Yo no soy for Soy

As a vegetarian, I am overwhelmed with the constant propositions to eat soy.
From Morningstar Farms, to Silk, to the neverending boxes of GMO Tofu.
There are promises of decreased risk of anemia, heart disease, and high cholesterol.

As a woman, companies have decided to wreck my hormones by putting an extravagant amount of estrogen in my day to day products.
Shampoos, deodorants, makeup, scented tampons, perfume, haircare products, laundry soap, fabric softener...the list goes on. They all promise to leave you feeling soft, womanly, and clean.

As a mother, I am guilted in to buying my children the flashiest of flashy toys, teething rings, bottles, and FORMULA[!] to ensure my title of "World's Best Mom" is not stripped.

But, what they don't tell you are the harmful side effects these products can have. Take a few minutes to check out the links I've provided in this post to see what the damage is...

Soy is linked to infertility in woman, birth deffects for those lucky enough to get pregnant, and has been proven to turn boy frogs INTO girl frogs by way of Phytoestrogen!

"The trouble with modern soy products is that fast industrial processing does not equate to historical methods of fermenting "for two summers" or boiling "for the length of an incense". The method of modern get-rich-quick corporations is simply to leave these well-known natural toxins in our products."
-Source


Mercola has a wonderful lists of myth busters on their site found here, and also points out that "If there's unhealthy soy, there's also healthy soy." Like Michael Pollan and Nina Planck, my husband I do not think that any whole food in moderation can be harmful.
Being a sushi chef, Eamon is working with soy in many forms all day. And because of this I have become a near expert on what is "traditional" for soy use, and what is industrialized and Americanized.

So, how do you avoid these dangers?

Food:
If you are vegetarian, or worse, vegan- Please reconsider this decision. There has never been an entire society that thrived living off of a vegan diet. The popularity is also mainly an American staple, which is very questionable to me. If you are either of these because of the quality of life [and death...eek] of the animals that are eaten, look around! With the high demand of the millions of Americans demanding real food, companies are listening, and changing their mission! And, those who have had safe, sustainable, organic, and traditional practices are starting to thrive! We are right on the edge of having the quality of meat we deserve for the first time in over a century!
I am vegetarian for religious reasons. I believe that Jesus has asked me to refrain from meat for several years now. I had to pray for weeks when I was pregnant to allow fish into my diet. Finally, the Lord gave me peace and I have been able to get adequate amounts of protein for both Lily and I through the pregnancy, and even now as I continue to nurse her. I know there are several religions that require a limitation of meat consumption, but there are allowances for protein.
Remember, eat REAL food! "veggie/soy protein chick'n nuggets" do not belong in this category.
Please talk to your health care provider about adding meat, fish, or unfertilized eggs back into your diet to avoid the dangerous effects that soy could continue to have on your body.

Household:
Don't buy anything that has synthetic materials in it. Perfumes and dyes are likely indicative of the presence of photestrogens. Look for products that are scented with essential oils. The products may be slightly more expensive, but you will start to notice how little you actually need those products in the first place ;]

Personal Care:
The same rules apply to buying shampoo, conditioner, face wash, and the like. Also, instead of using scented tampons [putting estrogen right next to your overies...just doesn't make sense does it?] use something that is easier on your body.
NatraCare has a wonderful line of tampons, pads, and liners that are made of 100% organic cotton, chlorine free, and plastic free. If your looking to go even further down the rabbit hole...
Check out the Diva Cup. This is what I have been using since Eamon and I got married. I little tough to get used to, and not for the faint of heart...or stomach. But I have not had to buy tampons in years. And best of all "We use top quality silicone, which is 100% latex-free, plastic-free, BPA-free and odorless. "!
There are also more accessable reusable solutions such as Lunpads, a cloth pad that I am also very comfortable using :]

When it comes down to it, we have been decived about the "benifits of soy" and have let it come in to every corner of our home. I urge you to take the time to re-evaluate some of the products that you use to start cutting back on how much estrogen you, your children, and your HUSBAND! are consuming.

Please feel free to leave questions or comments!
OX, Mae