What are you eating now?

If you’re like most Americans, chances are you’ve developed an unhealthy habit or two when it comes to your food choices. Whether you’re skipping breakfast, snacking late into the evening, or relying heavily on fast food meals, there’s likely room for improvement in your food plan.

Making changes to how you eat is simple, but not easy. Breaking bad habits and establishing new, healthy routines always requires patience. And since eating has both a physical component (providing nutrition to our bodies) and a more complex emotional component (providing comfort, familiarity, and even recreation), developing an achievable eating plan can be a particularly challenging part of a self care program for anyone battling depression.

By also noting how you’re feeling at different points during the day in your food diary, you’ll get an even more complete picture of how your emotions and your eating behaviors may be interacting. For example, you may feel anxious or jumpy in the late morning, due to drinking too much coffee. Or having a candy bar for an afternoon snack may cause you to experience a “crash” in energy and alertness – along with a craving for more sugar – shortly thereafter.