Get Natured

, by Allison

The great soy debate

It seems that there are just about as many opinions on the topic of soy consumption as there are foods that have soy ingredients. Because soy foods contain naturally occurring phytoestrogens (estrogen-like compounds), there is concern about how they affect human hormones and health. Some believe that soy is a healthy addition to our diet and that it can reduce the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, and some forms of cancer. Others eschew it because they are convinced that it increases the risk of serious diseases and contributes to infertility. There are, of course, extremely radical opinions (and hidden politics) at both ends of this debate that have left many of us confused and stuck in the middle.

So, should we eat soy or not? I will share my personal soy-eating philosophy, however, I do think that it is extremely important for everyone to do some reading on the topic and make their own educated decision as to how much (if any) soy that they wish to consume and feed their families. I will provide some resources at the end of this post.

My thoughts on eating soy can be summed up by the word "moderation". I am not convinced that soy is a miracle food nor do I buy into the radical warnings of crazy people claiming that soy is poison. I do know that there are silent politics at play here as well. For example, those in favor of soy foods often point their fingers at dairy producers as the source of the negative press. Those against, discredit the beneficial health claims as being marketing strategy. I don't believe that soy is miraculous or poisonous. I do believe that eating some soy is perfectly fine as long as we pay attention to a few important details. Here my guiding principles on choosing soy foods:

Avoid packaged ready-to-eat foods as most contain highly-processed soy ingredients such as hydrolyzed vegetable (soy) protein, soy protein isolate, textured vegetable protein (TVP), lecithin, or simply "vegetable oil" which is often soy-based.
When choosing soy foods, always go organic. Why? Did you know that science has allowed humans to create genetically modified (engineered) soy seeds that enable farmers to spray the plants with Roundup (yes, the weed killer that has been linked to cancer) killing only the weeds and leaving the soy plants unharmed?
Stick to minimally processed soy foods and eat them only in moderation. Tempeh, miso, and tamari (like soy sauce) are particularly good choices because they are fermented foods and contain fewer phytoestrogens.
Choose other protein sources before soy. As Cookie Monster now says of cookies, soy is a "sometimes food".

Resources:

John Robbins on Soy
Time Magazine article: Eating Soy is Safe for Breast-Cancer Survivors
American Heart Association comments on Soy Protein and Coronary Heart Disease
JAMA study on the affects of soy on breast cancer survival and recurrence
JAMA study on the exposure of infants to soy formula
WebMD article on how eating soy reduces breast cancer risk

A note about these resources: These articles and studies all seem to show that soy is a positive addition to our diet. I chose to quote only well-known and reputable sources. I did not find any well-known and reputable sources that reported negative findings.

3 comments

, by Allison

Breakfast

Açaí bowl

Açaí is a fruit, specifically a berry, that is grown primarily in Brazil. Ads for products that contain this popular berry claim that it can help with everything from cancer to weight loss. Before I continue, I will warn you to exercise extreme caution when it comes to those product claims. While açaí may offer health benefits, scams for supplements and other açaí products run rampant on the internet. As with most things, if it sounds too good to be true it is.

Super powers aside, açaí is delicious and good for you. To make smoothies and bowls quick and easy, frozen packets of açaí puree can be found in some supermarkets (I have found them at Nugget and Whole Foods markets).

This morning I re-created a bowl that I had in Hawaii last week and the result was fantastic. Roadside strawberry stands have begun to open where I live and the spring strawberries are, in my opinion, the best of the year! They are shiny, tender, and oh so sweet!

I mixed my açaí puree with vanilla soy yogurt for extra protein. I think next time I might try reducing the amount of yogurt and adding 1/2 a frozen banana to the mix to keep it a bit thicker. Here is my recipe from today, feel free to tweak it as you wish!

Allison's Açaí Bowl
Serves 1

1 packet frozen açaí puree
1/2 - 1 cup vanilla soy yogurt
1/2 cup granola (vanilla flavor is extra good)
1 sliced banana
4 sliced strawberries

1. Using a blender, combine the açaí and yogurt. Pour mixture into a bowl and top with granola and sliced bananas and strawberries.

Some ideas for recipe tweaks:

Reduce the yogurt to 1/4-1/2 cup and add 1/2 a frozen banana to the puree. Add a splash of apple juice, if necessary, to make blending easier but keep the mixture thick.
Drizzle agave nectar or honey over the top of the berries and bananas if you like things a little sweeter.
Add 1 Tbsp of hemp seeds for extra protein and iron (either to the puree or sprinkled over the top).
Use tropical fruit such as mango, pineapple, or papaya instead of banana and strawberries. Top with a sprinkle of shredded coconut.

A note on sustainability: Because açaí is grown in the Amazon rainforest, it is important to consider the environmental aspects of getting this berry from Brazil to your breakfast table. While it isn't possible for most of us to buy local açaí, we can do our best to support companies that practice sustainable farming. Take a look at the Sambazon website, here, for more information.

1 comments

, by Allison