Journaling your eating habits is a great tool for those looking to improve their eating habits or lose weight. A food journal may sound like just a diary of the food you eat. But it can help you understand your eating habits and patterns and identify the foods you eat regularly.
Food journals may seem daunting to some, but the benefits FAR outweigh any difficulty of keeping track of what you eat. Here are three reasons why you should keep a food journal if clean eating is one of your health goals.
You See What You Eat (And How Much)
Write down what and how much you’re eating. Make a note of the specific food and drinks consumed and how it was prepared (baked, boiled, or fried). Include the sauces, condiments, dressings, and toppings. If possible, measure every item (cups, teaspoons, tablespoons, or ounces) or do your best to estimate the portion. (If this seems too much, you can always keep a photo journal snap pics of your meals)
It Helps You to Make the Right Choices
By keeping a food journal, you become more aware of what you consume daily. This will make you more cautious every time you eat something you know is not good for your health. Thus, the more you write, the more it becomes a habit, and you end up eating fewer calories naturally.
You’ll Understand the Source of Any Problems
We often feel symptoms of restlessness in our body, such as stomach pains, headaches, bloating and cramps. Sometimes, the cause of these problems lies in the food we eat. More often than not, we don’t know the cause of any discomfort. By keeping a food journal, you will discover patterns in your diet and exceptions you have made, leading you to avoid these problems in the future or find solutions. (your gut will thank you!)
Keeping a food journal helps make you more aware of your choices and can encourage you to be more mindful of what you’re eating and the how, why, and when. It often sheds light on your eating patterns, like skipping meals, midnight snacking, and unhealthy eating triggers.
[RECIPE] BAKED CINNAMON APPLE CRISP
One taste of this delicious dessert and you won’t believe it is both gluten and refined sugar-free. The addition of fresh thyme adds a subtle savory note to the otherwise sweet flavor profile of this classic recipe.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45-50 minutes
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients (choose organic where possible):
- 6 large apples, cored, peeled, and sliced
- 1 T. fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 c. real maple syrup
- 2 T. 100% apple juice (sugar free)
- 1 t. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 t. ground allspice
- 1 1/2 t. fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 t. salt
Topping ingredients:
- 1 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/3 c. almond flour
- 1/3 c. almonds, sliced
- 1/3 c. honey, preferably local
- 3 T. unsalted butter, melted
To serve (optional):
- Vanilla bean ice cream or freshly whipped cream
[TIP]: Choose firm apples, such as Granny Smith or Pink Lady, for this recipe. These varieties will hold up well to the heat of baking without turning to mush.
Directions:
- Place top oven rack in the center position and pre-heat oven to 350oF. Grease an 8” x 8” baking dish and set aside.
- Place apples in a large non-reactive bowl and toss with fresh lemon juice. Add maple syrup, apple juice, cinnamon, allspice, thyme leaves, and salt. Toss to combine and set aside.
- Combine topping ingredients in a separate bowl and stir until oats are thoroughly coated and all ingredients are well combined. Set aside.
- Pour apple mixture into prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Spread the topping evenly across the top in a uniform layer as well.
- Place into pre-heated oven and bake for 30 minutes. If the top layer is nicely browned, cover dish loosely with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning. Continue baking for another 15-20 minutes or until the apple crisp is nice and bubbling. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Serve warm with some vanilla bean ice cream or freshly whipped cream, if desired. Enjoy!
To Your Health,
Patti
