How My "Perfect" Diet Changed Once I Got Pregnant

Even before becoming a certified integrative nutrition health coach, I was a self-proclaimed "health nut," focused on eating all of the healthiest foods no matter what. I’ve been consistently obsessed with making sure I'm eating only organic, local, grass-fed, and pasture-raised meat, dairy, fruits, greens, and vegetables for as long as I can remember, and I've even cycled through all of the popular diets—from vegetarian and vegan to gluten-free, paleo, and grain-free.

The goal in all my healthy eating endeavors was to make sure I felt well: emotionally, spiritually, and physically. I’d been through a major health crisis and seen much of my family suffer from diseases that lifestyle habits and diets may have prevented. So I constantly made it my mission to not only eat well but to do so regardless of the cost or inconvenience.

Hormones are an odd thing, and I’ve learned they can change everything about what is "right" for you and what feels good in your body. Plus, pregnancy is a wild animal that can’t be tamed. I’ve learned to let go of perfectionism, at least a little, and ask my body each day what it wants and find a way to give in to that, regardless of the rules I created for myself in the past.

No, I didn’t throw in the towel completely when it came to eating well. But I found that forcing myself to be grain-free and dairy-free just wasn’t going to work anymore. So I found a middle ground: I’d allow myself all the grains my body craved, but I also made sure they were free of gluten, as I’d been diagnosed with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). Also, I allowed myself some butter and cheese—but in moderation.

Today, almost halfway through my pregnancy journey, I’ve come to terms with a few things. First, eating healthy doesn’t have to mean forcing myself to adhere to strict nutrition guidelines. Second, when making decisions about what’s "right" for my body, I connect to my intuition—my body’s messages and that sense of knowing. Finally, sometimes starting from scratch—when it comes to nutrition, diet, supplements, and exercise can be the best thing for me (and my baby).

This last one was a tough one for me, but I’ve found it to be true. I realized that a reset may be just what the doctor ordered. My body is constantly changing, even more now that I’m pregnant, and if I’m not flexible then I may be forcing a lifestyle and way of eating that is no longer serving me. I’ve decided to embrace this journey of starting over as a lesson and a blessing.