Free 'Food, Feelings & Symptom Diary'

Do you relate to any of these?

• I suffer from bouts of constipation and/or diarrhoea
• I am often so bloated I feel 6 months pregnant
• I frequently feel fatigued after eating
• I have to pay attention to where the toilets are when out & about
• Reflux or indigestion are a regular occurence for me
• I frequently feel uncomfortable or embarrassed by my gas
• I constantly worry about my digestion
• I struggle with skin conditions
• I am no stranger to anxiety or depression
• I struggle with allergies (food or environmental)
• I frequently feel like my energy levels are suboptimal
• I often experience brain fog

When you slow down and start listening to your body, you’ll be amazed at how much it is trying to tell you. We're often so focused on other things, we forget to pay attention to our health and the symptoms we’re experiencing. Every symptom you experience frequently is a sign that something is out of balance.

A large proportion of our health relies on our digestive system. If you are unable to digest food and absorb nutrients adequately, the rest of your body suffers.

If you could relate to any of the above gut (and non-gut) symptoms my free food, feelings & symptom diary can be really beneficial for capturing these symptoms, along with the key factors that could be triggering them such as food, movement, sleep and stress. It can also be a useful way to take stock of your daily eating and drinking habits and allow you to begin tuning into how your body is feeling.

The thought of writing down everything might seem time consuming but as you get into it I'm confident you'll enjoy the process of learning how your lifestyle and what you're putting into your body makes you feel. Documenting it all can really boost your awareness of the feedback your body is trying to send you. Once you've completed a few days take an honest look and re-read your diary to see if you can identify any obvious and consistent patterns. Remember to also observe what is working well.

Once we become aware of how our gut symptoms may be impacted by our food and lifestyle habits we can begin to think about simple tweaks to support our overall gut health and wellbeing and form healthier habits. For example this could be going to bed an hour earlier, sticking to a daily meditation practice, restricting caffeine to one cup before midday), getting out in nature every day. Remember not to try too much at once, I suggest small, simple changes one at a time.

Completing this diary isn't about cutting out foods you feel may be triggering symptoms and I actually strongly recommend you avoid doing this, as our gut microbiome thrives off diet diversity and minimal stress around food. However, if you do feel your symptoms may be related to a specific food group it's a good idea to speak to a healthcare professional about your concerns.

The diary can be particulary helpful when discussing your symptoms with your GP or nutritional therapist. The more accurate and detailed it is the the more beneficial it will be to identifying your unique triggers.