CHECK YOUR DIET WITH A THREE-DAY DIETARY RECORD

CHECK YOUR DIET WITH A THREE-DAY DIETARY RECORD - How Foods Fight Cancer

THREE-DAY DIETARY RECORD

You can get a good idea of the healthfulness of your overall diet with a
three-day dietary record. This is the same diet-tracking tool that researchers
use in clinical studies. It not only lets you see exactly what you’re eating
now, it also helps you see how to improve your diet over time. If, for example,
you’re getting a little too much fat or too little fiber, you’ll spot it right
away and can fix the problem.

To do your record, you simply take a sheet of paper and note down
everything you eat or drink (except water) for three days, including two
weekdays and one weekend day (most of us eat a bit differently on weekends
compared to weekdays).

Using the Diet Record form (photocopy it as many times as
needed), jot down each food, condiment, or beverage on a separate line.

For example, if you had a salad made of lettuce, tomatoes, chickpeas, and
dressing, use four lines, one for each ingredient. Or if you had a peanut butter
and jelly sandwich, along with a cola, use four lines so you can separate
out each part of the meal—bread, peanut butter, jelly, and the drink.

Write down everything you eat, including snacks and condiments. The
only item to omit from the list is your water consumption. Record the
amount of each food as accurately as you can. You can either weigh each
item using a food scale (available in stores that sell kitchenware) or measure
or estimate its volume (for example, one cup of orange juice, or perhaps
a small, medium, or large apple).

Record your foods as you go so you don’t forget. If it is more convenient,
you can keep notes in a small notebook and transfer them to the Diet
Record form later. Be thorough.

If you like, you can get a detailed nutrient analysis of your diet. Just
be sure to fill in the quantities carefully and use a food scale. A dietitian
can analyze the record for you, or you can simply log in to a nutrientanalysis
Web site, such as the University of Illinois Food Science and
Human Nutrition Department’s site www.nat.uiuc.edu/mainnat.html,
www.dietsite.com, or www.NutritionMD.org.

Please note that while the
nutrient analyses on these sites are generally accurate, some of their nutrition
guidelines are not necessarily optimal. Many commonly used guidelines
allow too much fat and cholesterol. Here is a better set of goals: For an
adult consuming 2,000 calories per day, a good fat-intake goal is about
25–35 grams each day. This works out to about 10–15 percent of calories.
Cholesterol intake should be zero. Your protein intake should be
roughly 50 grams per day. Resist the temptation to push protein intake
too high.