Keeping Food Diaries – Do They Really Work? Yes!

Maybe you are one of these people who have dieted your entire adult life, or at least that is what it seems like. Why is that? It boggles me when I hear people talk about one diet or another – and yet I watch certain people be able to eat what seems like anything and not gain an ounce – now why is that possible? Is it simply their good genes or their good luck? What makes them so special – it can get the rest of us up in arms, flying about in jealousy and disgust. (OK sagging, flagging fatty arms flying about)…

I wish I knew those answers, but I have learned one thing about keeping food diaries. They are harder than one would think to actually be honest with. It’s far easier to write in your journal about your personal life then to honestly write down that you had a large bag of extra salty potato chips along with cookies and other items that should be banned to being available on the grocery aisles and shelves – such as those double-stuffed Oreos… (Which frankly are great when frozen – but I digress.)

Recently, for my nutrition class, a project was handed out for all of us RN students to complete – to provide a list of our daily intake of nutrients from the foods we ate.  As soon as I saw what was involved – I already was excited about the project. I was not excited though to become aware of how horribly I have been eating. I already knew my saturated fats would be off the scale – I’m a cook, how can you cook or bake without butter?! – Well, there are ways – but that’s a whole other post about alternative ingredients and moderation coming soon to one of my website to you.

So as I decided to take a daily stock of my food intake, I have been much more aware of what I have been doing to my body. And quite frankly, becoming aware is the first part in becoming a better person. By being ‘present’  with the simple fact of what you are putting into your mouth will start to help you see that you really don’t wish to put down that you added two plus tablespoons of butter to your over-sized toasted bagel – oh yeah, even another two tablespoons of jelly on top of that! But in fact you should.

Know you are worthy to have the fittest and healthiest body you can have! It starts with small steps, such as trying to lose one pound a week, nothing more. But most importantly, keeping a daily journal and being honest with every bite that passes through your mouth will start giving you an idea of what you are doing overall.

How to start keeping a food journal:

I have provided several online sources at the end of this post making it easy for those people on the go to keep a journal, but for those who like to keep it simple, a small little note book that can fit in your pocket or purse is great. At the end of the meal, which is best, write down not only the foods you ate, but make an estimate of the amount of food.

I would suggest doing this for one week before making any serious changes in your eating habits. Next, if you were to review what you ate and compare it to the suggested intakes published by the http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/index.html. Or by reviewing what you have eaten with an online source, you might be rather amazed that by ‘dieting’ you are in fact void of necessary nutrients and vitamins vital to your overall health.

One major point about healthy eating is that good nutrition is not only immediate to your energy level; it affects your overall health in the long run, a point that most people miss completely. The lowering of fats and processed foods and increased variety of vegetables and fruits consumed really will and do help prevent chronic illnesses, diseases, and help your body repair damage from years past.

Though I find that keeping a notebook journal can be a little daunting, I noticed that keeping a journal online is faster and easier and in fact, it also keeps tabs of your nutrients, the real amounts of calories and even vitamins. This will help point out possible delinquencies with invaluable vitamins and nutrients essential to optimal health.

Here are some great sources I have used. All are free to join, and help keep tabs on the foods you eat on a daily basis.

Online Sources for Keeping Online Food Journals:

• http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/
• http://www.livestrong.com/ a site I have tried, used, seems OK, grade B-
• http://www.fitday.com/ – interesting site
• http://www.myfitnesspal.com – a site I am using currently and am liking, Grade B

So, before you start ‘dieting’ – try and see what you are actually eating on a weekly basis – maybe some things are already obvious to you, but you might be surprised that with three simple coffees in the morning with sugar and milk may make up 50% of your carbohydrate needs for one day…yikes! Talk about empty calories.

The whole point to healthy nutrition is to eat proportioned foods with high dense nutrient content – not empty calories like the coffee with milk and sugar. Moderation is a major key as well. Becoming more aware of what you are actually putting into your body is the first step to overall improving your health and eating habits, and keeping a food diary is a wonderful underused tool that can really get you started in becoming more aware and in being ‘present’ to your own health and becoming the ‘YOU’ you really wish to be.

**Share your diet tips with us!**

Spirituality and its link to wholesome happiness

Since starting on this journey of seriously attempting to make my life what I wished it to be within these last 6 months or so, I have gone through much soul searching. I have read a variety of books, I have also learned the journey is half of the joy if not more than the actuality of ‘getting there’ among many other things. Though it seems I have always been trying to better myself my entire life, I know I will never stop at learning. This morning’s experience struck me though as super-revealing.

I was at church – the ‘early service’ that I jokingly tell my friends to not only join me when I go, but it’s the ‘in and out’ quicky version service without any singing so you can start your day asap once out of church. Now I hadn’t been to church in (pun intended) a month of Sundays, and in fact it has been at least two months of Sundays. I had fallen quite sick with bronchitis while attempting to handle my schooling, home life and a falling apart personal love life. Something had to give, and it was my body, along with everything else. But since having healed from bronchitis that literally turned into pneumonia, I felt strong enough and ready enough to get myself back into church for a variety of reasons.

As I woke up this morning, I looked over at the clock, knowing if I acted quickly, I would have time to walk the dog and get to church on time before services started. I figured, God was worth at least 45 minutes of my time, since I seem to offer my prayers to him/her often through out my day anyway – let me give God my undivided attention in helping me with my small little requests in the big scheme of things by actually attending a church service.

What happened next thoroughly got to me. I took what little cash I had on me for the collection, but just prior to the collection, we did the “May Peace Be With You” part – and in this small chapel, people removed themselves from their pews and walked across the isle and shook hands with almost every other member of the congregation. The Minister and other holy characters that stand upon the alter come down from the alter and shook hands with every member that came to the service that morning.

When they came to shake my hand, the Minister looked me in the eye along with her second in command shortly following – Both in turn, took my hand and shook it, with their other hand on top, blessing me and my peace. It was their honest sincerity and well wishes for me to feel peace within my being, that actually got to me emotionally.

As soon as I was directed to sit down, tears began falling down my cheeks. At one point, I had to get up and go to the back of the church where I know tissues exist for those in need – I grabbed a few before it was time for the Communion to take place.

I was still tearing when I left the church – in fact I sort of skittled my way out the exit without saying good bye to the Minister, a wonderful women with great stature  I see often enough during my week since I live right next door to this very church. I hoped that my scurrying out so quickly with tears streaming down my already reddened cheeks didn’t give the impression that I had sinned terribly, or my woes were too much for anyone to hear. Since that was the farthest from the truth – I laughed (sort of) OK, I smiled at the irony. Since my tears were ones that came from gratefulness, not from any sorrow I was feeling inside.

If they only knew, and I might share one day with my Minister what had actually had happened to me – it was the simple fact, that I sincerely felt their real and authentic well wishes and prayers for my peace that really got to me. It was that simple fact that made my tears fall. As I walked into my home, ran upstairs to grab some additional tissues to replace those that were already snot-filled – I reviewed what had just happened to me.

With all the reading of Dr. Dyer’s various books within these last three months, I have been praying for others continuously throughout my day. I have been attempting in every way to be ‘one with the source’ and having honest ‘intent’  – these are his words, not mine, in helping me bring happiness and health to those in need, love to those who need it most, while asking for the same for myself in as humble a manner as possible.

My concern and fear when I went to church this morning, was what I had to give from my wallet to the collection. I knew I had little cash, but I could go even if I didn’t have anything to give to their ‘plate’. I knew I had little available to me at the ATM as well, but I gave away what I immediately had available. Then after I was able to calm down from my release of tears, I sent myself off to walk to the local grocery store to grab some much needed toilet paper, paper towels and a few fresh vegetables.

Once in line, the woman in front of me was counting out quarters for a meager bag of hamburger buns – I said to her, “Please, allow me to pay for that.” Her clothes were a bit ragged as was her counting out the few quarters she had available to her in her wallet.  She was in disbelief of my offer, yet she smiled and took me right up on it.

She said, “thank you” sincerely, quickly grabbed her buns, since it seemed she was in a hurry – but then stopped, turned herself around, and gave me a kiss on my cheek and a quick hug, asking me to keep her in my thoughts, shared with me that her name was Theresa and she then said, “God Bless You”.

Now, no more tears fell down from my just-dried eyes – but what I felt inside, that I had helped someone more in need than I, and even with my own financial limits, I was still able to give to someone else – to share my own ‘bread’ in a sort of odd way.

In conclusion, to give really is divine. I received so much today with this short experience, that I share this with you. Regardless of any problems no matter how big or small you may be having in your personal life, it is still very helpful to seek out spiritual help in the manner that feels comfortable to you regardless of your level of spiritualism or type of religion. Whether it be to meditate, go to a service, but do definitely go and be in a space and place that you can make a connection to the power that is bigger than all of us combined. And stay for just a little while there.

Even as I type this, I feel stronger knowing my prayers have been heard, and some have even been answered. And in turn, I am reminded to be ever grateful for so very much that I have in my life: a working laptop, a roof over my head, a pantry and working refrigerator, my ability to walk, talk, smell, see – etc. – that I know I have much wealth indeed.

My personal prayers when I was in church this morning were very simple; to help me be strong and in fact stronger than I have been, in getting myself back on track with great study habits and to having more awareness in my eating habits among a few other prayers.

I was able to start my day with more love in my heart for those I met and for those that I don’t even know, who need just a little acknowledgment that they too are people in need, people who need love, and people who need food  – just like Theresa, who will stay in my mind and in my prayers, as she so honestly had asked.

Help others and you will help yourself be wholesomely happy. It really does work!

~Chef Maven

New Year – New Lifestyle – Going Healthy and Getting Happy Naturally

One of the most popular items on everyone’s New Year Resolutions is to lose weight. I am one of those people, that I believe I have had the ‘lose weight’ resolution on my list every year for over twenty years. I am not one who is always on a ‘diet’, I pride myself in my ability to cook wonderful foods from simply to the very complex. But this new year something different happened. It wasn’t that I had become 43 years old this year, nor that my personal relationship with a partner was in a flux, it simply was that I had had enough.

Here I show you just one trick that really got me going and having the right attitude and aptitude to continue my goal of getting healthier. Declutter your home, before you start decluttering your diet of unwanted foods.

First of all as you can learn a little about my recent decluttering process of my household in a post I have at Chef Maven. I started a serious decluttering project knowing I would have to use a room in my house which I had seriously let go to shame soon for college work as I started classes in becoming an RN.

It was my art/office combo room. Not only did I do no ‘art’ in this room and if I attempted it would be short-lived. I had made another desk in the living room my office area. Why waste the rent on a room that you don’t use? There were other personal reasons too that finally got this project going. I had left this room ‘alone’ for so many months, and boxes in certain places to actually get me motivated, but that never really worked. I would also learn that this room fell into the ‘relationship and marriage’ bagua of my household for those who follow feng shui. – If you are into to feng shui, I have written many articles on feng shui at The Divaliscious.com and my shop is at The Lucky Zen Dog.

But it was amazing how I got to this point, to the point I couldn’t look at any of my mess anymore – whether in my life or in my mind or in my diet. After going through some old photos of previous places I lived in, I noticed several things in common. Of the places that were neat in those photos, I recalled one thing in particular. During these particular times in my life when I kept my place particularly organized, I personally was at my slimmest. Was there a connection? Of course! And I would read this clutter-obesity connection in several books. I will share which books in another post.

The neat thing was when I really got down and did some of the dirty work, a variety of emotional issues popped up, since they were being suppressed by the ‘weight’ whether visual or actual clutter in these rooms. I was surprised by that. And once I learned this, I was able to release some of this negativity.

My suggestion is this, if you really are serious about getting healthy – start with getting your home in order first. You will find it easier to keep it organized, cleaned and it will sincerely help you to start on your own personal decluttering of foods you eat.

It took really only a full weeks of serious time that I stretched over a three week period, but I gave away a lot of which I no longer needed in my life which took of valuable living space. I gained energy and a sense of pride – my home felt like home once again. A place to bring me and any who visited peace and happiness. It was been easier to keep clean.

And the best part, is that I was able to reach the point where I could attack my other areas in my life that needed attention. My health, weight and mindset. I am readying and raring to go and get healthy! In fact, I already started – but more on that in another post.

So if you wish to lose weight, take a good look around your home. Is your home in disarray? How can you work on yourself, if everything else is way off course? By getting your home in order, you really will have the nerve and energy to get your personal eating habits in check. Seriously – declutter your home, you will see ahead at the future that can be yours, a healthier and happier you!