Hi all,
One of my least favorite “food-like” substances is soy. Now, if you’re a soy fan, there is a good chance that you are either:
A. rolling your eyes
B. thinking of a rebuttal
C. (my favorite answer) reading on….
Soybeans are an interesting item. They are largely unedible unless they have been fermented and although they do contain protein, you are getting your protein at a cost. Consider these tasty tidbits:
*Soy is highly estrogenic. Meaning that when you consume it, it mimics the effects of estrogen in your body. If you are a women it can possibly cause hormonal imbalance. If you are a male, it can lower testosterone and cause infertility.
*The amount of soy in a baby’s daily allotment of a soy-based formula is equal to 4 regular birth control pills. 25% of infants in the US are immediately put on soy formula.
*Ever wonder why young girls are developing younger and younger? Besides the hormones that have been in our dairy products for years (which is another story), soy is in almost ALL packaged food. Don’t believe me? Go look in your pantry right now and start reading labels, I dare you. When children are exposed to high levels of estrogenic soy, their bodies will adjust to the estrogen and it causes hormonal and developmental problems.
*We eat so much soy that it is has become one of the top 8 most common allergens.
*Parents are advised to avoid eating soy (and peanuts) during the third trimester, breast-feeding, and not to give their infant soy formula. This is because many children will develop a strong allergy after this early exposure.
*Soy is loaded with trypsin inhibitors that prevent proper protein digestion; so if you’re eating soy for its high protein content, you are most likely not getting the amount that you think you are anyway.
*It also contains goitrogen which inhibits thyroid function and phytic acid, a fiber that impairs absorption of minerals.
* Soy is not allowed on paleo either, FYI.
Here are some lists of common store-bought foods that contain soy:
- ice cream
- bread
- lunch meat, hot dogs, salami, etc.
- crackers
- salad dressing
- chicken nuggets
- pizza
- Powerade (ridiculous, huh?)
- cookies, cakes, chips, dips, spice mixes
So you might be wondering, if soy is so bad for us, why is it in everything? Well, it’s important to keep in mind that the soybean industry is HIGHLY subsidized by our government. If you’ve watched “Food, Inc.” you know what I’m talking about. Secondly, soy is a filler, plain and simple. It is cheap, relatively tasteless, and means that manufacturers can spend less to get it in your hands. The first step these companies took to make YOU think soy is healthy was to market it to the elite.
Soy milk with your latte? Exactly.
Again, the choice of course is yours. And it is so much easier to just eat it and ignore the growing body of evidence proving how horrible it is for your body. I know that since I cut out soy 1.5 years ago, I never get upset stomachs, sick, headaches after eating, clogged sinuses after eating, or hormonal swings (well, don’t ask my husband about that last one!) I understand that some people are vegetarians and have a limited number of protein options, but if you’re going to eat soy, fermented is best. And believe me, I know there are major problems with the meat we eat as well and will probably touch on this topic at a later date. We all need to do what is best for ourselves and our familes by being as informed as possible when we make our food decisions.
Check out “The Whole Soy Story” by Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN. You can find her book here: www.wholesoystory.com
Also take a look at: http://www.westonaprice.org/Soy-Infant-Formula-Birth-Control-Pills-for-Babies.html
