Recently I began using a food journal to keep track of what I eat and drink on a daily basis. For my food journal I simply have a spiral bound notebook in which I write the date down on each page and then write what I eat for meals and snacks. If I have juice I also write it down (I don't really drink any other beverages besides water).

My food journal is really simple, and that's just the way I think it should be. I just write the item of food down and don't even concern myself with amounts. I started to journal my foods because I felt lost at times as to what different foods I was really eating. It's easy to think that you are eating more or less of certain things unless you track them. Journaling has helped me note days that I seem to eat too many nuts or days that I forgot to even juice on...those kinds of things.

I think a food journal is a good tool to use to evaluate the amount of raw foods, fruits, vegetables, meat, and other items you are consuming (even junk food); however, I don't think a food journal should be used to calculate calories and fat intake. You shouldn't feel restricted to eating less because you are writing it down in your food journal, in the past I tried to keep track of what I ate for these types of purposes and it can lead to unhealthy habits. I believe that if you eat lots of raw foods and a mainly whole food diet you don't need to count calories and fat.

Use a food journal to awaken yourself to the reality of what you are eating. You may think you are eating healthy and then begin journaling and realizing that you have underestimated the junk in you diet. On the other hand, you may be hard on yourself for small indulgences when your food journal indicates you have an excellent diet. Use journaling as a tool to help you transition to or maintain a healthy lifestyle!