Feminizing foods to incorporate into your diet:
1. Flax seeds
Flax seeds contain more phytoestrogens than any other food, so it’s a great idea to eat them daily. Try sprinkling ground flax seeds on cereal, yogurt, fruit and salads. (Note: They need to be ground so you can digest them and get the phytoestrogenic effect.)
2. Soy Products
Soy is a popular food these days, and is widely used in supplementation and nutrition replacement. You can now buy soy milk, soy burgers, soy flour, soy cereals, soy candy, soy protein, and plain ol’ tofu. Many health claims are being bandied about for this little bean, not the least of which is that it has estrogenic properties.
Soy does indeed have estrogenic properties. It contains phytoestrogens, which are produced by plants and mimic the action of estrogens at the body’s estrogen receptors. Because they are weaker than the estrogens that your own body produces, yet compatible with the estrogen receptors, they compete with estrogens at the estrogen receptor sites, and when bound to the estrogen receptor they block the effects of the stronger estrogens.
It has been speculated that a diet high in soy can have hormonally feminizing effects. This has almost no basis in fact, and really, makes very little sense. The beneficial effects of dietary soy are more related to the fact that it inhibits the action of estrogen, not that it has estrogenic effects itself. These inhibitory effects seem to decrease the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) as well as breast and uterine cancer, but only when taken as part of a complete program.
What does this mean for trans women? Well, at the feminizing doses of estrogen that most trans women take, I don’t think that a diet rich in soy would noticeably inhibit fat redistribution, breast growth, or any of the other desirable effects.
If a trans woman chooses to have surgery, soy might be one component of a diet that reduces the risk of CHD and cancer, just like it is in non-trans women. However, soy is not a magic pill— it is just another substance that can be good or bad for you, depending on what your situation is.
3. Fruits and veggies
There are also lots of fruits and vegetables that contain phytoestrogens.
High-phytoestrogen fruits include: dried prunes, peaches, raspberries and strawberries.
High-phytoestrogen veggies include: alfalfa sprouts, Winter squash, green beans, collard greens, broccoli and cabbage.
Best of all, these foods also encourage weight loss. (Remember: the heavier you are, the harder it is to create a feminine body shape.)
It’s just as important to AVOID anti-feminizing foods. Here are 2 foods that increase testosterone and have a masculinizing effect:
1. Simple carbs
Simple carbs, like sugar or white bread, increase your insulin level. Since increased insulin is related to testosterone production, it’s important not to overeat these foods.
List of Simple Carbohydrate Foods:
2. High zinc foods
Zinc is another substance that boosts testosterone levels. That means you should avoid high-zinc foods like oysters, beef, pork, turkey, chicken liver, pumpkin seeds if you’re on a feminizing program.
Also if your taking Spironolactone (Aldactone)(Anti Androgen) in addition you should avoid the following:
High Potassium Levels will occur rapidly from this medicine, so avoid foods high in potassium. Bananas,Raisins,Prunes,Oranges,Papayas,Cantaloupes,Avocados,Honey Dew,Melons,Mangoes,Kiwis,Tomatoes,Sweet Potatoes,Pumpkin,Brussel Sprouts,Asparagus,Beef,Pork,Chicken,Cod,Trout,Salmon,Tuna,Sardines,Anchovies.
1. Flax seeds
Flax seeds contain more phytoestrogens than any other food, so it’s a great idea to eat them daily. Try sprinkling ground flax seeds on cereal, yogurt, fruit and salads. (Note: They need to be ground so you can digest them and get the phytoestrogenic effect.)
2. Soy Products
Soy is a popular food these days, and is widely used in supplementation and nutrition replacement. You can now buy soy milk, soy burgers, soy flour, soy cereals, soy candy, soy protein, and plain ol’ tofu. Many health claims are being bandied about for this little bean, not the least of which is that it has estrogenic properties.
Soy does indeed have estrogenic properties. It contains phytoestrogens, which are produced by plants and mimic the action of estrogens at the body’s estrogen receptors. Because they are weaker than the estrogens that your own body produces, yet compatible with the estrogen receptors, they compete with estrogens at the estrogen receptor sites, and when bound to the estrogen receptor they block the effects of the stronger estrogens.
It has been speculated that a diet high in soy can have hormonally feminizing effects. This has almost no basis in fact, and really, makes very little sense. The beneficial effects of dietary soy are more related to the fact that it inhibits the action of estrogen, not that it has estrogenic effects itself. These inhibitory effects seem to decrease the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) as well as breast and uterine cancer, but only when taken as part of a complete program.
What does this mean for trans women? Well, at the feminizing doses of estrogen that most trans women take, I don’t think that a diet rich in soy would noticeably inhibit fat redistribution, breast growth, or any of the other desirable effects.
If a trans woman chooses to have surgery, soy might be one component of a diet that reduces the risk of CHD and cancer, just like it is in non-trans women. However, soy is not a magic pill— it is just another substance that can be good or bad for you, depending on what your situation is.
3. Fruits and veggies
There are also lots of fruits and vegetables that contain phytoestrogens.
High-phytoestrogen fruits include: dried prunes, peaches, raspberries and strawberries.
High-phytoestrogen veggies include: alfalfa sprouts, Winter squash, green beans, collard greens, broccoli and cabbage.
Best of all, these foods also encourage weight loss. (Remember: the heavier you are, the harder it is to create a feminine body shape.)
It’s just as important to AVOID anti-feminizing foods. Here are 2 foods that increase testosterone and have a masculinizing effect:
1. Simple carbs
Simple carbs, like sugar or white bread, increase your insulin level. Since increased insulin is related to testosterone production, it’s important not to overeat these foods.
List of Simple Carbohydrate Foods:
| Bread (white flour) | Packaged cereals | Pasta (white flour) |
| Grapefruit | Strawberry | Peach |
| Raspberry | Lemon | Kiwi |
| Lychee | Plum | Melon |
| Blackberry | Cranberry | Cherry |
| Blueberry | Blackcurrant | Banana |
| Fruit Juice | Chocolate | Candy Bars |
| Apple | Pear | Oranges |
| Sodas | Cake | Cookies |
| Honey | Fudge | Jam |
2. High zinc foods
Zinc is another substance that boosts testosterone levels. That means you should avoid high-zinc foods like oysters, beef, pork, turkey, chicken liver, pumpkin seeds if you’re on a feminizing program.
Also if your taking Spironolactone (Aldactone)(Anti Androgen) in addition you should avoid the following:
High Potassium Levels will occur rapidly from this medicine, so avoid foods high in potassium. Bananas,Raisins,Prunes,Oranges,Papayas,Cantaloupes,Avocados,Honey Dew,Melons,Mangoes,Kiwis,Tomatoes,Sweet Potatoes,Pumpkin,Brussel Sprouts,Asparagus,Beef,Pork,Chicken,Cod,Trout,Salmon,Tuna,Sardines,Anchovies.