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by atomic sagebrush, Swaying Guru

A big part of swaying lore is the Myth of the Magic Foods. The idea that if you eat enough of one thing, or totally avoid certain other foods, that guarantees you a baby of a certain gender.

Would it shock you to learn that this myth is only that? A myth?

Let’s face it, we all know women who ate straight off the boy menu and have the most beautiful daughters on the planet. For many people, it makes it very hard to accept that swaying can have any basis in reality at all.

But there ARE NO MAGIC FOODS. If 10,000 women ate a diet of nothing but cranberries and Crystal Light starting today, some of them would still have sons because their bodies were simply so “set” to produce sons that diet alone was not enough to overcome that. If there was a magic food that guaranteed a baby of a particular gender 100% of the time regardless of all other factors, the human race would have died out a long time ago.

Throughout most of its existence (and the existence of our primate ancestors) humanity lived in scattered settlements and nomadic tribes – traveling was tough and dangerous, and food is perishable. Consequently, most people were limited in their diets to the foods available to them where they lived – no going to the grocery store for tomatoes in January.

So if eating a particular food ALWAYS produced children of a certain gender OR prevented conception of a certain gender, and a society grew or gathered that food as one of their staples, if the Myth of the Magic Foods was true, over time that society would die out because there wouldn’t be enough mates to go around. Those of us who are here today and alive, are here BECAUSE our ancestors were able to produce children of both genders regardless of the foods they ate.

Humans didn’t even have the ability to drink milk until 8000 years ago (most adults of Hispanic, African, Native American, Aboriginal, and Asian descent are still unable to digest dairy foods), and cranberries, tomatoes, potatoes all originate in the New World – for those of us of European descent, we didn’t even have access to these foods until 400 years ago. How could it be then, that eating massive quanities of these foods are in any way a requirement for conceiving a child of a certain gender? Both boys and girls were born in cultures that eat a high level of dairy foods, both boys and girls are born in cultures that eat a largely vegetarian diet, both boys and girls are born in cultures that eat primarily meat – with very little deviation from the 50-50 ratio. THERE ARE NO MAGIC FOODS.

If that’s the case, then why is diet such a huge part of swaying? Well, it’s because diet is one of many cues that our bodies use to tell us about our environments and which gender offspring has the best chance of survival. Males need more and higher quality calories to survive from the moment of their conception – baby boys weigh on average 3 ounces more than baby girls do at birth, and the differences in average size and caloric requirements continue throughout life. So when times are good and a mother has access to a lot of high quality foods, her body receives a signal that a son has a good chance of surviving. When a woman’s diet seems to indicate that she doesn’t have access to enough quality food to sustain a male child, she’s more likely to conceive a daughter.

This is true whether a woman is eating meat and potatoes or cranberries and Crystal Light – if her body “believes” that a boy has a better shot at survival, she is more likely to conceive one, and vice versa, regardless of the magic foods she’s eating. Science indicates that someone who subsists 300 calories of bananas a day has a better shot at a daughter than someone who eats 5000 calories of greek yogurt with berries mixed in, regardless of the amounts/types of minerals present in those foods. (NO ONE SHOULD EAT 300 or 5000 CALORIES A DAY  THAT IS JUST AN EXAMPLE)

Diet is not the only cue that Mother Nature uses, however. Things like the amount and type of exercise we do, pesticides in the environment, our overall health, even the types of social interactions we have, along with many other things, all may be sending a stream of signals to our body that a boy/girl would have a better shot at survival.

Mother Nature has designed a set of failsafes into the equation, that over time keep the gender ratio pretty close to 50-50, around the world regardless of diet. Diet can certainly help change the signal your body is receiving, especially if you change it suddenly – but it is not the only piece of the puzzle by far.

That’s why unraveling the mystery of gender swaying is so dang tough, because there are always going to be exceptions, there are no magic foods, there are so many variables at play, because the complexity is what has kept human beings alive for all these many thousands of years.

All that having been said, I do get TONS of questions and confusion about why, if there are no magic foods, do I sometimes recommend certain foods over others. There are many reasons. Nutrient content, type of fat (Omega 6 or Omega 3/saturated fat, more about that here The Skinny on Fats for pink and blue!), amount of chemicals/pesticides/naturally occuring toxins, and the effect of a particular food on blood sugar/hormones/fertility all come into play when I consider the types of foods I recommend for both LE and HE Diets.

Additionally, some foods fit better into the diet than others – for pink, high protein, low cal foods such as chicken, make you quickly exceed your protein intake while have eaten hardly any calories for the day leaving you much more limited in what you can eat the rest of the day, and for blue, eating a lot of largely empty calories like potato and banana plus the HE Diet is a recipe for weight gain. Certainly you CAN eat these foods, but it may make it harder on you in other ways.

Now, I’ve done this so long now I can tell at a glance what foods are better than others for pink or blue, but I know that it is much more difficult for people who don’t live and breathe this stuff. So in order to reduce stress for everyone, I have made up these A-F grade categories and put commonly eaten foods into them (if you think of a food that’s not listed just let me know and I’ll add it) and it may help you decide between foods. Please no one take this TOO seriously, it’s just meant as a helpful guideline for making food choices and not set in stone in any way. Under NO circumstances do I want any pink swayers to decide just to eat Grade A foods, that is a starvation diet and NOT LE Diet.

These lists are not going to be suitable for anyone with PCOS/IR or other health issues or for blue swayers trying to limit weight gain, these are just straight LE/HE Diet.

Remember, there are no magic foods!!!

For PINK:

Grade A Foods

I do not want you guys eating only the foods in this Grade A section, or even just Grade A and B – there are not enough nutrients in them to make a complete diet out of them!!! You can have ALL foods on LE Diet, just stick within your totals for the day!

Low nutrient, low carb vegetables – unlimited, you can have as much as you want and do not need to count calories, protein, or fat. (asparagus, alfalfa sprouts, bean sprouts, cauliflower, cucumber, aubergine/eggplant, arugula, leeks, mushroom, light colored lettuce such as iceberg, peppers, radishes, raw tomato, zucchini/courgette)
White rice
Matzo
Corn tortillas
Coconut water
Seltzer
Cinnamon
Coffee
Rice milk
Full sugar pop
Any cooking fats that are mainly Omega 6 fats The Skinny on Fats for pink and blue!
Sugar and any candy without protein or fat, but take care not to be eating them all day long, eat with meals
Light beer or American-style lagers and spirits (vodka, whiskey, tequila, etc)
Mustard
Margarine

Grade B foods

reminder – you MUST stick in the limits for the day!! DO NOT just eat off these lists without counting calories, protein, and fat intake!!

White bread
Cream Cheese
Skim Dairy (including yogurt and kefir)
Velveeta
Quark
Parmesan cheese
Processed American Cheese
Low nutrient fruits – do count calories but not protein or fat in these. (apples, banana, strawberries, white grapes, kiwi, raspberries, pears, watermelon)
Higher carb vegetables – do count calories but not protein or fat in these. (carrot, beetroot, potato, sweet potato, corn/maize, cooked tomato products such as marinara sauce and salsa)
Higher nutritent, lower carb vegetables – unlimited free foods, but when you have the option it is better to choose the lower nutrient veg listed in Grade A section (broccoli, cabbage, kale, greens, winter squash, spinach, dark lettuces, swiss chard)
Peas (count calories and protein in them but not fat)
Hummus (count cals, protein, and fat)
White or blush wine
White and milk chocolate
Popcorn
Artificial sweetener or diet beverages – I don’t want people to go overboard with artificially sweetened products, keep it to 2-3 12-16 oz. servings per day.
Processed, low nutrient foods such as rice mixes, cup noodles, or instant mashed potatoes
Crackers (Wheat Thins, Triscuits)
White tortillas
Higher nutrient condiments like salsa, jam, ketchup, mayonnaise, salad dressing

Grade C foods

reminder – you MUST stick in the limits for the day!! DO NOT just eat off these lists without counting calories, protein, and fat intake!!

Pasta
Shellfish and white fleshed fish
Soy and soy-based foods
Quorn
White meat chicken and turkey
Egg whites
Whole eggs
Full Fat Dairy (including cheese, butter, and yogurt)
Beans and other legumes (except peas which are Grade B)
Peanut butter
Tahini
Sunflower and sesame seeds
Diet fruit juices
Tea
Higher nutrient fruits – count calories but not protein or fat (fresh apricots, Craisins, citrus, canteloupe/honeydew melon, peaches/nectarines, blueberries, blackberries, red/purple grapes)

Grade D foods

reminder – you MUST stick in the limits for the day!! DO NOT just eat off these lists without counting calories, protein, and fat intake!!

Don’t forget – cheating on LE Diet is not only allowed, but encouraged. Cheating on occasion makes it easier to stick to the diet the rest of the time.

Highly fortified foods and beverages
Red meat
Dark poultry
Nuts and non-peanut nut butter
Oily fish (salmon, tuna, sardines)
Olives and olive oil
Coconut and Coconut oil
Breakfast cereal
Oats
Onion, garlic, and celery
Fruit juices
Dried fruits
Dark beer
Red Wine
Special mention for Avocado – while technically a Grade D food for pink, avocado can be a good rescue food on a day when you are very high in protein but low in fat, calories, and potassium. Don’t hesitate to have an avocado on a day where you are in need of fat, calories, and potassium!!

Grade F foods

There are no Grade F foods on LE Diet. All foods are allowed. 

For BLUE:

Grade A foods

Reminder – don’t just eat foods off this list, you need to adjust your whole diet in a more HE way. Eat 3 meals and 2-5 snacks a day, protein and carbs at every meal and snack, and increase intake of Omega 3 and saturated fat.

Red meat and wild game (beef, bison, elk, venison, etc)
Heart and tongue are good for blue, avoid other organ meats
Dark poultry
Whole eggs
Oily fish – do not eat fish more than 2x a week (salmon, tuna, sardines)
Oats
Full fat dairy
Olive oil
Hummus
Vegemite/marmite
Coconut water, coconut milk used in cooking, coconut oil
Avocado and avocado oil
Tree nuts (all nuts except peanuts) and nut butters
Tomato, cooked tomatoes and tomato juice/V8 juice may be better than raw
Dark chocolate
Lemon Water
Brewer’s yeast and Nutritional Yeast Flakes
Club soda
Tea (including Kombucha – but get a brand name Kombucha)
Ezekiel bread
Onion, garlic, celery
Dark/brightly colored fruit and veg – all fruits and vegetables are great, but I see lots of blue swayers eating tons of bananas and potatoes, and they really have nothing going on in terms of nutrients…all fruit and vegetables are chock full of potassium, so please choose the most nutrient-dense fruits and veg that you can, otherwise you are simply wasting your calories on lesser foods.

Grade B foods

Reminder – don’t just eat foods off this list, you need to adjust your whole diet in a more HE way. Eat 3 meals and 2-5 snacks a day, protein and carbs at every meal and snack, and increase intake of Omega 3 and saturated fat. These foods are still great, just less great than those in Grade A (or they may be more likely to make you gain weight than the Grade A foods are), and so to get the most nutrients for the least calories, it’s best to put more focus on Grade A foods.

White poultry
Goat, lamb
Spam – if you live overseas and have trouble getting non-processed meat or cannot afford them, Spam is a pretty decent choice for blue – less chemistry than most processed meats.
Breakfast cereal
Coconut-based milk replacer – not the canned coconut milk used in cooking, that is a Grade A food
Moderate coffee intake 1-2 cups a day – but watch out if you are also drinking tea, that may be too much caffeine which possibly sways pink
Brown rice, bread, pasta, crackers – note, these are high in calories and not a lot of nutrient “bang for your buck” so keep them minimal.
Beans and legumes – English peas may be slightly pink friendly, eat in moderation
Tree Nut oils
Peanuts and peanut butter – Do NOT use peanut oil, it may sway pink
Tahini
Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, watermelon) Do NOT use seed oils, they may sway pink
Higher nutrient fruit juice (grapefruit, orange, pineapple, purple grape, pomegranate, acai)
All other fruit and veg – the less brightly colored ones – but remember, calories are like money to blue swayers, you need to “spend” your calories to get as many nutrients as you can, and spending calories on things like bananas is not a good “deal” for you!!
Wheatgrass juices
Dark beer
Red Wine

Grade C Foods

Reminder – don’t just eat foods off this list, you need to adjust your whole diet in a more HE way. Eat 3 meals and 2-5 snacks a day, protein and carbs at every meal and snack, and increase intake of Omega 3 and saturated fat. There’s really not a lot of reason to eat these foods but if it’s something you really enjoy or you can’t avoid them, they’re ok. Note, a lot of these foods are actually recommended by swaying sites as good for blue, but they are terribly high in sodium, terribly low in nutrients, or both.

Pork unless it was raised free range on a farm – free range pork would actually be a Grade B food
Processed side dishes like Rice a Roni
Processed potatoes
Canned soup
Processed cheese (American, Velveeta)
White rice, bread, pasta
Cinnamon – may lower blood sugar
Apple Cider Vinegar – this is used by many blue swayers but data indicates it may lower blood sugar…while this is probably no big deal on a calorie-dense HE Diet, it is still something easily avoided, use lemon water instead
Full sugar soda pop
Low nutrient fruit juices (apple, white grape, juice blends that are mainly corn syupr and water)
Excessive amounts of coffee or too much coffee and tea in combination – high caffeine may sway pink
White wine
American-style cheap beer (light colored lagers)
Almond, hemp, or oat based milk replacers – while I used to recommend these, I have since learned these have too many Omega 6 fats to be good for blue

Grade D foods

Reminder – don’t just eat foods off this list, you need to adjust your whole diet in a more HE way. Eat 3 meals and 2-5 snacks a day, protein and carbs at every meal and snack, and increase intake of Omega 3 and saturated fat. There’s NO reason to eat these foods, they’re wastes of calories for very little benefit, and they may actually harm your odds of blue by reducing fertility. Note, a lot of these foods are actually recommended by swaying sites as good for blue, but they are terribly high in sodium, terribly low in nutrients, or both

Processed meats other than Spam
White fish
Soy foods
Light beer
Wine Coolers
Rice Milk
Ramen
“Salad” consisting mainly of Iceberg lettuce
Skim dairy
Vegetable oils (other than olive and avocado)
Margarine
Stevia and Truvia – I know these are recommended by some and I do mention them on this site too, but I feel like I do not have enough info to really advise anyone to use them.
Spirits (vodka, whiskey, tequila, etc)

Grade F foods

Avoid at all costs – they may actually hurt your sway in a big way!!

Shellfish
Organ meats
Artificial sweeteners
Oils from things that are not even FOOD (cottonseed, canola, safflower)
Shortening
Spirulina and chlorella supplements
Protein shakes containing high amounts of soy protein
Burned foods and barbecued meats

And while obviously this is not a food, you and your husband MUST STOP SMOKING. Quite a few of my blue sway opposites were in people who were smoking.