Pregnancy has had a huge impact on what we buy at the grocery store. Before my first pregnancy we bought all of our food from one or two different grocery stores in town; the ones that were the closest to us. That slowly began to change with my first pregnancy as I researched nutritional needs of mom and baby in utero. I was astounded at how many items we bought regularly contained ingredients that were potentially detrimental to our health and my pregnancy (e.g. sugar-free gum and lunch meats). The more research I did the more foods we cut out of our diet (e.g. foods containing enriched flour, hydrogenated oil, and high fructose corn syrup). We began getting our meat and eggs from a local free-range organic farmer. We slowly switched to organic whole food items; forever giving up things like oreos, potato chips, and m&m’s.
Looking back on my first pregnancy, I threw up a lot in my first trimester. It was during this time that we were slowly making the switch; removing the processed, artificial, chemically and hormone produced foods from our diet. With my research came the knowledge of the long-term affects these kind of foods had on one’s health. We couldn’t ignore the facts about so many of the foods we were used to eating. So we made a change.
We now shop only at the local supermarkets that carries a selection of organic items. We strive to buy food that is locally and organically grown (like apples from a nearby orchard and meat and eggs from a local “beyond organic” farmer) Ninety percent of our diet is organic now. We still purchase some conventionally grown “clean” produce items like oranges and pineapple … items that have a thick outer skin that is not consumed. Our goal is to eat the healthiest and tastiest foods possible; foods that are not produced with hormones, antibiotics, chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, fungicides). Foods that are produced in a way that respects God’s design and the dignity of human persons.
Our change in diet has had a huge impact on this pregnancy as well. Even though I am experiencing morning sickness, I have not thrown up once. Sometimes when that nagging, gagging feeling won’t go away, vomiting seems to be the only solution. Sometimes my body even goes through the motions of throwing up, but my body won’t let go of the nutrient dense foods we eat. My body won’t let me vomit. Even though I feel gross a lot of the time, knowing that I am doing my very best for my growing baby convinces me even more that this change we’ve made is the best change we’ve ever made. A big thank you too my two precious babies that motivated me to know my food and eat right once and for all.