So many of my clients tell me that they just don’t know what to eat anymore.

It seems that after every meal they feel uncomfortably full, bloated, nauseous, or in a lot of pain.

They don’t know how to prevent unpredictable bouts of diarrhoea - or simply can’t produce consistent bowel movements.

Keeping a Food Diary that tracks food, symptoms, and daily habits is an excellent first step to figure out the root cause of your gut problems.

I have created a Food, Lifestyle, and Symptom Diary which tracks what, when, and how much you eat at every meal. In addition you can track any symptoms that arise after a meal, and keep an eye on daily habits.

• Identify your trigger foods by recording any symptoms you experience after a meal.

• Be mindful about what, when and how much you eat.

• Make sure you drink enough water throughout the day.

• Identify your motivation for eating.

• Focus on your specific nutritional requirements.

• Eat more healthily overall.

1. What did I eat?

This includes everything that crosses your lips and enters your mouth: food and beverages, chewing gum, small and big snacks, medication and/or supplements. It can be useful to include how your food was prepared (raw, steamed, boiled, fried, home-cooked, restaurant food, or takeaway)

2. How much did I eat?

You can record the amount of food you’ve consumed either by measurements (cup, ounce, milli-litres , grams, etc.) or by number of serves. If you’re not sure, take a photo of everything you eat and bring that along.

3. When did I eat?

To keep track of when you’ve eaten, log the time when a meal was consumed. This can help to visualise if you’re prone to midnight snacking, or if your meals are too close / too far apart.

4. How do I feel after eating?

Be mindful of any symptoms you may be experiencing 30 minutes - 60 minutes - and 90 minutes after your meal. This can include faster heartbeat, bloating, stomach pain, headache, itchy skin, or fatigue.

5. How much do I sleep?

Record your go-to-bed and wake-up times to see if you get enough sleep. If you get less than 6-8 hours of sleep you may be more prone to reach for sugary and fatty foods the next day which could contribute to digestive symptoms and less energy!

6. How much time do I work / commute / relax / exercise?

Recording your daily routines can help to identify any lifestyle triggers, such as work stress, not enough (or even too much) exercise, and insufficient downtime!