I want to thank Jennifer for her question on my last post Vegetarian-ish. There are so many things I avoid in terms of food that I loose track of what I have covered.
When it comes to vegetarianism I believe soy to be the element that commonly gives this lifestyle a a downward spin. Soy is heavily relied on as a health food, especially where meat in avoided.
So here is why I avoid soy in a nutshell;
Almost all soy is GMO - they have this pesticide called "round -up" that is super toxic and kills everything in a field. They have genetically modified soy (and other crops) to withstand this harsh chemical. Aside from that gruesome fact, soy is super high in phytic acid, anti nutrients and inhibitors that create problems with mineral absorption and digestion, with longer term affects of cancer, infertility, thyroid problems, autoimmune diseases and stunted growth. When soy beans undergo processing, their fragile proteins are denatured. Toxins and carcinogens are formed along with MSG and aluminum.
There is tons of technical terms that I avoided that would add about 10 more reasons that it is bad for you. With fairytale marketers any food can appear to be an amazing super food. Do research, pay attention to your body, use new products in moderation and be skeptical of anything a company is pushing on you as they are in it for the money.
I had no idea. I was a tofu and soy fanatic until about now.
ReplyDeleteYou will live healthily and happily to 116. You are amazing.
I had no idea either! Thank you so much. I had a cancer (a fairly serious melanoma, which my mother died of) removed two years ago, and I am becoming more and more interested in nutrition. I'm really enjoying your blog. I also have two little boys, and I'm interested in making their lives healthier. Thank you again for the information.
ReplyDeleteKara~
ReplyDeleteI have had intuition to avoid soy but never had any "reason" to explain it. Thank you for this information!
Wow. pretty creepy.
I agree with the statements made in these last two posts 100%. I am a recovering vegetarian and my diet used to be heavily laden with soy products. We now eat meat about 4-5 times a week, usually at dinner, and only meat that I carefully purchase and prepare. I feel much more nourished than ever! I can't believe I actually thought I was more "healthy" than my meat eating friends (although like you, I do think most Americans eat way to much meat and definitely the worst quality). Eating overprocessed soybeans, which are only meant to be eaten after a long fermentation period anyway, a fact our society ignores...not my idea of natural.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
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ReplyDeleteJessica, what a great testimonial! Thank you for sharing that. I am so sad at vegetarians because they are trying to do a good thing for themselves and the food industry is undermining their every attempt. I am so excited to hear about change for the better!
ReplyDeleteI am still checking out your blog for recipes. Lots of things sound good, but don't have, or can't get the spices. I could improvise but I don't really have a lot of time for thinking about cooking. We tried the Zucchini and tomato one and it was good! Tell everyone to check out our blog, South Africa - The Harms Way, now that Sherry has posted a few things.
ReplyDeleteI also heard that it contains lots of estrogen-producing chemicals and so it is especially bad for men.
ReplyDeleteKara, I love love love this post! I can't tell you enough what soy can do to your body. 4 years ago, I got really sick.... no doctor could figure out what was wrong. I couldn't sleep ever.... it was the weirdest thing since I had never had a problem before in my life. Long story short... some doctors in Mesa figured out that I had never had a hormone test, once tested I found out I was already heavily into menopause. I was on heavy hormone and steroid treatments for a year and they told me to avoid soy like the plague. Since then, I have found out a lot about how the toxins in our foods affect our hormones, not only adults but children. Not just female hormones but other hormones that are responsible for metabolism and sleeping and all of our essential functions! Stay away from it.... keep your kids away from it as much as possible. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI am in the process of trying to adopt a vegetarian-ish eating plan. I am buying top quality meats and only make it 2-3 days a week and in much smaller quantities. I serve lots of vegetables and whole grains. I agree on the soy beans and avoid. I saw Food, Inc. Love your blog!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it true that soy is good as a fermented product such as tofu and soy sauce?
ReplyDeleteThe fermentation process changes soy beans drastically, and yes, they actually become healthy in small amounts. Tofu is not fermented and most soy sauces on the market are made artificially using a chemical process -- not fermentation. Soy products that are healthy are; natto, tempeh and miso (also soy sauce, if you get the right one.)
ReplyDeleteOhsawa makes the best in soy sauces, but can be hard to find. San-J is a safe one that can be found in most large grocery stores and health food stores.
So Kara, is soy milk healthy (or healthier) if we make kefir out of it? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIt would add probiotics, which is always good and break down some of the phytic acid, to what degree, I couldn't say. But the processing in making soy milk denatures proteins and renders them toxic and involves aluminum. Coconut milk kefir would be a better non dairy option.
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