Soy vs dairy

althea

Soy vs dairy

althea

As a general rule, I've sort of steered clear of soy products.  There's so much disagreement on whether we er/pr+ ladies should have very much soy in our diets.  I've been eating flaxseed regularly for a year now, knowing that it also has phytoestrogens.  There are so many other benefits from flax, such as fiber, lignans, omega 3s, and supposedly improved cholesterol levels (mine was 233 in feb, preceded by 223 in dec). 

I half heartedly made changes in my food to address the cholesterol.  I gave up meat, but my consumption of dairy went up.  Oatmeal cookies do not lower cholesterol.  LOL  I suspected they wouldn't, but I'm stubborn.  I love dairy.  But I find myself increasingly bothered by the conditions foisted on the animals for the milk, cream, butter and eggs I love to eat and bake with.  

Just this weekend I decided to try Earth Balance buttery sticks.  So far I've tried it on pancakes and toast.  I actually like it!  I am so amazed.  I've never been a calorie counter, and anything diet has always repulsed me.  Diet drinks -- blech!  Lowfat alternatives - blech!  Giving up dairy has nothing to do with calories in my book, however, and I didn't think for a minute that I'd try this butter substitute and like it. 

It contains soybean oil, soy protein, soy lecithin.   I'd like to think I'm making a better choice with the buttery sticks instead of the real butter I've used all my adult life.  The only thing that gives me pause is the er/pr+ tumor I had.  Oh well, it's not going to do any good to keep the cancer at bay if I give myself heart disease instead.  

Just thought I'd post my latest update on my quest for better food choices.   

Jaybird627

Hi Althea,

It's hard to make food changes especially when the taste buds are involved so kudos to you for making informed choices/decisions!

Be careful of soy, though. Look for organic or non-GMO. Soy lecithin is in just about everything nowadays but anything that is labeled 'organic'  either doesn't have soy lecithin or it's non-GMO.

I love my butter and won't give it up. I buy either organic or European (Lurpak is my fave). It's more expensive but I don't use it every day so the extra expense isn't all that much.

I do eat eggs and will, again, spring for the organic ones which are cage free. My neighbor has chickens but I don't get his eggs too often as he has a list he already gives to! My daughter loves eggs, as do the dogs, but we only eat about a carton every two weeks.

We drink soy milk exclusively (Silk w/DHA tastes like 'real' milk) as I'm lactose intolerant so that IS a bit of an expense but I just buy in bulk when it's on sale as the shelf life is usually a month or so.

Cheese is another expense I'm willing to concede on as the cheaper brands (like Kraft) have a preservative that I won't ingest. Amish cheeses are rBGH free as are the organics. I buy when they're on sale and use coupons as packaged cheeses have a decent shelf life. Look for products that state "no artificial growth hormones used" if it's not organic or made by the Amish.

I don't count calories anymore. I used to in my 20's but once I started eating 'right' I had no weight worries and I actually weigh less now than I did then!

anondenet

See the Dark Side of Soy article: 

I avoid all fake soy foods like soy milk or powders. Fermented soy such as the Asians use in limited amounts is different. They don't suppress the thyroid.

http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/darkside.html

Anom

althea

What is GMO?  I'm looking at the package again and it says 'non-gmo expeller-pressed oils'.  I believe the expeller press method is best as it does not involve heat.  I know I've read about GMO but can't recall what it is. 

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<>Besides the er/pr issue with soy, I am also concerned about the production of soy.  Brain is fuzzy tonight.  Someone in this section commented in the last few weeks about how soy in this country is produced and I wasn't real crazy about whatever it was that was said.  ....genetic engineering maybe?   

Jaybird627

Althea, non-GMO means "non-genetically modified organism" which is a GOOD thing! So, look for non-GMO soy products. Also, in adition to soybeans being like the #1 or #2 GMO vegetable, corn us the other one so look for organic corn (hard to find!) as being GMO is NOT a good thing.

I avoid all corn if it's not organic. Newman's makes a tasty microwave popcorn. I don't own a microwave oven but occasionally use one when traveling. I love sweetcorn (corn on the cob) but won't eat it unless it's organic. Even Whole Foods (where I used to work) has a hard time supplying it so they carry 'conventional' year-round but it's not non-GMO. I think they've recently identified a supplier (I'm in the Chicago area so this may be different elsewhere) of non-GMO corn but don't quote me on that as I'm no longer there thus no longer in the loop.

althea

anom, thanks for that link!  Very interesting reading.  Still confused though.  Which is worse -- soy butter or dairy butter?  The hard core vegans would probably say give up both of them.  Not ready for that!

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tomatojuice

I gave up soy a few years ago, when I found out I had osteopenia. I read that soy is high in phytic acid. Phytic acid Stops the bodies ability to absorb minerals, such as calcium, which is needed for strong bones. This does not apply to fermented soy products. The article stated that only the fermented soy was good for you. I don't use milk products either, instead I use rice milk. You can google the soy debate. There are many who believe it is harmful, and then there are some who do not believe it. Also I find that soymilk is incredibly gassy.

althea

If you don't use soy and don't use dairy, what do you use as a substitute for butter?

paige-allyson

Mainly olive and canola oils in my case. I occasionally use a little butter...rarely. A pound of it lasts us forever. Olive olive is good drizzled on veggies, you can dip your bread in it, there are even baked goods you can make that use oil oil instead of butter- we're talking cakes and scones here.

paige-allyson

Also- we have our own chickens- have for 2 years. We have 6 and just got another batch of chicks. They are easy to care for and many people keep a few- like 3 or so- even in city yards. There are some fun books on the subject. I don't think I would eat eggs if I didn't "grow my own" as laying hens are subjected to some of the worst conditions of any factory farmed animals. Our chickens have it good- with better lives than many peoples cats and dogs!

anondenet

Althea,

I am a big fan of organic butter which is amazing-tasting and filled with vitamins, minerals and the highest quality fats. A few years ago, I avoided butter. But I went to two Weston A Price Conferences and read up and now I would not be without it. You can see how the Amish and traditional peoples live on these foods and are so healthy.

Oh Alyson, I wish I could have a few hens like you.

I do buy free-range, organic eggs which have orange ( Vitamins and D) yokes! They are so different than regular eggs since the hens get to forage little bugs and nutrients. But there is nothing like getting your eggs from a local farm or neighbor --or your own hen house

Anom

FEB

Allyson,

I too love Rice milk, no diary for me. I use a lot of olive oil. Try it on steamed broccoli with minced garlic and some lemon juice(I use a whole lemon). It is a traditional Italian recipe.

I am intrigued by you raising chickens. I have 2 acres and my neighbor has horses, so I can probably do it legally. Is it hard? We have coyotes(even in suburban chicago!). How do you protect them? And how do you keep them from freezing in the winter? What do they eat? Are they messy, noisy?

Thanks for your advice!

paige-allyson

I highly recommend the book "Keep Chickens: Tending Small Flocks in Cities, Suburbs, and Other Small Spaces" by Barbara Kilarski- it's in paperback, $16.95 new (or free from the library .

We have a small coop my husband built surrounded by a fence. In the late afternoon we usually let them out for a while- no need to round them up at night- chickens if their door is open put themselves to bed and then you just lock them in for the night. They are protected by their coop being closed at night plus the fence around it. We have lots of coyotes around here and hear them pretty regularly/see them occasionally. They have never come after the chickens. We did lose one to a fisher cat (we think) one morning when the coop had been left open. We also had a hawk grab one but I interrupted it and the chicken survived minus a few feathers. They aren't noisy (provided you don't keep a rooster which I recommend you don't). The coop needs regular cleaning but it's no big deal. They will mess up your gardens if you let them roam in them. They aren't too good at distinguishing weeds from things you've planted on purpose.

Broccoli with lemon and olive oil sounds good.

tomatojuice

I mainly use grapeseed oil. I will though on occasion use organic butter for baking-but sparingly. I have found that you can half the amount of butter with applesauce. Quick breads and cookies come out just as moist. Also I always half the amount of sugar(even more than half). I find I don't need things to be so sweet. Adding raisins, or cranberrys, or dates will also add sweetness in healthy way. I guess cooking for me is a kind of hobby.

tomatojuice

I mainly use grapeseed oil. I will though on occasion use organic butter for baking-but sparingly. I have found that you can half the amount of butter with applesauce. Quick breads and cookies come out just as moist. Also I always half the amount of sugar(even more than half). I find I don't need things to be so sweet. Adding raisins, or cranberrys, or dates will also add sweetness in healthy way. I guess cooking for me is a kind of hobby.