Here are a couple of links from the blog Food Renegade that my BFF Nichole hipped me to; they support what I wrote this month about knowing what’s in the food you eat (see my posts on trans fats in Lawry’s Seasoned Salt and soy):
This year has been amazing, full of growth and revelation for me. I see clearly how the paths God has had me on were leading to the ultimate path for my life, my ministry. And a lot of that clarity came just from writing my Friday Feature posts. I have a greater appreciation for the praises that have come through the perils of my health. Countless people have told me how one post or another was an answer to an unresolved health issue they were facing. So in this last Friday Feature post of 2011 I want to share with you my top five health posts and five sites that have helped me gain greater insight into my health this year (Please note that some of the sites listed are secular so take caution in what they advocate beyond direct physical health tips):
Yeast Infections
Soy No More
Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide
Cooking on the Brand New Mommy
The Benefits of Juicing
Other notable posts include those on MSG, natural oils, cold and flu prevention and relief, help for skin problems and alternative grains to wheat. For these and more, search this blog for Friday Feature and every post ever written here will come up.
My favorite five health sites for 2011:
Simple Organic
Living Maxwell
Natural News
The Garden Diet
Keeper of the Home
As you make and seek to keep your 2012 resolutions, undoubtedly some concerning your health, I hope you refer to these links to help you accomplish your goals. God bless you in 2012!
GMO Film Project Sizzler from Compeller Pictures on Vimeo.
As you may know from my posts here, my transition to a more plant-based diet had been a long time coming, 18 years in fact. So four months ago when I cut out meat and poultry, opting for plants and occasional seafood, I was more than ready. In fact I knew I would have a smooth transition because of the variety of textured vegetables available that I love and I could always use soy products. I had gotten soy Italian sausage and lunch meat and a few frozen traditional Indian dishes I like with tofu, a form of soy. With soy, I wouldn’t have to worry about getting enough protein, something that vegetarians have to be conscious of. Though some people are allergic to soy I don’t have that problem, though I never opted for it as a supplement to my breast milk because of reports of how soy negatively affects hormonal development in baby boys.* Now after reading a more extensive report about a month ago, not only will I avoid giving soy to my children, but soy is something that I will be careful to avoid for three main reasons:
Effect on all children—One property in soy is similar to our bodies’ estrogen and when it enters the body, the body thinks there is a heightened level in our bodies. The increase in estrogen has been shown to disrupt sex hormonal development in boys and girls, giving them doses as strong as multiple birth control pills and negatively impacting their reproductive systems. For boys, this could mean a lower sperm count. Both boys and girls could also be at a higher risk for gender-organ cancers.
Effect on endocrine system—All hormones come from glands that make up our endocrine system, including our thyroid. When the estrogen-mimicking property in soy gets into our bodies it can affect the thyroid by causing hypothyroidism. I know a number of friends with this issue or the threat of it; one has been a vegetarian for years and had consumed a large amount of soy for those years until she heard it may be the cause of her problem.
Effect on soy supply—Ninety percent of America’s soy bean crops have been genetically modified, which means bacteria or viruses have been injected into the food’s seed to change its DNA structure. Food companies do this so the foods become resistant to pesticides that are sprayed on crops. The danger to us is that we are ingesting the unknown substances used to modify the foods and the powerful chemicals used to spray them. Thus, the food and the chemicals both potentially cause us harm, even death.
Even with the push in our nation to consume soy, I believe these points make reconsidering eating soy worthwhile.
*Nourishing Traditions, Revised Second Edition by Sally Fallon; New Trends Publishing, 2001.
Besides Nourishing Traditions and the website I linked above, I have amassed information in this post from my readings over the years. As always, I challenge you to check for yourself what I have found to help me.