I’ve always had a problem with soy protein shakes, protein drinks, protein powders, etc.
It just never sounded natural to me to get protein from highly processed powdered soybeans, which are known to be unhealthy anyway. (Read about the dangers of soy, and here’s a simple way to make a REAL FOOD protein shake!) When I brought up my concerns a few years ago to the multi-level marketing company where we get a few supplements, the heat that went flying through the emails was shocking. I never knew that something like soy protein powder could elicit such a strong response from people. They insisted that this company uses soybeans from good sources and that it’s beneficial for you. It still didn’t set right with me, but it’s none of my business what others choose to eat or drink. Then recently I got an email from the same company, citing a study comparing Asian women who ate varying amounts of soy, and it showed that their incidences of cancer dropped. The conclusion: “Soy is a woman's friend – all the way from childhood on.”
Somehow I knew that Dr. Kaayla Daniel would have something to say about this. I emailed and asked if she’d share a response and she replied that there wasn’t enough time to reply to all these type of letters and referred me to the below article with her permission to use it here. After reading, be sure to let us know what you think. 🙂
The following is from Kaayla’s blog at the Weston A. Price website: Soy in MLM Products: Answers to Two Letters – Posted by: Kaayla Daniel
Dear Dr. Daniel:
I want you to know about the wonderful soy shake product that I use myself and have been selling to my friends. I love that _______ is a whole soy based beverage powder made from organic, not GMO soy. I love this company. There are no health dangers to their soy because it's organic and they use a special process that is different. It's a gentle process that protects the valuable phytonutrients in soy. All the dangers you describe as coming from soy are the result of the poor processing methods other companies use. Please let people know that ______is a good and healthy product. It cures cancer, heart disease, weight loss . . DG
Dear DG: I have received numerous letters such as yours since The Whole Soy Story was published in 2005. Many of these letters are from MLM companies like yours, including ____, _____, ____ and _____. This reply also applies to the assorted shakes powders sold in supermarkets, health food stores, health clubs and so forth. When people contact any of these companies about the dangers of soy, the responses are virtually interchangeable except for the company name. Supposedly their products are processed differently from the competition, using a unique and “secret” process that makes soybeans both safe and healthy. .
Certainly organic soybeans are safer than GMO soybeans, as there are serious dangers to all GMO foods, soy, corn or whatever. GMO soy contains higher and more resistant levels of protease inhibitors, among other toxins. Whole soybeans are also better than soy protein insomuch as this will minimize some harmful processing methods, particularly the use of hexane to split the bean. It is also possible that some of the other processing methods might be gentler. For example, the process might involve alkaline baths with a lower pH than is used by some commercial companies. Gentler processing methods could conceivably result in lower levels of the toxins lysinalanines and nitrosamines.
That said, I find it highly unlikely that your product – or the similarly hyped products — have removed the dangerous estrogenic isoflavones. Unless the companies use alcohol extraction, the isoflavones will not be removed. In fact these companies don't want to remove the isoflavones because they all boast about their “health effects” and claim that their unique product somehow has all the benefits and none of the dangers of isoflavones. Saponins, which can bind with cholesterol and damage cell membranes will also be present in any soybean product that has not been alcohol extracted. Not surprisingly, these are marketed as healthy “all natural” cholesterol lowerers, bile acid reducers and cancer preventers and curers.
In all probability, your product also contains a full complement of protease inhibitors (which interfere with protein digestion), phytates (which inhibit mineral absorption), lectins (which can cause blood cell clumping), and oxalates (linked to a multitude of health problems, including kidney stones and vulvodynia). As far as I know, no modern process yet invented can remove all of these things. What's needed to eliminate or deactivate many of them is old-fashioned fermentation, the traditional method used to make miso, natto and tempeh. Such foods eaten in a richly varied diet are healthy and nutritious. But these are NOT the soy ingredients put in your shake powder.
Please write your company and ask them to send reports from independent laboratories proving that these antinutrients and toxins have been largely eliminated. This is what will convince me, not claims that their “special, secret, patented and unique process” does this work. Over the past ten years, I have reviewed numerous soybean processing manuals and seen many patent applications. I have yet to see any evidence that this can be done. Rather many years of USDA studies show it cannot. I discuss these processing issues thoroughly in The Whole Soy Story, particularly in Chapters 4-12. Given the fact that manufacturers cannot get rid of them, isoflavones, protease inhibitors, phytates, saponins and other antinutrients and toxins have been elevated from devils into angels and are being marketed as health promoting. They are not. In conclusion, I cannot recommend this or similar products based on their “claims.” Show me the evidence.
Dear Dr. Daniel: First, thank you so much for being so generous and sharing your email address with us. I am an Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN) student and just heard your talk and Sally Fallon’s talk and I have been so distressed. I mainly eat vegetarian so conversation about vegetarian options is very important to me; especially when it reduces the amount of choices there are.
A few years ago I started hearing about the negatives associated with soy products and switched to almond milk and drastically reduced our consumption of soy products. The one soy product I have been consistently using and loving for years is a powder for a smoothie called _______. I have attached the label and would appreciate your taking a look at the ingredients. It also says on the front label ‘Identity Preserved Soy 24 mg of isoflavones per serving). I don’t know what that means but hope it’s good. I have been a rep for this company for years and have benefited greatly by using their products. This drink makes me feel so good and satisfied every day, and I am really upset at the thought of it not being healthy for me. I have shown it to so many dieticians and nutritionists and have always gotten such positive feedback so I hope you will look and tell me if you think it is bad for me.
I will also tell you that I have a low thyroid and have been taking 90 mg of Armour Thyroid for the last 40 years. It has helped but not as much as when I add these juice and juice plus soy products.
I do want to be healthy and help others improve their health, so I am open to your honest opinion.
Also, and very important, are plant milks (i.e. almond, hemp, oat, etc). I’ve tried finding if there is any negative information out plant milks but aside from rice milk, I haven’t found any negative. Are they healthy? Thank you, thank you for your help. To your best health, NP
Dear NP: Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I can't drink to this product! I have serious concerns about this juice drink for anyone, but especially for someone with thyroid problems. My first concern is with 24 mg of isoflavones per serving. A Japanese study at the Ishizuki Clinic found that just 35 mg of isoflavones per day caused thyroid suppression in healthy individuals in just three months. If you drink just one serving per day, you will come in under that, but that too would be a high level in susceptible individuals. It is also highly likely that you are getting soy isoflavones or other phytoestrogens in other products as well. This will definitely be the case if you follow the manufacturer's suggestion of taking the product mixed with one cup of soy milk. Isoflavone content varies from glass to glass to glass of soy milk, depending upon the brand, the year, the growing conditions of the crop and other factors, but the likelihood is high that a glass of soy milk contains about 45 mg.
Boosting the thyroid (with Armour) while also depressing it (with soy isoflavones) has a strong “push me, pull me” effect that puts stress on the thyroid. Environmental scientist Mike Fitzpatrick PhD points out this is the classic way that researchers induce thyroid tumors in laboratory animals. The fact that soy is “natural” does not make it safe or weak. A single serving of a drink such as this has several times the goitrogenic potency of the pharmacetuical thyroid-inhibiting drugs methimazole and 6-propylthiouracel. Knowledgeable physicians now recommend taking thyroid medications separately from drinking soy milk or other products. Christiane Northrup, MD, author of Women's Bodies/ Women's Wisdom and other books, and a longtime proponent of soy consumption, makes this recommendation.
I must also object to an unwarranted – and probably illegal – health claim on the label of the product you are taking. It says that one scoop of the product “contains 24 mg of isoflavones, regarded as essential to today's women's health issues.” Essential? One scoop puts a woman's thyroid at risk, as stated above. One scoop stirred into soy milk and drunk by a woman of reproductive age could alter her menstrual cycles and hormone patterns in ways indicative of infertility. One scoop every day would also be risky for a woman who has been diagnosed with – or has a family history of – breast cancer. So many studies have linked soy breast cell proliferation, (a well known marker of breast cancer risk) that warnings have been issued by the Israeli Health Ministry, French Food Agency, German Institute of Risk Assessment and Cornell University's Center for Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors. As for this product helping a woman sail through menopause, the evidence on soy and menopause is inconsistent and contradictory, according to a review by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Please visit the website www.soyonlineservice.co.nz, where you will find numerous letters from people whose thyroid problems have developed or been worsened by eating or drinking soy products. This website also includes many abstracts of studies involving soy and the thyroid. More than 70 years of studies, after all, link soy to thyroid dysfunction. I'd also recommend that you read my book The Whole Soy Story, particularly chapters 26 on soy isoflavones, chapter 27 on soy and the thyroid, chapter 29 on soy and the reproductive system and chapter 30 on soy and cancer.
In addition to the isoflavone danger, I have other concerns with this product's fructose content. Though not as bad as High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), the evidence is mounting that it is addictive and more harmful than sugar. For more information, search this website and also www.mercola.com.
Reviewing the label, I must also point out that much of the high vitamin content comes from added supplements and not from the powdered vegetables and fruits. That's to be expected given that true Vitamin A and D3 do not occur in any plant foods. This means your “healthy” green drink is actually a rather incomplete multi in a overpriced package loaded up with fructose and soy isoflavones. I do not know why you feel better taking it. With any such product, risk is not certainty. Perhaps you are getting a sugar hit. Maybe you are so protein deficient that your body responds positively even to inferior soy protein. Another possible explanation is the soy isoflavones stimulate the thyroid, giving you more energy for the time being. Sadly, this daily “whipping” is likely to lead to thyroid exhaustion and slowdown over the long term. You may also just need the vitamins and minerals because of overall deficiencies in your diet.
Since you are mainly vegetarian, I would recommend you go to the Home page of this website and take our “vegetarian tour.” If you intend to remain vegetarian, I would suggest eating lots of free-range eggs and a raw dairy products to get much needed fats, fat-soluble vitamins, cholesterol and high-quality protein. For more info on safety and availability of raw dairy, visit www.realmilk.com. If you cannot tolerate any form of dairy, I recommend a coconut tonic drink as described in the book Eat Fat/Lose Fat by Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon.
I cannot recommend rice, almond, oat or hemp milks. These highly processed products are often sold as “equivalents” of dairy milks but only because they are propped up with cheap, poor quality and hard-to-absorb calcium, Vitamin D2 and other vitamins and minerals. They also tend to contain poor quality vegetable oils, either intrinsic to the beverage as soy oil or hemp oil, or added such as canola oil. Better to supplement with high-quality supplements than to drink these beverages for the supplements they contain. Many also contain high levels of sugar in order to be palatable.
- Try making a Real Food protein shake instead or my Superfood Smoothies!
- Where to buy cod liver oil, and read why cod liver oil is the main supplement I try to be consistent with, even though it’s actually a food, not a supplement. 🙂
- Is edamame good for you?!
Commenter via Facebook says
That was a great post from Kaayla Daniel, but I don’t see what it has to do with whey protein. There are differences in whey protein powders. Several companies I respect sell whey protein powders from grassfed cows, carefully processed at low heat, etc. I know the WAPF cautions against powdered foods, for instance powdered eggs and nonfat dry milk because it oxidizes the cholesterol, making it toxic. I am pretty sure Mark Sisson, Dave Asprey and Dr. Mercola are fanatical about quality such that they have found the best processing techniques. That said, I do think “chewing food” rather than “drinking food” is generally preferable, and I only use whey protein shakes in a pinch, no more than once every week or two.
Commenter via Facebook says
look at Isagenix, undenatured whey protein from organic grass fed New Zealand cattle, soy-free, gluten-free, chemical-free, artificial-free, 100% organic and whole food. Also an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, I set out to disprove these so called health companies and ended up buying a wholesale membership to this one. Now I am a coach.
Cathy F. says
I got a visit at my workplace from a woman opening a “nutrition club” near us… I thought, nutrition is a good thing… she gave me enough cards for all our employees and told me they provide “meal replacement drinks”–much healthier than stopping at McDonalds. Maybe, but comparing something to the lowest possible standard is somewhat disturbing. No way I’m pushing powdered drinks on my co-workers. How about eating a healthy lunch instead? I tossed the cards in the trash. Shake drinks are not nutrition, and a poor substitute for food. My doctor is an integrative physician, and she believes soy is okay if it’s organic. I recommended Dr. Daniel’s book, The Whole Soy Story, but I doubt she’ll read it. Medical professionals don’t typically take suggestions from their patients. Thanks for sharing this post. The soy industry has everyone schnookered, and we need as many people as possible pointed out the facts about it.
Commenter via Facebook says
Yes, a lot of those people should be ashamed, they are just in it for the bucks so the cheaper the products they sell the better. I just stick with hemp protein, nothing added!
Commenter via Facebook says
Thank you so much for sharing this! I will be sure to check out Dr. D’s website! So often in the world of natural health you hear a lot of recommendations that don’t actually have any backing in science or research. A lot of people who basically, have good intentions and are following their gut but don’t really know what you’re talking about in scientific terms. A lot of whom claim to be doctors. I will have to look into her more, but it’s really nice to hear somebody who sounds like they might actually know what they’re talking about.
Commenter via Facebook says
Thank you so much for sharing this! I will be sure to check out Dr. D’s website! So often in the world of natural health you hear a lot of recommendations that don’t actually have any backing in science or research. A lot of people who basically, have good intentions and are following their gut but don’t really know what you’re talking about in scientific terms. A lot of whom claim to be doctors. I will have to look into her more, but it’s really nice to hear somebody who sounds like they might actually know what they’re talking about.
Commenter via Facebook says
What about Sun Warrior Raw Vegan Protein powder? It is made from brown rice and contains no soy. I add it to smoothies. I have also heard Garden of Life Raw vegan protein powder is okay, too.
Commenter via Facebook says
The only ready made protein powder I have ever seen that did not contain soy is from SFH Stronger faster Healthier. It is also from grass fed cows. If someone knows anything about this one I should know please let me know
Commenter via Facebook says
I just made my own liquid whey too 🙂
Commenter via Facebook says
I drink the real liquid whey I get from making raw milk cheese and yogurt. Also use it for lacto fermentation. No more processed crap for me.
Commenter via Facebook says
I like almond milk.
Commenter via Facebook says
@ Amy Clure Schauland – I’d say whey-based is better than soy, but it’s still a highly processed product, KWIM?
Commenter via Facebook says
Soy proteins and powdered (fake, denatured) whey? Yuck! Could there be anything worse on the planet?
Commenter via Facebook says
DH likes a whey-based protein powder mixed with raw milk – that ok?
Commenter via Facebook says
Soy Milk???? LOL…No Way…..
Ann Nonymous says
I drank a shake with coconut water and berries with whey protein powder and my thyroid started spasming–it felt like the worse sore throat I ever had. Plus, after I drank it, I immediately felt like stuff was “crawling” up my scalp. I thought the coconut water was nourishing my head. Well, I’m losing all of my hair from this. I think I went from hypo to hyper thyroid briefly and the testosterone elevated DHT in my hair follicles. This is the best explanation I can come up with. What do you think??? I had absolutely no clue that protein powder was dangerous with a thyroid condition.
KitchenKop says
Hmmm, it’s almost like you had an allergic response since it came on so quickly. I’d consult a good natural-minded doc and also make sure you’re filling up on nutrient-dense superfoods: bone broth, cod liver oil, healthy fats, probiotics and/or cultured foods, etc.
Get better soon!
D. says
I used to make almond milk myself, so I must disagree with her somewhat on that subject. Mine consisted of raw almonds being soaked overnight, drained, placed into a blender with clean, filtered water, and blended until quite smooth and sloshy. Then it was strained through cheesecloth and put into a glass jar in the fridge. Depending on how you’re going to use it, you can add a little sea salt or a little good quality vanilla. That’s it. That’s the whole process. I see nothing unhealthy about that, and it can be done with any number of other nuts, as well, not just almonds. I used to make this milk in order to use it for my smoothies before we were able to buy raw milk. I knew I didn’t want to use store-bought milk of any kind, much less the almond milk in a box. Ewwww.
Now, of course, most almonds are pasteurized, but raw ones can still be found if you look for them. I think Oorganic Pastures sells them.
I’m sorry, I’m not a nutritionist so I don’t have any numbers on calories, or fats, or protein available in this homemade product. I still have to assume it’s better for people than the junk in a box.
I haven’t made it for a while now, but it’s really good on homemade steel-cut oatmeal.
KitchenKop says
That makes sense to me, too. 🙂
Merry Lynn says
I am so sorry for your loss. (I didn’t notice the date on your post when I responded.) I too am looking forward with great anticipation to being reunited with my father and all my loved ones who are in Heaven with our Lord. 🙂
Melinda says
Thank you for the info Merry Lynn. My father is now perfectly healed at home with our Lord. He passed away on October 31, 2010. I miss him terribly, but I know I will see him again. =0)
Merry Lynn says
@ Melinda – I also wanted to say, but I hesitate for fear that it will come across wrongly, but you mentioned that you were wondering about the JuicePlus. My husband and I are part of a similar type company. At our last major get together, I met and personally spoke with several gentlemen who had progressed to 4th stage cancer, had tried everything that all the mainstream doctors told them would help but to no avail. Near the end (4th stage) they discovered our company’s product, began taking it in large quantities (since they were so close to the end) and have FULLY recovered. I can provide you with contact info of these gentlemen if you wish to speak with them personally. Like I said, I hesitated to even post this because it looks like I am just trying to “sell my stuff” but having been thru a very similar situation with my own father I KNOW how you are feeling and I feel I would be wrong NOT to share with you EVERYTHING I know that could possibly help. Hoping you can hear my heart and know that I am sincerely trying to help. My email is merrylynn.shepherd at gmail.com
Merry Lynn says
@ Melinda – I am soo sorry to hear about your father. We went thru much the same sort of thing with my father a number of years back, except I didn’t know then what I know now. I have heard soo much good about seriously high doses of Vit C (like in the 100,000 mg range or even more) to help in these kinds of situations. But it is difficult to get mainstream doctors and hospitals to even be willing to try it. Here are a few links I have found that I feel would be helpful to you. https://www.doctoryourself.com/strategies.html and https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/29/high-dose-iv-vitamin-c-found-useful-for-near-terminal-swine-flu.aspx Hope this helps, and you are right, it will be a win-win situation either way for your father if he does indeed have that personal relationship with Jesus. I will be praying for you and him and your whole family. :o)
Arlyn Boltax says
Re: the almond milk issue-does your reasoning apply to my home made almond milk (simply soaked organic almonds, water, maybe 1/2 a banana sometimes). Not saying its a substitute for grass fed raw milk, but it isn’t bad for me, right? Thanks!
KitchenKop says
No, I’d say this is fine. 🙂 (This is mentioned above in earlier comments, too.)
Gregg says
Kelly,
Thank you for posting this and posting in it’s entirety.
God Bless,
Gregg
Elizabeth says
I might be new to eating this way of eating but…
Even Consumer Reports did a big article on protein powders 2 months ago! There was no discussion on the dangers of soy beans however the chemical testing of the protein powders revealed the presence of toxins and poisons including heavy metals (lead and even arsenic.)
As easy as these protein powders seem I would never drink one again after reading the article from consumer reports! Even brand names like EAS and Muscle Milk were contaminated.
This angers me that I have to do so much research about my food supply to protect myself! There are toxins hidden everywhere!
Melinda says
Speaking of soy… can anyone tell me for sure if Juice Plus contains soy?
I know “nothing powdered” is best, but my father has cancer (a rare lymphoma cancer called Burkitt’s). He has a tumor in his throat that makes swallowing almost impossible at this time (including liquids), but he recently got a feeding tube.
We (his children) are looking for the best ways to feed his body but starve the cancer. I’ve heard “avoid dairy” when you have cancer. Besides, raw milk is illegal in Tennessee where he lives.
His chiropractor encourages a whole foods diet that seems to line up with WAPF. Of course his other doctors don’t.
Daddy has lost over 40 pounds the last year.
Nothing is impossible with God… so we don’t know the outcome yet… either way, Daddy wins.
We just want to do our part in helping him get some GOOD nutritions in a non-traditional way (through the tube… meaning it must be a liquid without pulp, etc.).
Thanks!
Blessings,
Melinda =0)
KitchenKop says
Melinda, your Dad is blessed to have you on the hunt for some nutrient-dense liquids he can have via the feeding tube. Most of the liquids they normally give that way are pretty bad. You might try googling Tom Cowan or Dr. Nicholas Gonzales and if you can get in touch with them they would be good ones to ask about what your best options are right now. I’ll say a prayer for your Dad!
Kelly
Kimi @ The Nourishing Gourmet says
Thanks for sharing this Kelly. Very interesting!
Michele H says
If I make my own almond milk from organic, unpasteurized almonds, is that OK?
Michael says
Almond Milk recipe
https://www.scdkat.com/2008/07/beverages-juices/
WordVixen says
Did you know that some brands of almond milk contain soy? Oy. Also, almond milk goes back to at least medieval Europe. There are a lot of period recipes that call for that and rapeseed oil. The rapeseed oil is only in the Lenten recipes, but I haven’t checked out if the almond milk is also Lent only. Of course, their almond milk wouldn’t have contained soy, and their rapeseed oil wasn’t GMO and extracted with chemicals… And in the case of the oil, it was only for a small part of the year. 🙂
I also wanted to bring up my experience with soy protein powders. I know some people are more sensitive to it than others, but a few years ago I was playing with vegetarianism and veganism. I was taking Metformin for my insulin resistance (I have PCOS), making vegan stew, and making soy protein smoothies for breakfast every day. I became suicidally depressed and began having horrible anxiety and panic attacks. I honestly thought that my body was simply detoxing, but after a few more days I couldn’t handle it any more and gave up. I stopped taking Metformin and went back to my processed food diet. It took months to totally go away (actually, I think it was a year), but the worst of it stopped after only 3 days. I’m still not sure if it was one or the other or a combination of both, but you can bet your sweet bippy that I’ll never go back to either one! In fact, when I finally learned about the dangers of soy, cutting soy entirely out of my diet was my first step in discovering real food.
Funny, though, that I’d bought into the soy thing when I knew that cabbage was bad for thyroid…
Michael says
Did you know that some brands of almond milk contain soy? Oy.
How come that doesn’t surprise me?
Also, almond milk goes back to at least medieval Europe. There are a lot of period recipes that call for that and rapeseed oil. The rapeseed oil is only in the Lenten recipes, but I haven
WordVixen says
No problem! I had thought that rapeseed contains toxins- am I wrong about that? Is it only GMO rapeseed that’s toxic?
Michael says
Here you go 🙂
Rapeseed oil has been used in China, Japan and India for thousands of years. In areas where there is a selenium deficiency, use of rapeseed oil has been associated with a high incidence of fibrotic lesions of the heart, called Keshan’s disease.20 The animal studies carried out over the past twenty years suggest that when rapeseed oil is used in impoverished human diets, without adequately saturated fats from ghee, coconut oil or lard, then the deleterious effects are magnified. In the context of healthy traditional diets that include saturated fats, rapeseed oil, and in particular erucic acid in rapeseed oil, does not pose a problem. In fact, erucic acid is helpful in the treatment of the wasting disease adrenoleukodystrophy and was the magic ingredient in Lorenzo’s oil.
The Great Con-ola
WordVixen says
Wow- that is awesome info. Thanks Michael! It also explains why it wasn’t such a huge problem if it was used only during Lent. All the saturated fat consumed through the rest of the year would have served as good protection.
Rachel says
OK, so we are all on the same page that real whole foods are the best choice, but what about compromise and convenience products?
I occasionally drink whey protein shakes (from Nature’s Life brand) and I’d like to know if anyone has more information on whey protein (this brand in particular – it’s the only one I can tolerate the taste of)?
Is this a ‘dangerous’ product that should be avoided at all cots or is it a compromise item that can be used from time to time without worry.
I am currently living on an island in the Caribbean and raw milk is not available, hence my need to find products to substitute for raw milk. Counting down the weeks until we move back to the mainland!
thanks in advance
Michael says
Why do you feel you need to substitute for raw milk? You can eat a perfectly healthy diet without any dairy at all.
Flo says
Kelly,
Thanks for getting Dr. Kaayla’s input on this subject! She has really studied it more than anyone else that I know of.
I’ve consulted with her regarding some health issues my son has had — especially since my traditional midwife wanted me to have 100 gm of protein every day while PG. I tracked my midwife down (found her in Chile, of all places!) to see if that powder she had me using was soy-based. She couldn’t remember but figured it probably was since so many of them were (’95-’96). My concern was that my son had that in utero. Dr. Kaayla thought that wouldn’t affect him as much as if he had if after birth — reassuring but I’m not quite sure why she thought that.
Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for getting her information out there!
Michael says
You can make your own coconut or almond milks, which is the way to go.
How To Make Coconut Milk
Arlene says
Kelly and Dr. Daniel,
Thank you!
I suffer from bad tension headaches around the time my cycle begins and as it ends and I cannot tell you how critical it has been that my medical doctor has been a naturopath. After trying to work out how to cope with the headaches for years, once I began seeing my naturopathic doctor she recommended that I avoid certain foods and beverages prior to and during my cycle and her list contained soy. She explained that beans naturally contain a hormone and it may effect me. Some people are sensitive to it. I followed her suggestion and found that the headaches indeed ended if I avoided the foods and drinks on her list, including soy.
The reason that I’m so grateful for your post is that it is wonderfully affirming in a world where most medical practitioners that I speak to, now, are shocked and doubtful when I share with them that avoiding soy does indeed help me avoid headaches. I don’t claim that everyone should avoid all soy or anything of the sort, but rather it seems that simply stating anything contrary to ‘soy is a wonder food for all’ is anathema, even among medical practitioners.
I think that it’s important that the studies that you reference, and their findings, trickle out further among medical practitioners.
Carmen says
I visited a local smoothie shop (with reservations) and I failed to ask them what they use in their smoothies. When I took my first sip I was disgusted to realize that I was drinking some sort of powdered/artificial sweetener/soy product. I felt bad that I wasted money on this dangerous concoction but I stopped drinking it immediately.
Thank you for this post. We have all been brain-washed for so long about what’s healthy and we need to spread the truth about these “health products”.
Chandelle says
I’ve never understood the appeal of protein shakes – from soy or whey or anything else. If it’s an extracted, superheated, refined, concentrated, and fortified product that doesn’t even count as a food and cannot be sold as such, how can it be healthy? I know this post is about soy protein in particular, but I am similarly bothered by these low-carb recipes that make “pancakes” and other things out of whey protein concentrate. That’s disgusting. If you feel that you can’t have flour-based breakfast food, just move on with your life. You will survive. But a fake food made out of something so extremely processed that its source is unrecognizable? I’m not sure if you will survive that. (I feel the same way about fake meats for vegetarians. No matter your chosen lifestyle, eat real food!)
I know that was a bit rant-y, but this is one issue that makes me CUH-RAZY.
After I have a hard workout, I drink a bunch of water with a pinch of good salt, then I wait 30-45 minutes to eat something. After that, I have some eggs (from my backyard chickens) and an in-season fruit smoothie made with raw goat milk or yogurt and a handful of soaked nuts or seeds. When I can’t do this (which happens sometimes if I’m on the run), my limbs get very shaky an hour or so after working out, and I’ll be exhausted in the afternoon. As long as I get this good, reparative food into my system, I feel stable, strong, and energetic for the rest of the day.
I agree that store-bought almond, coconut (the refrigerated stuff), and hemp milks are not very healthy (plus the packaging is wasteful). But I think homemade nut or seed milk is okay, if made with soaked nuts. I occasionally make almond milk if I don’t have goat milk available. For a long time after So Delicious started selling prepared milk in the refrigerated section, I made coconut milk myself from dry coconut, but I’m pulling back on coconut products, so I haven’t done that in a while.
Great post!
Peggy says
Oh gosh. I drank a soy protein shake (from powder) three times a day for six months on one of my (more successful) diets! I probably pickled my innerds but good! My sister still has a soy protein shake every morning despite years of endometriosis, infertility and a breast cancer scare. When my youngest weaned, she had such horrible food allergies that the only liquid other than water she could tolerate was homemade cashew milk (although we did try soy and almond first). On a real food diet, she no longer has any food allergies worth tracking and can drink real, whole milk. Sometimes I want to just crawl into a hole and cry about the damage I did to my body and my children’s bodies by trusting what I was sold.
KitchenKop says
Peggy, I’ll crawl in there with you… 🙁
All we can do is go on from here, thankful that we found Real Food!
Kate says
Umm, that is, no synthetic supplements. Or even “whole foods” supplements that have been extracted and powdered. Cod liver oil and the like are about it (that are safe).
Kate says
I don’t think any powdered food can really be healthy for you, nor any alternative milks. A few months back when we were first discussing trying dairy again, I was torn between getting raw milk or sticking with coconut milk awhile longer. I took a look at the ingredients on the coconut milk and found sugar, guar gum, and all kinds of other crap. We bought the raw milk and my kids have been BETTER on it than on no dairy at all.
If the food is recognizable, and/or can be made in your own kitchen or grown in your yard, eat it. If not…don’t. Primarily ANY supplements should not be consumed.
If you’re concerned about hydration, pick up some kombucha or water kefir and drink those, they’re better than any “energy” or “sports” drink!
Soli @ I Believe in Butter says
One thing that bugs me about the whole discussion of soy in this story and the near-fetishism of “Asian health” is that it only looks at the food itself and completely ignored the process of preparation and other foods which normally accompany it on the plate/in the bowl.
Hope says
What about whey protein shakes?
KitchenKop says
Why not make one of the real food protein shakes that I link to? You can add real whey!
Betsy says
What I’ve read recently os that coconut water is good for electrolytes. So is water with a pinch of sea salt. I also read that unless you’re doing some serious endurance exercise for an extended period of time you don’t need anything but water.
I was for a time drinking a quart of water while working out at the gym before work. But as soon as I got to work I was rushing to the bathroom to get rid of it. 😉 I drink a whole lot less now, and don’t seem to suffer for it. I just drink plenty of water throughout the day.
Julie says
This is timely! What would be the best protein powder? What should we be drinking to restore energy, electrolytes, nutrients lost during exercise? I know that even whey based powders can be not so good for a person.
Please advise.
KitchenKop says
Julie, see the link to the “real food protein shake”, that would be a great replacement! And what Betsy mentioned in the next comment is a great idea, too. I wouldn’t take anything in powder form.
Kelly
dw says
Well, I agree 100% with Kelly on the soy protein drinks and as I set out to prove all of these “reputable” companies were scams, I found one that even the Weston Price foundation would approve of.
This one time was the biggest critic and skeptic until as I set out to disprove all these companies, I found one that met my strictest criteria and I love it ! People that know me, know that I will find fault in everything when it comes to food so this came as a shock to me.
The whey protein comes from 100% organic grass fed cattle in New Zealand, it is NOT DENATURED as all other companies are. All products are It is 100% soy-free, gluten-free, chemical-free, no artificial anything including sweeteners, flavorings, and colorings. It taste fantastic. All of my bloodwork tested normal after 8 weeks on the program and I have more energy now at age 46 than I did in my late 20s ! All their products are 100% whole food organic. The only company that is triple certifieds for quality purposes. Amazing customer service. They have far more products than just shakes, they have electrolyte drinks, vitamins, snack bars, facial care, and much more.
Check out Isagenix. I became a product user in May and a coach and consultant in August if anyone has any questions.
Jenny @ Nourished Kitchen says
I’d recommend switchel (water with molasses, sea salt and powdered ginger) as a replacement for energy drinks and to restore electrolytes during workouts.
Michael says
And there is also good old coconut water.
nika says
and lemon – ginger water! could go on and on – besides – a protein drink after a work out will likely dehydrate one further… post work out its more about lactic acid management and rehydration – rebuilding myofibrils is a longer process- like 24 – 48 hours for any torn fibers after a particular workout. its not an acute need – rather a constant need for high quality absorbable proteins