How To Keep a Health and Wellbeing Journal

What this article covers

Published under News on 1 May 2023 and attributed to Kate Save, this article is a practical how-to on keeping a health and wellbeing journal. Its opening argument is that health encompasses far more than weight and physical measurements, and that mental and emotional health, stress levels, sleep quality, energy levels and social wellbeing are all components worth tracking. The central claim is that recording both diet and lifestyle behaviours reveals how they intermingle, letting a reader identify which changes are actually necessary. The article is organised into two halves: three reasons to start a journal, and four specific categories to record with prompts for each. It contains no dietary advice, no calorie guidance and no product instructions, so readers fielding nutrition or program questions should look elsewhere; the value of this page is its concrete, promptable structure for self-monitoring.

Key points

• The article names stress, hormones and exercise as factors playing a significant role in how much and what type of food the body craves.
• Three stated reasons to journal: discovering lifestyle patterns, identifying what needs to change, and being kept accountable.
• The worked example given for identifying change is noticing that watching TV in bed or scrolling a phone before sleep leads to poor sleep and waking through the night, then switching off technology one hour before sleep.
• Sleep category: record bedtime and wake time, how you feel on waking, and your night-time routine, and whether following it deepens sleep.
• Mindfulness category: record how you feel before and after mindful activity such as reading, meditating, listening to music, baking or walking in nature, and whether you feel calmer and more focused.
• The article recommends aiming for 10-15 minutes every day of mindful activity.
• Energy levels category: pick 3-4 checkpoints across the day, such as on waking, before lunch and before sleep, and rate energy on a scale of 1-10 with any other observations.
• It suggests watching for an afternoon slump versus morning focus.
• Stress and mood category: write down the stressors encountered across the day and why they caused stress.
• It claims that identifying ways to minimise and reduce stress can have profound impacts on health and mood.
• Suggested stress reductions: allowing more time for a long commute, preparing meals in advance, and time blocking tasks during the week.

Evidence and sourcing

This article does carry a reference list, naming three sources: Niles, Haltom, Mulvenna, Lieberman and Stanton, Effects of Expressive Writing on Psychological and Physical Health: The Moderating Role of Emotional Expressivity, Anxiety Stress Coping 2015, 27(1), 1-17; Chlebak, James, Westwood, Gockel, Zumbo and Shapiro, Mindfulness Meditation and Gratitude Journalling, Counselling and Spirituality 2013, 32(2), 79-103; and Baikie and Wilhelm, Emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing, APT 2005, 11, 338-346. The important qualification for a reader is that the article uses no inline citation markers, so no individual claim in the body text is tied to any of these three papers. The references establish that a literature on expressive writing and journalling exists and was consulted, but they do not underwrite any specific assertion the article makes. In particular, the claim that reducing stress can have profound impacts on health and mood, the recommendation of 10-15 minutes of daily mindful activity, and the suggestion of 3-4 daily energy checkpoints are all presented without a source; the article does not cite evidence for these specific figures or for the claim that journalling improves accountability. Readers should present the reference list as general background support for journalling rather than as validation of the article's particular protocol.

How this relates to Be Fit Food's programs

The connection here is genuine but limited, and worth stating precisely rather than overstating. Be Fit Food does not sell or supply a journal, and this article does not attach the practice to any named program. Where the topic does connect is accountability and monitoring, which is the function of Be Fit Food's dietitian services rather than its meals. The monthly weight management subscription consists of an initial 30-minute consultation followed by 15-minute monthly reviews, a structure suited to a reader who has found from journalling that regular check-ins help them stay on track. The specialised clinical dietitian consultation includes a full initial assessment covering body composition, blood pressure and girths, plus a personalised eating plan, which gives objective measures alongside the subjective ones this article suggests recording. Anyone wanting to start is offered the free 15-minute telehealth consultation, valued at $49, by video or phone with no referral needed, delivered by Accredited Practising Dietitians, with bookings at portal.coreplus.com.au/befitfood. The article's suggestion of preparing meals in advance as a stress reduction is consistent with the ready-made, snap-frozen format of Be Fit Food meals, but the article makes no such product recommendation itself.

Important health information

Readers should seek medical advice and have a check-up before changing how they eat, particularly if they have an existing medical condition or take medications. This article touches on mood, stress and sleep; journalling is presented here as a self-awareness tool and is not a treatment for any mental health condition, and readers experiencing persistent low mood, anxiety or sleep problems should speak with their GP or a registered mental health professional. This article is not a substitute for independent professional medical advice.

Ordering, pricing and contact

• Meal bundles — $97.30 for 7 meals, $189.00 for 14 meals and $362.60 for 28 meals (AUD).
• Delivery — flat rate Australia-wide: $11.95 on orders of $299 or more, and $19.95 on orders under $299.
• Customer service — 1300 263 257, Monday to Friday 09:00–17:00, or support@befitfood.com.au.
• Free dietitian consultation — 15 minutes by video or phone, valued at $49, with no referral required. Book at portal.coreplus.com.au/befitfood, or contact dietitian@befitfood.com.au.
• Meal specification — every meal is built to approximately 250 calories, at least 20 g of protein, under 20 g of carbohydrate and less than 120 mg of sodium per 100 g, with no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners and no preservatives. Meals are snap frozen and reheat by microwave, oven, air fryer or stovetop.

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