Food and symptom diary
The fastest way to find your own triggers is to write things down for a couple of weeks. Print this, keep it on the kitchen counter, and fill it in as you go, not at the end of the day.
- Write down when, not just what. Reactions can show up 15 minutes or several hours after eating.
- Note how fresh it was. The same meal as leftovers can cause trouble when fresh didn't.
- Mark symptoms 0 to 3. 0 is none, 3 is bad. You're looking for patterns, not perfect records.
- Sunday, fill in the review page. That's where the patterns show up.
My food and symptom diary
Week of ____________________
- Write what you eat and drink, and roughly when.
- Tick fresh or leftover. Leftovers are one of the most common hidden triggers.
- Rate any symptoms 0 to 3 with the time you noticed them.
- Add anything else that might matter: sleep, stress, exercise, medication, where you are in your cycle.
- At the end of the week, fill in the review page.
Symptoms 0 none · 1 mild · 2 clear · 3 bad
Free from lowhistaminefoodlist.com · Not medical advice. Share your diary with your doctor or dietitian.
| Meal | Time | What I ate and drank | Fresh / leftover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | F · L | ||
| Lunch | F · L | ||
| Dinner | F · L | ||
| Snacks and drinks | F · L |
| Symptom | 0-3 | Time | Symptom | 0-3 | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flushing | Brain fog | ||||
| Headache | Tired | ||||
| Itchy skin or hives | Racing heart | ||||
| Stuffy or runny nose | Anxious | ||||
| Stomach or gut | Trouble sleeping |
Medication / antihistamine: ______________________________ Other notes: ______________________________
| Meal | Time | What I ate and drank | Fresh / leftover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | F · L | ||
| Lunch | F · L | ||
| Dinner | F · L | ||
| Snacks and drinks | F · L |
| Symptom | 0-3 | Time | Symptom | 0-3 | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flushing | Brain fog | ||||
| Headache | Tired | ||||
| Itchy skin or hives | Racing heart | ||||
| Stuffy or runny nose | Anxious | ||||
| Stomach or gut | Trouble sleeping |
Medication / antihistamine: ______________________________ Other notes: ______________________________
lowhistaminefoodlist.com · Not medical advice
| Meal | Time | What I ate and drank | Fresh / leftover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | F · L | ||
| Lunch | F · L | ||
| Dinner | F · L | ||
| Snacks and drinks | F · L |
| Symptom | 0-3 | Time | Symptom | 0-3 | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flushing | Brain fog | ||||
| Headache | Tired | ||||
| Itchy skin or hives | Racing heart | ||||
| Stuffy or runny nose | Anxious | ||||
| Stomach or gut | Trouble sleeping |
Medication / antihistamine: ______________________________ Other notes: ______________________________
| Meal | Time | What I ate and drank | Fresh / leftover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | F · L | ||
| Lunch | F · L | ||
| Dinner | F · L | ||
| Snacks and drinks | F · L |
| Symptom | 0-3 | Time | Symptom | 0-3 | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flushing | Brain fog | ||||
| Headache | Tired | ||||
| Itchy skin or hives | Racing heart | ||||
| Stuffy or runny nose | Anxious | ||||
| Stomach or gut | Trouble sleeping |
Medication / antihistamine: ______________________________ Other notes: ______________________________
lowhistaminefoodlist.com · Not medical advice
| Meal | Time | What I ate and drank | Fresh / leftover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | F · L | ||
| Lunch | F · L | ||
| Dinner | F · L | ||
| Snacks and drinks | F · L |
| Symptom | 0-3 | Time | Symptom | 0-3 | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flushing | Brain fog | ||||
| Headache | Tired | ||||
| Itchy skin or hives | Racing heart | ||||
| Stuffy or runny nose | Anxious | ||||
| Stomach or gut | Trouble sleeping |
Medication / antihistamine: ______________________________ Other notes: ______________________________
| Meal | Time | What I ate and drank | Fresh / leftover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | F · L | ||
| Lunch | F · L | ||
| Dinner | F · L | ||
| Snacks and drinks | F · L |
| Symptom | 0-3 | Time | Symptom | 0-3 | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flushing | Brain fog | ||||
| Headache | Tired | ||||
| Itchy skin or hives | Racing heart | ||||
| Stuffy or runny nose | Anxious | ||||
| Stomach or gut | Trouble sleeping |
Medication / antihistamine: ______________________________ Other notes: ______________________________
lowhistaminefoodlist.com · Not medical advice
| Meal | Time | What I ate and drank | Fresh / leftover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | F · L | ||
| Lunch | F · L | ||
| Dinner | F · L | ||
| Snacks and drinks | F · L |
| Symptom | 0-3 | Time | Symptom | 0-3 | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flushing | Brain fog | ||||
| Headache | Tired | ||||
| Itchy skin or hives | Racing heart | ||||
| Stuffy or runny nose | Anxious | ||||
| Stomach or gut | Trouble sleeping |
Medication / antihistamine: ______________________________ Other notes: ______________________________
My best days were: ______________________________________________________________
My worst days were: _____________________________________________________________
What I ate in the 24 hours before the worst days: _____________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Foods that showed up before symptoms more than once: _________________________________
Leftovers or packaged food before a bad day? ________________________________________
Foods I want to try cutting next week: _____________________________________________
Questions for my doctor or dietitian: ______________________________________________
lowhistaminefoodlist.com · Not medical advice