Wanna chat about SOY? Is it safe?

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Permalink Reply by bueller on March 27, 2008 at 8:58pm

Do you have the link so I can share it with others?

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Permalink Reply by genie on March 20, 2008 at 8:02am

First of all, let's keep in mind that much of the negative press on soy is based on research funded by the desperate dairy industry. In general, the "all soy is bad" literature is quite frequently characterized by an anti-vegetarian bias.

Then, to say that soy is bad for you is an oversimplification, similar to the bygone craze of trying to eliminate all fats from our diets. Now we know that there is good fat and bad fat (and even that fat is needed for raw foods diets -- thanks coconut and avocado), although you continue to see stories on eliminating fat from the diet as if it were a monolithic ill.

I agree that all soy must be taken in moderation, a word that is rather foreign to us Americanos. Traditional diets that incorporate soy do not include large amounts of soy three times a day, as has become the habit of some vegetarian Westerners. More importantly, traditional intakes of soy do not include the highly processed soy isolates (BAD SOY) that are so common now, and probably should always be avoided.

Here's my favorite, and , in my opinion, healthiest form of soy -- tempeh. Tempeh is a completely whole food -- meaning, the whole soy bean is used, and not an extract like in soy milk and tofu. Cakes of whole soy beans are fermented, which makes the soy far more digestible. Miso, which by its very nature is not taken in overly large amounts, is also a fermented product, and is better than chicken soup for whatever ails you.

So let us have a nuanced conversation about soy -- what's bad and must be avoided (soy isolates) and what is good in moderation.

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Permalink Reply by Lori on March 27, 2008 at 7:48pm

Genie,

Thanks for bringing up the point about the fact that the soy we eat here in the U.S.- soymilk, soy protein isolate (which seems to be added to everything these days), etc. is not what those in Asian cultures eat. They eat soy in it's natural form. I also only eat Tempeh and Miso. Fermented foods are said to be very healthy- but you must remember that the miso or tempheh cannot be heated above 115 otherwise the lovely enzymes will be destroyed.

I usually get some miso, dissolve it in some room temp broth, then add it to warm (not hot) broth heating on the stove, and toss in some veggies like shredded carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, onions, garlic. The warmth from the warm broth will help to soften the veggies a bit.

Lori (Librarymom)

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Permalink Reply by Alissa on March 20, 2008 at 8:05am

hey there i just wanted to put my two bits in about soy that i've actually just recently learned. i have been vegetarian for over four years and i have been using tofu and soy milk as staples in my diet. i was literally having tofu every single day for the last two years! horrible, i know. just recently i went to a health food store and asked the woman working there, who is brilliant and knows basically all there is to know about women and women's bodies, and she told me that soy (tofu, soy milk, etc.) or tofu products that aren't fermented actually act as sponges in the body and inhibit your bodies ability to absorb other nutrients.
scary! i know!

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Permalink Reply by Sky on March 20, 2008 at 9:58am

What about rice milk? Any info (good or bad) on that?

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Permalink Reply by Nicole on March 20, 2008 at 10:09am

Since we asked about rice milk, what about almond milk? I switched a while ago and I'm still confused.

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Permalink Reply by Kristin on March 26, 2008 at 11:12am

I really like almond milk but its sweet! almost too sweet.

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Permalink Reply by laetitia on March 26, 2008 at 2:27pm

I know it is confusing, rice milk is too sweet, almond milk as well, soy milk and cow milk mucus forming...What's a girl to do?
At least I barely drink milk anymore since I stopped drinking coffee, I just use a little soy milk in my oatmeal once in a while, maybe I should switch to raw cow's milk like she suggested in the video, I have tried goat's milk but I don't like it.
So a little soy milk versus a little raw milk which is best for me?
Anybody's done research on this?
Thanks,
Laetitia

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Permalink Reply by Sky on March 29, 2008 at 10:36am

So I spoke to my acupuncturist, Dr. Mao, who is all knowing and wise, sort of like a Chinese Yoda and his take was "all things in moderation" but also "try very hard to cut out the soymilk" - his gentle way to say "no more soy or else!" He did say that rice, almond, bean and goat's milk we're fine alternatives but all things when overused can become destructive to the body. I am a big (natural) cereal eater, mostly high fiber ones to keep the body regular so I've bought unsweetened rice and almond (no bean or goat's milk, yet) and find them to be, like Dr. Mao said, find alternatives.

Laetitia & Kristin, try the unsweetened versions of rice and almond and let me know what you think!

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Permalink Reply by bueller on March 27, 2008 at 9:01pm

Almond Milk and Rice Milk are high in sugar. I always get the unsweetened Almond Milk and I love it. You can find it here.

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Permalink Reply by Jill on March 28, 2008 at 8:30pm

Another thing about soy is that it's a potent enzyme inhibitor. Since enzymes are what it's all about to us juicing, veggie and raw food eating folk, inhibition is not what we want. Also, most soy we get in this country is GMO, which is definitely not a good thing!

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Permalink Reply by Whole_Body_Healer on March 28, 2008 at 8:44pm

You're right Jill. Soy can also suppress the thyroid too!

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