The Great Soy Deception

As I approached the dairy section today at the grocery store, I patiently waited (about 30 seconds) for a young woman standing in front of the soy milk to make her choice and leave so I could buy my pint bottle of heavy cream.  I wanted to warn her… “Don’t buy the soy milk!”  But instead I politely excused myself, grabbed my cream and ran… well, left anyway.  What would I tell her when she asked me, “Why not?” Well, being the coward that I am, it’s easier to rant in a blog post than face to face with an ignorant consumer, so here goes.

I used to drink soy milk.  In fact I was caught up by all the “soy is good for you” hype.  That was during my life as a vegan.  For awhile, I believed the lie that animal protein triggers cancer.  And, having had bits and pieces of myself removed by a surgeon that were confirmed to be cancerous, I was determined to figure out how to avoid any future occurrences.  So I gave up meat along with anything that had casein (meat protein) in it— milk, cheese, eggs, butter, cream—the whole nine yards.  Did I replace it with healthy fruits and vegetables?  Well, yes, to a point.  And bread.  And rice.  And beans.  And cookies, cereal, candy, popcorn, muffins, bagels, pasta, crackers.  Yes, the vegan diet is full of variety, I discovered.  But one of the big problems with a vegan diet is the absence or at least shortage of protein, a substance the body requires for good health.  Thankfully, there was a whole line of soy products – and everyone knows that soy beans have one of the highest levels of protein in the plant world. 

So I swapped out my milk for chocolate soy milk to drink and plain soymilk for my cereal.  I tried soy patties for burgers (too dry), fake ground “beef” made out of soy (okay in chili), soy sour “cream,” soy “butter” spread, fake soy mayonnaise, fake soy “cheese” (absolutely awful!), and soy ice cream.  I was eating soy every day in every meal. 

Soy is marketed as being a cancer-fighter (good for me), a possible remedy for post-menopausal symptoms (even better), and one of the primary meat substitutes for vegans.  Considering how much of this “healthy” food I was eating, I should have been beaming with good health.  Not so much.  Instead, I was tired, achy, had a terrible constant gas problem, bad breath, dull hair, and I was putting on weight…steadily.  I was catching colds, blossoming with fever blisters about every three months, and it took twice as long for cuts and scrapes to heal.  I couldn’t walk a mile without getting winded.  I felt downright old.

Within six months I started “cheating.”  I’d put cheese on my veggie sandwich or order fish at the restaurant or a cobb salad with egg once in awhile.  Even still, I was feeling guilty because I was still convinced that vegan-eating was the anti-cancer protocol, but I just didn’t have the will to maintain it.  By the end of a year, I was back on chicken, steak, and the occasional McDonalds quarter-pounder with cheese… and about thirty pounds overweight.

Fast forward a couple years and I have become the crazy sister-mother-friend-stranger who studies labels, reads about food and nutrition, and carries around a soap box on which I preach the dangers of the food supply as often as I can get away with it. 

What we are eating is making us fat and sick!

And one of the worst offenders is SOY. 

I realize such an announcement will come as a shock to many, but the plain truth is, all the virtues of soy that we have come to accept have been perpetuated by the soy people.  In 2009, soy was a $29 billion industry in this country-- the U.S. being the world's largest producer and exporter.

That said, here are a few things you should know about soy from The Whole Soy Story, a book I highly recommend if you eat soy:

·     The Chinese did NOT eat the soy bean from time immemorial; the idea that soy is eaten in great quantity in Asia is an invention of the soy industry

·     Soy protein is notoriously hard to digest unless enzymes and microorganisms go to work on it first (fermentation)

·     The vitamin D2 in soymilk (check the label) has been linked to hyperactivity, coronary heart disease and allergic reactions

·     Soy protein isolates (SPI) have increased levels of toxins and carcinogens such as lysinoalanines and nitrosamines (“In the 1970s, the Federation of American Society for Experimental Biology concluded that the only safe use for soy protein isolates was as a binder and sealer for cardboard boxes.”) ...SPI contains some 38 petroleum compounds

·     Spun soy protein fibers (the stuff of soy synthetic “meat”) have a “scouring effect” on the GI tract and cause marked amounts of flatulence (soy milk will also give you gas...along with most other soy products)

·     Soy is one of the top 8 allergens

·     Soy as a primary source of protein often results in dry skin, lusterless hair, balding, poor muscle tone, weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, digestive distress, allergies, immune breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, and reproductive disorders (among other problems)

·     Soy protein is likely to raise the cholesterol level of the average person

·     25 grams of soy protein a day is capable of disrupting the endocrine system

·     Phytoestrogens (estrogen mimickers) can cause thyroid disease, lower testosterone levels in men, cause menstrual difficulties for women and disrupt fetal development

·     Soy contains protease inhibitors (anti-nutrients) which adversely affect growth and/or the pancreas of every mammal and bird species tested

·     The phytates in soy block absorption of minerals by the body

·     Soy infant formula has 75 to 80 times more manganese and 130,000 times more isoflavones than breast milk

Soy is not, I repeat NOT, a “health” food.  The soy bean was originally developed as a fertilizer.  The soy industry, like the corn industry, spends a lot of money to find innumerable ways to market their product.  They fund not-so-independent studies to “prove” that soy is good for you.  They don't really care whether or not it is.  The FDA (friend of industry—not consumer) has supported the soy industry by allowing its various health claims, such as “heart healthy” or “lowers risk of cancer,” etc. to be perpetrated to the public.  And the medical profession, sadly, accepts the FDA's pronouncements as fact.  These industry studies are not supported by independent studies, however.  To the contrary, there are many studies that have shown soy to be either downright UN-healthy, or at least suspect.  

If you truly believe that eating meat is dangerous or at least “suspect”-- whatever you do, don’t replace it with soy products.  There is enough evidence by both scientific research and anecdotal reports to show that soy products are not safe, nutritious substitutes for meat.  Check out the documentation below before you buy your next carton of soy milk.  You are in charge of your own health.  Don’t be swayed by slick marketing and government promises.  Inform yourself through reliable sources.  The truth is out there! 

“Seek, and ye shall find.”

Soy Milk Dangers

The Hidden Dangers of Soy

Dangers of Soy

Soy Alert

Newest Research on Why You Should Avoid Soy

Danger in Soy Products

The Truth About Soy

The Dangers of Soy Are Real -- And Much Worse Than You Might Think

Dangers of Soy Infant Formula

A Diabolical Substitute

We love our sugar.  Americans eat 21.4 teaspoons of added sugars a day, according to a recent study... that's ADDED sugar.  It doesn't count sugar that's naturally occuring in fruit, fruit juice, and whole foods.  This is like sitting down at each meal and shoveling 7 teaspoons of sugar into our mouth along with our meal.  Yum.

Keep in mind, this is the average!  That means some of us are eating more.  This is bad, right?!  So instead of sugar, what can we eat that's not quite as bad... won't make us fat or give us diabetes?  I know!  How about artificial sugar.  Yeah, that's the ticket...no fat, no diabetes.

And so the American populace has been sweet-talked into trusting the artificial food manufacturers to give us a "natural" sugar-free substitute that will give us all the sweet we want without the calories or the diabetes.  Enter aspartame, aka Equal(R) and NutraSweet(R).

Aspartame is marketed as a "natural" calorie-free sugar substitute.  The FDA has approved this sugar substitute as safe, notwithstanding the numerous studies pointing to serious health dangers. And the Aspartame Information Center is standing by to remind us in case we get a little bit insecure from warnings that continue to pop up in the news from time to time (or in blogs like this).  "Did you know... the safety of aspartame has been affirmed by the FDA 26 times in the last 23 years?"  Smile, drink your diet pop, and don't worry about the facts.

According to a World Natural Health Organization (WNHO) article, Dr. Ralph G. Walton, Prof. of Clinical Psychology, Northeastern Ohio Universities, College of Medicine, Dept. of Psychiatry, Youngstown, OH, Chairman of the Center for Behavioral Medicine, Northside Medical Center, Youngstown, (is that enough clout to convince you he might know what he's talking about?) found 166 separate published studies in peer reviewed medical literature (not online blogs like mine) regarding aspartame.  All 74 studies funded by industry found aspartame to be safe, whereas 84 of the 92 non-industry-funded studies identified a problem.  Six of those seven favorable non-industry studies were from the FDA.  That should tell you something about the FDA.

Even the American Cancer Society doesn't seem to want to challenge the status quo.  In an online article about aspartame, they say, "there are no health problems that have been consistently linked to aspartame use."  Now, why would they say that, with 84 peer-reviewed studies to the contrary?

Some of the most well presented information available is by Dr. Mercola, who has published multiple articles about this and other artificial sweeteners that are well worth looking at-- particularly if you suffer from...

• Headaches/migraines
• Fatigue
• Anxiety attacks
• Nausea
• Sleep problems
• Depression
• Abdominal pains
• Vision problems
• Asthma/chest tightness

In his article, Is This FDA-Approved Sweetener Causing Brain Damage?, Dr. Mercola explains that "amino acids in aspartame literally attack your cells, even crossing the blood-brain barrier to attack your brain cells, creating a toxic cellular over-stimulation called excitotoxicity.  MSG is also an excitotoxin, and works synergistically with aspartame to create even more damage to your brain cells."  Like mercury toxicity, excess aspartate does its damage slowly.  This is probably one reason why there may not be "conclusive" evidence of neurological damage that will point directly back to aspartame.  

Our bodies were not designed to function on high daily doses of sugar, but we all understand that a little natural sugar eaten now and then won't hurt us (something well under 21.4 teaspoons, I would guess).  Neither were our bodies designed to handle large doses of chemicals.  The body does its best to clean out the garbage we feed it, but it can only handle so much before it goes into overload and breaks down.

I write this on the heels of learning about yet another one of my family members recently diagnosed with a serious neurological condition.  My siblings are not known for their attention to healthy eating.  We all love food that tastes good--but our bodies know the difference between real food and counterfeit food   God designed us omnivores to eat nearly everything, but he also gave us a brain to help us make decisions about good and evil (or in this case, safe food and unsafe food).  

If you're trusting the government to identify your safe food, well...you might want to rethink that.  The government is not interested in your health and you cannot trust it to protect you.  Just because something is approved by the FDA doesn't mean it's safe.  All it means is that the product in question has a successful lobbier.

What we put in our mouth can sustain us or kill us.  Read labels, eat natural foods (organic if possible), and avoid man-made alternatives as much as possible.  We can't avoid all illness, and sometimes things just happen.  But there is much misery we can avoid just by being kind to our bodies.  And we give it a much better chance to heal when illness does come our way by building a strong immune system with good nutrition.

Sugar?  or sugar substitutes?  How about neither?

P.S.  New article on the "New Pepsi":  Pepsi Next May Be Worse.  This product gives you all of the above!

The Quest For A Healthy Mouth

 Well, here is the update I promised to my January dental post, What Dentists Don't Tell You.

My initial consultation with my new dentist about three weeks ago lasted about an hour and a half, something I've never experienced with a conventional dentist.  At that time, they took a full set of x-rays, covering me with a lead apron that had a special collar to protect my thyroid (nobody ever cared about my thyroid before) and did a full oral examination of my teeth and gums.  Then Dr.K. proceeded to review each tooth and the general condition of my gums.  She discussed the deep pockets around many of my molars, something my previous dentist told me would need a procedure called "scraping and planing."  The whole thing sounded a bit gruesome - and certainly uncomfortable, so I decided to put it off ... indefinitely.  She believed the pockets were not the result of tartar build-up, but instead an inflammatory reaction to the metal in my teeth, as they only appeared around the teeth with metal fillings.  All the rest of my gums, she assured me, were quite healthy.  No scraping or planing necessary.  (Sigh of relief!)  For once, procrastination has paid off!

The bad news was that I have a mouth FULL of metal, which -- if I'm going to get healthy (in my mouth, anyway) -- needs to come out.  We worked out a plan to do them one or two at a time every six months or so, and it will take two to three years to complete the full process.

The first visit following the consultation was a good cleaning.  The dental hygienist was thorough and my teeth have never felt better.  She sent me home with a very nice toothbrush (not those sorry cheap things most dentists give you) and some floss, and advised me to brush at least twice a day and floss at least once... standard fare.  She also gave me advice about massaging my gums regularly with an old soft toothbrush to promote blood flow, which will prevent the gums from receding and give the dentist a good gum line when she's ready to do the crown.


Yesterday was my first procedure.  Some of my teeth have cracks in them.  The dentist explained that the cracks were deeper than enamel, and those teeth should be repaired first since they were susceptible to breaking.  So the first two teeth on the docket included a cracked molar and a tooth with a very strange and irregular filling that turned out to be a surprise.  Instead of a simple amalgam (mercury) removal and composite replacement, she discovered a weird tissue growth (gum tissue growing into a gap in the tooth from the previous filling that prevented the composite from adhering).  She would have to pull it or prep it for a crown.  I chose the crown.

To make a long (two and half hours long, to be exact) story short, after all was done and fixed up proper, she treated me with infrared on teeth, gums, and jaw, gave me a homeopathic pain remedy, and sent me home to recover.

Two down, ten to go.

The temporary crowns are very comfortable.  Aside from a little soreness in the gums, my mouth feels great only a day later.

In my treatment plan, the mercury fillings will be replaced first, then we'll talk about whether or not to replace the existing crowns.  I have about four of them -- all porcelain-fused-to-metal.  The crowns this dentist will be installing are all-ceramic.  These are not as durable as porcelain-fused-to-metal, but they have no metal in them.  Since I can't be sure what makes up the metal, I am hesitant to keep them in my mouth.  But I have plenty of time to think about these teeth, because they will be the last on the agenda.

My quest for a healthy mouth started early this year when I began to learn about the toxic affects of mercury poisoning from amalgam fillings -- of which I have a mouth full.  As many of my complaints (fatigue, poor memory and poor concentration among them) matched up with the typical symptoms of mercury toxicity, I decided it was time to get rid of the metal fillings.  For those of you with younger mouths that may not yet be contaminated, my advice is... don't let your dentist convince you that amalgam fillings are safe.  They're not.  You may not have an immediate reaction-- frankly most people don't.  That's why the dental profession has gotten away with using poison as a filling for so long.  But the fact is, mercury does its toxic damage over time.  You're not likely to notice the effects until later in life.  Then when the problems come, you don't associate them with the cause because time has disconnected the two.

Getting rid of amalgam fillings can be expensive, especially if the fillings are deep enough to cause undue stress to the tooth by drilling them out, and everyone has to make their own decision as to whether or not it's worth it.  In my case, I probably won't see a marked difference in the way I feel until most of the offending fillings are gone.

What I'm REALLY hoping for is that the American Dental Association will man-up and finally admit that amalgam is bad.  This, of course, will never happen because they know that the minute they admit such a thing, the lawsuits will start flowing and dentists all over the country will go out of business.  (I suppose we, as a nation, bring the problem on ourselves with our litigious nature.)  But at least they can quietly stop using the stuff.  No explanation required.  We can hope, right?

Are chiropractors all they're cracked up to be? I'm about to find out.

In February, I went to see an Applied Kinesiologist.  I was mystified.  But I'm not sure I was helped very much.  He gave me a bunch of vitamins and minerals... all good, I'm sure.  But the rash on my face was likely cured from the doxycycline tablets prescribed by the dermatologist rather than by the A.D.P. prescribed by Dr. S., the A.K.  Chalk one up for drugs.  And, though the A.K. doubles as a chiropractor, I wasn't much helped by that side of his practice either.

Not being one to give up so easily, however, I decided to seek a second opinion with regard to chiropractic care.  After all, I was still suffering (more or less) from that persistent stiff neck and sore back... not to mention having trouble with memory and concentration and mood and... what was I saying?

Anyway, the place where I was receiving my wonderful deep tissue massages was actually a chiropractic office, so I decided to make an appointment with Dr. Jodi and see what she thought about my condition.

Are you aware that chiropractic care deals with the nervous system?  Well, I knew it was all about the spine and the joints, but it never occurred to me that the nervous system was such a big part of it.  When your spine is locked up-- pinched a little bit here and a little bit there, you feel it in the muscles, but you might not connect the other problems you may be having (blurry vision, headaches, tingling in the fingers, mood, concentration) with an out-of-sorts spine.  Dr. Jodi educated me.
     "Like a circuit breaker, physical, emotional or chemical stresses can cause spinal bones to lose their normal motion or position.  This upsets nearby nerves.  These nervous system disturbances are called vertebral subluxations.  Like the early stages of tooth decay, heart disease or cancer, vertebral subluxations can adversely affect your health, even if you don't have obvious symptoms."  (Dr. Jodi's info.)

In my case, however, the obvious symptoms have been screaming at me for years...only I have been afraid to go to a chiropractor.  My niece swears by chiropractors.  I don't think her one-year old has ever been to a pediatrician...but he goes to the chiropractor fairly regularly.  I, on the other had, had bought into all the negative press I'd heard about this profession (more on that later).

So, my first visit included a spinal scan, and a one-hour consultation where we discussed all my physical complaints (which are many...don't get me started).  That was Friday.  On Monday I returned for the second consultation and a recommended treatment plan (something I never got from Dr. S, the A.K.).  She explained to me the necessity of starting out with frequent adjustments (an "adjustment" is working out the kinks in the spine and joints) to get the bones and joints to behave themselves and stay where they belong.  When your body's out of whack and (like mine) has been for many years, one adjustment a week is just not going to help much.  Having had this experience already, it was not hard to convince me this was true.  But, the good news was that the plan included decreasing visits that would taper down to once a month or less after about three months.  Doable.

Here is my schedule:

• Three visits a week for two weeks
• Two visits a week for four to six weeks
• One visit a week for four weeks with a re-evaluation
• Mandatory 1/2 hour health workshop (at least one)
• A promise to do all my homework

We talked finances and I signed on for the long term.

So how am I feeling?  I just finished with my first week of "adjustments."  It's slow going. There is still muscle tightness and joint pain in my back and neck, but I'm noticing improvement. There is particular improvement in my shoulders with regard to posture; and even though I still have a measure of discomfort, I am beginning to feel improved range of motion in my neck. The doctor carefully explained to me that I shouldn't be discouraged when things slip back into their old habits because the body's been used to sitting in its incorrect position for a very long time.

Chiropractic care has endured a beating from the establishment medical profession.  They are accused of not being "real" medical doctors.  But what exactly is a "real medical doctor?"  Someone who gives you drugs, cuts you open and sews you back up again?  What about someone who heals?  That famous "Hippocratic Oath" by which physicians are supposed to live would be impossible to follow using today's medical standards.  Do No Harm?  Every drug they prescribe has a batch of possible side affects that rival the ailment for which it's being given.  It makes you wonder who's side they're on -- yours or the drug company's.  Drugs do not heal, they harm.  That's right.  Drugs are designed to harm virus and bacteria in your body.  Sometimes they harm your body itself (like most cancer drugs).  They may have their place for short-term ills (like my dermatitis), but are no good for long-term treatment; and if used long-term, are likely to create new problems for the body to deal with.

The more I discover about the value of natural healing, the less faith I have in today's medical "professionals."  I'm fully ready to give the maligned chiropractor a chance.  A clean healthy diet free of processed foods and added sugar is a good foundation, but perhaps it's not the whole answer.  Addressing my nervous system issues certainly can't hurt, right?  

Now, if only my health insurance would pay for it!