Many years ago, as a teen, I ate everything except seafood. My mom cooked and we rarely ate out. Our dinners were very much the standard of the day: a meat, vegetable and a starch.

Throughout my life, I drank soda sparingly as the sugar and caffeine made me very hyper. If I had too much sugar I would feel like the inside of my body was vibrating; a very uncomfortable feeling.

Caffeine makes me feel crazy so I have always avoided coffee, even decaffeinated coffee can mess with my system.

I gave up dairy when I was in my early 20s, due to lactose intolerance.

I gave up soda when I was 30, due to its effect on me and because I was pregnant.

I more or less gave up alcohol, except for the occasional glass of wine, when I was 30 due to its effect on me and because I was pregnant.

I gave up corn when I was 34, due to my son’s allergy. I found out that corn consumption encouraged environmental allergies; no corn, no allergies.

I gave up conventionally raised meats and fish when I joined a meat and produce co-op at the age of 34. We increased our intake of fresh organic fruits and vegetables and ethically raised meats.

I gave up soy when I was 35, because I found it was a thyroid antagonist.

I gave up wheat/gluten when I was 40, because I learned it was the cause of severe stomach pain in the morning, which I thought was hunger pain. (Normally, hunger doesn’t hurt if you aren’t starving.)

I gave up nuts at some point when I learned that the arginine content feeds the herpes virus (HSV-1, oral herpes) and results in fever blisters for me.