Oy Soy...(and blueberry smoothie bowl recipe)

Oy soy!

Do you do soy? If so read on. But if you love the stuff, don't get mad at me for raining on your soy parade. Sorry, not sorry. It's only cuz I care and you need to know this stuff......

For so many years all that we have heard is how good soy is for you. The amount we consume is huge. From soy milk to tofu, and with soy proteins in so many products, we are inundated with it. The problem is that there is a lot of poor research on soy that has been misinterpreted or deemphasized that has led to inconclusive results. Several governments around the world including France, Germany and Israel have noted that soy does not prevent heart disease by lowering the bad cholesterol, nor cure it. Additional research done with soy has proven inconsistent, inconclusive, contradictory, and of poor design with too short of duration to prove the benefits they claim. In fact these governments have issued warnings regarding the consumption of soy.

In our neck of the woods, the FDA to this day continues to tout that it is safe, and claims it doesprevent heart disease- but remember the FDA is also continuing to pass drugs with harmful side effects that have not been proven safe, and they are heavily influenced by big pharma to pass their drugs.

In January of 2006 the American Heart Association in their journal circulation noted that in fact soy does not lower cholesterol nor does it prevent heart disease. And since then there has been conflicting data.

Some Problems With Soy:

1. One of the most serious is Phytoestrogens contained in soy. The type in soy is called isoflavones.

Why they are a problem? They are not true hormones. They have a similar structure to hormones and can cause significant endocrine disruption in the body. What they do:

• Bind with hormone receptors
• Interfere with the production of estrogen, testosterone and other hormones

     2.  Heavy consumption of soy can impact:

• Pregnancy
• Infancy
• Puberty
• Reproductive years
• Menopause

The reason these particular times in our lives are noted is because these are the periods our hormones are fluctuating, and thus the phytoestrogens can really effect those hormones- and not in a good way.

For example:

• Soy has been promoted to help women during menopause by reducing hot flashes. However, research done in France, Germany and Israel have noted it actually contributes to cancer, particularly breast cancer.
• Reproductive years: phytoestrogens actually have a contraceptive effect. A study in 1994 by Aedin Cassidy found that soy promoted infertility with changes to luteninzing hormones, follicle stimulating hormones, and other changes indicative of infertility. Her original study noted this again and again, however at the time of publishing she was joined with top soy industry scientists and infertility was de-emphasized.

     3.  Most of the soy we consume is genetically modified (GMO)

This is a huge problem and actually I would say quite dangerous to consume. So what I would tell you is DO. NOT. EAT. IT. Period!

It has higher levels of pesticides, protease inhibitors that make it hard to digest, and high levels of toxins. Soy milk being one of the worst things you can consume. It contains a lot of the plant estrogens, the hard to absorb forms of supplemental calcium in the box, vitamin D2 rather than D3 which is the one we really need.

And......soy is now one of the top 8 allergens- increasing significantly over the last decade. One of the biggest reasons is the timing of the GMO soybean hitting the market. Soooo, if you have an allergy to soy you must avoid it completely, but I also get that it is difficult to do when 60% of our processed foods, packaged foods and fast foods contain it. Lordy.

Heres what to watch out for on your labels as it is in a ton of our packaged food:

• Soy protein isolate
• Hydrolyzed plant protein
• Hydrolyzed soy protein
• So protein concentrate

And lastly....

     4.  Soy has a dramatic impact on the thyroid.

This risk is higher for women in midlife as they're already at risk for some type of thyroid disorder. At this time, we have an epidemic of Hyporthyroidism. It initially stimulates the thyroid, but over time the thyroid becomes over taxed and stressed out leading to a slower thyroid.

One serious note is that those who are on Thyroid medications should never consume soy for this reason.

So what should you do?

Only consume fermented types of soy such as:

• Miso
• Tempeh
• Natto

If you find you have an allergy to soy, avoid it all together.

You can eat tofu, but it should only be once and a while in great moderation.

For milk drinkers if you have been consuming soy milk due to an inability to drink dairy milk, you can try coconut milk, almond milk, or my favorite - cashew milk. You can also find a combo of cashew and coconut milk that I find quite delish and I use in my smoothies. I drink all of those mentioned and just simply go back and forth so I am never consuming too much of one thing.

If you have access I would also buy real raw dairy milk straight from the cow. You can check your local farms to see if they have it available. But be sure that their cows are grass fed and free of antibiotics and hormones.

Like I said, sorry to burst your soy bubble. :( But with so much conflicting information, and the dangers of GMO soy, you gotta be informed so you can make the best choices for your health.

Take good care and don't forget to leave a comment or question!

xoxo

Shannon

P.S: For a tasty treat using one of my fave milks, I have one of my fave smoothies for you to try:

Blueberry Cream Smoothie Bowl:

1 cup unsweetened vanilla coconut cashew milk or cashew milk

1 scoop of Vega Vanilla Protein Powder or protein powder of choice

1 tsp Maca powder

1 tsp honey

1 handful Spinach

1 banana

1 cup frozen blueberries

A few cubes of ice

Blend and enjoy.  Add toppings like, coconut flakes, blueberries, strawberries, banana slices, almond slivers, and my fave granola- Simply Elizabeth Ancient Grains.

Reference: The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food, by Kaayla T. Daniel Ph.D