What do I eat?

As a clinical nutritionist, there are a few things I assess in terms of diet. This is not always an easy task and I have seen it as a particular challenge with a lot of my neurodivergent clients and in people who are very stressed or overwhelmed. Or even just people who are not mindful of what they are eating. And it's all ok. I will meet you where you are at, whether you remember nothing about what you eat, or everything.

In this post, I will share what I am trying to find out when I look at your food intake, why this is important, and a handy diary where you can capture a few days of eating.

There are many reasons for challenges in diet assessment. People can often forget what they have eaten even one or two meals ago. It is common to not want to tell the nutritionist about the foods you've eaten that you consider naughty. Spoiler alert - no judgement here and I can help you more the more open you are with me. And in terms of understanding our reactions to certain foods, this is often met with an 'I don't know', unless it's an obvious adverse reaction like diarrhoea or migraine. Again, all good.

Before I assess your diet in clinic I will understand your health goals and challenges. This will guide me as to how detailed I need to go with you on your food intake. Sometimes dietary gaps are obvious, and sometimes they need further assessment. It's all part of the bigger picture of the beautiful human sitting in front of me.

It is important to state that whilst an increased awareness of what you eat can be a great thing and a handy clinical tool, we don't want to step over into overly tracking or fixating on every morsel of food.

Understanding what you are currently eating

Having as accurate as possible information about the current diet is really useful. That will often look different on different days. This 'what' will form the basis of understanding if you are getting enough of the right foods to fuel your body and to help you meet your goals. Remember to tell me about those takeaways and the coffee with syrups added to it. All the things. It's often those little things that add up, and where food reactions can come from.

What to consider when figuring out what you eat:

• Main meals

• Office snacks

• Food being nibbled on while making dinner

• TV snacks

• Supper

• Treats or grab and go foods like sweets, chocolate, ice cream, sausage rolls

• Takeaways

• Drinks - including hot drinks, sodas, juices, water, energy drinks, alcohol

Eating patterns (when, how, with whom?) are also important

Knowing your eating patterns, as well as cravings that might drive them, and how these align with your life gives me valuable information that can point to challenges such as:

• Nutrient deficiencies that might be driving eating behaviours

• Blood sugar dysregulation

• Stress

• Lack of knowledge about optimal eating times and patterns

• Neurological support required

• Metabolic dysfunction

How you feel after certain foods

This can be a tricky one, as I said, unless there is a particularly strong reaction to a certain food. It can be made more difficult by what I call 'food noise' - when you are eating loads of different foods and it is hard to pinpoint which one is causing an issue. This is a frustrating one as we want people to have a good variety of food but sometimes we need to simplify a diet to block out the noise for a while. Or there may be something obvious to me that you aren't aware of. The kind of things that you may notice with foods, and which are helpful for your treatment plan are:

• Stomach ache

• Diarrhoea

• Constipation

• Bloating

• Headaches - migraine, sinus pain etc.

• Runny nose

• Pain e.g. joint

• Anxiety

• Low energy

• Skin issues

Food diary for you to try

I have created this handy printable food and symptom diary if you'd like to try to capture what you are eating. Often, when people start tracking, they can see potential areas for improvement. It can be a lightbulb moment for many. I find it can be most helpful when you have a few days of information, covering work/school and weekend days. I don't suggest to track all the time though as this can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food.

Food diary poster final.pdf

Download PDF • 91KB

Further help

I would love to help you to figure out what foods are right for your unique body and to bring back your vitality either using the Metabolic Balance® program or individual nutrition consultations. You can book in here. And please don't feel like you need to have completed a food diary or even have a clear view of your diet before you see me. Figuring this stuff out is all part of the process and I'll guide you through it all.

In health

Susie 💚

Disclaimer: This blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individual medical advice.