Encouraging Health

If you think something you’re eating is terrorizing your tummy, try this food-elimination test.

1. Eliminate the suspect — be it dairy products, wheat items, or processed sugars — for 3 days in a row.

2. Keep a diary of how you feel during those days. Here are important clues to note.

Diary of a Digestive
If your digestion habits changed, your tummy felt more comfortable, or your energy levels jumped, those are sure signs that you may have a food-triggered irritability. If adding the food back in makes you feel like you have a touch of the flu, that would be another really strong sign.

Food Diaries

The information you record in your food diary will help you and your family doctor design an eating program to meet your special needs. These instructions will help you get the most out of your food diary. Generally, food diaries are meant to be used for a whole week, but studies have shown that keeping track of what you eat for even 1 day can help you make changes in your diet.

How much:
In this space indicate the amount of the particular food item you ate. Estimate the size (2″ x 1″ x 1″), the volume (1/2 cup), the weight (2 ounces) and/or the number of items (12) of that type of food.

What kind:
In this column, write down the type of food you ate. Be as specific as you can. Include sauces and gravies. Don’t forget to write down “extras,” such as soda, salad dressing, mayonnaise, butter, sour cream, sugar and ketchup.

Time:
Write the time of day you ate the food.

Where:
Write what room or part of the house you were in when you ate. If you ate in a restaurant, fast-food chain or your car, write that location down.

Alone or with whom:
If you ate by yourself, write “alone.” If you were with friends or family members, list them.

Activity:
In this column, list any activities you were doing while you were eating (for example, working, watching TV or ironing).

Some basic rules to remember:
Write everything down:
Keep your form with you all day, and write down everything you eat or drink. A piece of candy, a handful of pretzels, a can of soda pop or a small donut may not seem like much at the time, but over a week these calories add up!

Do it now:
Don’t depend on your memory at the end of the day. Record your eating as you go.

Be specific:
Make sure you include “extras,” such as gravy on your meat or cheese on your vegetables. Do not generalize. For example, record french fries as french fries, not as potatoes.

Estimate amounts:
If you had a piece of cake, estimate the size (2″ x 1″ x 2″) or the weight (3 ounces). If you had a vegetable, record how much you ate (1/4 cup). When eating meat, remember that a 3-ounce cooked portion is about the size of a deck of cards.

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