Still want to know my secret? Still think there was more than sickness to my lack of weight gain while pregnant? Well, truth be told, you might be right, though I highly doubt it. However, for argument sake, I’m willing to indulge you. Briefly, that is.

Morning sickness was a lie. It was all day everyday and it was the one reason why I never had to purchase maternity clothes. Yes, you heard me right. Now get over it and let’s move on. The reason I had a healthy baby and felt healthy, despite the sickness, was much simpler. I have always been aware of the food and ingredients I consume. Pregnancy only exemplified that notion. I was conscious about everything I put in my body. I read all labels, every damn thing that was written on any food product. I read it all. If it was low fat or low sugar, I deciphered the ingredients to determine what was used as sweetener.

The doctor may have mentioned it was okay to have diet pop but I refused to put aspartame in my system and I stayed away from high fructose corn syrup or artificial anything. I had enough trouble keeping bland and normal food down; I didn’t want to waste time trying to consume junk or harming substances. Instead, I devoured as many fruits as possible. They were hydrating and despite the acidity, fruit settled the best. Some days, it was the only thing I could keep down.

I gave up caffeine entirely. College was survived by guzzling about four cups minimum of coffee a day. Caffeine was kryptonite. It was the hardest thing to give up and I turned to Kool-aid. Not my smartest choice. There has been discussion over a direct correlation between artificial coloring and autism. Upon realizing this, I gave up the Kool-aid, too. For half my pregnancy I only drank select teas and water.

If I thought coffee was hard to give up, giving up sandwiches was a slow painful death. Sandwiches have always been one of my favorite foods–only to be outdone by hamburgers. Cold sandwiches, specifically. For nine months, I somehow survived on paninis and hot sandwiches, making sure to heat up the lunchmeat in a fry pan before, and I only ate the uncured. Sodium nitrate didn’t have a chance in hell to enter my body. It’s a pink powder that shouldn’t be an additive.

Read that last paragraph again. Notice how I heated up the lunchmeat: fry pan. Don’t get me started on the uselessness and utter unhealthiness of microwaves. Actually, screw that. Sometime in high school–or maybe it was back in middle school–my parents removed our microwave from the kitchen. Previously, all of Taylor’s meals had been warmed up via microwave. Between the heat and rays of a microwave, the vital nutrients and vitamins that make up a meal are killed. When eating a microwaved meal, whether home cooked leftovers or out of the freezer, you are consuming empty calories. Everything that was once healthy about the meal perished. Instead, use the bake option on an oven or a fry/sauce pan on a stovetop to heat food up. It may take a bit longer but that’s the benefit. Those key nutrients aren’t being zapped away.

Unfortunately, when I was pregnant, I hadn’t been aware of the effect gluten had on me. I continued to consume bread and oatmeal daily. This was my greatest fault and I didn’t know it. I had been able to give up all processed food and leaned instead towards the all-natural food products. It wasn’t difficult. The mind is a powerful thing. When you make a decision and actively pursue that lifestyle choice, your body begins to follow suit. I gave up salty food like chips and pretzels because they made me dehydrated and sick. After awhile, my body no longer craved such snacks. Telling my body “No” took discipline, following through took restraint, but the end result was motivating.

Evelynn may have only been 5lbs when she came home from the hospital but she’s healthy as a cucumber. Her doctor was consistently impressed those first few weeks she was home. There may have been constant worry over her health and “normalcy”–God I hate that word, it implies imperfect in the abnormal–but I also knew she was going to be a force to be reckoned with. It was a bone-deep sense if assurance and it was magnificent. My food and drink choices gave me comfort in this.

Giving up coffee and cold sandwiches, Kool-aid and salty foods, was difficult but it was also empowering. I learned my limits and I learned what I was capable of. I gave up Ben & Jerry’s and dippity eggs because of raw egg and uncooked egg yolk. I gave up tossed and garden salads because I couldn’t handle ranch but indulged in taco salads weekly. Homemade salsa made for a great dressing. We got meat from the local meat barn because sodium nitrate didn’t interest me. We sought out no GMO products. It was harder than hell but I survived. Being healthy isn’t as expensive as we believe it to be. Instead of paying for preservatives, growth hormones, and additives, pay for raw nutrients, vitamins, and all-natural ingredients. Your bank account won’t see that great of a difference but your body will reap some amazing benefits.