Trial and Error

The first few months of pregnancy saw multiple shifts in my diet. After the initial discovery, back in January, my appetite was low, perhaps due to the shock and awe of realizing I was now a “mother-in-becoming.” However, decreases in blood sugar every 2-3 hours led me to eat regularly anyway to avoid the consequential bouts of nausea. My energy was decreased and attending school full-time and commuting 3 hours a day on the bus was enough to wipe me out completely by the evening.

I fell in love with citrus – oranges and grapefruit, especially – and enjoyed the daily bowl of ice cream, which felt soothing to the stomach and sweet to the tongue. Following the recommendations of others, saltine crackers and slices of cheese were also kept nearby. Within several weeks, however, I began to fall into trouble with the diet my own appetite had led me to follow - a diet uncharacteristically high in refined carbohydrates, fruit, dairy, and sugar, and simultaneously low in protein and vegetable matter. I was following my “instincts,” but oh did they fool me! They were leading me on a rather painful learning curve and there was no avoiding it!

I don't usually have yeast issues. But these changes in diet combined with the altered hormonal environment inside me seemed to open the door to a whole rainbow of new internal imbalances. And, as usual for me, an “extremist's response” was triggered. In this case, a “candida diet” was implemented and dozens of previously-loved foods were avoided. Probiotic supplements were also popped on a religious basis. I had messed up, and now I was on a warpath to fight this!

Initial symptoms subsided and healed within about a week, and I walked away from that experience impressed with the power of diet. I continued to avoid wheat, gluten and yeasted products, and also minimized or otherwise avoided vinegar, uncultured dairy, cheese, sugar, refined grains, fruit, and even nuts. What did I eat? Basically, eggs, lean animal protein and legumes, rice, and vegetables! My midwife thought that avoiding wheat was a worthwhile endeavor, but encouraged experimenting with fruit and the moderate use of organic, raw vinegars, as both can be potent and beneficial in small quantities. So the experiments began, and I have since determined that many of the foods I initially considered off-limits are not my source of trouble. Used mindfully, fruit, nut products, organic vinegars, and even a small and infrequent amount of sugar are all okay - my real sources of trouble are wheat, yeast, and – perhaps – gluten.

To come, “My Problem with Wheat.”