Originally Posted by sdkitty

I'm concerned about my weight and I thought eating protein(soy) along with leafy greens for lunch was a good thing. I'm not vegetarian but I don't eat much red meat - occasional hamburger or steak and chicken more frequently. Also eat nuts, flax seed, and beans frequently

It sounds like you are eating well (dark leafy greens and nuts/seed daily), so I doubt you "need" the extra protein from soy with your salad. I totally understand about "liking" something to go with it though.

I try to eat mainly raw, but I am not at 100% raw (or even 100% vegan). I will put some diced feta on top of my salad or some sprouted seeds. Have you tried sprouted seeds? I like mung beans and alfalfa. They're cheap and you can sprout them at home without any special equipment. BUT that also isn't fool-proof as you need to be diligent while growing them in order to avoid contamination (bacteria, mold, e-coli).

Nothing really is fool-proof in the universe I suppose Personally, I do not have a problem with eating a animal-products, soy or whatever else once in a while. I try to keep it balanced and only allow a few meals with questionable ingredients per week.

thanks for the suggestions
I do like some protein with my salad; feta is a good idea. (I'd love a sandwich but carbs seem to be my nemesis)
not sure about the sprouted seeds but I could check that out

Originally Posted by simmmchen

It sounds like you are eating well (dark leafy greens and nuts/seed daily), so I doubt you "need" the extra protein from soy with your salad. I totally understand about "liking" something to go with it though. I try to eat mainly raw, but I am not at 100% raw (or even 100% vegan). I will put some diced feta on top of my salad or some sprouted seeds. Have you tried sprouted seeds? I like mung beans and alfalfa. They're cheap and you can sprout them at home without any special equipment. BUT that also isn't fool-proof as you need to be diligent while growing them in order to avoid contamination (bacteria, mold, e-coli). Nothing really is fool-proof in the universe I suppose Personally, I do not have a problem with eating a animal-products, soy or whatever else once in a while. I try to keep it balanced and only allow a few meals with questionable ingredients per week.

thanks.....I do like to get organic veggies when I find them for a good price but have to confess I don't like to pay premium prices for them. I've seen that dirty dozen list before but don't have it memorized.....I'll have to print it.

Originally Posted by eurasiangirl

Actually with chicken, hormones aren't the problem - antibiotics are. In the US it's illegal to use hormones in poultry. But hormones (and antibiotics) are rampant in other meats like beef. If possible, try to choose organic and/or pastured meats and eggs. Organic fruits and veggies (or at least choose organic for the "dirty dozen" fruits and veggies: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/ and it's generally fine to get nonorganic varieties listed in the "clean 15" section.) Fish - try to get wild caught, not farm raised. I personally avoid soy, but as I said before if you want to eat it go for organic, non-GMO preferably fermented soy. If you want a soy alternative to soy sauce look into Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos. Another soy-based but non-GMO "soy sauce" is Bragg's Liquid Aminos. Don't despair - it's actually not as hard as it seems, just takes a little bit of pre planning and diligence. There are plenty of cookbooks and books out there that can help with clean eating/planning organic meals on a budget/etc. You have to experiment what is right for you, your lifestyle and your budget. In a perfect world we would eat organic fruits/veggies/everything, pastured meats, no refined sugar or GMO grains, etc. Though not impossible, this is of course this is hard for many to do realistically. I think the key is to experiment and see what works for YOU and your lifestyle, eat organic if possible, eat in moderation, check out the myriad of resources available online and in books, and keep an open mind! :)))

Originally Posted by sdkitty

I'm concerned about my weight and I thought eating protein(soy) along with leafy greens for lunch was a good thing. I'm not vegetarian but I don't eat much red meat - occasional hamburger or steak and chicken more frequently. Also eat nuts, flax seed, and beans frequently

I'm a dork and I read all different types of nutrition-related books because I enjoy learning about different philosophies and keep up on the latest nutrition information. You should always take any type of info with a grain of salt, but with more knowledge you can make better decisions about food/diet/etc. I highly recommend checking out the following resources due to their straightforwardness and the quality of their nutritional advice:

http://www.amazon.com/Starts-Food-Di...ords=real+food
http://www.amazon.com/Real-Food-Has-...ords=real+food
http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Fat-Lose-H...ref=pd_sim_b_3
http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Nutrition...ref=pd_sim_b_4

I would also strongly recommend seeing a (holistic) nutritionist if possible - they can give you great direction and answer all sorts of questions.

I ingest in moderation. I eat edamame. I'd like to try 8th continent soy milk. I like their philosophy. I just need to find it!

thanks Eurasiangirl!

Originally Posted by eurasiangirl

I'm a dork and I read all different types of nutrition-related books because I enjoy learning about different philosophies and keep up on the latest nutrition information. You should always take any type of info with a grain of salt, but with more knowledge you can make better decisions about food/diet/etc. I highly recommend checking out the following resources due to their straightforwardness and the quality of their nutritional advice: http://www.amazon.com/Starts-Food-Di...ords=real+food http://www.amazon.com/Real-Food-Has-...ords=real+food http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Fat-Lose-H...ref=pd_sim_b_3 http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Nutrition...ref=pd_sim_b_4 I would also strongly recommend seeing a (holistic) nutritionist if possible - they can give you great direction and answer all sorts of questions.

In the past whenever I went on a health kick I turned to soy. Its supposed to be so good for you, right? I was even feeding my son baby soy formula until I stumbled upon a youtube video by a doctor in regards to soy being difficult for the body to digest, among other reasons its bad for you. He said he was shocked they even made soy formulas and fed them to babies. I immediately threw my soy formula away and stopped buying soy completely. I was just shocked.. like what is wrong with the world when everyones telling you something is so good for you when it is completely not. You cant trust anything these days.. really have to do your research. Now I avoid soy like the plague.

Isn't soy drink made from soy beans? In the East, they take soy stuff (drink, tofu etc) regularly but I think it is not to be given to babies. Soy is vegetarian. Babies are mammals so need mammal milk, this is my theory.Babies cannot survive on vegetarian stuff. In the East, they don't give babies soy formulas. Anyway, the taste of soy drink in the West tastes different from soy drink in the East. Wonder if they are made the same way? In the East, traditionally, they grind the beans in a grinder and then filter it. My relatives in the East take soy regularly and have no problem with hot flushes etc.whereas my Asian friends living in the West experience hot flushes etc.

I use to eat it and used soy milk on my ceral but, haven't eaten soy that much lately. At times I eat bean curd in Asian dishes.

Originally Posted by trigirl

If it is non-GMO and fermented (Soy sauce, tamari, miso, natto) it is ok. But, most of the soy in the US is from GMO crops. Today's soy is not what it used to.

Wait...soy sauce, tamari and miso are OK? Or is this outside of the US? LOL, I'm so confused - when my Dr. said to cut out the soy, I assumed she meant everything?

I think I'm allergic to soy. My entire body broke out in hives the last time I drank a cup of Soy Milk. At times before that, it bloated me to the point where I literally looked 7 months pregnant (even though I'm a size 0). Not to mention it made my monthly cycles a NIGHTMARE with insane (way worse than usual) cramps and heaviness.
Needless to say, I don't think very highly of soy. I'm probably allergic and it messes with my hormones too much. I prefer Rice or Almond Milk now.