Soy

Our recommended list of party foods by Health is Wealth - heat and serve natural, meat, vegetarian, and vegan products: Chicken-Free Buffalo Wings, Vegetarian Cocktail Franks, Veggie Munchees, Spinach Munchees, Broccoli Munchees, Pizza Munchees, Vegetable Spring Rolls, Potstickers, Vegetable Egg Rolls, Spinach &  Artichoke Dip, Vegetarian Potato Skins and of course their Chicken or Chicken-Free Nuggets.  ALL ARE NON-GMO.  All are delicious.  Just ask the Kid Kritics!

After the new year look for their new Gluten-Free line.  Then they will have something for everyone.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

There are food companies who say their product is what it is not - it is  fake.

Out of the 575 million pounds of olive oil consumed last year, some was mostly made of soybean oil – actually  90% !  That leaves a mere 10 percent for olive oil.   This was discoved two years ago when testing began on extra-virgin olive oil.  Allergies to soy are on the increase which makes this fake reality a health concern. In addition, sixty to seventy percent of extra virgin olive oils tested to be a lower grade.

Fish is the most abused category for fake representation.  Red snapper may be tilapia. When tested, seventy-seven percent of the “red snapper” was something else…   Wild Salmon may actually be farmed-raised which is easy to spot when you cook.  The red dye begins to leak. 

Honey is counterfeited as well. Cane Sugar, high-fructose corn syrup and beet sugar are relatively inexpensive replacements.

Maple Syrup should come from sap collected from a maple tree and boiled down to create 100 percent syrup.  However, some products are diluted with sugar and water to assit the company’s bottom line.

There are more examples. These are ones most recently reported by USA Today. *

What is a consumer to do?  Read your labels carefully, buy trusted brands and qualify fish by asking your fish retailer to verify their products.  We have a list of trusted brands as we research all food companies.  Please go to www.BetterFoodChoices.com for more information.  Or, go to www.GoMillionMoms.com, “sign” the petition and get a Free download of our most recent edition of the Brand To Trust grocery list.

Be sure you get what you pay for.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

* Elizabeth Weise, “That label could be a costly lie”, USA Today, 1/20/09, pp. 1D, 2S.

Vanilla extract may be an aritificially flavored version.  It is supposed to be labeled as such. Watch for Vanillin,  which is banned from the US as it contain the drug, coumarin, a blood thinner.

Soy is everywhere and in so many processed foods. Protein bars, smoothies, yogurt, burgers, pizza, pretzels, cheeses, and milk. Many have chosen to drink soy milk daily. It has become a staple in some homes.

“Soy is nature’s only plant source with all eight essential amino acids and a denser source of protein than any other bean. It’s low in cholesterol and saturated fat, high in fiber, calcium, magnesium and VitaminB6.” * It is loaded with the good stuff.

However, it also has a high level of phytoestrogens. This may sound positive, but this does present some challenges. How much is too much for a female and male body, especially a young one? The hormone balances in the body are delicate and critical for ones health. Over stimulated or under fed hormonal systems can play havoc with many bodily functions. Moms, you experience this every month. The question is, how much soy is enough to contribute to your health and how much is too much?

Nancy Clark, R.D. recommends two or three servings a day.* For an adult, who lives in a larger body, this is her good advice. We would suggest you limit that to one serving for a child. On the day more is consumed, cut back on the following day.

For parents who do not want to serve their children cow’s milk, calcium-enriched rice and almond milks are good alternatives. Also try goat’s milk, yogurt and cheeses. Serving soy milk and other soy foods every day is probably not the best idea.

Lean toward buying organic as so much soy food is now genetically modified and mass produced with commercial farming methods.

Follow these recommendations and reap the maximum health benefits of the soy bean.

* Over-Soyed?”, RUNNERSWORLD.COM, March 2007, p.36.