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Sampling of soy products: tofu, tempeh and miso
You can't change the past, but every day is an opportunity to rewrite your future. ~Tony Hsia
You may not know this, but soy foods are controversial. Some people think tofu is abominable because of the way it tastes, but if you look around on the internet, there are sources that think it is evil and "life-endangering". I had to investigate since I love tofu and don't want to endanger my life. After all, I gave up Cheetos and processed foods (which I love much more than tofu) because they're unhealthy. There's no way I'm going to endanger my life over tofu.
Traditionally, foods made from soybeans - tofu, soy milk, miso, tempeh, etc. - have been considered low-fat,…
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%20because%20they're%20unhealthy.%20There's%20no%20way%20I'm%20going%20to%20endanger%20my%20life%20over%20tofu.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETraditionally,%20foods%20made%20from%20soybeans%20-%20tofu,%20soy%20milk,%20miso,%20tempeh,%20etc.%20-%20have%20been%20considered%20low-fat,%20protein-rich%20health%20foods.%20However,%20if%20you%20search%20the%20web,%20you%20will%20find%20several%20articles%20that%20say%20soy%20is%20an%20unhealthy%20(if%20not%20downright%20evil)%20food.%20What's%20up%20with%20that?%20Let's%20look%20at%20the%20evidence%20on%20both%20sides.%20First,%20the%20facts:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESoy%20foods%20are%20considered%20good%20protein%20and%20calcium%20sources,%20so%20a%20lot%20of%20vegetarians%20and%20lactose-intolerant%20people%20turn%20to%20them%20for%20those%20nutrients.%20For%20a%203.5%20oz%20serving%20(same%20size%20as%20a%20serving%20of%20meat),%20the%20organic%20tofu%20in%20my%20fridge%20provides%205%20gm%20fat%20(7.5%25%20DV%20or%20daily%20recommended%20value%20on%20a%202000%20calorie%20diet),%2010%20gm%20protein%20(18.75%25%20DV),%202.5%20gm%20total%20carbohydrates%20(1.25%25%20DV),%207.5%25%20DV%20of%20calcium,%207.5%25%20of%20DV%20iron,%20and%20100%20calories.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhy%20people%20are%20proponents%20of%20soy%20as%20a%20healthy%20food:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhy%20people%20think%20soy%20is%20unhealthy:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIt%20impairs%20thyroid%20function%20(unlike%20the%20others,%20there%20is%20some%20basis%20for%20this%20one%20-%20soy%20may%20impact%20you%20if%20you%20have%20a%20thyroid%20dysfunction%20-%20so%20avoid)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EUnfermented%20soy%20prevents%20protein%20and%20nutritional%20absorption%20due%20to%20phytic%20acid%20and%20trypsin%20inhibitors%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIt%20causes%20mental%20degradation%20due%20to%20aluminum%20absorbed%20in%20soy%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EPhytoestrogens%20add%20hormones%20(plant%20version%20of%20the%20female%20hormone%20estrogen)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWeston%20A.%20Price%20and%20Dr.%20Mercola%20are%20main%20proponents%20of%20the%20soy%20is%20evil%20thinking.%20The%20studies%20above%20and%20Dr.%20Weil%20make%20these%20people%20seem%20wacko.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhat%20to%20believe?%20I%20looked%20deep%20inside%20myself%20(not%20usually%20a%20source%20of%20answers),%20but%20I%20found%20some%20in%20my%20genetics.%20I%20am%20Taiwanese,%20and%20my%20people%20have%20been%20eating%20tofu,%20soy%20milk,%20and%20miso%20for%20centuries.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAsians%20eat%20very%20little%20soy%20products%20(7%20grams%20a%20day),%20and%20if%20so,%20it%20is%20always%20fermented.%20Have%20any%20of%20these%20people%20lived%20in%20an%20Asian%20home?%20Do%20they%20know%20any%20Asians?%20I%20happen%20to%20know%20a%20lot%20of%20Asians%20that%20I'm%20related%20to,%20but%20I%20know%20even%20more%20than%20that%20of%20all%20types.%20Soy%20products%20are%20pounded%20on%20a%20regular%20basis.%20Bowls%20of%20hot%20soy%20milk%20are%20served%20for%20breakfast%20in%20Taiwan.%20Koreans%20have%20stews%20that%20are%20tofu%20stews.%20No%20one%20I%20know%20has%20a%20tiny%207%20grams%20a%20sitting.%20This%20is%20bogus.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EPhytoestrogens%20will%20lower%20sperm%20count%20and%20feminize%20boys.%20And%20100%20gms%20of%20soy%20protein%20have%20the%20equivalent%20of%20one%20contraceptive%20pill.%20Last%20time%20I%20checked,%20Asia%20was%20being%20accused%20of%20overpopulation%20-%20China%20even%20enacted%20a%20one%20child%20rule.%20There%20doesn't%20seem%20to%20be%20any%20low%20sperm%20count%20there.%20I%20don't%20think%20a%20feminized%20male%20could%20have%20kids.%20And%20I%20dare%20you%20to%20use%20soy%20protein%20as%20a%20contraceptive%20(not%20really,%20that%20would%20just%20be%20stupid).%20If%20soy%20was%20superfeminizing,%20you%20would%20think%20that%20the%20average%20Asian%20women%20would%20have%20the%20figure%20of%20Pamela%20Anderson%20Lee%20(post-surgery).%20Riiiight.%20There%20are%20more%20real%20hormones%20fed%20to%20industrial%20cattle%20than%20the%20tiny%20amount%20of%20plant%20hormones%20in%20soy.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESoy%20causes%20Alzheimers%20and%20dementia,%20and%20causes%20you%20to%20die%20earlier.%20After%20centuries%20of%20eating%20lots%20of%20soy,%20there%20is%20no%20evidence%20of%20any%20of%20those%20things%20in%20Asia,%20and%20the%20population%20with%20the%20highest%20longevity%20is%20the%20Japanese.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESo,%20after%20filtering%20the%20evidence%20through%20common%20sense%20and%20empirical%20evidence,%20MindfulEats%20will%20confidently%20say%20soy%20(femented%20or%20not)%20is%20good%20for%20you%20as%20long%20as%20you're%20not%20allergic%20to%20it%20or%20have%20a%20thyroid%20disorder.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhat%20to%20do%20-%20Eat%20Soy%20in%20Moderation%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESome%20people%20should%20avoid%20soy.%20If%20you%20have%20a%20soy%20allergy,%20a%20thyroid%20disorder,%20iodine%20deficiency%20(very%20rare)%20or%20hate%20the%20taste,%20then%20avoid%20it.%20If%20your%20body%20doesn't%20react%20well%20to%20it,%20avoid%20it.%20In%20terms%20of%20taste,%20I%20love%20tofu%20and%20can't%20abide%20the%20taste%20of%20soy%20milk.%20My%20brother%20likes%20soy%20milk%20but%20can't%20stand%20tofu.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBuy%20only%20organic%20and%20non-genetically%20modified%20(GMO)%20soy%20products.%20Actually,%20a%20food%20that%20is%20certified%20organic%20is%20not%20supposed%20to%20be%20GMO%20so%20you're%20getting%20both.%20Soy%20is%20a%20large%20industrial%20crop%20that%20is%20heavily%20treated,%20which%20is%20why%20you%20want%20organic.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESoy%20products%20(except%20for%20edamame)%20are%20processed%20foods.%20So%20you%20may%20want%20to%20go%20light%20on%20them.%20The%20anti-soy%20contingent%20is%20generally%20ok%20with%20fermented%20soy%20foods%20like%20tempeh%20and%20miso,%20but%20they're%20wacky.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EUse%20soy%20as%20a%20protein%20source,%20but%20like%20everything%20else,%20make%20sure%20you%20not%20eating%20it%20to%20the%20exclusion%20of%20other%20foods.%20Eat%20a%20WIDE%20variety%20of%20whole%20foods%20to%20get%20a%20full%20range%20of%20nutrition.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EPro-soy%20Contingent:%20Dr.%20Weil,%20clinical%20research%20above%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAnti-soy%20Contingent:Weston%20A.%20Price,%20Dr.%20Mercola,%20Nourished%20Magazine%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFor%20posts%20on%20SOLE%20food%20(sustainable,%20organic,%20local%20and%20ethical),%20go%20to%20Food%20Renegade.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhat%20I%20ate:%20cottage%20cheese%20+%20ground%20flax%20seeds,%201%20butter%20croissant,%2028%20oz.%20cafe%20au%20lait,%20brown%20rice%20+%20steamed%20broccoli%20+%20tofu,%205%20squares%20dark%20chocolate,%201%20banana,%20spinach%20+%20red%20cabbage%20+%20shiitake%20mushroom%20risotto,%20hot%20chocolate,%20water%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EExercise:%20none%3C/p%3E){kind=link}