Mobile Menu

  • Home
  • Start Here
  • About
  • Resources
  • Podcast
  • Blog
    • Health
    • Beauty
    • Motherhood
    • Natural Home
    • Natural Remedies
    • Organization
    • Travel
    • Reviews
    • Recipes
      • Beef Recipes
      • Breakfast Recipes
      • Condiment Recipes
      • Dessert Recipes
      • Drink Recipes
      • Pork Recipes
      • Poultry Recipes
      • Salad Recipes
      • Seafood Recipes
      • Side Dish Recipes
      • Snack Recipes
      • Soup & Stew Recipes
  • Newsletter
  • Facebook logo
  • Twitter logo
  • LinkedIn logo
  • YouTube logo
  • Instagram logo
  • Pinterest logo
  • Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Wellness Mama logo

Simple Answers for Healthier Families

  • About
  • Start Here
  • Resources
  • Podcast
  • Blog
    • Beauty
    • Health
    • Motherhood
    • Natural Home
    • Natural Remedies
    • Organization
    • Travel
    • Recipes
    • Reviews
  • Search
You are here: Home » Blog » Health » 7 Reasons Why You Should Health Journal

7 Reasons Why You Should Health Journal

July 8, 2012 (Updated: July 30, 2019)   —  by Katie Wells

Reasons Why You Should Keep a Health Journal

Reading Time: 3 minThis post contains affiliate links. Click here to read my affiliate policy.

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Why Journal?
  • What to Record

While there are some basic health ideals that are generally good for everyone, how a person should apply these can vary drastically. I firmly believe that things like avoiding grains, eating more vegetables, sleeping enough, and drinking enough water are good for everyone, but there are also many variations within a healthy paradigm.

Some people may need more healthy carbohydrates (from sweet potatoes, fruit, etc.) or more sleep, while others may need to optimize Magnesium and Vitmin D levels.

Why Journal?

The best way to figure out what will work the best for YOU and your family, it is very helpful to keep a health journal that chronicles food intake, supplements, exercise, illness, and sleep. There are many advantages to keeping a health journal, including:

  1. It Will Help You Notice Patterns: If you occasionally get allergy symptoms, skin rashes, have trouble sleeping or other minor health troubles, keeping a journal will help you notice factors that cause your symptoms. You might notice that you don’t sleep well after eating certain foods, forgetting to take magnesium or watching TV late at night or that you sleep better when you spend time in the sun, drink enough water, or read a book before bed.
  2. You Can Notice Foods That Aggravate Your System: If certain foods cause allergy symptoms, bowel disturbances, or other problems, you’ll be much more likely to figure out what they are if you are tracking your food intake (and your kids!). It gives you an easy record to go back and reference when you have a reaction.
  3. You Can’t Change What You Can’t Measure: There is a reason body builders and fitness pros keep a detailed food and workout record… you can’t change or improve what you can’t measure and you can’t duplicate success if you don’t know what is causing it. Keeping track of your food, exercise, and health info will help you get realistic measures of your food intake and health changes so that you can find the specifics that work best for you and repeat them.
  4. Keep From Falling Into A Rut: Journaling will help you notice when foods or lifestyle factors lead to you getting off track or binging. Maybe that handful of chocolate chips leads to binges or lack of sleep makes you more likely to cheat. If you know this ahead of time, you can work to prevent it by avoiding the circumstances that cause it.
  5. Easier to Stay On Track: Even if you are just journaling in a notebook by your bed, writing things down provides a layer of accountability and a reason to stay on track. If you really want to stay accountable, keep a journal in a public place so that you are also accountable to others and you’ll get encouragement and support along the way.
  6. See How Lifestyle Factors Affect Food Intake and Vice Versa: Diet plays a tremendous role in overall health, sleep, skin condition, and bowel habits. Similarly, lifestyle factors like sleep, stress, hormones, and exercise play a tremendous role in how much and what type of food our bodies want to consume. Tracking all of this will help you see which diet and lifestyle changes are the most important to make other health changes easier.
  7. Have an Objective Record: From a medical standpoint, having a detailed health journal is very helpful in cases of illness or allergy to pinpoint cause. It will also be helpful for you to see objectively over time how changes have affected your health and how your health has improved.

Statistically, you are more likely to stick to changes if you track and write down progress. There are apps for this on smart phones, online forums, websites like FitDay.com for tracking food intake or good old-fashioned journals.

What to Record

Especially if you are trying to make health changes, the more information your record, the better. These are the things I’ve found most helpful to journal:

  • Food intake
  • Water and liquid intake
  • Sleep
  • Exercise
  • Illness, allergies, or reactions
  • Pain or fatigue
  • Hormones: monthly cycle, stages of pregnancy, etc.
  • Skin changes

If you haven’t journaled before, I’d suggest trying it for a few weeks, you might be amazed what you discover!

Do you keep a journal? What changes have you noticed from it?

FacebookTweetPinLinkedInReddit

Category: Health

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder and CEO of Wellness Mama, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

  • View All Posts
  • Globe icon
  • Facebook logo
  • Twitter logo
  • LinkedIn logo
  • YouTube logo
  • Instagram logo
  • Pinterest logo

It Shouldn’t Be This Hard to Be Healthy…

Join the Wellness Mama VIP email newsletter to get the latest articles, recipes, podcasts, reader discounts, and FREE access to my Quick Start Guide, 7 Simple Steps for Healthier Families, and 1 week real food meal plan!

You May Also Enjoy These Posts...

  • Health Blogs I read
    Health Blogs I Read
  • Why Sleep is More Important than Diet and Exercise Combined with Shawn Stevenson
    89: Why Sleep Is More Important Than Diet and Exercise Combined with Shawn Stevenson
  • Health benefits of grass fed meat
    Health Benefits of Grass Fed Beef
  • Thyroid 101 - is your thyroid making you fat
    Thyroid Health 101
  • Why we don't use a microwave and what we use instead
    Why We Don't Use a Microwave
  • Thyroid Health and Autoimmune Disease Podcast with Dr Alan Christianson
    18: Thyroid Health & Autoimmune Disease
Previous Post: «Plantain-Backyard Healing Herb Plantain: A Healing Herb in Your Backyard
Next Post: Fruit Smoothie Sorbet Recipe Delicious Homemade Real Fruit Sorbet Recipe»

Reader Interactions

Discussion (10 Comments)

  1. michael

    August 19, 2016 at 12:41 PM

    All of these are great tips, I’ve found #1 is the most important. We work with a lot of people who have indoor environmental allergies and many times when we can get people to think about what recently changed in the home we find the answer to the problem. They changed detergents, painted a room, had a water leak, new cleaning company, etc.

    When you have allergies, asthma or MCS it’s very important to pay attention to lifestyle changes.

    Reply
  2. Tina

    June 7, 2015 at 11:34 AM

    thank you so much for your blog!! I don’t always have time to read it with concentration, but today is Sunday and I do have time!!! Could you make your posts more easily ‘pinable’ instead of having to go via google share, then pin…:)

    Reply
  3. Pama

    September 5, 2014 at 12:38 PM

    If your going to do a health journal, keep a record of stool formation, the number of stools and whether or not food is being digested. Even times of elimination can give clues as to what is going on in regards to intake. It has helped me with figuring out my personal needs/dietary changes to improve gut and overall health. Specifically, what enzymes I need to use to aid digestion, thus improving my nutrient uptake and the formation of normal bowels.

    Reply
  4. Kristina

    February 25, 2014 at 7:25 AM

    I started journaling and I find that I really like it. I hope that over time it will help me see a trend if I slip up. I’ve already noticed that dairy gives me an upset stomach and that grease makes me feel awful….things I didn’t notice before unfortunately. However, how do I know if my body can’t handle that food or if it’s just not used to it. I haven’t eaten dairy in almost 3 weeks and then I had yogurt and I felt terrible.

    Reply
    • Martha

      June 2, 2014 at 8:20 PM

      Then maybe you might have some sensitivity or intolerance to dairy. If it makes it feel terrible, then try not to eat it. I’ve discovered that when i cut off my grain intake I feel much better and have more energy 🙂

      Reply
  5. Bodil

    February 20, 2014 at 9:55 AM

    Dear Wellness Mama,
    I just want to thank you for all your good health advice,
    advice given without any pressure to buy this and that from you.
    You are truly beautiful, and your advice is great.
    Bodil Brandow

    Reply
    • Katie - Wellness Mama

      February 23, 2014 at 11:03 PM

      Thanks 🙂

      Reply
  6. Melissa

    December 13, 2012 at 6:01 AM

    good idea.I always thought food journal meant to record food using the fitnesspal app,that eventually lead me to be afraid of my calorie intake and all.I’m not a calorie counting person but somehow using that as a food journal makes me feel anxious on what I eat.I’ll get a notebook and start with this.will let you know how it goes!

    Reply
  7. roxana d.

    July 15, 2012 at 12:26 PM

    I did journal for about 3 months. Exactly the stuff Cathy above said. The only thing is I found it took me so long to journal everything that i never really got to really properly analyze my data. So actually Im wondering, how can one do that too?

    Reply
  8. Cathy

    July 8, 2012 at 10:06 PM

    I’ve journaled a bit at various times, mainly food, exercise, weight and measurements.  Currently have just been keeping track of measurements and it has been highly encouraging to see them going down thanks to my strength training program.

    Reply

Join the Conversation... Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Please read the comment policy.

Footer

  • Sitemap
  • Start Here
  • Comment Policy
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Full Disclaimer
  • Promo Guidelines
  • Contact
Wellness Mama logo
  • Facebook logo
  • Twitter logo
  • LinkedIn logo
  • YouTube logo
  • Instagram logo
  • Pinterest logo

Site Footer

The information on this website has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease.

By accessing or using this website, you agree to abide by the Terms of Service, Full Disclaimer, Privacy Policy, Affiliate Disclosure, and Comment Policy. Content may not be reproduced in any form.

Ads provided by CafeMedia Family & Parenting Network. Displayed ads do not constitute endorsement or recommendation by Wellness Mama.

Copyright © 2006-2019 Wellness Mama® · All Rights Reserved