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http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gend...ly-demand.html
Understanding the "Law" of Testosterone Supply and Demand
The production of testosterone is an unbelievably complicated process described here: Testosterone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Still with me? The good news is, we don't have to understand all that gobbeldygook to use testosterone (or lack thereof) to our advantage when swaying.
Nutshell version - cholesterol Cholesterol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia is the building block of ALL steroid hormones. Your body makes most of its cholesterol and gets a smaller amount via diet (only 10-15% of your cholesterol comes through diet). You DON'T need to eat gargantuan amounts of cholesterol to have plenty of the stuff, your body makes it out of saturated fats and even animal protein itself. In turn, it uses that cholesterol that it made, to build ALL your hormones, progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen alike.
Consequently, you don't have to eat testosterone-laden foods to make testosterone or to have all boys. Some swaying diets have red meat listed as boy-friendly and chicken and eggs listed as girl-friendly, because red meat has testosterone and chicken and eggs have progesterone, but that doesn't matter. Your body MAKES cholesterol out of the saturated fats in ALL meats, eggs, saturated plant fats like coconut, and full-fat dairy foods, and then turns that cholesterol into testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone.
If your body decides to make less testosterone/estrogen and more progesterone, it's not because you're EATING less testosterone and more progesterone, it's because of other cues in your body that send the signal to your body to make less testosterone and more progesterone. In fact, your body produces progesterone BEFORE it makes testosterone, and testosterone is later turned into estrogen. The three are all part of the same process. You cannot divorce the three hormones and treat them in such a simple manner as, "More testosterone and estrogen = boys, more progesterone = girls" because SOMETHING is causing your body to produce these different levels of hormones.
That SOMETHING is the key to gender swaying.
When I talk about testosterone supply and demand, what I'm really saying is that there are (at least) two variables in the equation. One is the amount of raw materials you have available to make testosterone with. So we try and control this amount, firstly through diet. For blue swayers, by eating more saturated fats that raise the so-called "bad" cholesterol and also healthy fats that raise the so-called "good" cholesterol, in addition to other various nutrients that help with the process. For pink swayers, we eat less fat and protein and less of the nutrients that are proven to help your body manufacture testosterone (like Vitamins A and D, among others.)
We also take supplements that raise or lower the amount of testosterone circulating in our bodies, raise or lower the amount of cholesterol that our body turns into testosterone (you can have both high cholesterol and low testosterone if your body is not getting the "signal" to produce testosterone), and even raise or lower the amount of testosterone that our bodies make out of whatever raw materials are available (some foods that lower cholesterol actually raise testosterone, like oats).
But all this is to no avail if we do not address the second half of the equation - DEMAND. Pink swayers, if we do not convince our bodies that we need less testosterone in order to survive, it will carry on producing testosterone using whatever it can scrounge up. And blue swayers, if our bodies don't "think" they need testosterone, and in some instances may even survive better without it, it will salvage its energy for other things and continue on with less testosterone.
Our bodies produce testosterone for SURVIVAL. In nature, dominant animals (both physically and socially dominant) face constant challenges to their authority and need that testosterone to maintain their physical and social superiority and take on challengers. Submissive animals have a much better chance of survival if they are non-confrontational and so their testosterone levels tend to drop if they decline challenges, or lose.
It isn't hard to see how this translates into modern-day life. If you're always taking on challenges, both mental and physical, that you enjoy, and you tend to succeed at them, your testosterone levels are probably higher than another person who feels doomed to fail at every endeavor, or who has to struggle and work constantly just to get by, or has been put down and persecuted a lot in life. (This does NOT mean that people with lower T levels are victims or failures, there are many paths to low testosterone.)
Taking it a step further to swaying...
(Note - No one needs to take offense at any of this, it's meant to be general observations and conjecture and not extrapolate to every person. Keep in mind that there are many factors that sway such as smoking and skipping breakfast, which have NOTHING to do with testosterone or dominance whatsoever.)
A lot of boy-moms (aka pink swayers) have tended to be very much go-getters with a tendency to get SUPERobsessed with the details of everything in life, and having the "perfect" sway is just another thing to obsess over. I have seen some boy-moms even say point blank that the reason their GD was so bad is because getting a daughter was the only thing in life that they hadn't "accomplished" and they view swaying as a challenge to be overcome and a prize to be won.
Some of the blue swayers, on the other hand, have been more easily overwhelmed by swaying and feel that they literally CAN'T conceive a baby boy because something is wrong with them or they are being punished in some way. I have also noticed (and this is just a generalization and in no way meant to be offensive to anyone at all) that ~some~ of the girl-moms desperately want sons not for themselves, but for others - their husbands, fathers, or society at large.
Going back to the idea of an equation, it is GREAT for our sway if we do everything we can to increase or limit the supply of raw materials for our body to manufacture into testosterone. But unless we address the demand aspect and work on changing our habits and attitudes as well, our body may simply continue on as it was. Swaying can even aggravate this by making blue swayers feel terribly pressured and discouraged and lowering their testosterone, or making pink swayers focus too much on details and obsessing over every aspect of their sway and raising their levels.
Supply + Demand = testosterone. Even if your supply drops to ZERO - which is impossible because your body will do ANYTHING to keep you alive, even down to making testosterone out of your last cubic centimeter of body fat - if your body senses that you need testosterone, it will continue making it. And even if you have sky high cholesterol, if your body thinks that high testosterone will reduce your overall odds of survival (animals who are physically less able to defend themselves are ill-suited to getting into a lot of fights or even just asserting themselves socially)it will not use that cholesterol to raise your testosterone levels. It will save it for a rainy day when it's needed.
Non-diet and supps ways of increasing demand and raising your testosterone levels - Weight training and moderate exercise (they emulate taking on and overcoming physical challenges) - possibly even something that involves fighting like kickboxing or TaeBo, getting enough sleep, taking on and overcoming challenges (these don't have to be big things, even something small like driving to a new part of town or playing board games with your kids can help), and putting yourself in a position of authority over others can help to raise your testosterone levels. Above all, try to focus on the positive...you CAN conceive a son and if swaying begins to feel overwhelming and undoable to you, take a break and regroup.
Ways of decreasing demand and lowering your testosterone levels - Either NO exercise or extreme exercise, minimum 60 minutes a day, 6-7 days a week (makes your body think you're either keeping your head down and avoid notice, or you're having to work very hard just to survive), getting less sleep than normal, and walking away from arguments and declining challenges that you would ordinarily take on. Above all, you must NOT get obsessed over swaying. If you know you're prone to that kind of thinking, do not include any of the more nitpicky swaying aspects like timing that take a lot of constant monitoring and tracking, because it just keeps it in the forefront of your mind constantly.
Aside from sheer bad luck, testosterone levels are the number one reason why good sways fail. It's not enough just to affect your supply, you must also address demand, in order for your sway to succeed.
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Basic Breads for pink and blue
I thought we could do with a bread thread. There are so many breads on the market that I can't really evaluate them one by one but at least we can add things as we learn them.
As a general rule, whole grain, high nutrient breads are better for blue. It's not too difficult to find good breads for blue, just watch the calcium content!! A couple good breads for blue are the Earthgrains line http://www.earthgrains.com/OurBreads.aspx (thank you flava for finding this!) and some of the wholegrain/nut breads from Franz (these may be available only in the Western US unless you buy them online or if you're dying for some, I can send them to you) Franz Bakery
Spelt breads are another good choice for blue (thank you Freya for this info) because they are alkalinizing. You can find some spelt breads here Shop Online | Berlin Natural Bakery Food For Life makes a wide variety of highly nutritious breads Food For Life out of sprouted grains.
Watch calcium/magnesium in whole grain breads if you're swaying blue, although wholegrain breads usually contain less calcium than white products do. The good news is, a chemical in whole grains called phytic acid actually blocks absorption of minerals like calcium and magnesium, so even if there is a little in the bread, you may not absorb it. You also may want to take any fat soluble vitamins like fish oil or vitamin D and E at another time of day because the fiber in whole grains can sweep healthy fats out of your digestive tract. Another thing to keep in mind is that for blue, it's best to eat carbs and protein together to keep your blood sugar level nice and even for a long time after you eat.
Pink swayers are more free to mix and match, eating just carbs or just protein or a small amount of both because they're aiming for lower blood sugar levels.
Empty calorie refined breads are better for pink...be sure to check for sodium content if you are a pink swayer though because white breads are LOADED with sodium! In In Australia there are products called Moore's Low Sodium bread and Country Life bread http://www.countrylifebakery.com.au/products.php that may be helpful. In the US, Pepperidge Farms bread http://www.pepperidgefarm.com/Produc...aspx?catID=749 and Ezekiel Breadhttp://www.foodforlife.com/ are also low in sodium, although Ezekiel Bread is very healthy in other ways and so be somewhat blue-friendly. Wonder Bread http://www.wonderbread.com/bread-types.html is calcium-enriched but not low in sodium.
If you live in the UK, here is a thread about low sodium breads and crackers available for you.
The best breads of all for pink (Thank you jd03pd for finding this!!) may be found from the Ener-G company, online here - http://www.ener-g.com/wholesale/low-...ed-breads.html - some of these breads are low calorie, low sodium, and low protein!!!! They also sell things like pizza shells, crackers, and buns (this is their wholesale site that sells LARGE quantities, so if you want smaller quantities, just Google the product you are interested in and you'll find several sites that just sell one or two loaves of bread.)
Some links to low-sodium breads, torillas, and crackers - Healthy Heart Market- Low Sodium and No Sodium Food Products. Quick shipping. - Bread & Tortillas http://www.lowsaltfoods.com/food_cen...ods/breads.htm
http://www.saltwatcher.com./cgi-bin/...earch&product= &keywords=bread&cart_id=3857608_18112
One person had success requesting that their local Publix bakery make them some low sodium bread - Thank you Publix!!! It is worth a try even if you do not live near a Publix, if you ask at various places you may find someone willing to do it!
Low sodium tortillas can be found here: http://www.jadworks.com/jadworks/ltf...ion=Products** and here http://www.tumaros.com/productlist.a...eart+Tortillas (although these are not super low in sodium so beware!) and ALL corn tortillas are sodium free, although they are alkalinizing due to the lye used to process the corn - if you fry corn tortillas in a bit of unsalted butter, they are a good alternative to bread with a meal.
Other alternatives are pita bread, rice cakes, flatbreads, crackers - just watch to make sure you are getting as little sodium as you can in these products. Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more You can also use a leaf of lettuce as a wrap, in place of a bread product.
Links to products that you might want to use when making your own breads -
EnerG low sodium egg-replacer - you can use this in place of real eggs in bread, for lower protein and sodium content http://www.ener-g.com/wholesale/low-...-replacer.html (this is wholesale so Google to find a retailer who will sell you just one)
Sodium-free baking powder - http://www.hainpurefoods.com/product...p?prod_id=1842 and http://www.ener-g.com/wholesale/low-...ng-powder.html (this is wholesale, so Google to find a retailer that will sell you just one)
And Sodium-free baking soda - http://www.ener-g.com/wholesale/low-...ng-powder.html (this is wholesale!) Also very high in calcium!!!
PLEASE NOTE - you may have to adjust the quantity of baking powder/soda if you use a sodium-free kind - there will be instructions on the can.
http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gend...pink-blue.html
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http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gend...pink-blue.html
Many Marvelous Milks! For Pink and Blue.
Which milk is best for swaying? It may not be what you think! Let's take a quick look at the various incarnations of milk and milk substitutes and see what they really contain nutritionally.
As a reminder or if you're a newbie - the best, most scientific evidence we have seems to indicate that a high nutrient, high calorie, high protein, high fat, high sodium diet seems to sway blue and a low nutrient, low calorie, low protein, low fat, low sodium diet seems to sway pink. There is also some good evidence to indicate that low blood glucose levels to sway pink while medium blood glucose levels seem to sway blue.
Traditionally, high calcium and magnesium intake has been linked to more girls while high sodium and potassium intake has been linked to more boys. And foods that acidify the body are believed to sway pink while foods that make the body more alkaline are believed to sway blue. So the best milk for swaying a particular gender should reflect ALL of those needs overall.
DAIRY - Dairy milk is a traditional part of the girl sway because of its high calcium levels, but there are some problems with dairy that make it pink-unfriendly. It's very high in protein and fat, and has a LOT of sodium and potassium. In fact, it's mighty tough to get enough calcium through dairy beverages without exceeding your recommended sodium and potassium levels. And MANY people cannot even digest milk (please read http://genderdreaming.com/forum/show...-CONTROVERSIAL for more info).
Dairy also has tons of calories, fat, protein, it may elevate your blood glucose levels, and full fat milks are loaded with cholesterol, which is the building block of testosterone. It does tend to be acidic in your body.
WHOLE MILK - Per cup - 146 calories, 8 grams protein, 8 grams of fat, 25 mg of cholesterol
Calcium 276mg Magnesium 24.4mg Potassium 349mg Sodium 97.6mg (so in order to get roughly 25 mg of magnesium, you're ingesting 350 mg potassium and almost 100 mg of sodium in ONE CUP.)
Zinc 1.0mg Vit. A - 250 IU Vit. D - 98 IU (Zinc is known to sway blue when men take it, and Vit A and Vit. D probably sway blue in men and women, by raising testosterone.)
On balance, I think that whole milk is better for
2% MILK - Per cup, 122 calories, 8 grams protein, 5 grams fat, 20 mg cholesterol.
Calcium 286mg Magnesium 26.8mg Potassium 366mg Sodium 100mg
Zinc 1 mg Vit A 461 IU Vit D 105 IU
On balance, I think 2% milk is better for
SKIM MILK - per cup, 91 calories, a little less than 1 gram fat, 9 grams protein, 5 mg cholesterol
Calcium 316 mg Magnesium 36 mg Potassium 420 sodium 130 mg
Zinc 1 mg Vit. A 500 IU Vit D 98 IU (BUT...without fat, the Vit. A and Vit D will probably not be as well absorbed.)
One other downside of skim - it may make your blood sugar rise more than whole or 2% will.
One unknown about skim vs. whole milk - whole milk seems to BOOST fertility while skim milk seems to reduce it. Pretty much everything that boosts fertility seems to sway blue and pretty much everything that reduces it seems to sway pink.
On balance, I think skim milk is better for
CREAM AND HALF AND HALF -
Both have more fat, calories, and cholesterol than whole milk, BUT you use them in such small amounts that I think in moderation (as in no more than once a day for pink swayers or twice for blue swayers) you can use them to perk up EITHER sway. They do have some nutrients but again, you use so little of them that it's almost irrelevant. I think they're overall better for because of the calories and fat and when used sparingly, they have very little calcium.
For a blue sway you may wish to use a little cream in your mashed potatoes or in a gravy for meat or to liven up soups. Or, you may choose instead to use some half and half in your green tea.
For a pink sway, you could make a sugarfree Italian soda with a tablespoon of cream, or put some on strawberries with aspartame as a dessert.
NONDAIRY CREAMER - 10 calories per teaspoon with a half-gram of fat. No protein, sodium, cholesterol, or nutrients of any sort.
Nondairy creamer is traditionally used in a blue sway as a milk replacement. And that's ok if you want to use it now and then in your tea. But some people really go overboard with the nondairy creamer and start putting it into pasta sauces and stuff like that and I think that is a bad idea for two reasons.
Firstly because it is taking the place of more nutritious things that you could be eating instead (remember, the best science indicates that high fat, high protein, high calorie, high nutrient diet leads to more boys being conceived.) So every time you choose nondairy creamer over a more nutrient-rich food, it is an opportunity wasted to send a signal to your body that times are good and a boy pregnancy would be desirable.
Secondly, nondairy creamers are PACKED full of chemicals. Evidence indicates that chemicals in pesticides and food additives may build up in the human body and affect hormones, leading to more girls being conceived. So it is best to avoid chemical additives as much as possible when swaying blue and probably when trying to get pregnant all together.
On balance, ok in moderation for or but is probably not the best idea for anyone trying to get pregnant.
Disclaimer - a lot of these products vary slightly in nutrition between brands and formulation. I tried to find the most commonly available brand but just know you will need to double and triple check these numbers to make sure that you're getting the best product for your needs.
SOYMILKS - in about 1 cup of soy milk, there are 131 calories, 7-8 grams protein, 4 grams fat, and no cholesterol. (more calories than skim but less than the other dairy milks have. Less fat than whole or 2% milk, and no cholesterol; however it may be fortified wiht and/or naturally contain, depending on how it was processed, essential fatty acids, which sway blue. Slightly less protein but this varies by brand.)
Calcium 60 mg magnesium 60 mg sodium 124 mg potassium 287 mg (so MORE magnesium and LESS sodium and potassium than cow's milk!)
Zinc - .3 mg Vit. A - 7 IU Vit D - 0- 119 IU (the amount of Vit. D varies between brands. Most do have added Vit. D and others don't.)
The Great Soy Debate - Soy has ingredients called "phytoestrogens" that some believe sway blue because they act like estrogen in the body, and some believe that estrogen sways blue; therefore, these people believe that soy sways blue. However, this may have been debunked. From the Silk Soymilk website "Myth: Soy contains estrogen. Reality: Soy does not contain the hormone estrogen. It does, however, contain isoflavones, also known as phytoestrogens or "plant estrogens." While the chemical structure of isoflavones is similar to estrogen, the two function very differently in the body."
Very differently?? The chemical structure of isoflavones is so similar to estrogen, it may actually have the effect of keeping estrogen from being used (in effect, lowering estrogen) by competing for the available estrogen receptor sites.
Regardless of what the Silk website claims, soy isoflavones CLEARLY do SOMETHING to affect fertility because women can use concentrated soy isoflavones as a natural form of Clomid. It is unknown exactly how soy works and whether just drinking soy milk is enough to affect anything or if you have to be taking medicinal quantities. Some scientific evidence has indicated that soy may reduce overall fertility and lower testosterone and sperm count Clinical and biological act... [Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007] - PubMed - NCBI http://www.foodnavigator.com/Science...oy-consumption (Silk Soymilk also has a bit debunking this, but the disclaimer is that it says "no HUMAN studies have shown this...to me, that's not really totally reassuring.)
Soy contains some other ingredients like phytic acid (blocks mineral absorption) and other phytochemicals genistein and daidzein that may affect fertility in a negative way. As we known, pretty much everything that reduces fertility, seems to sway pink. In fact as I said above, one of these phytochemicals, genistein, due to its similarity to estrogen, competes with estrogen for estrogen receptors and may actually reduce the effects of estrogen!
Traditional swaying lore claims that soy sways strongly blue not only because of the phytoestrogens because it is alkalinizing and increases EWCM but I don't believe the data supports that claim (because it lowers testosterone, competes with estrogen reduces fertility/sperm count and is lower in sodium/potassium than cow's milk).
Soy milk is slightly acid.
On balance, I think soy milk is better for especially for DH.
WARNING - One study found a link between dietary intake of soy during pregnancy and birth defects in the genitalia of baby boys. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ubmed_RVDocSum
RICE MILK - Calories 120 Fat 2.5g Cholesterol 0mg Protein 1 g
Calcium 240 mg Sodium 80mg Potassium - 0 (although there is a kind of Heart-Wise Rice Dream that DOES have a small amount of potassium and plant sterols that may help lower cholesterol) I could not find any info on magnesium, but that doesn't mean that it's not in there - brown rice, from which rice milk is made, has a lot of magnesium.
Vitamin A 10% Vitamin D 25% (sorry I couldn't find the actual numbers for this one!) and I also couldn't find out how much Zinc it has. There is some zinc in brown rice.
Also, rice milk is said to be slightly acidifying.
On balance, I think rice milk is better for . There are also brands of unfortified rice milk available without calcium in them that might be desirable for . Check the labels, if it has calcium, it's probably more girl friendly. Still, even unfortified rice milk is low in fat and protein and there are better options available for blue swayers.
ALMOND MILK - in 1 cup - Calories 40 Total Fat 4 g Protein 1 g Cholesterol 0 mg And the fats are "good" fats.
Sodium 180 mg Potassium 190 mg Calcium 285 mg Again, I couldn't find info on how much magnesium is in almond milk, but almonds are a rich source of magnesium so I assume it has some.
Vitamin A 10% Vit. D 25% (sorry) and I couldn't find any info on zinc, but again, nuts being a rich source of zinc makes me think that almond milk is rich in zinc as well. Plus, an added benefit is that 1 cup had 50% of your day's RDA for Vitamin E, and ingesting Vit. A, D and E together with healthy fats is a GREAT way to boost your testosterone.
Note - My son and I did not care for the taste of almond milk (we are both lactose intolerant). We both preferred the flavor of Silk Soymilk and Rice Dream ricemilk over the almond milk, although the chocolate was a lot better than the vanilla.
I saw almonds listed as alkaline and almond milk listed as acidic. It's a toss up.
ON balance, I think almond milk is better for TTC a boy.
OAT MILK - Calories 130 Total Fat 2.5g Cholesterol 0mg Protein 4g
Sodium 110mg Potassium 120mg Calcium 36% Oats are a rich source of magnesium but no numbers available.
Vitamin A 10% Vitamin D 25% Oats have zinc, but ~may~ absorb and remove zinc from your digestive tract. Take your zinc supplements at a different time of day than you drink oat milk.
Oats are full of soluble fiber and ~may~ absorb fat soluble vitamins from the digestive tract. For this reason, blue swayers should take your supplements, particularly A,D, and E and your fish/flax/evening primrose oil, at a different time of day than when you drink oat milk.
Oats are a rich source of phytochemicals called avenocasides that have been shown to raise testosterone. Foods That Stimulate Testosterone Production | eHow.com
Oats are acidic according to some lists and then alkaline on some others.
On balance, I think oatmilk is better for
Coconut milk - (I'm not talking about the coconut milk that comes in cans and is used for cooking, this is a soy milk-style beverage sold under the brand name Pure Coconut) In one cup - 80 calories 5 grams of fat (all saturated) Protein - 1 g No Cholesterol.
Calcium 45% Sodium 30 g Potassium 40 g (this is really the lowest in terms of sodium and potassium). Again, magnesium is unknown but coconut does have magnesium itself so it is likely in the milk.
Vit A 10% Vit D 25% Zinc - could not find a number but coconut does have zinc.
Coconut is alkalinizing and raises testosterone due to the high levels of saturated fat. It is a good choice to drink when taking fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and essential fatty acids like fish oil, flax, evening primrose because the fat content will aid absorption.
On balance, I think coconut is better for
Hazelnut milk - per cup - 120 calories 3.5g fat 2 g protein and no cholesterol.
Calcium 30% Magnesium (not listed) Potassium 60 mg Sodium 120 mg
Vit A 10% Vit D 25% Zinc - hazelnuts do have some zinc so it is probably present in the milk.
I couldn't find whether hazelnuts are acid or alkaline. They are believed to raise testosterone due to their good fats.
On balance, I can see hazelnut milk fitting into a or sway. It is very low in potassium, fat, sodium, and protein while having calcium so it could help sway pink. On the other hand it does have some sodium and good fats so could help sway blue.
Hemp Milk - in one cup, 140 calories 5 g fat 3 g protein, and no cholesterol. Hemp is said to be an almost perfect source of fatty acids.
Calcium 50% Magnesium 25% Potassium 170 mg Sodium 130 mg
Vit A 10% Vit D 30% and is a good source of zinc.
Hemp is slightly acidic and is believed to raise testosterone due to the quality of its fatty acids.
On balance, hemp milk seems that it could fit in in either a or sway. It's lower in protein, potassium, and sodium than cow's milk while being very high in calcium, and it is acidic. On the other hand, it has a lot of good fats and boy-friendly nutrients and probably raises testosterone.
Buyer's guide - Here are some commonly available brands of these milks. Some can be ordered online or found in bulk...I get Rice Dreams in a 12 pack at Costco for much less than I can get it in my local supermarket.
Our Products | Silk Soymilk, Made with Soy - One of Nature's Perfect Proteins (make a variety of very high quality soy milks and almond milk)
Silk - Pure Coconut coconutmilk (coconut milk made by Silk)
RICE DREAM -- Delicious, rice-based beverages and desserts. (Rice Dreams brand, most famous for rice milk, but also make soy, almond, and hemp milk)
http://www.pacificfoods.com/our-food...rain-beverages (almond, rice, hemp, hazelnut, and oat milks)
Pacific Natural Foods » Our Foods » Soy Beverages (soy)
Products - 8th Continent Soymilk (soy)
Blue Diamond Growers : Our Products : Almond Breeze® (almond)
Living Harvest | Living Harvest Foods is the global leader in hemp food products (hemp)
You also may find some store brand soy milks available. I tried the Safeway brand of soymilk a couple times and it was not real tasty unfortunately.
Recipes - It IS possible to make some of these milks at home if you're so inclined. The advantage would be that you could NOT fortify them with vitamins, so if you were swaying blue and you were avoiding calcium, you could conceivably whip up some lower-calcium almond milk, or a pink swayer could make their own rice milk without essential fatty acids and Vitamin D added.
You can even buy your own machine to make these at home if you are that kind of gal (or guy)!
http://www.soymilkquick.com/index.php (this site also has a lot of recipes)
Soy Milk Recipes:
Making Tofu and Soy Milk at Home -- Ellen's Kitchen - faqs
Simple Soy Milk Recipe - Home Cooking - Chowhound
MAKING HOMEMADE SOY MILK IN YOUR SOY MILK MAKING MACHINE
How to make soy milk at home.
Rice Milk Recipes:
D I Y Rice Milk Recipe - Food.com - 51109 (very basic)
http://onlysometimesclever.wordpress...e-milk-recipe/ (quite a good and thorough recipe)
http://www.veganreader.com/2009/05/1...ng-rice-dream/ (you have to scroll through a preachy post to get to this recipe!)
http://www.nomilk.com/ricemilk.txt
Almond/Hazelnut Milk Recipes (you make them roughly the same way)
Living and Raw Foods: Recipe - Almond Milk
Paleo/Primal Almond Nut Milk Recipes
All-Natural Almond Milk Recipe
http://www.elanaspantry.com/got-milk/
Oat Milk Recipes
Homemade Fruit-Sweetened Oat Milk Recipe - Go Dairy Free
Milk Alternatives- Homemade & Store Bought (actually also has recipes for other kinds of milk as well)
http://www.living-foods.com/articles...ubstitute.html
http://ashy-macbean.com/drinks/walnut-oat-milk.htm (this one has oats AND walnuts for maximum boy-friendliness LOL)
Hemp Milk and other -
I didn't really like the quality of the hemp milk recipes other than the one on this link so I will skip those (they were overly complicated and required special equipment). In addition to hemp, you can make a similar milk out of a variety of things using this recipe, like other kinds of nuts, seeds, sprouts, grains, etc.
http://kristensraw.blogspot.com/2009...egan-milk.html
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http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gend...pink-blue.html
Sweetening up your sway! For pink and blue!
WARNING - if you have hypoglycemia, diabetes, PCOS, or insulin resistance, please read before you sway. http://genderdreaming.com/forum/show...t=hypoglycemia
Do sweeteners sway? And how? Let’s take a look at the various sweeteners!
SWEETENERS THAT WORK FOR EITHER SWAY
WHITE SUGAR and
Sugar is acidifying.
Eating sugar either alone or with other refined carbs also causes blood glucose levels to rise high and then crash, also swaying pink.
However, eating carbs/sweets and protein together will keep your blood sugar in a boy-friendly zone for a long time after eating. It is also a source of calories (1 teaspoon contains 25 calories, while a packet contains 15) and gaining weight will help you conceive a boy. Keep an eye on your pH to make sure it is not affected by sugar.
Conclusion - sugar by itself sways pink, sugar eaten with protein sways blue. Organic sugar http://www.hainpurefoods.com/product...at_name=sugars may be a better choice for blue because it is raised without pesticides.
BROWN SUGAR - and
See info for sugar above. Brown sugar has slightly more nutrients than white sugar does but despite claims to the contrary, causes just as high a rise/drop in blood sugar.
Sugar in the Raw contains 20 calories per packet and is less refined than other sugars are (more essential nutrients are left behind), so may be a better choice for blue.
CORN SYRUP/CANE JUICE/RICE SYRUP or
Corn syrup, along with its dopplegangers cane juice and rice syrup, is acidifying (Brown Rice Syrup is listed on some lists as alkalinizing but I am not sure about that, because rice syrup was listed as acid). These sweeteners work similarly to sugar, raising blood glucose levels and then dropping them sharply unless eaten along with protein. Cane juice and rice syrup are often touted as a natural, healthier alternative to corn syrup but they affect your body in the exact same way - sugar cane juice may be better for blue than evaporated cane juice because it's less concentrated and has less effect on blood glucose levels.
SWEETENERS THAT ARE BOY FRIENDLY
STEVIA/TRUVIA
Unlike most other artificial sweeteners, Truvia is based on Stevia, an alkalinizing herb. However it also contains Erythritol (see above)
Truvia does not raise blood sugar levels and has no calories. Some very old studies seemed to indicate that stevia may reduce fertility, but subsequent studies have not supported this finding. Since it is a new sweetener, it’s probably best to avoid it during the 2WW.
You can safely cook and bake with Truvia. Stevia recipes for Beverages, Breads & Muffins, Breakfast Foods, Desserts, Jams & Jellies, Salads, Soups,
Conclusion - Truvia is better for blue.
Note - Look for Zevia, Zevia Zero Calorie Soda - No Artificial Sweeteners. All Natural. The Smarter Soda., a soda sweetened with stevia.
MAPLE SYRUP
In a lot of ways maple syrup seems like just another sweetener but it is actually more boy-friendly than the other sugars and corn syrups. It does not affect blood glucose levels as strongly. (care should still be taken to eat it along with protein though.) It is considered neutral in pH and has a lot of nutrients (especially the boy-friendly zinc) that have been refined out of other sweeteners. Try to find the least refined maple syrup that you can and DO NOT USE the kind in the grocery store that has been mixed with other sweeteners to stretch it.
Note - there is some calcium in maple syrup so you will need to account for that if you are swaying blue.
Conclusion - Maple syrup is better for blue but watch your calcium!
HONEY
Raw honey is alkalinizing, while processed honey is weakly acidifying.
Honey does contain natural sugars, and can have a similar effect on blood glucose levels as any sugar can. However, it affects blood glucose levels in a gentler way than sugar does, making it more blue-friendly. Regardless, care should be taken to eat honey along with protein when swaying blue.
Honey, esp. raw honey, contains a lot of other nutrients besides just pure sweetener, making it a better choice for blue. It also contains calories which can make you gain weight.
Conclusion - Honey, particularly raw honey, is better for blue.
MOLASSES
Use ONLY unsulphured 'blackstrap' molasses because the sulphured kind is acidifying.
Molasses is alkalinizing or neutral depending on which list you look at. It is digested more slowly by the body than pure sugar (but you should still eat it with protein when you are swaying blue!) and contains lots of good nutrients in it. Excellent choice for a blue sweetener.
It does have some calcium and magnesium in it and you must account for that in your day's total.
Conclusion - Natural molasses is better for blue.
AGAVE NECTAR
This is a new sweetener that we don't know a lot about yet, but it is quite low on the glycemic index meaning it doesn't cause the huge jump and crash in blood sugar that other sweeteners do. It's actually the best natural sweetener for blood sugar.
Agave nectar is slightly acidic so keep an eye on your pH if you choose to use it. Also, since it is on the new side, I would be wary about eating it during pregnancy or even in the 2WW.
Conclusion - agave nectar is better for blue.
http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gend...pink-blue.html
SWEETENERS THAT ARE MORE GIRL FRIENDLY
SPLENDA
Splenda is acidifying.
Splenda has no effect on blood glucose levels. However, it does have some calories (these are not listed on the label but they are in the “bulking” agents and not the sweetener itself. (about 4 cal per teaspoon)
Conclusion - Splenda, esp. Splenda with fiber, is better for pink.
Note about Splenda - Two products you should be aware of is the Splenda that is mixed with half-sugar for baking (when used in baking, Splenda gives an off taste so in order to use it for baking you need the half-sugar product), and also Splenda with fiber (each packet of Splenda with fiber contains one gram of fiber. Fiber helps sweep out nutrients from the digestive tract and so Splenda with fiber may help a pink sway even more than just plain Splenda.
WARNING - I used Splenda a lot when it first came out and I found that it made me have panic attacks. Some others have found that it gave them stomach problems.
SACCARIN (Sweet N Low)
Saccarin is acidifying.
Has no effect on blood glucose levels, zero calories, and no nutrition. You can use it to bake with and the flavor will not change. The chemical nature of saccarin may sway pink by reducing fertility. Please note, if you’re taking baby aspirin as a part of your sway, baby aspirin has saccarin in it.
Conclusion - Saccarin is better for pink.
WARNING - If you are allergic to sulfa drugs, you should not consume saccarin. Saccarin has been linked to cancer, particularly amongst smokers. Children should not consume saccarin. Pregnant women should use very little saccarin if any so you may want to avoid it during the 2 WW. May cause skin problems.
ACESULFAME-K
Acesulfame-K is acidifying.
Even though it passes through the body unchanged and does not raise blood glucose levels, it may trigger a release of insulin that can make blood sugar levels drop dramatically. The chemical nature of Ace-K may affect fertility negatively, swaying pink.
It can be used for baking although it has a bitter taste on its own (that is why you usually see it in the presence of other artificial sweeteners).
Believed to be safe for pregnant women.
Conclusion - Acesulfame-K is better for pink.
WARNING - The Center for Science in the Public Interest believes that the studies done on this sweetener were badly designed and didn’t properly test its safety.
ASPARTAME
Aspartame is acidifying.
4 calories per gram. Does not affect blood glucose levels. The chemical nature of Aspartame may affect fertility negatively, swaying pink.
Believed safe for pregnant women but DO NOT exceed dosage below during the 2WW. Cannot be used for baking and should not be used warm because it may hasten the breakdown of aspartame into harmful chemicals.
Conclusion - Aspartame is better for pink.
WARNING - If you have PKU, DO NOT use aspartame. The FDA has set the acceptable daily intake at 50mg per kg of body weight. That averages out to about 4 cans of diet soda per day. Many swayers ingest MUCH more of this chemical. Please be warned that this level of intake is not approved by the FDA. May cause headaches and a bad taste in the mouth. Some research has shown a link between aspartame and psychiatric disorders such as anxiety attacks.
SORBITOL, MANNITOL, XYLITOL and the rest of the Polyol family - or but mostly
If it ends in -ol, stop here!
These are sugars that are found naturally in fruits, isolated and turned into artificial sweeteners. They are commonly referred to as “sugar alcohols”. The polyol family is acidifying.
These sweeteners DO have carbs and may raise blood glucose levels, and in turn, insulin levels, to a certain extent. However, this process is slower than in pure sugar (slower rise in blood sugar levels may sway blue) and the carbs that are present are not fully digested by the body (that is why they are considered “low carb” foods - because the body cannot use the carbs - but chemically they do still have carbs.) The newer generation of sugar alcohols, such as erythritol, isomalt, inulin and maltitol syrup may have less of an effect on blood sugar/insulin levels than the older sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol do.
They do contain calories and are often found in junk products that have a lot of empty calories as well (such as diet candy bars). Remember for swaying pink, you want LESS calories overall so it may be better not to “waste” calories on junk, and for swaying blue, you want more quality calories so you can probably make a much better choice on where to “spend” your calories. Some people genetically seem to digest more of the calories in sugar alcohols than other people do so it may be somewhat tough to predict the effect they will have on you.
The sugar alcohols often cause stomach issues in sensitive people which may reduce nutrient absorption. That may help sway pink.
There is some conflicting info about whether or not the sugar alcohols are acidifying or not.
Conclusion - Prob better for pink, overall. BUT do not eat these sweeteners with protein if you have an option not to. The carbs in the sugar alcohols will make your blood sugar rise at least a little, then the protein will keep your blood sugar high for long periods after you eat.
Alternatively, these sugar alcohols may be an option for you if you are finding you are gaining a lot of weight on the TTC blue diet but again, there are so many better options out there.
WARNING - Because sugar alcohols are not completely absorbed, they hold on to a lot of water in the bowel. This causes diarrhea. Also, the intestinal bacteria CAN digest the sugar alcohols, resulting in gas and bloating. Sorbitol and mannitol are the worst and erythritol is supposed to be the least likely to trigger this reaction.
SWEETENERS THAT WE ARE NOT SURE ABOUT
LO-HAN OR LUO HAN GUO - This is a very new sweetener and it sounds very intriguing. It's natural and based on a Chinese fruit. But not enough info is known for me to render an opinion either way. AT first glance it seems like it would be boy-friendly because it's natural and doesn't make your blood sugar rise, but it contains a compound that may actually lower blood glucose levels, making it better for pink. I also am a bit wary about its use prior to pregnancy since not a lot is known about it just yet.
NUTSHELL VERSION - For TTC pick natural sweeteners that are less refined and have the maximum amount of additional nutrients. The only artificial sweetener that is boy-friendly is Truvia. Eat sweeteners WITH protein to keep your blood glucose levels nice and even for a long time after you eat.
For TTC Use refined, low nutrient sweeteners or artificial sweeteners. Most artificial sweeteners are girl-friendly. If you do eat sugary sweets, eat them alone, with no protein. They will make your blood sugar rise but then drop sharply because your body releases lots of insulin to digest them.
WARNING - if you have hypoglycemia, diabetes, PCOS, or insulin resistance, please read http://genderdreaming.com/forum/show...t=hypoglycemia
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http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gend...pink-blue.html
Water, water everywhere! For pink and blue!
Is it something in the water? And what are the best waters for conceiving a baby boy or girl? Find out what is best and worst for your sway!
One of the first things people jokingly tell you when they hear you have a lot of a particular gender is "Stop drinking the water!" Since we all drink at least some water every day, it's easy to jump to the conclusion that water in and of itself has some sort of magical property that is causing you to conceive a child of a particular gender. People have spent a lot of money on fancy mineral waters hoping to get their DG but how necessary is it, really?
The answer is, probably not very necessary at all. If ONE food or drink, especially something as fundamental to existence as water, could overwhelmingly lead to the production of all one gender child, the human race would have died out a long time ago. The first time humans settled down by a lake or river for an extended period the gender ratio would have skewed out of control. The water from various lakes in just one state (Utah) varies from 6 to 9 depending on the other minerals present.
In modern times, if this idea were true, we would find some cities producing large amounts of one gender, year after year, while others would produce mostly the other gender. At the very least, we would surely see some isolated villages somewhere in the world that constantly had mostly boys or mostly girls. That there are no such places and the gender ratio is pretty close to 50-50 wherever you go, leads me to think that water is probably not an overwhelming factor.
That having been said, in our modern world there are chemicals like pesticides and pollutants that may be present in water that may sway in some way, even if water itself doesn't. Some water may even dissolve harmful minerals and BPA from pipes and drinking cups!
We all want to have the very best sway we can, so even if it's just a minor factor, let's take a look the various waters available!
Qualities of water that may sway:
pH - A lot of concern has been given to the pH of your drinking water. People have tested their water and panicked if the pH was 7 or so. But the pH of water is usually between 6 and 8. The natural pH of pure water is 7 and most of the babies who have ever been born on the face of the planet have been born to parents drinking water at this pH.
Waters both very low in pH and very high in pH are toxic to plant and animal life and because of this, it's highly unlikely that we would have evolved/been designed by God to require either very high or very low pH water to conceive children of a particular gender.
Waters that tend to be very low in pH are "soft" water, water from a reverse osmosis water system, water from watersheds that have pine/fir forests, and carbonated waters. Rain water is also somewhat acidic due to the presence of dissolved carbon dioxide (same ingredient as in carbonated water). Because they are acidic, they tend to be corrosive and may dissolve harmful metals in pipes into your drinking water and BPAs from plastic cups and bottles which may affect fertility negatively (swaying pink).
They also may be higher in pesticide residue and pollutants because they haven't been filtered through the ground like hard waters have. However, low pH water is considered better for cleaning clothes and skin and may even kill germs if the pH is low enough so it is not without its benefits!
Waters that are higher in pH are "hard" waters. Well water, ground water, and other water from aquifers is usually (not always, but usually) hard because it is filtered through the rocks and soil in the ground and picks up varying levels of minerals which in turn affect pH. Interestingly, hard waters are higher in dissolved mineral content (see Mineral Content below). Hard waters are believed to be better for human health than soft waters are due to their mineral content and their healthier, higher pH.
You can see from this map http://water.usgs.gov/owq/map1.jpeg the naturally occuring distribution of soft and hard waters and BOTH boys and girls are conceived in these parts of the country.
MINERAL CONTENT
For a great resource for checking the mineral content (calcium, magnesium, sodium) in many US city's waters and also various brands of bottled waters in both the US and Europe, please see the following excellent link Comparison of the Mineral Content of Tap Water and Bottled Waters. Please note that despite having various concentrations of cal/mag/sodium in the drinking water and correspondingly low/high pH, people who live in the cities described in this study STILL have roughly 50-50 boys and girls.
As I said above, low pH soft water tends to be lacking in calcium and magnesium. This soft water is made one of three ways.
Distillation removes all minerals from the water and may not even be healthy to drink because water "wants" to have minerals in it and so distilled water may react in your body to leach minerals that you need to survive.
Reverse osmosis lowers pH and is commonly recommended to pink swayers, but removes calcium and magnesium from the water.
Water softeners replace calcium and magnesium ions with sodium ions. Soft water may be an unexpected source of sodium intake and so if you're following the French Gender Diet or aspects of it and you have a water softener, you need to drink only bottled water.
Also, since the low pH is corrosive, soft water may contain minerals you DON'T want like lead, mercury, excessive amounts of copper, all dissolved from your or your city's old plumbing pipes.
On the other hand, high pH hard water has plenty of calcium and magnesium and varying levels of sodium. Also, many hard waters are considered "buffered" meaning they contain so many dissolved minerals that they are somewhat immune to the effects of adding acids and bases to water, making them less likely to change pH.
Special note about sulfur - sulfur is not considered a "swaying" mineral like cal, mag, pot, and sodium are BUT it is common in many health waters. Sulfur is acidic, but is an antioxidant and may raise testosterone, so it's probably best to avoid waters that are very sulfur-heavy if you are TTC pink, and use with caution for blue while keeping an eye on pH.
Some people have heard that carbonated water causes calcium to leach from your bones. This isn't true, it's caffeinated soda that supposedly causes calcium to leach from your bones (and you would have to drink gallons a day for months for that to happen, plus it's not entirely sure as to whether that is a good or bad thing for a sway anyway). Here's an interesting thread where that is discussed. http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gend...3382#post23382
OTHER CHEMICALS PRESENT IN WATER
Low pH, soft water is highly corrosive. It dissolves pipes releasing toxic minerals into the water, causes harmful BPAs to leach from plastic drinking cups, and is very responsive to changes in pH due to the lack of buffering minerals, so it becomes even more acidic than normal when exposed to acidic pollutants.
Also, the reasons why water is low in pH to begin with are pollutants in the air (such as sulfuric and nitric acid which produces acid rain) and watershed pollutants like mine drainage and industrial runoff.
All these things may sway pink (if you Google "pesticides and sex ratio" or "toxins and sex ratio" you will come up with dozens of hits - too many to link here).
Higher pH hard water contains buffering agents that make it less likely to become acidic even when exposed to acidic or highly basic pollutants.
NUTSHELL VERSION
Low pH soft water, despite having less of the girl-friendly minerals calcium and magnesium, probably sways pink due to its increased levels of toxic chemicals, but that is not really a sway I personally would want to have.
Higher pH water, despite having higher levels of girl-friendly calcium and magnesium, is better for blue not only because of the pH but also because it is healthier overall which is helpful for fertility and swaying for boys.
BOTTLED WATERS THAT PROBABLY SWAY PINK
In no particular order! I'm just sticking with the brands that I have seen commonly available. A couple of great resources in the hunt for boy/girl friendly bottled waters around the world, be sure to check out these cool sites - Bottled Water - Comprehensive Worldwide Bottled Water Resource - FineWaters - Water from all over the World
My criteria is a good balance of low pH, mineral content, and carbonation.
It is probably best for pink to stay away from waters marked as moderate or high mineral content because they often have a lot of sodium.
Aquafina and Dasani - both made from reverse osmosis and low pH. Aquafina does not have minerals added back in, while Dasani does. However, it looked to me like Dasani has potassium and magnesium, no calcium. Neither are carbonated (carbonation may add additional acidity.) I don't love the taste of either of these.
Perrier Water - Low in pH, high in calcium, low sodium, and carbonated. Plus it tastes GREAT! You can buy it at Costco in big packs and save a lot of money.
Evian Water - Higher in pH but contains both calcium and magnesium, with lower sodium. It is not usually carbonated but they have a new kind that is.
San Pellegrino - Higher in pH but contains calcium and magnesium. Does have a bit of sodium. It is carbonated. I don't love the taste of this one at all.
Safeway Refreshe brand Seltzer Water or Schweppes Seltzer - BIG thumbs up from me. It's just carbonated water but helps to keep cravings at bay. I drink it a lot when I'm dieting in place of pop or beer. DO NOT buy club soda.
Tonic water - You can get this as a store brand from Safeway or else Schweppes makes it. It's quite low in pH and contains quinine which may lower testosterone. Thanks to lindi for finding this for us! Quinine lowers serum and testicular testos... [Afr J Med Med Sci. 2006] - PubMed - NCBI
You can also mix in aspartame to water of any pH to make it more acidic and girl-friendly.
BOTTLED WATERS THAT ARE PROBABLY BETTER FOR BLUE
Arrowhead - High pH and low cal/mag content. Look for the uncarbonated Arrowhead. Tastes good.
Sparkletts - Slightly acidic but low cal/mag content with a little bit of sodium. Be sure to get uncarbonated water.
Crystal Geyser - High pH with good amount of sodium and lower levels of calcium and magnesium
Club Soda - this is sold either as a store brand (see Safeway seltzer above) or by the Schweppes company. It has baking soda IN sparkling water and is higher in sodium due to the baking soda. Great replacement for pop and beer on the boy diet.
Evamore Bottled Water PH of 8.8 to 9. (thanks to iluvmyman for this) Available at BevMo.
http://www.wateryoucanfeel.com/secret.html
There is also something called "Alkalizing Drops" that are supposed to raise the pH of your water. Sold here Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more
and here :: AlkaVision, Inc. - Products
Here is a list I stumbled upon but I don't know if it's accurate.
Water with a pH of 4.
Penta Water, Distilled Water, Purified Water, Aquafina (made by Pepsi), Dasani (made by Coke), Glaceau Fruit Water, Le Blue Water, Metro Mint Water, Pellegrino (made by Nestle), Perrier (made by Nestle), Smart Water, and Vitamin Water.
Water with a pH of 4.5.
Reverse Osmosis Water and Ice Age Glacial Water.
Water with a pH of 5.
Appalachian Springs Water and Poland Springs Water (made by Nestle)
Water with a pH of 5.5.
Crystal Springs Water, Dannon Spring Water, Pure American Water.
All of the above bottled waters have an acidic ph, which does not support health waters
Water with a pH of 7.
Arrowhead Water, Crystal Geyser Water, Deep Park Water (made by Nestle), Eldorado Springs Water, Supermarket Spring Water.
Water with a pH of 7.5.
Biota water, Fiji Water, Whole Foods 365 Water, Zephyrhills Water (made by Nestle)
Water with a pH of 7.9.
Eden Springs Water.
Water with a pH of 8.
Deep Rock Water, Evamore Water.
Water with a pH of 10
Filtered Ionized Alkaline Water you make with your own Water Ionizer
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http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gend...naception.html
Lunaception
"Lunaception" is a term coined by author Louise Lacey in her 1974 book of the same name. Lacey (who freely admits she has NO scientific evidence to support the idea and that it is entirely based on "native wisdom" and anecdote) believes that the moon is capable of altering fertile patterns.
The theory is based on anthropological studies of various cultures that believed that menstruation was somehow tied to the moon. In fact, in many languages, the words for moon and menstruation are even based on common root words - in English, the word menstruation comes from the Latin word "mensis" meaning month, and the word "moon" also seems to stem from that same word (although the Latin word for moon is "luna" so the connection is hardly as straightforward as Lacey would have us think.)
The premise underlying Lunaception is actually quite intriguing. Prior to the invention of electricity, or even the discovery of fire (our ancestors lived for hundreds of millions of years sleeping outdoors without fire), our fertility evolved cyclically, governed by the natural rhythms of the earth, and some of these evolutionary anomalies are still alive and well within us. Much like a tailbone probably once supported tails we no longer grow, our bodies may have latent vestigial biorhythms that we aren't even aware of.
Lacey purports that most women experiences their menstrual cycles with the phases of the moon and at more or less the same time as other women. The idea of menstrual synchrony has been around since the early 70's - a couple of fairly decent studies seem to support the idea that women who live in close quarters with each other, start to ovulate and menstruate on or near to the same schedule. So whether or not the moon has anything to do with it, our tribal ancestors may very well have been all on the rag at the same time.
The conclusion is, that since we evolved sleeping under moon for hundreds of millions of years in close quarters with our fellow female primates, SOMETHING, whether it is gravity, light, or the elusive ion, affects our bodies in such a way that it can enhance or limit our fertility.
Clearly, the gravity of the moon does affect the oceans, so the idea that the moon may have some sort of similar affect on the fluids of the human body makes sense on a gut level. However, the moon's gravitation is not the same around the world (there are no tides at the equator and that's probably where most of our evolutionary past was spent) and high tides occur BOTH when the moon is full and when the moon is new. This is because the highest tides occur when the moon and sun are in alignment and have nothing actually to do with the phases of the moon...when we see a crescent moon for example, the rest of the moon is STILL THERE, we just can't see it. (for a good explanation, see The Moon And Tides) So whatever force may underlie lunaception, gravity has nothing to do with it.
Much more likely is that light emanating from the moon somehow affects our body chemistry in such a way as to enhance fertility. Solid science exists to show that day length and artificial light can affect health and fertility. The pineal gland, a little part of the brain referred to as "the third eye", produces melatonin and seems to be affected by light. Interestingly, the ovaries of rats who had their pineal glands removed, grew larger in size, and the ovaries of rats raised in constant bright light were unusually small. Children who have tumors of the pineal gland go into puberty very early. The pineal gland and light apparently DO affect fertility. Why might such a thing have evolved? I don't know what the "official" explanation might be, but to me it seems like ovulating in the full moon makes a heck of a lot of sense, if only so you could see what you're doing!
And what about the idea that this is some leftover instinct caused by menstrual synchrony? Well, it turns out that menstrual synchrony may not even be real. http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...y-really-exist Now, I worked in a dog kennel for 2 years and I did notice that female dogs (yes I know that's not the right terminology but this is a family website LOL) kept in the same pen did seem to cycle together, but it was very far from 100% of the time. So I have to put this into the plausible category as well, but not proven.
So then, there may be something to it. How do you use Lunaception for boosting fertility, regulating cycles, and swaying?
One of the most intriguing things I have noticed about gender swaying is, anything that seems to boost fertility, seems to sway blue, and anything that seems to reduce fertility seems to sway pink. (Even Clomid - although it does trigger ovulation it reduces fertility in other ways by creating hostile cervical mucus and a less inviting uterine lining.)
According to the book Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom by Chistiane Northrop MD, studies have shown that peak levels of conception (and concurrently, ovulation since ya can't exactly conceive without it) take place at the full moon. During the new moon, conception/ovulation rates are lowest, and more women begin their menstrual bleeding during the new moon. This is borne out 9 months later when more women go into labor during a full moon - of course conventional wisdom chalks it up to "full moon lunacy" but it may actually be because those pregnant women conceived during the full moon and are simply due to deliver their babies then! And many women seem to notice that their menstrual bleeding starts between 4-6 am, month after month, no earlier, no later. The trigger of darkness may have something to do with this.
We may be able to harness the power of light to help us regulate our cycles. One study involving over 2,000 women with irregular cycles found that just by keeping the light on while they sleep during the three days of ovulation (regardless of when those were) over half of the women were able to achieve regular 28/29 day cycles with 14 day LP. If you want to regulate your cycle or if you are having issues with short LP (less than 12-14 days), try keeping the light on for three days at ovulation and see if it helps you. Can't hurt, may help, and it doesn't cost a thing!
To boost fertility and/or sway blue, you will want to do one of two things. You can simply sleep with the light on when you ovulate and in total darkness the rest of the time. This will help your body believe that the moon is full and it will start churning out extra EWCM to make you more fertile.
Or, if you are a believer in ions, you will want to attempt to reset your ovulation to when the moon is full. According to the ion theory, positive ions sway blue and are somehow generated by the full moon, so it isn't enough just to rely on light to boost your fertility. You want light AND ions so you will want to ovulate with the full moon. In order to reset your ovulation, start sleeping with the light on during the three days you WANT to ovulate and sleep in total darkness the rest of the time. Then when your ovulation coincides with the full moon, ALSO sleep with the light on. You'll be getting both the potential benefits of light and ions.
If you're wanting to sway pink, there are actually three possibilities. You could sleep in the dark constantly and never turn the light on at all and just rely on the darkness to reduce your fertility at ovulation. OR for believers in ions, you'll first want to reset your ovulation to coincide with the new moon, when girl-producing negative ions are supposedly highest, by turning on the light during the new moon and tricking your body into thinking the moon is full. Then you can decide whether or not to keep the light on during the months you actually attempt. If you turn the light on when the moon is new, you're relying an awful lot upon the existence and swaying ability of ions and discounting the fertility boost that the light might bring, but it probably will help you get pregnant faster. If you turn the light out when the moon is new and you're ovulating, you will get the benefits of the darkness at ovulation and the potential benefits of the negative ions.
One other possibility that occurs to me for pink swayers is the notion of keeping the light on ALL THE TIME. Artificial light has been proven to wreak havoc with the body http://www.conceiveonline.com/fertil...ge-1/?Itemid=0 , lowers melatonin (melatonin may improve fertility and therefore sway blue Melatonin May Help IVF Success and Egg Quality - Infertility), so if you're trying for pink it may be that sleeping with a light on or tv going could help.
AFTER CONCEPTION FOR EITHER GENDER - It may help to prevent miscarriage by sleeping in a darkened room. This isn't proven but it certainly doesn't hurt to try it!!
FOR MORE INFO ABOUT MOON SIGNS AND SWAYING - http://genderdreaming.com/forum/show...es-for-swaying
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http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gend...s-swaying.html
the seasons and swaying
The idea that males are more fragile than females and therefore more of them are conceived because more are lost, is at the root of much of gender swaying. 140-160 males are conceived for every 100 females, falling to 106 boys born for every 100 girls.
Scientists have known for some time that rates of conception of children of BOTH genders seem to vary by season and that this phenomenon varies depending on location. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1323571?log$=activity http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/976725?log$=activity Changes in the seasonal distribution of births in G... [Hum Biol. 1981] - PubMed - NCBI Previous studies have indicated that in Western Europe, October is the easiest month for conceiving, and April is the most difficult. From an evolutionary perspective, this makes sense because babies conceived in the fall months are born in summertime when the livin' is easy, whereas babies conceived in spring are born in the darkest months of winter and in the native environment were probably less likely to survive. For the good of the species, some mechanism that encourages more babies to be born when food is plentiful and they have a greater chance of survival, has apparently evolved at some point.
Dr. Angelo Cagnacci, an Italian researcher at the Policlinico of Modena (and his research team) set out to investigate this phenomenon and discovered something really amazing. In a study of over 14,000 births, in the Modena, Italy area, not only were conception rates lowest in March-May and highest from Sept.-November as previous research had indicated, but the gender ratio shifted during those periods as well.
More girls were conceived in the low-conception months of March-May, peaking in April (the ratio was 487 boys to 513 girls) More boys were conceived in the high-conception months of Sept-Nov, peaking in October. (535 boys and 465 girls). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/s...for-girls.html Keeping in mind that virtually everything that reduces fertility seems to sway pink and virtually everything that increases fertility seems to sway blue, it would appear that there is some sort of natural seasonal variation in fertility that also acts to sway in some fashion.
Why, then, are any boys born in the wintertime at all? Imagine if you will, a sort of continuum of fertility. All of us fall somewhere along this continuum, some of us more fertile and some of us less fertile; some get pregnant just by walking past their husand in the hallway and others have to try for many months in order to conceive and then everyone else falls somewhere in between. Highly fertile couples can probably conceive a baby boy to be born in wintertime with no problem at all, whereas less fertile couples may only be able to conceive a boy to be born in summertime (of course there are SO MANY variables at play that this would just be an overall tendency and obviously there would be MANY exceptions, this description is just meant to help envision what the real-world applications of such a mechanism might be)
Using this information in swaying is a bit tricky, because the evidence indicates that where you live on Planet Earth affects this phenomenon. For reasons that we do not yet comprehend, more girls than would be statistically expected are born at the equator, and more boys at northern latitudes. http://knavara.myweb.uga.edu/Navara%202009.pdf Mother Nature seems to "time" conceptions in parts of the world that experience winter, so more male babies will be born in optimal conditions. If you live around the equator, this information may not apply to you.
Anyway, according to Cagnacci, the best conditions for conceiving a baby of ANY gender (and therefore, a boy) are a day length of 12 hours and an average temperature of 12°C. Maximum conception rates take place at opposite times in regions on either side of the equator. In the Southern Hemisphere (even though this has not been studied) it is predicted that the opposite trend would be true. Fewer babies (but more girls) should be conceived in Sept-November in the Southern Hemisphere, and more babies (and more boys) in March-May.
(BTW this is NOT what is predicted by the ion theory that is part of traditional swaying lore. The ion theory claims that winter conceptions should = more boys and summer conceptions should = more girls, and that spring and fall are neutral.)
Why might this be? Babies conceived Sept - Nov. will be born in the summer months when the climate is pleasant and food abundant, and babies that are conceived March - May will be born Dec-Feb, when temps are coldest and food is scarcest. Baby boys need more calories than baby girls throughout pregnancy and after birth, and in fact throughout LIFE. Average energy intake among pregnant women carrying a boy compared with a girl | BMJ (higher caloric needs during boy pregnancy) http://www.kidsandnutrition.co.uk/ho...hild-need.html (males have higher caloric needs throughout infancy and childhood)
As an example, the estimated average requirement for baby boys for their first 6 months of life is 545-690 calories per day, whereas baby girls require less, on average 515-645 kcal per day. It is not hard to imagine that it is easier for mothers to provide more nutrition via breastfeeding, to baby boys during times when food is ample - on a personal note, I often find I cannot even produce enough breastmilk without drinking three Dr. Peppers a day (at 150 calories a pop) in addition to eating a balanced diet, so it makes a lot of sense to me on a gut level that such a mechanism might evolve over millions of years. It's not only in the first few months that those early calories matter - if a baby boy is chronically undernourished during his first few months of life, even if he survives infancy he may be at a disadvantage for the rest of his life, and therefore be less likely to survive and reproduce.
Also, there may be another strange mechanism at play. Three studies I have found Ambient temperature predicts sex ratios and male longevity (here is a longer version of that same study http://precedings.nature.com/documen...20093915-1.pdf), Sex Ratios at Birth and Environmental Temperatures - Springer (abstract only), and Climatic factors and secondary sex ratio in dair... [J Dairy Sci. 2006] - PubMed - NCBI (somehow I have the full text of this article in my files but I can only find the abstract now, sorry!) both seem to indicate that cold temperatures at time of conception and in early pregnancy seem to mean more females conceived/born and warmer temperatures, even only just one degree warmer, raised the odds that a male would be conceived/born.
(Again, this completely flies in the face of the ion theory. According to the ion theory, boys "like" cold things and girls "like" warm things.)
However, this is confuddling because of the study that found more girls were born in tropical latitudes. http://knavara.myweb.uga.edu/Navara%202009.pdf I ~personally~ believe that this may have more to do with other factors such as diet and cultural issues - in fact, according to one study Project MUSE - Login Africa overall had more girls than would be statistically expected, even the nations that are far from the equator such (such as South Africa - sex ratio of 102 boys for 100 girls) and some equatorial nations had exactly as many boys as would be statistically expected (Nigeria 106 boys for 100 girls). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...s_by_sex_ratio
