Food Journals - Why?

Of all the work that I do, asking people to keep a food journal is one of my least favorite parts - but it is one of the most important elements of achieving Sustained Vitality. 

Let me explain.

First, I want to tell you HOW I ask people to keep their food journals, and then I will tell you why. 

I like to keep things as simple as I can because life can be hard enough. 

However, achieving anything of value always requires consistent effort. 

I ask my clients for a simple food journal in the notes app on their that includes: 

The date of each day

The time they are eating

& a brief description of what they are eating. 

I don’t ask for every ingredient or a breakdown of calorie content.

If I have questions about the food, I ask them during our follow up calls. 

Once someone has developed the discipline to do this task daily, I will sometimes ask them to take it to the next level and set an alarm on their phone for 30 minutes AFTER they eat. 

When the alarm goes off, I ask them to take 60-90 seconds to do a body scan and check in with their body.

I want them them to bring awareness to how they are feeling and any sensations they may have & to note them in their journal.  

Now, let me tell you why this is important. 

1. There are so many things that we eat because we “think” they are healthy - without knowing if they are actually healthy for us or not. Apples are my favorite example. 

   How many of us grew up hearing “An apple a day keeps the doctor away?”

   There is this idea that apples are healthy and we should eat them. What a lot of people do not know is that apples can be hard to digest, cause inflammation, and that many apples now are coated in plastic that causes even more inflammation. 

2. We live such busy lives now that many people do not believe they have the time to listen to their body - or they wouldn’t know how to if they did. Setting an alarm on your phone and making yourself a priority for less than 2 minutes will really help you to begin tuning in and learning how to listen to your body. 

3. So many of us have eating habits that were passed down to us or that we have carried for a long time. We have been eating certain things for so long that we don’t think it correlates our food to our health symptoms and that leads us to:

4. PATTERNS - there are so many things that are happening within and outside of us that we do not have active awareness about. When we make this time to cultivate awareness, we will begin to pick up on patterns that we didn’t notice before - like how you feel slightly bloated after your morning apple or how your knees hurt more after a plate of pasta. 

What we consume every single day is a necessary pillar for health.  

As hard as it can be for those of us who have been born into a society of fast and convenient, if we want to liberate ourselves and thrive, we must make the sacrifices and do the work. 

It is our responsibility to learn about what we are consuming & how it affects our body.

Thankfully, you don’t have to do it alone! 

I work with you week by week, analyzing your food journal and helping you to make adjustments. 

I do not believe in radical changes - it’s just not sustainable for most people. 

I recommend small improvements consistently over time that ultimately lead to your goals. 

I like to ADD things before removing them - such as adding a smoothie in the morning and one serving of vegetables throughout the day. 

I also like to assess the quality of the products that you buy and make suggestions for higher quality foods - such as organic meats or snacks with less added sugar. 

The only things I recommend people stop consuming as soon as possible are soda and energy drinks - they are straight poison. 

I don’t just tell you that things are good or bad - I explain it to you and encourage you to ask questions. 

The acronym for the Standard American Diet is SAD - and it really is. 

Most of the products we are sold to eat aren’t actually food at all. 

They are loaded in sugar, preservatives, coloring, and chemicals - most of which keep us addicted to the products. 

The more you learn about this unfortunate Truth - the more overwhelming it can be and that pressure can cause many to shut down and not even try. 

Working with me helps to bring some ease to this journey.

I advocate for you, support you, and do everything that I can to arm you with knowledge & resources necessary to achieve your goals! I cannot do the work for you - but I can cheer you on as you do it!

Book your consultation with me today by visiting my “Offerings” tab and choose Wellness Consultations.

Remember,

When you support Community Nourishment,

You Nourish your Community!

• Cameron Jewell