When your muscles feel sore, you have a banana. When you feel backed up, you consume chickweed. When you feel lost, you meditate. But what do you do when you are spiritually a man but assigned female at birth?
I put off transitioning for years because the only option presented to me was medical hormone treatment. In addition to being unable to afford these hormones, I was in no way ready to leap from a majority holistic medical history to a regime almost entirely “modern.” I started to accept the notion that I would never be able to transition when a fellow transgender man posted on Facebook a list of everyday foods that aid in naturally altering the body’s chemistry.
I was at a loss. Was the answer truly so simple?
According to his sources, my friend suggested a balanced source of foods. To increase masculinity, he suggested: the fruits — avocado, grapes and pomegranates; the vegetables — cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, Brussels sprouts and collard greens; the proteins — mushrooms, chia seeds, eggs and tuna; and miscellaneous foods like green tea, honey, ginger and garlic. For those attempting to increase femininity, he suggested dried fruit, peas, bran, beans (including soybeans and lima beans), tofu and soy-based products.
In order to masculinise my body, I have maintained this diet for the last year, with a heavy emphasis on green tea. During this time, my voice has dropped a quarter of an octave and I have to shave my face biweekly! The immediacy of surgery or hormones does not reflect in the length of the dietary transition, but this gradual experience itself is a spiritual journey I gladly travel. My spirit and my body are slowly beginning to resemble each other without threatening either one.
