Once we identify the foods that cause us physical discomfort, we may have to break the cravings we have for them before eliminating or cutting back on them. To do this we have to be able to distinguish the difference between a craving and real hunger.

Hunger is a survival response. It is the body’s way of alerting us to the fact that we need fuel. It intensifies over time. It does not pass until it is satisfied.

A craving is not brought about by actual hunger. It a strong desire for something triggered by a memory, emotion, or association. It will eventually go away if we take our mind off of it. A craving is usually a sign of some deeper issue and will dissipate after that issue is resolved.

The Cleveland Clinic recommends that when we wish to make changes to our diet we should use a food diary and be honest when recording what we eat. This diary should include the date, time, and place of our meals, and the beverages we drink.  It is also important to describe the emotions we are experiencing and our hunger level before eating, so that we can best analyze our eating patterns.

There are several food diary apps and examples of food diaries on-line from which to choose. These can assist us in eating more consciously, and help us eliminate or reduce from our diet those items that do not physically agree with us.

Many of us in this culture are becoming conscious of what we eat. We are beginning to realize that there is a direct relationship between our diet and our health. Even physicians, some of whom have received no training in nutrition, are writing books about the topic. Apparently, from the ailments we are developing, we are at least now able to identify some of the things we should not eat.

Everyone’s metabolism is different. Perhaps the best way to determine what does and does not agree with us is to keep track of what we eat on a daily basis. By keeping a food diary we can discover how what we ingest contributes to how we feel. For instance, if we feel bloated and swollen after a meal, we may have taken in too much sodium. If we feel sluggish, we could have overeaten. Our bodies speak to us. We need to listen to how they respond to what we are putting into them before they have to scream at us through illness.