Women with problems of the ovaries often do well to eliminate eggs from their diet; eggs are a product of the chicken’ s ovaries, and could therefore overload the woman’ s system. In fact, several of my vegetarian female students who relied on eggs for protein complained of repeated hormonal problems. Conversely, if a woman who has had no eggs for years has ovarian trouble, an egg or two may prove helpful as a stimulant remedy. Another of my students reported that she had lost her period( without the weight-loss usually associated with that condition) when she became a complete vegetarian; as soon as she started eating a few eggs, two years later, it came back. For comments on the effects of artificial sex hormones added to animal feed or implanted in cattle, see the section on meat, chapter six, this page
. THE EFFECTS OF A CHANGE IN DIET Switching from a regimen based on meat, sugar, dairy, and white flour to one consisting mostly of whole grains, beans, vegetables, fruit, and smaller amounts of fish, poultry, and maybe eggs on occasion— what in this book I call a health-supportive whole-foods diet— often has interesting effects on sex. Some people may find that their desire diminishes or even temporarily disappears. Frequently this means that the body is concentrating its energy on repairing other, more vital organs and functions. However, if after six or eight months on a mostly vegetarian diet, sexual desire has not returned, it may be wise to increase the intake of animal protein, especially if you’ re a man. People who turn vegetarian after puberty may experience some changes in their sexuality as well as in their personality. These are some of the possibilities:
• CLEANOUT: Sexual energy vanishes for a while, then returns stronger and clearer.
• DECLINE: Desire gradually diminishes toward celibacy.
• DELAYED REACTION: There may be no noticeable effect for a year or two, then either of the above. After the body has cleansed and rebalanced itself, sex becomes easier, more sensitive, and less demanding of effort. It’ s important to note here that a healthy sex life does not depend on magical foods, but emerges naturally in a generally healthy body. Whole, wholesome, natural foods, both expansive and contractive ones, will support satisfying, well-integrated sexual function, 13 just as they will support good health in general. Women with hormonal problems, or who have had difficulty conceiving, often find that such a way of eating will correct their condition. At times, acupuncture or hot compresses on the abdomen will further enhance the healing. † Going by the cases that I’ m familiar with, it appears to me that the process may take from one year to eighteen months to complete; that is about the time it took several of my students to get pregnant. In some cases, a chronic vaginal discharge may stop, then return for a while— as a cleanout— and then stop again. However, women who get too thin on a largely vegetarian diet may lose their menses due to malnutrition: Female hormones are synthesized from substances obtained from body fat and cholesterol, and if there is not enough fat under the skin, the hormones cannot be produced. FOOD FOR MEN AND WOMEN: SHOULD IT BE DIFFERENT? Much has been made, of late, of the ways in which men and women are the same. Yet let’ s not forget that they also are different— and that is why they are attracted to each other, like magnets of opposite polarities. If we even out the differences and increase the equality, the attraction diminishes, just as it would with magnets. In business settings, this may be quite convenient. In personal relationships, however, it’ s preferable to keep the polarity alive. It’ s certainly more fun. Therefore, rather than eating exactly alike, a couple might be wise to allow for dietary variations for each party. According to Japanese folklore, for example, men should eat more animalprotein foods, women more vegetables, and if they share the same meal, the male’ s portions should be larger; he should also be given a small dish of salted fish or beans, to forestall any tendency to overexpansion or weakness. As we will see, rather than being an expression of“ sexism,” such customs make a great deal of sense when we look at them from a systems viewpoint. In our relativistic reality, the opposites in a pair are rarely, if ever, exactly equal or symmetrical. The buildup and breakdown of body cells— our metabolism— although different for every individual, also exhibits a certain gender-related asymmetry. In women, it’ s tilted toward anabolism; that is, women are more efficient at building up tissue, because they must create babies within their bodies. They also tend to put weight on easily and have a harder time shedding it if they want to. In men, metabolism is tilted toward catabolism; that is, men are more efficient at breaking down tissue, perhaps because they discharge protein, carbohydrates, and minerals during sex. 14 They also tend to lose weight with greater ease, much to the chagrin of the strenuously dieting mates. As a result of this metabolic“ inequality,” men do need more protein than women, in general, though individual