atomic sagebrush
January 9th, 2011, 01:10 PM
Update 12-25-17 Please note we are no longer convinced that testosterone does anything for swaying at all. While there are personality factors that do seem to sway (read more here: http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gender-swaying-general-discussion/33517-maternal-dominance-hypothesis-priviledged-daughter-hypothesis.html) we are no longer at all sure that this is "testosterone" per se. It's still a helpful piece, though, since these techniques do still seem to sway pink, even if we don't understand the mechanism.
Testosterone is manufactured mainly in the testes/ovaries. The more muscle you have, the more testosterone your body will make, because testosterone helps to make muscle function more efficiently and repair itself more easily. The one fundamental rule of lowering your testosterone levels is, the less muscle mass you have, the lower your testosterone will be.
:biggirl2:DIETARY FACTORS -
*Eat less animal protein and fats - your body uses animal protein to build muscle. Meat also has varying levels of testosterone in it, but it is unknown whether or not your body uses this testosterone for its needs, or excretes this source of testosterone and manufactures its own supply. Vegetarians have been proven to have lower testosterone levels and also conceive more daughters. Testosterone is actually MADE out of fat.
Aside from all meats, beware of eating large quantities of dairy and eggs. They contain both protein and fat. If you're incorporating higher calcium into your sway, it may be better to get the bulk of your calcium through supplements and stick with fat-free dairy (Update for PCOSers, people with insulin resistance, . Egg beaters or egg whites are better than whole eggs because the yolks have a lot of good fat in them. UPDATE - please note this is referring to LARGE amounts of dairy and eggs as set forth on some other sway sites. These aren't free foods, but you can have them within limits on LE Diet. You do not need to avoid dairy and eggs, you just cannot eat a dozen eggs and drink a gallon of milk a day (and yes, some sites tell people to do this.)
*Salmon has been encouraged on other sites, but research indicates that oily fish like salmon and tuna are excellent at RAISING testosterone. Stay away from all oily fish. The exception is those who have developed delayed ovulation or short LP - adding in 1 serving of salmon every week may help to correct delayed ovulation and short LP.
*Eat less protein overall - your body uses ALL proteins regardless of their source to manufacture muscle. Watch out for beans, whole grains, and particularly nuts. (but you still need to get as minimum 40-50 g protein!)
*Low fat, low calorie, low nutrient diet - the lower the nutrient intake, the smaller your muscles will be. And less fat means less of the building blocks your body uses to manufacture testosterone. (you still need at minimum 30-50 g fat! and low nutrient does not mean NO nutrient.)
*Soy - this is somewhat controversial for swaying pink, but research indicates that soy meal produces a significant increase in the level of sex-hormone-binding globulin (chemicals your body produces that control the levels of free testosterone in your system). Soy increases these chemicals, thereby removing testosterone. Some people believe that soy raises estrogen, which may sway blue in women, and also believe that in increases EWCM, however.
Soy is made up of plant estrogens, but just like testosterone in meat, it's not really known whether or not your body can actually utilize hormones that it takes in, in food form, or whether it uses food as a building block to make its own hormones.
Lower testosterone/higher estrogen is believed to sway pink in men though, so soy may be a good choice for your husband.
*Alcohol - this is another controversial one. Alcohol raises estrogen while lowering testosterone. Some sites say to avoid alcohol for pink but we have strong results using 1-3 drinks per day as a sway tactic (in fact it's among our best tactics!) And wine and beer have a lot of other nutrients in them as well as calories, so may help maintain muscle mass, not what you want to do.
*Coffee/caffeine - Sorry, there are no easy answers here unfortunately. Caffeine in excess has been proven to reduce testosterone levels, but in moderation it has also been shown to make sperm healthier and more mobile. Coffee also raises estrogen levels slightly. Some sites will say to avoid it but it's among our best tactics - please use coffee instead of tea!
*The following foods should be avoided when you can, as they've been linked to improving testosterone production - avocado, garlic, banana, asparagus, figs, spinach, dark chocolate. This doesn't mean you should scream at the sight of them or anything, they're fine to eat in moderation (especially asparagus and spinach) but if you want to avoid foods that are said to raise testosterone, these are the ones to avoid.
:biggirl2:LIFESTYLE FACTORS -
*Weight loss - this is the most important thing you can do to lower testosterone. Whenever you lose weight, you do lose some muscle mass along with the fat. Regardless of what you eat or don't eat, if you're losing weight, you're lowering your testosterone levels. The quicker you lose and the more you lose, the more your muscle mass will shrink. AT least one study has found women (even in a famine situation) who had the most muscle mass had the most boys.
*Exercise - this is a complicated, tricky issue. If you exercise, especially while losing weight and eating a lower protein diet, you will actually eat away at your muscle mass and lower your testosterone. This can be a dangerous method for those who are not dieting, however, because moderate exercise, especially while gaining weight, will make your muscles grow. Proceed with caution - for most, if you cannot exercise 60 minutes a day 6-7 days a week (or at least 4-5 days AT MINIMUM) while losing weight and eating a low protein diet, you are better off not exercising at all.
PCOSers, those with insulin resistance, and those with 30-50 lbs or more to lose, you need to exercise even if you cannot get up to the full exercise recommendation (but more exercise will still be better for you). This is because the benefits to blood sugar control and weight loss are so great that it counters any risk of building muscle. Try to be extra sure you're staying solid on diet, though.
Interestingly, some types of exercise may sway pink for another reason - by heating up the scrotum and damaging the cells that produce sperm. If your husband runs a lot or rides bikes, that's good for a pink sway because it reduces his sperm count overall and this has been proven in studies to yield more girls conceived.
*Reducing stress - Another tricky one. Mild to moderate stress, and any stress that results in success and triumph, actually raises testosterone. But chronic, severe stress releases a hormone called cortisol which uses the same transport mechanisms as sex hormones do. So your levels of ALL sex hormones go down when you're under a lot of stress. What we are aiming for is to have a laid-back approach to swaying and not treat it like a challenging project or a game you can win. http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gender-swaying-general-discussion/33517-maternal-dominance-hypothesis-priviledged-daughter-hypothesis.html
But don't worry about regular uncontrollable day to day stress. That is unavoidable and probably sways pink anyway!
Also, sleep is necessary for testosterone production. Getting less than 6 hours a night may reduce testosterone levels. Not recommending this, but if you're up a lot with other children, it might be a welcome benefit!
*Conflict and competition - ANY conflict or competition in which you are going head to head against another person OR even just trying to succeed at something that is very important to you (such as swaying!) has the potential to raise your testosterone levels. Even people who were competing in a chess tournament had huge rises in their testosterone levels prior to the contest, and winners of the tournament had even larger rises.
So while you're TTC pink, it may not be a good time to engage in competition or launch any big projects that you're very emotionally invested in. Researchers found that in a group of monkeys removed from a group living situation and housed in individual cages began to have way more female offspring because the day to day competition for food raised their testosterone levels. In fact, even just the act of swaying itself may cause obsessive-minded people to have a rise in testosterone and inadvertently sway blue. Proceed with caution.
Please read this essay for more about this concept http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gender-swaying-general-discussion/33517-maternal-dominance-hypothesis-priviledged-daughter-hypothesis.html
*Smoking - QUIT smoking if you do, and if you don't, don't start. Obviously. Smoking and pregnancy do not mix. But smoking DOES lower testosterone levels. And beyond that, smoking for DH has been shown in both studies and in our experience to sway strongly pink. I cannot recommend starting to smoke for anyone, of course, but if it's already something he enjoys, it will only help your sway.
*Less sex - The less sex you have, the less testosterone you will produce. This is true for both women and men.
:biggirl2:SUPPLEMENTS
UPDATE - please note that none of these supplements have been very effective for us and they've all caused tons of trouble for people, including messing up their cycle, delaying or even stopping ovulation and shortening up LP. These herbs may make it harder for you to get and stay pregnant and most people are no longer using them.
For more info about the commonly used sway herbs, please read the following:
http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-a-girl-best-practices/1094-vitex-faq-share-your-experiences-here.html?1094-Vitex%21-FAQ-and-share-your-experiences-here=
http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-a-girl-best-practices/7108-saw-palmetto-peppermint-tea-licorice-root-depth-how.html
*Peppermint tea - may reduce both estrogen and testosterone levels, so is best for DW. DH can have it as a drink now and then as well, but it may reduce his estrogen. Use only from AF-O. One study has shown that spearmint tea also works.
*Saw Palmetto - reduces levels of free testosterone circulating in the blood, use only AF-O
*Vitex - only to be used by DW AF-O
*Licorice Root - raises estrogen while lowering testosterone and must be used by DH ONLY. Licorice root is NOT SAFE for women who are pregnant or may become pregnant.
*DIM - this is a new supplement that is said to lower testosterone. We don't know much about it, but it's made from cauliflower and broccoli and is probably safe. For safety's sake, if you want to give it a try, use only AF-O. (Please note only a handful of people have used this and thus we have no idea how or if it works)
*Dong Quai - probably raises estrogen while lowering testosterone and is not safe during pregnancy, so it's probably better to leave this one alone.
*Black Cohosh - this is one of those scary herbs with lots of side effects that we would probably be better off without. Just throwing it in here so people know about it.
*Lydia Pinkham - this has some of the above ingredients that are unsafe plus some things that may sway blue! AVOID!!!
Testosterone is manufactured mainly in the testes/ovaries. The more muscle you have, the more testosterone your body will make, because testosterone helps to make muscle function more efficiently and repair itself more easily. The one fundamental rule of lowering your testosterone levels is, the less muscle mass you have, the lower your testosterone will be.
:biggirl2:DIETARY FACTORS -
*Eat less animal protein and fats - your body uses animal protein to build muscle. Meat also has varying levels of testosterone in it, but it is unknown whether or not your body uses this testosterone for its needs, or excretes this source of testosterone and manufactures its own supply. Vegetarians have been proven to have lower testosterone levels and also conceive more daughters. Testosterone is actually MADE out of fat.
Aside from all meats, beware of eating large quantities of dairy and eggs. They contain both protein and fat. If you're incorporating higher calcium into your sway, it may be better to get the bulk of your calcium through supplements and stick with fat-free dairy (Update for PCOSers, people with insulin resistance, . Egg beaters or egg whites are better than whole eggs because the yolks have a lot of good fat in them. UPDATE - please note this is referring to LARGE amounts of dairy and eggs as set forth on some other sway sites. These aren't free foods, but you can have them within limits on LE Diet. You do not need to avoid dairy and eggs, you just cannot eat a dozen eggs and drink a gallon of milk a day (and yes, some sites tell people to do this.)
*Salmon has been encouraged on other sites, but research indicates that oily fish like salmon and tuna are excellent at RAISING testosterone. Stay away from all oily fish. The exception is those who have developed delayed ovulation or short LP - adding in 1 serving of salmon every week may help to correct delayed ovulation and short LP.
*Eat less protein overall - your body uses ALL proteins regardless of their source to manufacture muscle. Watch out for beans, whole grains, and particularly nuts. (but you still need to get as minimum 40-50 g protein!)
*Low fat, low calorie, low nutrient diet - the lower the nutrient intake, the smaller your muscles will be. And less fat means less of the building blocks your body uses to manufacture testosterone. (you still need at minimum 30-50 g fat! and low nutrient does not mean NO nutrient.)
*Soy - this is somewhat controversial for swaying pink, but research indicates that soy meal produces a significant increase in the level of sex-hormone-binding globulin (chemicals your body produces that control the levels of free testosterone in your system). Soy increases these chemicals, thereby removing testosterone. Some people believe that soy raises estrogen, which may sway blue in women, and also believe that in increases EWCM, however.
Soy is made up of plant estrogens, but just like testosterone in meat, it's not really known whether or not your body can actually utilize hormones that it takes in, in food form, or whether it uses food as a building block to make its own hormones.
Lower testosterone/higher estrogen is believed to sway pink in men though, so soy may be a good choice for your husband.
*Alcohol - this is another controversial one. Alcohol raises estrogen while lowering testosterone. Some sites say to avoid alcohol for pink but we have strong results using 1-3 drinks per day as a sway tactic (in fact it's among our best tactics!) And wine and beer have a lot of other nutrients in them as well as calories, so may help maintain muscle mass, not what you want to do.
*Coffee/caffeine - Sorry, there are no easy answers here unfortunately. Caffeine in excess has been proven to reduce testosterone levels, but in moderation it has also been shown to make sperm healthier and more mobile. Coffee also raises estrogen levels slightly. Some sites will say to avoid it but it's among our best tactics - please use coffee instead of tea!
*The following foods should be avoided when you can, as they've been linked to improving testosterone production - avocado, garlic, banana, asparagus, figs, spinach, dark chocolate. This doesn't mean you should scream at the sight of them or anything, they're fine to eat in moderation (especially asparagus and spinach) but if you want to avoid foods that are said to raise testosterone, these are the ones to avoid.
:biggirl2:LIFESTYLE FACTORS -
*Weight loss - this is the most important thing you can do to lower testosterone. Whenever you lose weight, you do lose some muscle mass along with the fat. Regardless of what you eat or don't eat, if you're losing weight, you're lowering your testosterone levels. The quicker you lose and the more you lose, the more your muscle mass will shrink. AT least one study has found women (even in a famine situation) who had the most muscle mass had the most boys.
*Exercise - this is a complicated, tricky issue. If you exercise, especially while losing weight and eating a lower protein diet, you will actually eat away at your muscle mass and lower your testosterone. This can be a dangerous method for those who are not dieting, however, because moderate exercise, especially while gaining weight, will make your muscles grow. Proceed with caution - for most, if you cannot exercise 60 minutes a day 6-7 days a week (or at least 4-5 days AT MINIMUM) while losing weight and eating a low protein diet, you are better off not exercising at all.
PCOSers, those with insulin resistance, and those with 30-50 lbs or more to lose, you need to exercise even if you cannot get up to the full exercise recommendation (but more exercise will still be better for you). This is because the benefits to blood sugar control and weight loss are so great that it counters any risk of building muscle. Try to be extra sure you're staying solid on diet, though.
Interestingly, some types of exercise may sway pink for another reason - by heating up the scrotum and damaging the cells that produce sperm. If your husband runs a lot or rides bikes, that's good for a pink sway because it reduces his sperm count overall and this has been proven in studies to yield more girls conceived.
*Reducing stress - Another tricky one. Mild to moderate stress, and any stress that results in success and triumph, actually raises testosterone. But chronic, severe stress releases a hormone called cortisol which uses the same transport mechanisms as sex hormones do. So your levels of ALL sex hormones go down when you're under a lot of stress. What we are aiming for is to have a laid-back approach to swaying and not treat it like a challenging project or a game you can win. http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gender-swaying-general-discussion/33517-maternal-dominance-hypothesis-priviledged-daughter-hypothesis.html
But don't worry about regular uncontrollable day to day stress. That is unavoidable and probably sways pink anyway!
Also, sleep is necessary for testosterone production. Getting less than 6 hours a night may reduce testosterone levels. Not recommending this, but if you're up a lot with other children, it might be a welcome benefit!
*Conflict and competition - ANY conflict or competition in which you are going head to head against another person OR even just trying to succeed at something that is very important to you (such as swaying!) has the potential to raise your testosterone levels. Even people who were competing in a chess tournament had huge rises in their testosterone levels prior to the contest, and winners of the tournament had even larger rises.
So while you're TTC pink, it may not be a good time to engage in competition or launch any big projects that you're very emotionally invested in. Researchers found that in a group of monkeys removed from a group living situation and housed in individual cages began to have way more female offspring because the day to day competition for food raised their testosterone levels. In fact, even just the act of swaying itself may cause obsessive-minded people to have a rise in testosterone and inadvertently sway blue. Proceed with caution.
Please read this essay for more about this concept http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gender-swaying-general-discussion/33517-maternal-dominance-hypothesis-priviledged-daughter-hypothesis.html
*Smoking - QUIT smoking if you do, and if you don't, don't start. Obviously. Smoking and pregnancy do not mix. But smoking DOES lower testosterone levels. And beyond that, smoking for DH has been shown in both studies and in our experience to sway strongly pink. I cannot recommend starting to smoke for anyone, of course, but if it's already something he enjoys, it will only help your sway.
*Less sex - The less sex you have, the less testosterone you will produce. This is true for both women and men.
:biggirl2:SUPPLEMENTS
UPDATE - please note that none of these supplements have been very effective for us and they've all caused tons of trouble for people, including messing up their cycle, delaying or even stopping ovulation and shortening up LP. These herbs may make it harder for you to get and stay pregnant and most people are no longer using them.
For more info about the commonly used sway herbs, please read the following:
http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-a-girl-best-practices/1094-vitex-faq-share-your-experiences-here.html?1094-Vitex%21-FAQ-and-share-your-experiences-here=
http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-a-girl-best-practices/7108-saw-palmetto-peppermint-tea-licorice-root-depth-how.html
*Peppermint tea - may reduce both estrogen and testosterone levels, so is best for DW. DH can have it as a drink now and then as well, but it may reduce his estrogen. Use only from AF-O. One study has shown that spearmint tea also works.
*Saw Palmetto - reduces levels of free testosterone circulating in the blood, use only AF-O
*Vitex - only to be used by DW AF-O
*Licorice Root - raises estrogen while lowering testosterone and must be used by DH ONLY. Licorice root is NOT SAFE for women who are pregnant or may become pregnant.
*DIM - this is a new supplement that is said to lower testosterone. We don't know much about it, but it's made from cauliflower and broccoli and is probably safe. For safety's sake, if you want to give it a try, use only AF-O. (Please note only a handful of people have used this and thus we have no idea how or if it works)
*Dong Quai - probably raises estrogen while lowering testosterone and is not safe during pregnancy, so it's probably better to leave this one alone.
*Black Cohosh - this is one of those scary herbs with lots of side effects that we would probably be better off without. Just throwing it in here so people know about it.
*Lydia Pinkham - this has some of the above ingredients that are unsafe plus some things that may sway blue! AVOID!!!