Dear Friend,
This
is your opportunity to find out for yourself which foods are causing
abdominal pain and other discomfort. While there are numerous reasons
we may have abdominal pain, a food diary is perfect for those that
notice their pain in association with food. The best way to do this is
to chart the foods, symptoms and the timing of those symptoms. We’ve
created an easy way to do this and taken the mystery and confusion out
of charting and keeping track of what you eat.
This
diary is not meant to diagnose, cure or treat any illness, rather it is
a tool to help track which foods you are eating that may cause
intestinal distress.
Because
it takes the human body more than 24 hours from ingestion to
elimination of food, to digest food consumed, you can see why using a
food diary for a minimum of a two weeks is essential. Many people
notice symptoms upon eating, swallowing and once food has made its way
to the stomach. Some notice pain hours after eating once food begins to
go through the break down process through the small intestine. And
yet, others notice it lower down in the intestinal tract, the large
intestine. Wherever your discomfort, the consistent use of the Watkins
Method©
Food Diary will help you keep track of your symptoms in a way that
will narrow down which foods are not compatible with your body.
Typical food offenders: These foods are listed as the top foods that people are either allergic, intolerant, or sensitive to.
Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Gluten, Wheat, Soy, Shellfish, Dairy, Eggs, Fish, Sesame.
In addition many people cannot tolerate corn, grains, citrus, msg (monosodium glutamate), casein, or high oxalate foods.
Here are some important reminders as you list the foods you eat and your symptoms:
1. Read food labels.
Again and again! Become familiar with what you are ingesting. If you
think a bag of potato chips is just potatoes, think again! Many of them
contain modified food starch, corn oil, soy, as well as other foods
that cause digestive issues because they are derivatives of typical
offending foods. Find a product with the food in its most natural
state. This rule goes for all foods. This is especially important when
it comes to the typical food offenders.
2. Use whole foods without additives.
Whenever you are using a food diary, it is always best to use whole
foods without additives (prepared sauces, pre-marinated foods, etc…).
This will help to narrow down what it is that is causing some of your
digestive issues and other allergies or sensitivities to foods. If you
choose to ingest an ingredient that has numerous additives, like a
packet of seasoning, this will make it much more difficult to chart the
offending food. For seasoning and flavor use salt and pepper or whole
herbs and spices.
If
you do eat a multiple ingredient food, please make sure you detail
every single ingredient in the packet seasoning. Our advice is that you
only use the food in its most natural state, without additives. This
will ensure a more prompt discovery of which foods you should avoid.
Detail every single ingredient you ingest. More importantly, be aware
of the typical food offenders and their derivatives.
Hidden food culprits:
The following food culprits are in numerous food products that you may not be aware of.
Soy:
Found in mayonnaise, breads, protein drinks, vitamins, margarines and
spreads, yogurts, protein bars, cereals, salad dressings and many more
food items.
Gluten:
Found in breads, cereals, crackers, mixes, convenience foods, chips,
sauces, granola bars, breakfast drinks, salad dressings, modified food
starch, canned goods, pre-packaged foods, including many more food items
and additives. Because something says “wheat free” does not guarantee
it is gluten-free.
Wheat: Cookies, food bars, chips, modified food starch, pre-packaged food items and more.
Dairy: Protein drinks, breads, margarines( as whey), and numerous other milk base products.
Eggs: Cookies, cereals, breading batter, pre-packaged foods, and more.
Nuts: Cookies, cereals, granola bars, chips, and many more food items.
MSG:
Chips, Ramen soup, soups, trail mix, pretzels mixes, canned foods
(Mexican sauces), pre-packaged food items, as well as additional food
items.
*Be
aware of any vitamins or medications you take and record those as
well. Many vitamins or supplements contain food offenders you may not
be aware of.
The
concept here is to be aware that not all food contains a single
ingredient, most have additional ingredients, especially if it is
pre-packaged. Be aware and read labels!
Now
that you know the importance of reading labels and choosing foods in
their most natural state, you can begin to chart your symptoms. Here is
an example of the types of details needed for a proper food diary:
For example:
Improper details:
Breakfast- Two pieces of whole wheat toast with Imperial margarine. Glass of orange juice. 2 scrambled eggs.
Proper details:
“Breakfast- Two pieces of whole wheat toast (with *sunflower seeds), Imperial margarine *(soy base, contains whey). Glass of orange guava juice. 2 scrambled eggs cooked in butter.”
* Sunflower seeds- This is important because it is not typical whole wheat toast. This extra ingredient needs mentioning.
*Soy
base, contains whey- This detail is important because this food product
contains two of the main food offenders. While it also contains a host
of other additives, these two main food offenders should be
highlighted. You may make a note of the other additives, however, it
would be best to go with a whole food, like butter or skipping it
altogether, thus making it easier to keep track and less time
consuming.
Remember
that the typical food diary should be kept for three weeks or more.
This depends on how bad your symptoms are. Any person who has a gluten
sensitivity or any food issue, needs to remember that your colon can
hold on to food offenders in the small and large intestine for weeks,
making it difficult to know which foods are offending.
3. Timing! Pay attention to the timing of your symptoms and write both the time you ate as well as the time the symptoms started.
4. Symptoms!
Detail each symptom that you notice as not being usual or normal.
Also, detail where on the body it is, as detailed as possible.
Internal (you can feel but not see) Symptom Examples:
Bloated, nausea, gassy, acid reflux, indigestion, constipation, burning
abdominal pain, diarrhea, sharp abdominal pain, sore tongue, dull,
achy, etc… (Do not be general in describing your discomfort or pain, be
as detailed as possible.).
External (visible) Symptom Examples: Red itchy rash, swollen lips, itching, burning, fatigue, vomiting, etc…
Where is the pain?:
Low abdomen, stomach area, throat, right side of abdomen, left side of
abdomen, near navel, pain in back, upper or lower, anal area, etc…
*Tip: Keep in mind that the digestive tract includes from your mouth to your anus and everything in between.
5. Listen to your body!
Paying attention to your body will go a long way in finding a
resolution to your abdominal pain and discomfort. Start today by
noticing how you feel after eating the first meal of the day…sluggish,
energized, in pain?
6. Be Patient!
This takes time, but it will have a positive outcome as you pay
attention to what you are eating both at home and work or play.
Tip:
Gluten
affects the small intestine, which is the longest portion of the
digestive tract. The small intestine is where the food is broken down
and absorbed into the body for nutrition. The villi of the small
intestine help the food to travel along the intestinal pathway. If you
have Celiac or gluten intolerance, the villi in your small intestine
will be compromised and worn down, thus creating a problem with nutrient
absorption and digestion.
There are two ways of using a food diary using the simple terms, addition & subtraction.
Tip:
It
takes approximately 6-8 hours for your food to go through the stomach
and small intestine. It takes approx. 24 hours for food to travel
through the body from ingestion to elimination. If you are irregular it
will take longer. Therefore, drink lots of water, and make sure you
are hydrated sufficiently.
Subtraction method: Eat your normal diet and when symptoms are noticed, look at the previous foods eaten and highlight it in your diary. Subtract
the potential food offender from your diet and see if the symptoms
alleviate. If symptoms improve, you’ve found a food offender. If not,
continue eating this food and subtract another potential food.
Addition method:
Using only whole basic foods (proteins, vegetables, fruits, dairy,
carbs), eat a controlled diet, leaving out a suspect food offender, like
dairy. See if your symptoms alleviate. Add it back to your
diet and see if symptoms are worse or better. If worse, take the food
away. If better, try another food offender.
Levels of Discomfort:
Level I:
You have occasional abdominal pain and only slight symptoms which
inconvenience you. You can still do your regular daily duties and it
does not interfere with your life. (Use food diary for 1-2 weeks, or until relief occurs).
Level II:
You have moderate abdominal pain and other symptoms (headaches,
fatigue, etc…) that is noticeable and it begins to interfere with your
duties at home and work. (Use food diary for 2-4 weeks, or until relief occurs).
Level III: You
have severe abdominal pain and other symptoms (sharp unyielding pain,
constant cramping, headaches, nausea, etc…) that stop you in your tracks
and completely interferes with your life at home and work. You may
have called off sick for this reason. (Use food diary for 8 weeks, or until relief occurs).
Depending on which level you are, will determine how long you need to use your food diary.
*If you have symptoms 2 or more times with the same food, eliminate it first and see if symptoms improve.
*If you wake with nausea, it may be from a food ingested the evening before.
*If
you notice pain within minutes after eating, it may be affecting the
esophagus, stomach or gallbladder. The gallbladder is located on the
right side of the abdomen, tucked under the right front ribcage. If you
notice pain after a high fat meal in this area of your body, make sure
you chart these symptoms efficiently.
Using the previous example we will show you how to chart your symptoms.
Date: 8/8/10
*8
a.m. Breakfast- Two pieces of whole wheat toast (with *sunflower
seeds), Imperial margarine *(soy base, contains whey). Glass of
orange-guava juice. 2 scrambled eggs cooked in butter.
Symptom: 8:20 a.m. began feeling nausea, belching, upset stomach.
*10 a.m. Snack- Glass of grapefruit juice and hard-boiled egg, plain.
Symptom: 10:30 a.m. nausea, upset stomach, acid reflux.
12:30 p.m. Lunch- Chicken breast, broccoli with pat of butter, bran muffin with raisins.
Symptom: None
2p.m. Snack- granola bar and Gatorade.
Symptom: None
*3p.m. Snack- orange and crackers with mozzarella cheese.
Symptom: 3:35 p.m. Belching, indigestion.
6 p.m. Dinner- Spaghetti with beef meatballs and Alfredo sauce.
Symptoms: None.
*7p.m. Snack- Orange juice and graham crackers.
7:20pmSymptoms: indigestion, acid reflux.
Looking at this diary, can you see a pattern or constant in relation to which foods this person ate before symptoms occurred?
*Look above each highlighted symptom and you may discover a “constant.” In this case we start from the bottom and compare the last two symptoms and the last two meals.
7:20pm Symptoms: Indigestion, acid reflux.
7pm snack- orange juice and graham crackers.
3:35pm Symptoms: Belching, indigestion
3pm snack- orange and crackers with mozzarella cheese.
In
this case you can see that the orange juice and possibly citrus is the
cause of the digestive issues for this person. Looking at the earlier
symptoms we can see that it is orange juice/grapefruit juice or citrus
itself is the culprit.
This
is how you can chart your foods and symptoms. It’s easy and if you
stick with it you will see how quickly you are able to rule out
offending foods.
p.s. Remember to include all food, drinks and medications in your diary.
Your Friends at Watkins & Company©
Good luck!
Date
|
Daily outline of foods eaten, & symptoms
|
Time
|
1/1/10
|
A.M. Symptoms: Nausea
|
6:10am
|
example
| ||
Breakfast: Pork breakfast sausage, orange juice, boiled egg,
|
7 am
| |
Glass of water. *sausage can contain many derivatives of
| ||
typical food offenders…be cautious!
| ||
Symptoms: Nausea
|
8:30am
| |
Snack: Green apple and whole wheat crackers
|
10am
| |
Symptoms: Sharp pain in stomach area
|
10:30am
| |
Lunch: Roast Beef sandwich(whole wheat roll) no mayo or
|
1pm
| |
condiments, with broth, banana, green salad
| ||
Symptoms: Sharp pain in same area as before at breakfast
|
1:40pm
| |
Dinner: Green salad with tomatoes, carrots, red onions,
|
6pm
| |
Garbanzo beans, and boiled egg. Dressing: olive oil & lemon
| ||
Salt and pepper.
| ||
*In this case we would subtract the wheat and gluten
| ||
from the diet.
| ||
Symptoms: Pain has moved to right side of abdomen
|
7pm
| |
*It is important to note that while the food is moving
| ||
through your body, if it is an offending food, the pain may move as well.
| ||
Constant=Wheat & Gluten
| ||
Subtract= Wheat & Gluten (breads, cereals, crackers, etc…)
| ||
Add= Nothing at this time
| ||
Watkins Method© Food Diary, Watkins & Company
| ||
Date
|
Daily outline of foods eaten, & symptoms
|
Time
|
A.M. Symptoms:
| ||
Note: Constant= Subtract= Add=
| ||
Breakfast:
| ||
Symptoms:
| ||
Snack:
| ||
Symptoms:
| ||
Note:
| ||
Lunch:
| ||
Symptoms:
| ||
Note:
| ||
Dinner:
| ||
Symptoms:
| ||
Snack:
| ||
Symptoms:
| ||
Note:
| ||
Constant= Subtract= Add=
| ||
Watkins Method© Food Diary, Watkins & Company
| ||
Date
|
Daily outline of foods eaten, & symptoms
|
Time
|
A.M. Symptoms:
| ||
Note: Constant= Subtract= Add=
| ||
Breakfast:
| ||
Symptoms:
| ||
Snack:
| ||
Symptoms:
| ||
Lunch:
| ||
Symptoms:
| ||
Dinner:
| ||
Symptoms:
| ||
Snack:
| ||
Symptoms:
| ||
Constant= Subtract= Add=
| ||
Watkins Method© Food Diary
|
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