Recipes

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Another ingredient makes the naughty list! Plus, a new program I developed!!

I subscribe to dozens of health-related email newsletters, blogs, websites, and magazines filling my noggin with so much information that at times, it can be overwhelming. But one of my new faves is from Dr. Mercola. His daily email blast reads like a "Breaking News" alert of dangerous health calamities, but I do find the information trustworthy and timely. So who's on the chopping block now? SOY! For years now we've been led to believe that soy is one of those healthy foods that we need to eat more of - but not so fast. We need to eat more fermented soy!  You can do your own research, but in a nutshell, soy grown in the U.S. is genetically modified (yuck), grown with dozens of pesticides (yuck), contains phytoestrogens which sometimes block the hormone estrogen and have adverse effects on human tissues (double yuck),  contains goitrogens which lead to depressed thyroid function (my health problem), and contains phytates which prevent absorption of life enhancing minerals. Here's what Dr. Mercola says:

Soy Dangers Summarized

  • High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking, but only with long fermentation. High-phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
  • Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals, soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
  • Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
  • Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
  • Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body's requirement for B12.
  • Soy foods increase the body's requirement for Vitamin D. Toxic synthetic Vitamin D2 is added to soy milk.
  • Fragile proteins are over-denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
  • Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
  • Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods to mask soy's unpleasant taste.
  • Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum, which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.
Holy crap!  If you read your food labels, you'll find soy lecithin, soy flour, soybean oil, hydrolyzed soy protein, and plain ole soy listed in everything from bread to snack foods. Why is this product literally in almost every food at the grocery store???!!!!  Food manufactures were looking for ways to use the leftover soybean oil and soy extracts and concocted these lovely creations that is sold to us as "health food." So get to reading, open your pantry and see how many products you have with soy in them. Then, throw them out! 


Dr. Mercola goes on to suggest the "good" soy products:
  • Tempeh a fermented soybean cake with a firm texture and nutty, mushroom-like flavor.
  • Miso, a fermented soybean paste with a salty, buttery texture (commonly used in miso soup).
  • Natto, fermented soybeans with a sticky texture and strong, cheese-like flavor.
  • Soy sauce, which is traditionally made by fermenting soybeans, salt and enzymes; be wary because many varieties on the market today are made artificially using a chemical process.
Please note that tofu is NOT on this list. Tofu is not fermented.

BIG NEWS:  Do you know how to shop for healthy foods?  Are you unsure of what to buy? Do you want to choose Organic, healthy foods, but think you can't afford them? I've developed a new program for those who are ready to make the change from conventional, processed foods to eating clean, whole foods. I'll take you on a 2-hr tour of the grocery store and show you how to shop for healthy foods, how to save on organic, how to prevent food waste and where to get coupons for healthy foods. If you are interested in learning more, message me or make a comment! First tours start in May!

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