The Food Journal Workshop meets once per week for a ten-week period. The program will run between one and two times per year. Classes will discuss the real whys and how to do a useful food journal and the first part of each class will be journal related. The second part of each class will cover a different nutritional topic. Some of the topics covered are listed in the accompanying syllabus.
Cost: This 10-week program is free for YMCA members and has a cost of $40 for community participants.
Please contact Paul Discipio with questions and to register for the next session:
Phone: (978)685-3541 X413
Food Journal Workshop Syllabus
Class 1: Topics include: The main purpose our food journal is to help you understand what you like to eat and why, not to log calories or grade yourself on your food choices. We will look at our favorite foods, meals, and deserts. Why and how we come to like these favorites and why is it so hard to stop eating certain foods?
Homework: Continue with favorites list, and begin journaling your food.
Class 2 & 3: Identify your thoughts and feelings with the foods you eat. Learn to work with the emotions behind what you eat so that new food eating habits can be developed. We begin brainstorming strategies for making simple changes that will become new healthier eating habits for you.
Class 2 & 3: We look at the primitive food supply vs the industrialized nation’s food supply. Besides the high caloric load, lack of nutrition, and pesticide issues, another top reason industrial foods are bad is because they ruin your taste bud-brain connection! When your taste buds are altered you are compelled to eat the wrong foods.
Homework: Compare your childhood favorites list to your current favorites list, continue journaling, and begin to make notes with your foods regarding thoughts, feelings, emotions, and memories…Know thyself.
Class 4: Review food journals, Carbohydrates Part 1, general information. How to understand the quality of the carbohydrate in the foods you eat and how to identify the quality of carbohydrate in a food from its food label.
Homework: continue journaling your food with notes. Look for places to substitute healthier carbs for less healthy choices, and make note of this in your journal.
Class 5: Review food journals, Carbohydrates Part 2, information on phytochemicals (phyto-nutrients and phyto-toxins/anti-nutrients).
Homework: continue journaling your food with notes. Look for places to add foods to get enough of a nutrient that may be blocked by anti-nutrients in other foods you eat. Look for a different way(s) to prepare foods that you eat that contain anti-nutrients such as to minimize their affect.
Class 6: Review food journals, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Fats and Heart Disease part 1.
Class 7: Review food journals, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Fats and Heart Disease part 2.
Homework: continue journaling your food with notes. Look for places to substitute healthier fats for less healthy choices, and make note of this in your journal.
Class 8: Review food journals, and it’s all about Protein.
Homework: continue journaling your food with notes. Look for places to substitute healthier protein sources for less healthy choices, and make note of this in your journal.
Class 9: Review food journals, Determine and take your best first step, and line up steps 2 & 3. Should you start with the portion size of one meal or look to improve food quality with healthier choices? Your choice should go easy on your unconscious mind, not be a shock.
Homework: continue journaling your food with notes on how easy your first change is going.
Class 10: Review food journals, and assess your first change.
Homework: continue journaling your food with notes.