural pick-me-up or to escape/soothe the uncomfortable feelings of being sad, angry, anxious, etc.
- Desire hunger: This is commonly referred to as “cravings”, and it usually occurs due to a certain trigger or, for us women, during that time of the month. We want to eat for more of a physiological reason than a physical cause.
- Taste hunger: When we seek a specific taste (sweet), or a certain texture (crunchy), it’s called taste or mouth hunger. Taste hunger (along with emotional need) is often considered a subtype of brain hunger. We often associate different flavors and foods with emotions and memories.
What were you doing while eating?
Were you holding the fork in one hand and your phone in the other, scrolling through social media, or were you sitting on the couch watching your favorite show? Being aware of what you were doing during mealtimes is crucial to notice all the distractions that surround us. There is no judgment while answering this question, just awareness.
How were you feeling during the whole process?
This is a space to add your thoughts and emotions that came up during the whole process. The type of hunger highly affects your emotions during and after the meal. You may find that the food tastes delicious and satisfying, and feel content and satisfied after finishing your meal. You may also find that food doesn’t taste as good as you expected. Instead, feelings of guilt or shame might be arising along with preoccupation with your body or weight.
It’s also important to write down your post-meal feelings. If you notice bloat or stomach discomfort after eating a certain food, it may be a sign of a food sensitivity or intolerance. It’s also important to keep track of the foods that leave you feeling energized and nourished and those that make you feel tired or sluggish after eating.
Remember, there are really no right or wrong answers. Try mindful food journaling a few meals this week and send me a message on how it went over on Instagram!
As you become more aware of your food intake, the reasons why you eat, and how these foods make you feel, it will be easier to pinpoint the root cause of your health problems.
Food journaling is a powerful tool for understanding your eating habits and identifying food triggers. Practicing mindfulness allows you to gain deeper insight into your thoughts and feelings around food, and learn how to make better choices.
References:
- Warren, J. M., Smith, N., & Ashwell, M. (2017). A structured literature review on the role of mindfulness, mindful eating and intuitive eating in changing eating behaviours: effectiveness and associated potential mechanisms. Nutrition Research Reviews, 30(2), 272–283.
- Food journaling & mindful eating: Benefits, how to practice. Ro. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
- Thecenterformindfuleating.org. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
