Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Community Conversation => Transsexual talk => Male to female transsexual talk (MTF) => Topic started by: ChristineHaylett on October 15, 2015, 09:02:32 AM

Title: What can you eat ?
Post by: ChristineHaylett on October 15, 2015, 09:02:32 AM
For quite a while now about 6-7 months I've been slowly converting to vegetarian and I'm finally ready to give up my chicken. I've noticed several foods effects hormones and some cases has caused my breast to shrink.
So I'm now wanting to watch what I eat more but what is safe and what is not safe, it is getting to the point in which I don't want to eat any more so really could use some help.

My problem is I do my research but so many websites say the opposites to each other.
For such a few day's ago A website said eat potatoes to decrease testosterone but then a different website eat lots to increase testosterone

All I know that seems the be the same on all sites is to eat low protein and fat foods, and eat a lot of carbs.

Could any one help me build a list that is safe to eat so that I may do my groceries asap please.

Thank you.

Is the following safe ?.
Corn
Eggs
White bread
Milk
Butter
Rice
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Spouts
Cheese
Spinach
Quorn Meats (fake meat)
Tofu
Flour
Cous Cous
Raisins
Peppers
Chillies
Onions
Garlic
Ginger
Parsley
Chives
Cress
Lettuce
Apples
Pears
Peaches
Plums
Cherry's
Strawberry's
Blackcurrants
Blue berry's
Oats
Cereal
Lemons
Limes
Mushroom
Chocolate
Yoghurt
Moose
Pasta
Coffee
Tea
Flavoured water
Mayonnaise
Vinegar
Virgin Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Worcestershire sauce
Tortilla wraps

Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: Laura_7 on October 15, 2015, 09:17:37 AM
If on hrt I'd avoid large amounts of food with high levels of phytoestrogen, like soy products and linseed, because it might compete with estrogen receptors. Estrogen is supposed to have a stronger effect on the receptors. Normal or moderate amounts should be ok.

So I'd use tofu, etc only in moderate amounts.

Here are some more hints:
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,190328.msg1695279.html#msg1695279

here are some hints concerning recipes:
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,189130.msg1682760.html#msg1682760

Broccoli I'd also use only in moderate amounts...
yoghurt I'd go organic. There are live cultures inside which can help with flora in the digestive tract.

coffee and black tea I'd reduce...
going for more herbal teas or water instead (look for the effects of the different herbal teas... some are soothing etc... and the same one should not be taken continously over a long time... some change from time to time should be positive)


hugs
Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: ChristineHaylett on October 15, 2015, 10:53:06 AM
I'm trying to understand it but it is going over my head, my partner Josie has tried and it is also causing her confusing  as articles contradict each other. How can I tell which recipes are for mtf and some have ingredients some websites say avoid ?.

I don't have much education with food and it very hard for me to understand, how do I tell which is high and which is low, which will increase testosterone and which will lower testosterone.
Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: stephaniec on October 15, 2015, 12:01:19 PM
I've lost my way since loosing my job 2 years ago , but When I get back to eating right  I usually depend on spinach , rutabaga, carrots, beansprouts , rice, pasta green beans, fava beans, beets, parsnips , and lots of fruits and peanut butter and olive oil.
Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: Laura_7 on October 15, 2015, 12:06:07 PM
I understand you.
A lot is contradicting.

You might try to keep it simple.

If you are on hrt you might simply avoid eating large amounts of food containing phytoestrogen:
-soy products
-linseed
etc.
Small amounts should not make much of a difference. So a piece of tofu from time to time should be ok.

I'd further avoid large amounts of:
Asparagus, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower because they are supposed to slightly decrease estrogen.
Also a small amount from time to time should be ok.

If you have a variety in your diet all should be ok. Meaning not eating large amounts of only one ingredient.


Well another point could be to avoid artificial ingredients and preparing food yourself... which you seem to do.
And maybe going organic with some ingredients, or buying from local farmers markets where it can be asked how it was produced.


*hugs*
Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: ChristineHaylett on October 16, 2015, 08:32:03 AM
It' has been about 3 days sense I thought of the impact my food is having on me, I've hardly ate anything from fear and now I'm becoming exhausted and weak and staving .I thought peanut butter was bad due to being extremely high in protein.

How do you know which decrease estrogens and which has phytoestrogen ?.
Is there a list out there for what is safe and what is not ?.
Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: Laura_7 on October 16, 2015, 08:51:42 AM
Quote from: ChristineShearing on October 16, 2015, 08:32:03 AM
It' has been about 3 days sense I thought of the impact my food is having on me, I've hardly ate anything from fear and now I'm becoming exhausted and weak and staving .I thought peanut butter was bad due to being extremely high in protein.

How do you know which decrease estrogens and which has phytoestrogen ?.
Is there a list out there for what is safe and what is not ?.

Please don't take this too serious.
Its important to eat, and it can be joyous.
There are only few nutritions which are really rich in phytoestrogens, or decrease estrogen.
Most of them have been listed already. The highest amounts have flaxseed and soy.
Its simply important not to eat too much in huge amounts, which you do not do anyways.


Lets take the peanut butter as example.
If you eat a few spoons or make a few breads with it its moderate amounts which is ok.
Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: ChristineHaylett on October 16, 2015, 12:01:12 PM
Really getting worried now my breast have shrink and im noticing its to do with food, i eat alot of potatoes ,oats bread and one site says no and one says yes.
I think i rather stave
Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: Laura_7 on October 16, 2015, 12:05:59 PM
Quote from: ChristineShearing on October 16, 2015, 12:01:12 PM
Really getting worried now my breast have shrink and im noticing its to do with food, i eat alot of potatoes ,oats bread and one site says no and one says yes.
I think i rather stave

Look... we are talking about minimal percentages here.
The only stuff with larger amounts is soy and flaxseed.
The rest is negligible in normal amounts.

Keep eating potatoes and oats breads. Its all healthy.


The reason your breasts might have shrunk is because you did not eat and drink enough.
Keep eating and drinking in normal amounts. :)

*hugs*
Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: ChristineHaylett on October 16, 2015, 12:14:29 PM
Quote from: Laura_7 on October 16, 2015, 12:05:59 PM
Look... we are talking about minimal percentages here.
The only stuff with larger amounts is soy and flaxseed.
The rest is negligible in normal amounts.

Keep eating potatoes and oats breads. Its all healthy.


The reason your breasts might have shrunk is because you did not eat and drink enough.
Keep eating and drinking in normal amounts. :)

*hugs*

i have noticed doe that each time i eat potatoes i lose breast size
Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: Rejennyrated on October 16, 2015, 12:15:23 PM
Well medical advice would always be to eat as WIDE a range of things as possible.

In other words omit NOTHING and binge on nothing - try to eat different things every meal and get as much variety as you can possibly get. The people who present with malnutrition are precisely those who read all these silly websites, most of which are written by people with no proper qualifications because "its the interwebz and they can." They then start narrowing down the thinsg they eat and as a result can become deficient in all sorts of important nutients. The secret is moderation - not too much not too little.

Let me give you an example - in a desert there is too little water and you die of thirst - in the sea there is too much and you drown. You need just enough... its the same with ANY and EVERY food you could mention. The only things that should be eliminated are things that you have a properly medically proven allergy or intolerance to.

Just because a website exists does not mean it is authorative, in fact in this fad drive age 99% of them are peddling snake oil - in other words worthless advice.

Honestly any dietician worthy of a professional qualification will tell you that the best thing you can have is a balanced diet - which means a little of everything.

Ok so maybe you dont want to eat meat - thats fine - but everything else - just go for variety.
Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: Laura_7 on October 16, 2015, 12:19:36 PM
Quote from: ChristineShearing on October 16, 2015, 12:14:29 PM
i have noticed doe that each time i eat potatoes i lose breast size

Potatoes might suck up liquid...
just drink enough and all should be ok  :)
Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: Sharon Anne McC on October 16, 2015, 12:59:55 PM
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Christine:

I will certainly second the fact that a balanced intake is better than selecting random foods whether or not they contain or do not contain phyto-e.

As nutritional back-up, the only non-food item I take is a daily generic mutli-vitamin / multi-mineral supplement.

I have had times when I was off meds and used phyto-e.  For my body chemistry, the phyto-e worked.  And that's the issue - every body can react differently.  I am currently on meds; during this period I am minimising phyto-e foods and herbs to see what happens at my next blood draw labs.  Then I'll adjust accordingly.

Yep, if you are on ERT and your body chemistry is not good for phyto-e, then go easy on it.  The only way to know for sure is to watch your blood draw lab results, work with your doctor, and test different scenarios.

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Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: JoanneB on October 18, 2015, 09:10:24 AM
I grew up in a Meat-N-Potatoes family. A pattern I followed for a long time which was manifested by my massive girth and various little though not debilitating, general health issues. Loosing over 100 lbs didn't do much for the health part. Portion control of food I enjoyed only went so far.

Over time my food likes morphed. Part of the credit goes to the explosion of what my wife & I call "Food Science". 30 years ago reading the list of ingredients was scary enough. Today it is downright disgusting as well as frightening. In avoiding as much as one can coming out of a box, bottle or can I actually started to enjoy eating vegetables. Any sort of meat is more of a garnish and not the main course.

You need to listen to your body and not people selling diet/health books. Then there are food allergies. Said to be why we have cravings for the things that aren't good for you. I love my pasta and bread. Yet I cannot walk past a bakery without gaining a pound from smelling all the goodies.

BTW - Another aspect of "Food Science" is the lying about the nutritional value of vegies and fruits. Values  that were once assessed back in like the 1930's. Long before farming was on the industrial scale it is today with most things grown just to do so as quickly as possible and to sort of look like it once used to be. It is difficult to find an older person saying "This _____ tastes just like the ones I had as a kid" unless it came off the same tree in his parents back yard
Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: ChristineHaylett on October 18, 2015, 09:21:35 AM
I feel really low today my breast are near gone with in a week, they have dropped from A bra size to no bra.
I haven't changed doses and for some reason feeling very sexually active again which is frustrating me, and losing my breast is really lowed my confidants, I went out and got called a "Fword Freak" , I feel ugly.

I can't even get a blood test as my doctor refuses to help me and my support team has been talking to the GIC with out my permission and told them not to help me for a year because they think I made this decision over night which I did not it took many years to decide. Just because I never talked about this before with them but why would I when I cant trust them.

I feel extremely low like there is no point carrying on, I'm now a vegetarian and enjoy being one ill upload a copie of my receipt later so that someone can tell me if my food is safe ?.

So my plan tonight to to get a ball of wool and strangulate my testicles until they die, I hope in about 12 hours they will stop functioning. I did warn my team Ill go to extreme levels and should have believed me after my several suicide attempts . Might hurt but has to be done.

Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: abd789 on October 18, 2015, 10:15:34 AM
Quote from: ChristineShearing on October 18, 2015, 09:21:35 AM


So my plan tonight to to get a ball of wool and strangulate my testicles until they die, I hope in about 12 hours they will stop functioning. I did warn my team Ill go to extreme levels and should have believed me after my several suicide attempts . Might hurt but has to be done.

sorry, I know this is a serious issue for you, but I have thought about strangling my testicles as well
I do hope you are not serious though

Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: liz on October 18, 2015, 10:26:24 AM
Fasting is not really good on HRT, your body need nutrients and fat to properly use and distribute your meds.

Don't avoid protein completely, it play a major role in rebuilding your body from hairs to nails( especially skin).
You dont need much but you meed some.
Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: ChristineHaylett on October 18, 2015, 10:29:25 AM
I have tried before but after about 2 hours they went the colour black and well my finance found me laying on the floor in the bathroom. It does really hurt at that point but this time I think a few pain killers may ease the pain slightly.

After which about 6 to 12 hours later Ill certain ill be phoning for an ambulance. Me and my partner has discussed the matter and all do she don't like to see me in pain she understands how stressful they can be to me. She will support me all the way as its effecting my everyday life to the point in which I can't function with daily routines such as cleaning,eating,washing etc, this is no way to live.

It is quite simple when doctors take the mick then it is time to take things into my own hands, it is not something I will enjoy doing but will resolve my problem.
Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: CreepyCourtney on October 18, 2015, 12:54:43 PM
I wouldn't get to worked up about avoiding anything with phytoestrogens in them. Almost all fruits and vegetables contain at least some phytoestrogens. The trick is to avoid the ones with a crazy high concentration of it like soy or maybe garbanzo beans and realize that the other stuff has such a small amount of it in them that it will more then likely be filtered out by the digestive system. Eating things like seitan (a wheat protein based meat substitute) or a little bit of whey protein if your not vegan instead of store bought fake meat products is a big help because you need protein. Without the correct nutrition you can mess up your transition a lot more then a tiny dose of plant estrogen.  Anyway hope that helps some one.
Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: Hannahh on October 18, 2015, 02:39:32 PM
Hi Christine,

About your subject question : all !
About your post : in my opinion, the most important thing is not your size breast but your healthy life.
Breast development need to wait at minimum 3 to 5 years.
All biological women see their size breast change when their weight change : when their weight decrease, size breast decrease too.
Also, I think it is more complicated : we are all different and your body react on his own way with a strong link with your mind. Mind have a strong influence on the body. I know people who eat a little and does not lost weight : because probably the problem is elsewhere.
Me, I try to eat the most organic food, but everything. I eliminate sugar, all prepared food (except what I prepare of course), all gmo food, alcohol (but a little good wine is healthy), smoking...
And I am living a happy life... the other key in my opinion. This, need more work than I could imagine and change a lot of thing in my life.
Take care of yourself,
Hannah
Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: HeatherR on October 18, 2015, 11:21:14 PM
Your body needs tissue on it for breast growth.  It also needs plenty of energy to grow.  If ANYTHING shrinks, it is because your body is consuming itself for energy instead of food.
Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: Skeptoid on October 20, 2015, 05:45:19 AM
You might want to go read every article on nutrition on www.sciencebasedmedicine.org before committing to anything.
Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: ChristineHaylett on October 22, 2015, 02:12:33 AM
Right I don't feel well but ill make this post so other people don't repeat.
Yesterday at 12 oclock I strangulated my bits and was rushed to hospital just before 3, they turned black and the pain was completely unbearable to the point in which I was physically sick. Sadly the doctors had to cut the wool of as it was that tight to loosen. Sadly they are still intact and functioning so that was 3 hours of my life wasted.
The doctor had to do a physical but has the skin went back to pink again no damage done, I did tried to trick the doctor to tell me how long next time but he caught me out and sent me to the crisis team for a mental review, bugger. As usual they hate me and just sent me home as they always do , well they can see next week that I'm serous about doing it again.

I don't recommend this unless you have a high pain threshold
Title: Re: What can you eat ?
Post by: Sharon Anne McC on November 11, 2015, 12:26:58 AM
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Dear Christine:

I returned here for an up-date hoping to read improvements in your circumstance.  Please let us know you are doing better.  I care.

Allow me to re-confirm my understanding that your predicament appears to be:

   (1) a dietician could provide proper eating guidance that you are seeking and

   (2) a gender team to recognise your needs beginning with your request for orchiectomy because you lack empathetic medical personnel ('doctors take the mick'): 

Proper diet can provide positive results.  I incurred severe liver and gall bladder damage from a car crash (1999); surgeons ordered the removal of both organs but I gave an emphatic 'NO!'.  A dietician directed me to reduce / eliminate sugar, fat, and oil.  Suffice to say, my restricted diet saved my liver and gall bladder and I remain in good health with both intact.

Elsewhere here at 'Susan's' ('Transitioning ยป Topic:  My Orchiectomy') and at other web-sites we learn that orchiectomy preceding GCS / SRS is now a standard elective of contemporary protocol for the M-F.  It is performed either laparoscopically or through the umbilis.  Hopefully you will find the surgeon whom you can trust; your comments tell us that you perceive your doctors are making you the butt of their practise rather than administering to your medical needs.

Pharmacologically, both a T-blocker and an estrogen are contemporary standard fare for M-F pre-op situations.  If you are not satisfied with your medical personnel comprehending your status, hopefully you can find another who works with transsexual patients.  Try finding new 'Team Christine' doctors through your community's LGB and T afilliates - they should work for you, not against you.

Allow me to close by writing that in your attached picture you are a very attractive-looking young woman. I hope my words provide the confidence that you need.

Take care and HUGGSS

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