Soy?

[Breanna]

What's your take on soy?

I know that it is weakening for men and we have been strictly avoiding it in our household for four years now.

What is its effect on women? I have read that it can decrease fertility and that it can be a contributing factor to breast cancer. But in other places I have read that it is healthy and that it can increase fertility. I have read of women having issues conceiving taking soy isoflavones in pill form. Also the Duggar lady eats soy burgers as soon as she has a baby, and she usually conceives the next child within a few months.

I am just unsure what to believe.

[Shockley]

soybean oil is in thousands of grocery items, and it is a vegetable oil like described in the "deleting poisons from your life" thread.

[Solskeniskyn]

Originally Posted by Breanna

What's your take on soy?

I know that it is weakening for men and we have been strictly avoiding it in our household for four years now.

What is its effect on women? I have read that it can decrease fertility and that it can be a contributing factor to breast cancer. But in other places I have read that it is healthy and that it can increase fertility. I have read of women having issues conceiving taking soy isoflavones in pill form. Also the Duggar lady eats soy burgers as soon as she has a baby, and she usually conceives the next child within a few months.

I am just unsure what to believe.

Just avoid, very bad whichever way you look at it. The protein is shit, the phytoestrogens fucks up the hormones(not in a good way), it disrupts your thyroid function, the fats in it are worse than bad, there is alot of anti-nutrients and allergens if you eat it as a bean, it has no nutritional value to speak of etc. etc. Adding to that: it is one of the most heavily industralized foods, with an ever increasing share of it genetically modified. It is simply not fit for human consumption. The thought of white-mothers feeding it to their kids makes me sick to my stomach.

But the question is valid, as there is a lot of unfounded claims out there circulating, spouting it as healthy, especially for women.

Here is a pretty good write-up:
http://www.paleoforwomen.com/phytoes...gen-receptors/

Originally Posted by Shockley

soybean oil is in thousands of grocery items, and it is a vegetable oil like described in the "deleting poisons from your life" thread.

Yeah, and even in the bad company of vegetable oil it stands out as particularly vile. 58% poly-unsaturated!. Just sick. Toxic.

Soy is to be considered as one of the key players in the wreckage of the kwan's health.

[Susan]

I've completely changed my position on soy. I ate soy in many forms for about twenty years until about a year ago when I completely cut it out of my diet.

I have been having problems associated with thyroid function. This is very common for women my age, but I read that soy interferes with thyroid function. At least for me this makes sense, enough for me to stop cold turkey.

I now drink almond or coconut milk instead of soy milk. I read every label to be sure I am not getting soy.

I used to eat the Morningstar products but have switched to other brands for my "meatlike" foods like fake chicken nuggets or veggie burgers, etc.

I'm trying to eat mostly fresh veggies and fruits and some other things I still enjoy that aren't soy based. I have had about five huge tomato plants again this year so I've enjoyed adding tomatoes to everything.

One of my favorite things to eat is to fix a huge green salad with red leaf or green leaf lettuce with tomatoes, hummus, coleslaw, almonds and/or sunflower seeds. But no tofu anymore.

Another favorite thing is to fix a fresh fruit smoothie with bananas, blueberries, plain greek yogurt, almond milk and ice. Sometimes I add whey protein. It's so good, but unfortunately I still get hungry for food later on...

[Solskeniskyn]

Originally Posted by Susan

I've completely changed my position on soy. I ate soy in many forms for about twenty years until about a year ago when I completely cut it out of my diet.

That's good, you'll be better off for it.

I have been having problems associated with thyroid function. This is very common for women my age, but I read that soy interferes with thyroid function. At least for me this makes sense, enough for me to stop cold turkey.

Yeah, soy is especially harmful in that regard.

I now drink almond or coconut milk instead of soy milk. I read every label to be sure I am not getting soy.

Got to ask: why not real milk? Are you a vegan? Milk is a very good, thyroid-supporting food, contrary to what a lot of misinformants seems to be spouting these days.

I used to eat the Morningstar products but have switched to other brands for my "meatlike" foods like fake chicken nuggets or veggie burgers, etc.

I'm trying to eat mostly fresh veggies and fruits and some other things I still enjoy that aren't soy based. I have had about five huge tomato plants again this year so I've enjoyed adding tomatoes to everything.

The mimicing fake "meat" products usually are shit. I understand that you do not eat meat, however: are you vegan or vegetarian? Fish, eggs, milk, real cheese would be very much preferable.

One of my favorite things to eat is to fix a huge green salad with red leaf or green leaf lettuce with tomatoes, hummus, coleslaw, almonds and/or sunflower seeds. But no tofu anymore.

Again, good that you're staying away from tofu. What do you eat for protein if I may ask?

Another favorite thing is to fix a fresh fruit smoothie with bananas, blueberries, plain greek yogurt, almond milk and ice. Sometimes I add whey protein. It's so good, but unfortunately I still get hungry for food later on...

Whoops, great, I now see you're not vegan, that's a huge plus, because supporting good health and thyroid function while shunning all animal products -especially when you're already hypothyroid- is practically impossible.

Sounds pretty good, but no wonder you're getting hungry fast again - by the looks of it you're hardly eating anything. Also, not much wrong with whey per se (though it's overhyped and can be allergenic) - but regular milk is much preferable for the protein, with the added benefit of the other nutrients and calcium.

What kind of cooking oil do you use, if any?

I'd recommend checking out Ray Peat for thyroid information.

[varg]

http://www.vanguardnewsnetwork.com/2...ys-into-homos/

[Susan]

Don't worry Sol: There's no chance of me drying up and blowing away any time soon. I eat plenty--too much in fact. During the summer months, I always eat more than I do in winter months. I sleep less, exercise less, and eat more in the warm months. That's why I like cold weather more: I do better, eat better, and feel better. And look better.

I'm not a vegan, but I eat very little dairy. I eat greek yogurt, eggs, and rarely eat cheese. I don't like cow milk and really don't think it's good for me either. I like almond milk or coconut milk better. Part of it is my philosophy toward animals: I don't like modern factory farms and the way animals are treated. I eat cage free brown eggs. I eat some cottage cheese.

I also limit dairy because I do not want to have high cholesterol. I don't want clogged arteries either. I eat lots of green leafy lettuce and frozen green veggies daily as they are thyroid friendly. I haven't eaten meat since 1975 or seafood since about 1983, but I'm contemplating whether I need to add some salmon into my diet.

You're right: a lot of the fake veggie products are full of crap. I eat them occasionally just for variety.

I eat lots of nuts and bananas and sweet potatoes. I admit to being a hummus addict and I eat way too much of that with "healthy" rice or corn chips. I know I shouldn't but I just love hummus. I eat organic salsa too with chips as a snack.

I've been trying to stick to a steady diet of the same things over and over again that my system seems to like. I do drink coffee daily.

[Solskeniskyn]

Originally Posted by Susan

Don't worry Sol: There's no chance of me drying up and blowing away any time soon. I eat plenty--too much in fact. During the summer months, I always eat more than I do in winter months. I sleep less, exercise less, and eat more in the warm months. That's why I like cold weather more: I do better, eat better, and feel better. And look better.

Ok, good . Should have been a bit more clear, what I meant was: there is a tendency -especially among women- to go too low in calories and food when they are watching what they eat and/or trying to loose weight. Sure, weight-wise it comes down to calories in vs. calories out, and that fact tends to be used as an argument killer to discard anyone who says food matters, but what is often overlooked is just how much the metabolism, i.e the calorie out post changes depending on what you eat and what you do. And I'm not talking about exercise. I've heard of monitored experiments where severely hypothyroidic patients gained weight on sub 1000kcal diets. A wide topic, and I'm going off on a tangent here, so I'll end here for now.

I'm not a vegan, but I eat very little dairy. I eat greek yogurt, eggs, and rarely eat cheese. I don't like cow milk and really don't think it's good for me either. I like almond milk or coconut milk better. Part of it is my philosophy toward animals: I don't like modern factory farms and the way animals are treated. I eat cage free brown eggs. I eat some cottage cheese.

I also limit dairy because I do not want to have high cholesterol. I don't want clogged arteries either. I eat lots of green leafy lettuce and frozen green veggies daily as they are thyroid friendly. I haven't eaten meat since 1975 or seafood since about 1983, but I'm contemplating whether I need to add some salmon into my diet.

Yeah factory farmed milk of subpar quality isn't too exiting... Although, there usually is other sources available if one seeks them out. I agree with you: Good conditions for the animals are important, and I consider it fundamentally an unique and central, white, aryan concept.
Free range eggs are great, as close as you can get to an "optimal" food probably. Regarding the lettuce and green vegs, they are okay in moderation, but I will say that I don't think they deserve the health status that they are granted nowdays, spouted as magic almost, and they are not to be considered thyroid-supportive. In fact, if anything, they are a bit goitrogenic and a burden to the thyroid.
Dairy, eggs, cholesterol or saturated fat for that matter doesn't clog you're arteries, that's false, but that's a whole different wider subject. Regarding the greens again: that's basically the arguments for milk boiled down: you get all the good stuff from the green roughage, because there sure is a lot: complete protein, calcium, other minerals, Vitamin A and K, good fats, but without the metabolic burden of eating the leaves. The cows do all of the heavy digestion that we are not fit to do - a human can't thrive on a green heavy diet, our system is not made for it. But in milk we get all of the good stuff out of it in a concentrated form, without the drawbacks.

I eat lots of nuts and bananas and sweet potatoes. I admit to being a hummus addict and I eat way too much of that with "healthy" rice or corn chips. I know I shouldn't but I just love hummus. I eat organic salsa too with chips as a snack.

Fruits and tubers are great. Nuts, not so much: heavy on the digestion, contains fats that you should be alittle restrictive with: the polyunsaturated fats. I.e the bad fats. I.e the opposite of what is being said about them. Although it's relative, and they are not to bad in reasonable qualitys - the really dangerous villains are the vegetable- and nut&seed-oils.

We had an thread going earlier were the basis for that argument was laid out, :

http://vnnforum.com/showthread.php?t=144749

Well, I wouldn't say hummus is particulary good, but not awful either, and probably not for the reasons that you are thinking off. I should make that clear: many of the paradigms that "healthy eating" is based on is not only of questionable value, but often rightout wrong and the opposite of what is true.

For example:
Saturated fat is bad and contributes to heart disease
Polyunsaturated, "healthy", essential fatty acids are good and protective
Cholesterol in food like eggs, butter, milk clogs your arteries and are bad
Green veggies are the best thing for health (and good for thyroid function)
Nuts are great and super healthy
The calcium in the milk contribute to the calcification of the arteries
ETC. ETC.

I've been trying to stick to a steady diet of the same things over and over again that my system seems to like. I do drink coffee daily.

Yeah, I like to do that too. I'm kind of a fascist eater in a way, in the sense that I want to stick to a couple of fundamental principles and good whole foods, but apart from that, I don't spend much time/energy/money/thought or effort on food, and have stopped dabbling with any supplements, because I don't think you should have too. I just eat sound food and get on with life, and enjoy good health. Coffee is good and a positive in my book. Get's an undeserving bad rep, but should preferably be drunk with a meal if one is sensitive to it and to eventual blood-sugar fluctuations.