Day 48- So What About Soy?

So what about soy? Is is good or bad or what?  I think you should generally tend to try to avoid soy (except for perhaps tofu).  Soy is not really a nutritional "food".  It has been genetically engineered in the United States to grow where other plants may not grow, and it is genetically engineered to be resistant to Round-Up (yes- that's the herbicide chemical that kills weeds).

My major problem with soy is that it is in just about everything!  It is way harder to avoid than even high-fructose corn syrup.  Take a look at any ingredient label in your kitchen right now- do you see any of the following ingredients?  Hydrolyzed vegetable protein, vegetable protein concentrate, vegetable oil, MSG (monosodium glutamate), soy protein isolate, soy lecithin, textured vegetable proteins and, the most prominent of all, soy oil.  Try to find something in a package that does not contain one of these ingredients- you will have a hard time.

Some of the possible side effects of consuming soy are: estrogen effect in men, women and children due to phytoestrogens, blocking the absorption of calcium, digestive problems and upset stomach, impairs thyroid function, increases the body's need for Vitamin D and B12, weight gain, and possible cancer links.

Soy is popular because soy is cheap. It provides cheap feed for animals- and contributes to the same effects in animals as in humans. The American Soybean Association is a powerful political lobby in Washington. The number one producer of soybean seed in the U.S. is Monsanto- the same company that makes Round-Up.  Pretty convenient, huh?  You can find more about soy in Kaayla Daniel's book
The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food.  Google "dangers of soy" if you want to read more.

Day 23- Why buy and eat organic food?

Food Rules #27-  "Eat animals that have themselves eaten well." Animals raised for food should eat what animals eat naturally.  Like grass.  Not other animals parts.  They should not be given growth hormones or antibiotics to make them grow unusually fast and large.

Food Rules #30- "Eat well-grown food from healthy soil." Organic food is usually grown well and pesticides and chemical fertilizers are avoided.  But all organic food is not necessarily healthy.  I don't think organic Oreos are any better for your diet than the regular ones!

When I am picking food either at the grocery store or at the farmer's market, I try to buy locally grown, in-season produce whenever possible.  Here is a list of the "dirty dozen" and "clean 15" fruits and vegetables.  I like to try to follow this list when I can- although organic produce is more expensive. Generally fruits and vegetables you eat whole like apples and peaches are the most "dirty", and those you peel like corn or watermelon are the "cleanest". The latest study has a shown a link between pesticide exposure and ADHD in children.

Organic food is more expensive.  I have read if you are going to start somewhere, start with organic eggs and milk.  Laying hens on a commercial factory-farm are raised in terribly crowded indoor conditions.  Even those marked "free-range" never go outside they are just kept in large indoor pens instead of cages.  They are given hormones to speed their growth at an abnormal rate. Their beaks are clipped off to prevent them from pecking each other.  Commercial milking cows also spend their whole lives in a stall in a huge barn.  They don't go outside to graze.  They stand in their own waste.  Their calves are taken away from them and fed commercial feed.  Only beef cows generally get to graze in a pasture.  I am not a vegetarian, but I have a hard time eating commercially raised beef, chicken and pork except for locally farm grown or organic grass-fed.  For more information see Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, or Animal Factory by David Kirby.

Organic foods should also be free of GMO's or genetically modified organisms (aka- genetically engineered). Although because of cross-pollination some GMO's are finding their way into nearly all the food supply.  Just about all soybeans grown in this country for food or for feed are GMO's.  Right now I challenge you to look at any package of food you have from cookies, to salad dressing, to candy bars and you will see an ingredient called "soy lecithin" or "soybean oil" or just "lecithin".  It's everywhere!  For more on GMO's and soybeans see The World According to Monsanto by Marie-Monique Robin or Food Inc. DVD by Eric Shlosser and Michael Pollan.

There is a great Eating Organic Series at this blog- Your Green Helper.  She also lists money-saving tips for buying organic, green and eco-friendly products. Mambo Sprouts- great site for coupons for organic items.