Soy: The Health Food. Right? WRONG!!

Yum -- protein shakes!

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  Each day in the summer, I've made it a habit to make myself protein shakes after my afternoon workouts. It helps with recovery and rebuilding of muscles. And, since I don't eat much meat, it's a great way to supplement protein into my diet without having to do anything too drastic.

  Or maybe it's just an excuse to have a chocolatey snack right after a hard workout? I'm not sure which one, but probably a little bit of both.

  So I'd load up the blender with ice, chocolate protein powder, strawberries/blueberries, half of a banana, yogurt, and chocolate SOY milk. Skreeeeeeeech........what?!?! SOY??

  Up until last spring I was still under the impression soy was 'good' for you. After all, Silk soy milk had that heart-healthy logo on it, and it had always been touted as being a healthy alternative to cow's milk. So what did I miss?

The soy milk I USED to drink.

  Here's where the infamous Jillian Michaels podcasts enter in. I was listening to an episode, where JM mentioned in passing "anything but soy" in reference to what kind of milk is the healthiest/best for you. I was shocked. Her statement alone sparked my interest: I had to find out what I had clearly missed.

  The first thing I learned was that soy was high in phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens mimic estrogen in our bodies. And that the leading causes of breast cancer, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and infertility is estrogen dominance. So WHY would we want to be consuming a food that is higher in phytoestrogens than any other food source?

  Men should steer clear of soy as well. For you guys out there, check out this article on the side-effects of too much soy in men: http://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/soys-negative-effects.

  Another place where soy is used a lot is in infant forumulas. A baby drinking the recommended amount of soy formula is consuming a hormone load equivalent of four birth control pills a day! It's no wonder we've seen a rise in early puberty among our children.

  The second thing I learned about soy was that it is damaging to your thyroid. Soy is considered a goitrogenic (thyroid suppressing) food. Goitrogens prevent your thyroid from getting the necessary amount of iodine.

  When your thyroid fails any number of things can happen: you gain weight, you get cold more easily, you're more easily fatigued, you have a harder time regulating your moods, and you have a more difficult time concentrating and remembering details. When it comes down to it, you don't want to mess with your thyroid.

  The third thing I learned about soy was that it was rich in trypsin inhibitors. Trypsin is a digestive enzyme that helps our bodies properly digest protein. Without enough trypsin, you're looking at a lot of uncomfortable digestive issues (no one ever wants these!), and also might lead to future problems with your pancreas.

  Finally and maybe most-importantly, soy is a GMO crop. I wrote about GMOs and their effects in two earlier posts (Do You Know What GMOs Are? and The Effects of GMOs). But I will quickly sum up why this is a bad thing.

  Soy is a crop that is covered in chemicals and pesticides that are linked to cancer, infertility, Parkinsons, Diabetes, etc etc. Do I need to go any further?

Soy is found in many food items!

  After I learned the real truths to soy, I immediately stopped buying soy milk. Instead I will use organic cow's milk, or almond milk in my protein shakes. I also make sure not to use soy protein powder in my shakes. Now I buy whey protein. I used to also enjoy a plateful of edamame at Japanese restaurants. Not anymore. (I'm not vegetarian or vegan, so I've never had tofu, but that's also something I would avoid.)

  What was surprising to me was how I seemed to miss the boat on soy for so long. I thought I was fairly well-informed on the dos and don'ts in the nutrition world. But apparently not!

  If something can have such negative effect on our health, why is it still being touted as 'healthy'? Especially where kids are involved! My biggest advice: stay diligent, and know what's in your food!

  Hope you found this useful and informative!

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LINKS:

Food Renegade

Jillian Michaels Podcast 3/11/2011 & 3/25/2011

Men's Health