Should I keep a food diary? What the science says
And how to do it right - even if you're not sure it's food
Blog
Stories, insights, and updates from Triggerbites.
Why Triggerbites exists
From unexplained health flares and abandoned food diaries to building a tool that actually helps you understand your body.
Tyramine and migraines: the aged-food connection
Why aged cheese and cured meat are the usual migraine suspects - and what the science actually says.
Elimination diet vs low FODMAP: which should you try?
They're often presented as rival options. They aren't - one is a specialised version of the other.
Triggerbites vs Noom: which app is right for you?
A psychology-based weight-loss programme - or an app that finds your food triggers?
The low FODMAP reintroduction phase explained
Phase one calmed your gut. Phase two is where you actually learn something - and most people skip it.
Tyramine foods: the complete list
A biogenic amine formed by aging and fermentation - a known migraine trigger, and here's the full list.
IBS-C, IBS-D and IBS-M: knowing your IBS type
Two people can both 'have IBS' and face opposite problems. Your subtype is the part that actually guides you.
IBS flare-ups: what to do when symptoms spike
How to settle a flare in the moment - and how to use it to prevent the next one.
The best low FODMAP apps of 2026
The diet is one thing - looking up values, scanning products, and finding which FODMAPs are actually yours are different jobs.
IBS food triggers: the complete list
The foods that commonly set off IBS - grouped by how they actually work, not just named.
How to track IBS triggers: a step-by-step guide
A practical method for finding what actually drives your IBS - without nuking your diet.
The best IBS apps of 2026
IBS is fought on several fronts - and the right app depends on which one is yours.
Triggerbites vs Nerva: which IBS app is right for you?
Calm the gut-brain response - or find the food triggers? Two very different tools.
Best MyFitnessPal alternatives for symptom tracking (2026)
Done with counting calories? These apps track how food makes you feel.
Nightshade intolerance: fact vs fiction
Tomatoes, potatoes and peppers have a bad reputation online. Here's what the evidence actually supports.
Nightshade foods: the complete list
A botanical family - not a category of 'bad' foods. Here's the full list, and an honest look at the science.
Triggerbites vs MyFitnessPal: which food app is right for you?
One counts your calories. The other finds what's making you feel unwell.
Why 'healthy' foods sometimes make you feel worse
A food can be genuinely nutritious and still be a genuine trigger for you. Those are two different questions.
How to do an elimination diet properly
The method is the most reliable way to find a food trigger - if you run it right. Here's how.
High-sulfite foods: the complete list
A preservative more than a food chemical - here's where sulfites hide, and why wine and dried fruit rank highest.
The best Monash FODMAP app alternatives for trigger tracking in 2026
The Monash app is the reference. These are the apps that actually track and find your patterns.
Why elimination diets fail (and how to fix yours)
The method is sound. It fails on execution - almost always for the same handful of reasons.
How stress affects your gut: the science
A 'gut feeling' is not a metaphor. Here is the actual physiology of how stress reaches your digestive tract.
The best elimination diet apps of 2026
An elimination diet is a method, not a menu - and the right app depends on which part of the method you need help with.
Triggerbites vs the Monash FODMAP app: which do you need?
The official FODMAP reference - or the app that tracks and finds your triggers?
"It's probably just stress" - when food is actually the trigger
Stress genuinely affects the gut. But "just stress" is often the wrong word - and it stops people looking at food.
High-fructose foods: the complete list
It's not 'sugar' in general - it's foods with more fructose than glucose. Here's the full list, and why the ratio matters.
Why does the same food affect me differently each time?
The same meal, two different days, two different outcomes. The food didn't change - your headroom did.
The best Migraine Buddy alternatives for food triggers in 2026
Brilliant for attacks - but if food is your trigger, you need a food-first tool.
GERD explained: triggers, timing and tracking
Where occasional heartburn ends and a chronic condition begins - and why food is a trigger, not the cause.
Why big meals and brunches wreck you
A large meal isn't a small meal scaled up - it changes the physics and chemistry of digestion all at once.
Why am I constipated?
Constipation almost always comes down to one thing - transit time - and a handful of factors that quietly slow it down.
The best migraine tracker apps of 2026
Recording attacks and finding triggers are two jobs - and two kinds of app.
Triggerbites vs Migraine Buddy: which app is right for you?
The best migraine attack tracker - or the app that finds your food triggers?
High-FODMAP foods to watch: the complete list
FODMAPs are a specific family of carbohydrates - not a vague category of 'bad' foods. Here's the full list, and how to think about it.
Leaky gut: what the science actually says
A real, measurable phenomenon wrapped inside a wellness myth - here's how to tell the two apart.
Celiac disease explained: when gluten triggers an autoimmune attack
Not an intolerance, not an allergy - a disease where the immune system attacks the gut itself.
The best CareClinic alternatives in 2026
Tired of tap-heavy menus and constant upgrade prompts? Here's where to look.
Is it really gluten? Non-celiac gluten sensitivity explained
You cut gluten and felt better - but that doesn't prove gluten was the problem.
High-fermentation foods for SIBO: the complete list
SIBO symptoms are driven by fermentation - so the key list is the foods that ferment most.
Fructose malabsorption explained: why fruit and honey upset your gut
A normal limit of the small intestine - not a disease - and why it gets confused with something far rarer.
The best apps for tracking MCAS in 2026
MCAS reactions are scattered, episodic and multi-trigger - which is exactly what makes good tracking so valuable.
Triggerbites vs Guava: which health app is right for you?
A complete health-data hub - or a focused food-trigger engine?
What is the low FODMAP diet — and is it worth trying?
A clear guide to the most evidence-based diet for IBS - and the part nearly everyone gets wrong.
Why do I feel anxious after eating?
Anxiety that arrives with a meal usually has a physical cause - and several of them are surprisingly mechanical.
The best Foody alternatives in 2026
When a simple offline diary isn't finding the answer for you.
Caffeine: the hidden sources beyond coffee
Coffee is the obvious one. The rest of your caffeine is easier to lose track of than you'd think.
Heart palpitations after eating: what's behind them
The gut and the heart share a nerve - which explains more than you'd think.
Brain fog after eating: what it means and how to track it
That post-meal mental treacle is real, it's physical, and it has a handful of identifiable causes.
The best Endive alternatives in 2026
When a simple food diary is no longer telling you enough.
Why do I feel tired and foggy after meals?
Some post-meal slump is normal physiology. The rest is a pattern you can find.
My tests came back normal but I still feel sick - now what?
A normal test result isn't a dead end - and it definitely doesn't mean nothing is wrong.
High-salicylate foods: the complete list
A natural plant-defence chemical, concentrated in herbs, spices and certain fruits - here's the full list, and why it's a load.
The best Bowelle alternatives in 2026
Loved its simplicity but hit its ceiling? Here's where to go next.
Sulfite sensitivity explained: the wine preservative to watch
A common food preservative, a well-known link to asthma - and why the reaction is chemical irritation, not a classic allergy.
Why am I suddenly intolerant to foods I used to eat fine?
It rarely means a brand-new intolerance. It usually means something on your side changed.
Triggerbites vs Foody: which food & symptom tracker is right for you?
A simple offline diary - or an app that does the analysis for you?
Oxalate intolerance: symptoms and high-oxalate foods
What oxalates genuinely do, what the internet claims they do, and how to tell the two apart.
High-oxalate foods: the complete list
A natural plant compound found in some surprisingly healthy foods - here's the full list, and what oxalate actually does.
Why does my stomach hurt after eating?
The cause is usually written in two clues - where it hurts, and when.
The best food sensitivity apps of 2026
Food sensitivity isn't one thing - so the right app depends on what you're chasing.
The best food allergy and allergen-tracking apps of 2026
Avoiding allergens, being ready for reactions - and, just as often, working out whether it's an allergy at all.
Triggerbites vs Fig: which food app is right for you?
One checks if a product is safe to buy. The other finds what's triggering you.
Silent reflux (LPR): the reflux you can't feel
Throat-clearing, a nagging cough, a lump in your throat - and not a hint of heartburn.
SIBO: the overlooked cause of bloating
When bloating won't behave like a normal food reaction, the answer might be bacteria in the wrong place.
Salicylate sensitivity explained: a hidden natural food chemical
A plant's own defence chemical - found in fruit, herbs and aspirin alike - and why reactions to it are pharmacological, not allergic.
High-glutamate foods: the complete list
The compound behind umami - and behind a food-sensitivity claim that the science doesn't really support.
The best Bearable alternatives for IBS and food triggers in 2026
Love Bearable, but it can't crack your food triggers? Here's where to look.
The low histamine diet explained
Not a forever ban list - a short, structured way to find your histamine threshold.
DAO enzyme deficiency and histamine intolerance
The enzyme that drains your histamine bucket - and the surprising list of things that slow it down.
Triggerbites vs Endive: which IBS food diary is right for you?
A beautifully simple food diary - or an app that finds the triggers for you?
Histamine intolerance vs MCAS vs allergy: what's the difference?
Three conditions, almost identical symptoms - and three completely different mechanisms underneath.
Dairy-protein foods: the complete list
Milk allergy is a reaction to the protein - not the sugar - and that's a different list, and a different condition, from lactose intolerance.
Could it be MCAS? Mast cell activation syndrome explained
When the immune system's alarm cells fire too easily - and why it gets confused with histamine intolerance.
The best histamine intolerance apps of 2026
Histamine intolerance isn't a fixed list of banned foods - it's a moving threshold, and the right app depends on which part you need help with.
Triggerbites vs Daylio: which tracker is right for you?
A delightful mood journal - or an app that finds your food triggers?
Lactose intolerance: the world's most common food intolerance
Misunderstood on almost every point - including whether you have to give up dairy at all.
Food intolerance tests: what works and what doesn't
Most of the tests sold to you don't do what they claim. Here's the honest breakdown - and what actually identifies a food intolerance.
Triggerbites vs Cronometer: which food app is right for you?
One measures every nutrient in your food. The other finds what's making you feel unwell.
High-nickel foods: the complete list
Nickel isn't just a metal in jewellery - it's in food too, and for some people that matters.
Why you can't find your trigger even though you're tracking
You did the work and got no answer. The problem usually isn't you - it's what a plain food diary can and can't show.
Acid reflux after eating: causes and triggers
Why heartburn so often follows a meal - and the foods and habits behind it.
The best mySymptoms alternatives in 2026
Powerful, yes - but if the manual logging is wearing you down, here's where to look next.
How to find your food triggers (without cutting out everything)
A step-by-step method that beats guessing - and beats nuking your whole diet.
Why you get headaches after eating certain foods
Food is a real headache trigger for some people - but it's individual, it's a load, and it rarely acts alone.
Low-histamine foods you can actually eat
Histamine lists make it feel like everything is off-limits. It isn't - most of what you eat is naturally low in histamine.
The best Cara Care alternatives in 2026
Looking for a flexible tracker instead of a fixed IBS programme? Here's where to look.
The foods most likely to trigger your migraines
The usual suspects, the real mechanisms - and why the famous list probably isn't your list.
Food allergy or food intolerance? How to tell the difference
Two words used interchangeably - for two genuinely different things.
Triggerbites vs Cara Care: which IBS app is right for you?
One is a guided IBS treatment programme. The other is built to find your triggers.
Why do I feel sick after eating?
Nausea after meals isn't random - here are the common causes, and how to tell them apart.
Histamine liberators: the foods that release your own histamine
Some foods barely contain histamine - yet still set off a reaction. Here's why, and the full list.
Why do I get diarrhea after eating?
The timing - fast or slow - is the biggest clue to what's actually going on.
Triggerbites vs Bowelle: which IBS tracker is right for you?
One is the simplest diary you'll ever use. The other does the detective work for you.
The delayed food reaction tracker your symptoms actually need
Why same-day food diaries miss your trigger - and what to track instead.
Caffeine sensitivity: why coffee hits everyone differently
Two genes decide how long caffeine stays in you - and how hard it hits.
Triggerbites vs AteMate: which food journal is right for you?
A photo journal for mindful eating - or a photo diary that finds your triggers?
High-histamine foods to limit: the complete list
Aged, fermented and cured foods carry the most histamine - but this is a load to manage, not a list to fear.
Why am I bloated after everything I eat?
It feels like every meal sets you off - but bloating has a handful of real, specific causes.
You track what you eat — do you track how you feel?
Most people track calories but never track how food affects how they feel. Doing both gives you a picture of your health that neither one alone ever could.
Why your skin reacts to food
Flushing, hives, eczema flares - the skin and the gut are more connected than they look.
The gut-brain axis: why food affects your mood and your mind
A 'gut feeling' isn't a figure of speech - it's a physical communication system with four channels.
Could it be histamine intolerance? The signs most people miss
Scattered, inconsistent symptoms that never seem to add up - until you see the pattern.
The best acid reflux & GERD apps of 2026
Reflux is driven by what you eat and when - which makes it very trackable.
Can COVID cause food intolerances?
Why your gut can feel different after COVID — and how to find your real triggers
Why your food reaction shows up hours (or days) later
Understanding delayed food sensitivities and why traditional tracking misses them
The best symptom tracker apps of 2026
From general health tracking to migraine tools to food trigger discovery.
The best food diary apps of 2026
The right app depends on what you're actually trying to solve.
Triggerbites vs CareClinic: which food & symptom tracker wins?
When you're dealing with chronic symptoms, the last thing you need is an app that adds to your stress.
Triggerbites vs Bearable: which symptom tracker is right for you?
Sometimes the best app for one thing isn't the best app for everything.
Triggerbites vs mySymptoms: which food & symptom diary wins?
Finding your food triggers shouldn't feel like a second job.