Soy is hidden in numerous items.  Soybean oil and soy flour are in many baked goods, sauces, dressings, and many common packaged foods.  Beware of soy in common food items like canned tuna and soups, chocolate, frozen dinners, pizza, bread, muffins, and cake mixes.  The best way to avoid soy is to prepare food items at home.  Use these tips and recipes to guide you.  Experimentation will be the key to finding what works best for you and your family. 

10 Tips To Avoiding Soy:

• Use real fats like butter, coconut oil, or olive oil.  Avoid processed vegetable oils, butter substitutes, shortening, and spreads which often contain soybean oil.
• Make homemade salad dressings and avoid store-bought dressings which often have soybean oil as the main ingredient.
• Prepare fresh foods at home and avoid canned goods, frozen meals, and vegetables which often contain soybean oil or soy flour.
• Use coconut milk or homemade almond milk and avoid soy milk for drinking or cooking.
• Avoid protein bars or shakes that contain soy protein isolate.
• Be wary of breads, muffins, and baked goods that often have soy flour and also soybean oil (usually hydrogenated) in them.
• Look out for those hidden names that could be soy such as “textured vegetable protein” (TVP®), “textured plant protein”, “hydrolyzed vegetable protein” (HVP), “vegetable oil”, “MSG” (monosodium glutamate), “lecithin”, “vegetable broth”, “bouillon”, and “natural flavorings.”
• Read labels every time you make a purchase, especially if you have soy allergies. Manufacturers often change their ingredients and their labels.  One day an item may not have soy and the next day it might!
• Check your vitamins, supplements, over-the-counter-drugs, prescriptions, and beauty products all of which may contain soy in some form.
• Cook and prepare your meals at home with fresh, whole foods to avoid soy that is hidden in over 60% of the items in grocery stores.

You can also learn more if you join Dr. Brownstein and I on June 16th for a lecture about the deceptions of soy in Novi MI - sign up today!

This post excerpted with permission from www.thesoydecption.com

Soy is not the health food it has been portrayed to be!!  That is why Dr. Brownstein and I wrote the book The Soy Deception which this list refers to for more information.  You can also learn more if you join Dr. Brownstein and I on June 16th for a lecture about the deceptions of soy in Novi MI - sign up today!

1. Soy causes many thyroid problems.  It is a known goitrogen—it promotes goiter or swelling of the thyroid gland.  (More about this in Chapter 5.) 
2. Soy inhibits the uptake of iodine, which is used by the thyroid gland in the production of thyroid hormones.  (More about this in Chapter 5.) 
3. Soy contains phytoestrogens (plant estrogens) which may disrupt endocrine function.  (More about this in Chapter 4.) 
4. Soy contains large amounts of phytates (including phytic acid).  Phytic acid is the storage form of phosphate in plants.    Research has shown that phytic acid has been found to reduce the assimilation of minerals including calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, and zinc.  The fermentation process helps in neutralizing phytic acid, which is one reason why fermented soy is healthier for you.  (More about this in Chapter 3.)
5. Soy has also been shown to increase the body’s requirement for vitamin D. 
6. It has long been recognized that soy consumption can cause vitamin B12 deficiency. 
7. During the processing of soy, highly carcinogenic nitrates and a toxin called lysinoalanine are formed.  Also, many soy foods often contain MSG and aluminum.
8. Most soy in the United States is genetically modified (GM).  It is estimated that about half of the American soybean crop planted in 1999 carries a gene that makes it resistant to an herbicide (Roundup®) used to control weeds.  Therefore, these GM soy plants are continually sprayed with large amounts of Roundup®.  (More about GM soy can be found in Chapter 8.) 
9. Soy has one of the highest percentages of pesticide contamination of any food.
10. Soy is highly allergenic and is in fact one of the top eight food allergens.  It is found as filler in so many foods that people with allergies may be at risk.  (More about soy and allergies can be found in Chapter 7.)
11. Soy contains saponins which have been show to damage the mucosal lining of the intestine or cause leaky gut.  (More about leaky gut can be found in Chapter 7.)
12. Soy contains oxalates which can prevent calcium absorption and have been linked to the development of kidney stones.

Want to learn more about soy:

This month's newsletter will feature information on soy.  Please sign up for FREE at www.aplacetobe.com homepage.

Note:  "The 12 Reasons to Avoid Soy" was excerpted from my other Blog at www.thesoydeception.com if you want more information on why NOT to eat soy!  

Which Would You Choose?

Iodized Table Salt-

Iodized salt is sodium that has been isolated, most likely through boiling or washing from the valuable minerals like magnesium, potassium and calcium that it needs to do it’s job in the body. It is often produced from vacuum evaporation of brine and eleven of the minerals are removed by using chemicals such as sulfuric acid, chlorine and hydrochloric acid. It is then heated to high temperatures of 400 degrees to dry it completely, which changes the molecular structure. Finally, anti-caking agents such as ferrocynide, yellow prussiate of soda, tri-calcium and phosphate are added.

“The salt industry is huge, hundreds of tons of salt are produced each year. However, only 4 % of purified salt is headed to the grocery store shelves, restaurants and food processing plants. Pure sodium chloride is a necessary ingredient in the processing of many chemicals. Naturally occurring minerals and trace elements are removed from salt to prevent scaling in the chemical making machines. In fact, salt is made for chemicals not people.”

~Salt: Is Salt, Right? Wrong! There’s a Difference, by The Grain and Salt Society

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Celtic Sea Salt^®-

Many people believe salt is harmful to humans, however, the truth is that we need salt to live! The ratio of minerals that exists in the ocean is the ratio that the body needs. That means that Celtic Sea Salt^® is a reliable source for some of the minerals and trace elements necessary for good health. Modern diets do not always provide these nutrients in ample quantities, therefore, use Celtic Sea Salt^® (or Himalyan Salt also good choice) as a replacement for common iodized table salt for the nutrient benefits as well as to avoid the problems with iodized salt.

“Salt is a vitally important nutrient for the human body. We cannot live without adequate amounts of salt. Don’t believe the low-salt nonsense.”

~Salt Your Way to Health, by David Brownstein, MD

Which Would You Choose?

White Sugar-

Who doesn’t have a sweet tooth? Annually, Americans consume over 150 pounds of sweeteners and another 15 to 20 pounds of artificial sweeteners per person. Refined white sugar is completely stripped of all nutrients, but still contains the calories. Eating excessive sugar products makes it more difficult for our bodies to absorb the minerals and vitamins it needs from other foods. Moreover, when we eat foods containing refined sugar, our bodies have to use their own store of nutrients to properly digest the food, which cause depletion and nutritional imbalances (particularly with B vitamins, which are needed to metabolize and detoxify sugar). There is a host of diseases associated with sugar consumption.

“Modern commerce has deliberately robbed some of nature’s foods of much of their body-building material while retaining the hunger satisfying energy factors. For example, in the production of white flour approximately 80 per cent or four-fifths of the phosphorus and calcium content are usually removed, together with the vitamins and minerals provided in the embryo or germ.”

~Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, by Weston A. Price, D.D.S.VS

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Natural Sweeteners-

There are many healthy alternatives to both refined sugar and artificial sweeteners that would be acceptable to use in moderation, including maple syrup, dehydrated sugar cane juice (sold as Rapadura), maple sugar, raw unfiltered honey, molasses, the herb stevia and even some good fresh fruit! Consumed in moderation as part of a nutrient-dense diet that includes plenty of good quality fats, these mineral-rich, naturally sweet foods allow us to enjoy the sweet taste while nourishing the body at the same time.

“In nature, sugars and carbohydrates – the energy providers – are linked together with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, protein, fat and fiber – the bodybuilding and digestion regulating components of foods. In whole form, sugars and starches support life.”

~ Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats

Learn more about what foods to eat and what foods to avoid at Sheryl's upcoming "Shop with Sheryl" class at Whole Foods Market in Troy, MI.  Click here for details or to register - space is limited!

Which Would You Choose?

Pasteurized Milk-

Commercial milk is pasteurized or heated to very high temperatures to “protect us.” Times have changed and modern stainless steel tanks, milking machines, refrigerated trucks and inspection methods (if used) make pasteurization unnecessary for public protection. This processing has not only been proven to not protect us from the diseases we think it does, it actually destroys the beneficial enzymes, diminishes vitamin content, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamin B12, and vitamin B6, kills beneficial bacteria, promotes pathogens and is associated with allergies, increased tooth decay, colic in infants, growth 

“The source of most commercial milk is the modern Holstein, bred to produce huge quantities of milk—three times as much as the old-fashioned cow. She needs special feed and antibiotics to keep her well. Her milk contains high levels of growth hormone from her pituitary gland, even when she is spared the indignities of genetically engineered Bovine Growth Hormone to push her to the udder limits of milk production.”

~www.realmilk.com

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Raw Milk-

 Raw milk leaves all enzymes available, has 100% available protein and the milk fat is highly emulsified, making it easily digestible. The fat is a source of fat soluble vitamins, essential fatty acids and almost all the flavor. All fat soluble and water soluble vitamins are 100% available as well as all minerals 100% metabolically available (calcium, chlorine, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulphur, as well as vital trace minerals). Finally, raw milk contains a friendly acid-forming bacteria (nature’s antiseptic) to retard growth of pathogenic bacteria as well as CLA or Conjugated Linoleic Acid, which has anticancer properties and has been shown to reduce body fat both in humans and in animals.

“The dividing line between a food and a medicine sometimes becomes almost invisible. In many diseases nothing heals the body and restores strength like [raw] milk.”

~Dr. J. F. Lyman, Prof of Agricultural Chemistry, Ohio State Univ., 1928

NOTE:  Many people because of health issues cannot tolerate any dairy/milk - a great alternative is coconut milk! For more information on living dairy-free, please see The Guide to a Dairy-Free Diet.  If you do drink milk, be sure to find a local, grass-fed farmers.  For resources visit www.realmilk.com.

Soy is NOT a good alternative to Dairy - come find out why at our Spring Lecture June 16th - more info here 

Commercial Meats-

Many animals in factory farms never see direct sunlight; their feet never touch the earth, and they are unable to behave naturally. Chickens are crammed tightly into small cages stacked on top of each other; the birds cannot spread their wings or peck the ground. Pigs cannot root or nest; they live indoors, packed together on slatted or concrete floors. Cows are confined to stalls indoors or on dirt- and manure-covered feedlots. An estimated 70% of all antibiotics in the U.S. are fed to pigs, poultry and cattle merely to promote growth and to compensate for the unsanitary and confined conditions on factory farms. This medically unnecessary use of antibiotics fosters the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can spread to other animals and humans.

“Meat production in the United States has changed dramatically over the past 20 years. Many of today's farms are actually industrial facilities, not the peaceful, idyllic family farms most Americans think of."  www.farmsanctuary.org

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Grass-fed Meats-

According to Dr. Joseph Mercola - Beef, in its natural grass-fed state, is a health food of the highest order. Meat from grass-fed animals has half the saturated fat and has two to six times more omega-3 fats than that from grain-fed animals. Specifically, chickens that feed on pasture have 21 percent less total fat, 30 percent less saturated fat, 28 percent fewer calories and 100 percent more omega-3 fatty acids than do chickens given high energy specialty feeds. Furthermore, Grass-fed beef is loaded with other natural minerals, vitamins, and is a great source of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) a fat that reduces risk of cancer, obesity, diabetes, and a number of immune disorders.

“When we switch from grain-fed to grass-fed meat, then, we are simply returning to the diet of our long-ago ancestors, the diet that is most in harmony with our physiology. Every cell and every system of our bodies will function better when we eat products from animals raised on grass."

Why Grassfed Products are Better For You, www.mercola.com

Find a local farmer near you at www.localharvest.org or order GRASS-FED MEATS HERE

Which Would You Choose?

Vegetable/Canola Oil -

Excess polyunsaturates from processed vegetable oils (ie. Canola oil) have been shown to contribute to heart disease, cancer, weight gain and many other health problems. Modern processing damages fragile polyunsaturated oils and they are deodorized to hide the smell of rancidity as well as being full of free radicals. Specifically, canola oil is developed through hybridization of rapeseed, which contains erucic acid that is a toxic and poisonous. Not only that, canola and other vegetable oils are used in a large portion of processed foods after being hardened through the hydrogenation process that creates toxic trans fats. Trans has been shown to produce disease over they long term as well as interfere with the body's ability to ingest and utilize essential and good fats.

"Fully processed oils are the equivalent of refined (white) sugars, and can therefore be called ‘white’ oils. Like sugar, they are nutrient-deficient sources of calories but in addition, they contain toxins that are not present in sugar.”

~Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, by Udo Erasmus

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Coconut Oil -

Coconut oil is an extremely beneficial fat and has been called the “healthiest dietary oil on earth.” Foods cooked in coconut oil taste better longer, where as unsaturated oils turn rancid fairly quickly. Coconut oil is very stable and can be kept at room temperature for many months without becoming rancid and it can also withstand high temperatures making it very good to cook with. Moreover, coconut oil helps protect against heart disease, cancer, other degenerative conditions and even help with losing weight!

“One food that can rev up your metabolism even more than protein is coconut oil. MCFA [medium chain fatty acids] shift the body’s metabolism into a higher gear, so to speak, so that you burn more calories. This happens every time you eat MCFA. Because MCFA increase the metabolic rate, they are dietary fats that can actually promote weight loss!”

~The Coconut Oil Miracle, by Bruce Fife, MD

More information about Coconut Oil

Which Would You Choose?

Margarine -

Partially hydrogenated oils such as in margarine may well be the number one cause of obesity and degenerative disease in society today, due to the high levels of bio-destructive trans fats they contain. Yet hydrogenated fats continue to be promoted as health foods. The popularity of partially hydrogenated margarine over butter represents a triumph of advertising duplicity over common sense. Your best defense is to avoid it like the plague. 

"Research has shown that trans fatty acids contribute to impaired cellular function, clogged arteries, and degenerative disease...they are believed to interfere with the body's ability to efficiently process good fats... Unfortunately, hydrogenated fats contain the harmful trans fatty acids associated with accelerated aging and degenerative diseases like heart disease and cancer."

~Eat Fat, Lose Weight, Ann Louise Gittleman

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Butter –  

One of the most health promoting whole foods you can include in your diet is butter. If you eat margarine, not only are there harmful side effects, but you could be missing out on all the wonderful benefits of fat soluble vitamins A and D, trace minerals, short and medium chain fats used forquick energy, antifungal and antimicrobial properties and even an anti-stiffness factor (if not pasteurized) that are all found in butter! 

“Don’t fear cholesterol – cholesterol is the body’s repair substance. It is needed for proper brain function and proper hormone balance.”

“Don’t fear saturated fat – saturated fatty acids are the body’s natural fats, which are used for appropriately functioning cell membranes and for critical energy in important organs such as the heart and other muscles.  

 ~Know Your Fats, by Mary G. Enig, Ph.D

Tips to Avoiding Plastic and BPA:

• Don't microwave food in plastic containers (better yet don't even microwave food, but that is another topic!)
• Use items made from materials like glass or stainless steel.
• Don't buy canned goods - buy fresh or frozen items.  Eden makes cans without BPA if you desire some canned items.
• Avoid use of plastic containers with the number 3 or 7 on them. Plastics with the number 1 (typically used for water and soda bottles) are single use only. Recycle after use.
• Invest in containers that do not have BPA.  Check out Reuseit.com for containers without "bad" plastics.
• Use tempered glass baby bottles instead of plastic. If you use plastic bottles, don't heat them.
• Store food in glass, mason or Pyrex containers, rather than plastic.

When digested, aspartame breaks down into three components (aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol). These and their dangerous byproducts are then absorbed and can disrupt the immune system and hormonal system. For instance, methanol also known as wood alcohol is a deadly poison. Methanol breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde in the body. Formaldehyde is a deadly neurotoxin.

Many people ingest over 32 times the EPA limit of 7.8 mg/day of Methanol if they drink diet pops and eat sugar free foods regularly as many "dieters" do. 

How do I know the symptoms of Aspartame poisoning?

• Have you had any symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis, lupus, alzheimers, parkinsons?
• Do you get multiple and/or headaches? nausea? insomnia? blurred vision or other eye problems? memory loss? depression? personality changes? anxiety attacks?
• Is it brain or neurotransmitter problem or is it Aspartame (or MSG) wreaking havoc on your body?

Maybe you have none of these symptoms, and yet keep in mind you may still be receiving harm from apartame - it is a slow and silent deteriorator and causes long term damage - some reversible and some irreversible. The sooner you stop poisoning yourself the better!

Try this! Go off ALL aspartame for a couple months and see what happens? See if you still have any mental or visual or physical issues (maybe you didn't notice you had these issues until you see how good you can really feel) and then you decide if you still are going to choose to reach for that diet coke...

I hear some people saying, yes but what about avoiding all those calories, I was going to lose weight. Well, many studies show that apartame may actually STIMULATE cravings and appetite. It also stops the production of serotonin (that feel good hormone) and so your body never feels fulfilled.

More Information

Dr. Blaylock's Not Just Another Scare: Toxin Additives in Your Food and Drink

www.dorway.com

www.apartame.com

www.aspartamesafety.com