Soy is perhaps one of the most controversial foods. On one hand some people might say it is a superfood while others might say it’s more like poison (and actually is if it’s not cooked!). Whole soybeans are rich in micronutrients but they block absorption of minerals.
Furthermore, studies have come out and shown that it’s not good for women as it often disrupts hormonal health, not to mention thyroid function. This is one reason why women who are planning to become pregnant, are pregnant or breastfeeding are cautioned to avoid it since it interferes with endocrine levels. While there are also a lot of studies and articles out there that also point out soy’s health benefits, I try to avoid eating a lot of it and for many of my personal chef clients I completely eliminate soy from their meals.
You might be thinking that you don’t use a lot of soy sauce in your meals, so you have nothing to worry about. Well it turns out that soy is in a lot more food products than you think. According to a British survey, about 60% of the processed foods we eat contain soy. In the U.S. we often put soybean oil in our foods because it’s cheap but just like vegetable oil it contains Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids which is not good for you.
You can find it in tofu, soy milk, some dairy-substitute products, peanut butter, edamame noodles, some granola bars, some dairy-free ice cream, infant formula, bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, stews, meats with fillers, and it’s often in packaged desserts, crackers like Wheat Thins, spreads and dips to name a few.
As you can see, soy is in a lot of the processed foods you find at the grocery store. A little alarming since these are many foods that most of you probably eat on a daily basis.
Some celebrities have even come out and said they are eliminating soy from their diet including Blake Lively, who eliminated soy from her diet in order to get fit for a movie role. Now should we be following all of the crazy eating habits of celebrities? Probably not, but they are on to something about avoiding soy.
The reason why cutting soy from your diet is usually a good idea, is because naturally you will be cutting out a lot of processed foods from your diet. These processed foods also often contain refined sugar so you are also in turn eliminating sugar from your diet, which offers even more health benefits!
You will probably start to see yourself lose a few pounds and your clothes fit a little looser, because you are eating more fresh foods.
Of course we are not saying that vegans who eat tofu are unhealthy. We cook for a lot of vegans and we find ways to help them avoid eating too much of it. As with all things, it requires balance. If you are eating tofu or edamame noodles every week then you probably are consuming too much but if you have it sparingly it shouldn’t become a problem.
Are you needing help eliminating soy from your diet and want to eat healthier, fresher foods? We’ve got you covered! Learn more about our prepared meal delivery service.