Guest guest Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 On Jun 28, 2006, at 11:30 AM, renee2323 wrote: > So now, for the first time in 15 years I am wondering if I should > start feeding my family organic, free range meat. If I did not see a > moral issue with eating meat, I would definitly think that my > children would be healthier with a non-allergenic source of protein, > like meat. I think my husband would be leaner and healthier because > he would have a lean source of protein in his diet. Despite warnings > about phtyo-estrogens, he continues to eat processed soy. Non-allergenic? Any protein can be allergenic. I'm allergic to pork. It's really up to you. I'm allergic to soy, wheat, peanuts, hemp, and a few other things. I can remain vegetarian, but not vegan. If you think your family would be healthier, you must do what you feel is right. When I lost too much weight (and kept losing) and had super low iron, I did re-introduce meat to my diet. After a few months, I'd gained way too much weight and my iron was lower than ever. With proof that diet didn't help my malnutrition, my doctors said that I could eat what I wanted, so I cut the meat out again. I originally became veg out of health concerns, so it was easier for me to reconcile myself with eating meat. I only bought from local farmers with pasture-fed animals. It wasn't an easy decision, but I stuck with it for awhile, until I found that it wasn't helping me at all. If it helps you, do it. It can always be a trial period. ygg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Dear Renee, I'm so sorry for the frustration you are feeling over your decision to be veg'n and your concerns about soy. It is definately difficult to have to eliminate certain foods from our diets. The gluten free diet is a huge change, and being vegan and/or vegetarian adds another element to the puzzle. I understand your concerns about soy, and since they appear to be valid concerns for you and your family, then I really do encourage you to eliminate them from your diet and lifestyle. There are quite a few list members here to have similar concerns and who avoid all gluten, soy, and remain veg'n. You'll find that in our 'files' section, all our recipes have been catagorized by type. They are all vegan and gluten free, plus there is a large section that are soy-free as well. Kim, our recipe manager, has designated them with the letters SF in the heading, to make it easier for us to find the soy free recipes. It's really quite possible to be healthy and remain a veg'n without any soy products. Although we do not have issues with soy in our family (allergies, etc.), we use very few soy products. Most of the vegetarian soy meats also contain wheat gluten, thus eliminating them. Our main protein sources are the gluten-free grains and foods from the legume family. Beans are a staple. We also use quite a few nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans) and lots and lots of fruits and vegetables. For us, adding any meat to our diet wouldn't even be a consideration (we have always been vegetarian and the thought of eating meat actually turns our stomachs; we've never had it). But, each family needs to consider what is best for them and their needs. I would encourage you, though, to look at other options (citing food safety issues; the disease and health factors that come with even supposedly healthy meats). It really is possible to live a healthy, veg'n lifestyle --- even without wheat and soy. Wishing you success as you put the puzzle pieces together. LaDonna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Renee, I am vegan and gluten free as well as soy free, and have been for nine months now. I would say, don't be so quick to discount your options- have you thought about protein powders? I use a brown rice protein powder that I get in the natural foods section at Fred Meyer. Being pressed for time all the time, I use it in banana smoothies almost every morning, but I think it would definitely be good baked into gluten free breads, muffins, etc. It just needs to be blended rather than stirred with whatever you eat it with- otherwise it makes the food lumpy and grainy. Let me know if I can be of further help, and good luck! Courtney , " renee2323 " <reneestorm wrote: > > Hi group, > I am having a " crisis of faith " and could use some advice. I have > been vegetarian or vegan for the past 15 years. My husband has been > veggie for 15 years and we have raised our three kids vegetarian. My > problem now is concerning soy. I began to worry about 1 month ago > that perhaps soy was contributung to my Asperger son's ADD. He has > been GFCF for 4 years but many people have begun telling me recently > that it is likely that soy is a problem for him too. > > Yesterday, on another group, someone posted an article decrying the > evils of soy. > > http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/food/soy_story.html > > While the article is definitely biased, it does make some good points > about processed soy products. > > Both of my daughters have some trouble attending to tasks. My > youngest daughters has sensory integration problems and food > allergies. She is definitly intolerant/allergic to corn, wheat, > dairy, and I suspect soy because she craves it when she eats it. > > To make matters worse, I have thyroid disease, which has been > linked by some to consumption of soy. Would I be healthier if I > stoped eating soy? My mother, aunt and uncle all have thyroid > disease and they are meat-eaters. > > Finally, my husband has grown very overweight. He mainly eats > bread, cheese and processeed soy products. I have tried over the > years to get him to change his eating habits but he doesn't like > beans and is just really out of balance with his eating right now. > > So now, for the first time in 15 years I am wondering if I should > start feeding my family organic, free range meat. If I did not see a > moral issue with eating meat, I would definitly think that my > children would be healthier with a non-allergenic source of protein, > like meat. I think my husband would be leaner and healthier because > he would have a lean source of protein in his diet. Despite warnings > about phtyo-estrogens, he continues to eat processed soy. > > I know this is long and rambling. Thnaks to anyone who has read > this far. I guess I am just looking for than inspiration, recipe, > word of wisdom - whatever- that will make it seem okay because I do > not want to feed animals to my children, but I don't want to feed > them foods they are allegic to either. Renee > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Hi Renee; It's totally OK to eliminate soy from your diet and still eat a vegan diet! You get lots of protein, more than enough, just by eating a variety of fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes. Soy is totally optional when it comes to protein. But starting to eat meat would be just trading in one set of problems for another. I agree that your husband's diet is imbalanced as you have described it. He'd be healthier and leaner by increasing the fruit and veggie portion of his diet, decreasing the amount of dairy and wheat. Getting all the protein we need is super easy on a whole food vegan diet. Here is a link about that: http://www.drmcdougall.com/med_hot_protein.html Hang in there Renee! Being a gluten free, soy-free vegan is very do-able! My husband and I have been at it for over 20 years, we raised our daughter this way. Wishing you all the best, Deborah Hi group, I am having a " crisis of faith " and could use some advice. I have been vegetarian or vegan for the past 15 years. My husband has been veggie for 15 years and we have raised our three kids vegetarian. My problem now is concerning soy. I began to worry about 1 month ago that perhaps soy was contributung to my Asperger son's ADD. He has been GFCF for 4 years but many people have begun telling me recently that it is likely that soy is a problem for him too. Yesterday, on another group, someone posted an article decrying the evils of soy. http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/food/soy_story.html While the article is definitely biased, it does make some good points about processed soy products. Both of my daughters have some trouble attending to tasks. My youngest daughters has sensory integration problems and food allergies. She is definitly intolerant/allergic to corn, wheat, dairy, and I suspect soy because she craves it when she eats it. To make matters worse, I have thyroid disease, which has been linked by some to consumption of soy. Would I be healthier if I stoped eating soy? My mother, aunt and uncle all have thyroid disease and they are meat-eaters. Finally, my husband has grown very overweight. He mainly eats bread, cheese and processeed soy products. I have tried over the years to get him to change his eating habits but he doesn't like beans and is just really out of balance with his eating right now. So now, for the first time in 15 years I am wondering if I should start feeding my family organic, free range meat. If I did not see a moral issue with eating meat, I would definitly think that my children would be healthier with a non-allergenic source of protein, like meat. I think my husband would be leaner and healthier because he would have a lean source of protein in his diet. Despite warnings about phtyo-estrogens, he continues to eat processed soy. I know this is long and rambling. Thnaks to anyone who has read this far. I guess I am just looking for than inspiration, recipe, word of wisdom - whatever- that will make it seem okay because I do not want to feed animals to my children, but I don't want to feed them foods they are allegic to either. Renee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 > Yesterday, on another group, someone posted an article decrying the > evils of soy. > ... > > While the article is definitely biased, it does make some good points > about processed soy products. Try this article - it is a little less biased and actually includes references of the studies used in it: http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2005nl/april/050400pusoy.htm Soy protein will interfere with thyroid (and thyroid drugs) and does act as an estrogen (something men don't need, nor children and is somewhat questionable for many women -- estrogenic effects of plastic are one reason you should not use them in the microwave as well as being one the bad side effects of extensive pesticide use). Soy is also the fastest growing food allergy, as the protein is added to more and more products. > My mother, aunt and uncle all have thyroid > disease and they are meat-eaters. But, have they been checked for CD? It's more likely it was caused by this, not meat. > Finally, my husband has grown very overweight. He mainly eats > bread, cheese and processeed soy products. ...I think my husband > would be leaner and healthier because > he would have a lean source of protein in his diet. Despite warnings > about phtyo-estrogens, he continues to eat processed soy. Does he cook on his own? If not, changing his diet would involve mainly putting up with his complaints. Many people who are overweight will not change their eating and excercise habits. You have some control over only one; continuing to provide him with the " poison " he uses to maintain an unhealthy weight is no different than supplying alcohol to an alcholic. Presumably he will continue his bad eating habits outside the house; at least inside you can provide healthier food (and perhaps start your son on the road to healthy eating, before it is too late). Try different seasonings and different beans - after all, soybeans are somewhat close (and much nastier in flavor). Many " don't like beans " because all they are offered is one thing (say, boiled pinto beans with little added or overgrown & overcooked green beans), but they do like lentils, garbanzos, kidney beans, etc, when presented with different choices. --- [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 My first suggestion is to look into Amaranth and Quinoa as they are complete, gluten-free proteins that both happen to taste pretty good (although I prefer Amaranth). If you can't do Amaranth and Quinoa, just make sure you have some form of legumes with your grains and you'll make complete proteins (they also tend to taste better too). Lentils are exceptionally nutritious, and can be pureed with rice and left to rise like sourdough. Lentils and rice make an indian bread or pancakes known as dosa or idli, depending on how much water you add before fermenting. Other common legume/grain combinations are adzuki beans and rice, black beans and rice, etc. One of my favorite snacks is made out of amaranth. It takes some practice but you take whole amaranth and put it in a clean, dry pot over the stove. Either stir with heat resistant brush/spatula or grab the pot by the handle and swirl on and off. Be very careful not to burn it. The resulting miniature " popcorn " is excellent mixed with honey and molded into bars. As for hubby... I have a similar problem with mine! Since you mention processed foods, my first concern would be: how much trans fat is he getting a day? Even if it isn't much: I would suggest he start supplimenting with extra virgin coconut oil, as well as other vegan saturated fats (palm, palm kernal, etc) as soon as possible. Check out the book " Eat Fat, Lose Fat " for info on how fats help regulate weight, or " Know Your Fats " for a general overview of fats. Interesting tidbit: recent research finds trans fats put on more fat per calorie than other fats. The rest of my concerns for your hubby would be: Is the bread whole grain? Is it sourdough? Is the cheese made from raw milk? Is the cheese naturally fermented and aged? If not, start moving him over to these superior forms of his existing foods before trying to meddle further. I have been doing the same transition with my SO over the last year and he is now beginning to prefer the superior forms. Another thing that could help hubby right away is to start feeding more dry-acting foods. Wheat and dairy are very damp according to traditional chinese medicine, and need to be balanced with appropriate amounts of dry foods, especially sour and pungent foods. Does he like spearmint? It is an excellent drying pungent food. Otherwise add things like kimchee, garlic, onion, brined pickles, vinegar etc. -Lana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 Renee- you are facing a dilema that many of us have faced in the past. I have been vegetarian for about 17 years, vegan for 2 1/2 and completely raw for about 9 months. By moving towards a raw food diet I easily eliminated the soy, wheat, and any other items that might have been triggering my health issues. Like your daughter, I craved soy when I was eating it and the same was true with wheat items. There is a whole world of raw food out there that's easy to prepare, phenomenally delicious, and the whole family will probably love. It is easy to become a cheese, soy, and wheat person when one becomes a vegetarian. I've watched my own husband go through this struggle. He has given up the cheese and very rarely eats the processed soy products since I won't bring them home anymore. It's possible to make cream sauces using nuts, etc. I'd love to discuss this further if you have the time or inclination. This is what I do for a living-teach people how to be vegan, raw, and wildly healthy. peace and health debbie bennett dynamicwellness or rawvegangoddess , " renee2323 " <reneestorm wrote: > > Hi group, > I am having a " crisis of faith " and could use some advice. I have > been vegetarian or vegan for the past 15 years. My husband has been > veggie for 15 years and we have raised our three kids vegetarian. My > problem now is concerning soy. I began to worry about 1 month ago > that perhaps soy was contributung to my Asperger son's ADD. He has > been GFCF for 4 years but many people have begun telling me recently > that it is likely that soy is a problem for him too. > > Yesterday, on another group, someone posted an article decrying the > evils of soy. > > http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/food/soy_story.html > > While the article is definitely biased, it does make some good points > about processed soy products. > > Both of my daughters have some trouble attending to tasks. My > youngest daughters has sensory integration problems and food > allergies. She is definitly intolerant/allergic to corn, wheat, > dairy, and I suspect soy because she craves it when she eats it. > > To make matters worse, I have thyroid disease, which has been > linked by some to consumption of soy. Would I be healthier if I > stoped eating soy? My mother, aunt and uncle all have thyroid > disease and they are meat-eaters. > > Finally, my husband has grown very overweight. He mainly eats > bread, cheese and processeed soy products. I have tried over the > years to get him to change his eating habits but he doesn't like > beans and is just really out of balance with his eating right now. > > So now, for the first time in 15 years I am wondering if I should > start feeding my family organic, free range meat. If I did not see a > moral issue with eating meat, I would definitly think that my > children would be healthier with a non-allergenic source of protein, > like meat. I think my husband would be leaner and healthier because > he would have a lean source of protein in his diet. Despite warnings > about phtyo-estrogens, he continues to eat processed soy. > > I know this is long and rambling. Thnaks to anyone who has read > this far. I guess I am just looking for than inspiration, recipe, > word of wisdom - whatever- that will make it seem okay because I do > not want to feed animals to my children, but I don't want to feed > them foods they are allegic to either. Renee > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 Renee My personal experience is this .... children with ASD often have what amounts to leaky gut syndrome and while it seems they are most affected by gluten and casein, those who are VERY reactive to casein also seem to have problems with the protein in soy. If they are on a strict GFCF and soy free diet, the leaky gut can resolve and they may be able to tolerate soy again but the gluten and casein seem to encourage the body to produce a brain chemical called dermorphine. My eldest two sons were diagnosed with ADHD very early on and both are extremely reactive to soy, casein and gluten - the least trace and the eldest, who is 16, turns into a 2 year old. That doesn't mean soy is inherently bad, it just means that I think we have come to a place in our -devolution - for lack of a better word, where foods can cause serious problems for many people. As the greek philosopher once said, " let your food be your medicine " or rather in this case, it seems wise to let your " lack " of food be your medicine. BL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 2, 2006 Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 Thanks to everyone who replied to my post last week. The support helped a lot and remined me of some things I needed to hear. I started makikng veggie burgers for my kids by putting beans or lentils in the food processer with a gf whole grain and a vegetable like spinach. My son came up with the idea of cutting them out with cookie cutters. Now my daughter will now eat them and we don't have to use any soy. She is extremely sensitive to food texture so these are perfect for her. Thanks again and any further ideas or insights are always appreciated. Renee , " renee2323 " <reneestorm wrote: > > Hi group, > I am having a " crisis of faith " and could use some advice. I have > been vegetarian or vegan for the past 15 years. My husband has been > veggie for 15 years and we have raised our three kids vegetarian. My > problem now is concerning soy. I began to worry about 1 month ago > that perhaps soy was contributung to my Asperger son's ADD. He has > been GFCF for 4 years but many people have begun telling me recently > that it is likely that soy is a problem for him too. > > Yesterday, on another group, someone posted an article decrying the > evils of soy. > > http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/food/soy_story.html > > While the article is definitely biased, it does make some good points > about processed soy products. > > Both of my daughters have some trouble attending to tasks. My > youngest daughters has sensory integration problems and food > allergies. She is definitly intolerant/allergic to corn, wheat, > dairy, and I suspect soy because she craves it when she eats it. > > To make matters worse, I have thyroid disease, which has been > linked by some to consumption of soy. Would I be healthier if I > stoped eating soy? My mother, aunt and uncle all have thyroid > disease and they are meat-eaters. > > Finally, my husband has grown very overweight. He mainly eats > bread, cheese and processeed soy products. I have tried over the > years to get him to change his eating habits but he doesn't like > beans and is just really out of balance with his eating right now. > > So now, for the first time in 15 years I am wondering if I should > start feeding my family organic, free range meat. If I did not see a > moral issue with eating meat, I would definitly think that my > children would be healthier with a non-allergenic source of protein, > like meat. I think my husband would be leaner and healthier because > he would have a lean source of protein in his diet. Despite warnings > about phtyo-estrogens, he continues to eat processed soy. > > I know this is long and rambling. Thnaks to anyone who has read > this far. I guess I am just looking for than inspiration, recipe, > word of wisdom - whatever- that will make it seem okay because I do > not want to feed animals to my children, but I don't want to feed > them foods they are allegic to either. Renee > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 7, 2006 Report Share Posted July 7, 2006 CAn you tell me more about how to make those indian breads from lentils and rice. That sounds very good. , " Lana Gibbons " <lana.m.gibbons wrote: > > My first suggestion is to look into Amaranth and Quinoa as they are > complete, gluten-free proteins that both happen to taste pretty good > (although I prefer Amaranth). If you can't do Amaranth and Quinoa, just > make sure you have some form of legumes with your grains and you'll make > complete proteins (they also tend to taste better too). Lentils are > exceptionally nutritious, and can be pureed with rice and left to rise like > sourdough. Lentils and rice make an indian bread or pancakes known as dosa > or idli, depending on how much water you add before fermenting. Other > common legume/grain combinations are adzuki beans and rice, black beans and > rice, etc. > > One of my favorite snacks is made out of amaranth. It takes some practice > but you take whole amaranth and put it in a clean, dry pot over the stove. > Either stir with heat resistant brush/spatula or grab the pot by the handle > and swirl on and off. Be very careful not to burn it. The resulting > miniature " popcorn " is excellent mixed with honey and molded into bars. > > As for hubby... I have a similar problem with mine! Since you mention > processed foods, my first concern would be: how much trans fat is he getting > a day? Even if it isn't much: I would suggest he start supplimenting with > extra virgin coconut oil, as well as other vegan saturated fats (palm, palm > kernal, etc) as soon as possible. Check out the book " Eat Fat, Lose Fat " > for info on how fats help regulate weight, or " Know Your Fats " for a general > overview of fats. Interesting tidbit: recent research finds trans fats put > on more fat per calorie than other fats. > > The rest of my concerns for your hubby would be: Is the bread whole grain? > Is it sourdough? Is the cheese made from raw milk? Is the cheese naturally > fermented and aged? If not, start moving him over to these superior forms > of his existing foods before trying to meddle further. I have been doing > the same transition with my SO over the last year and he is now beginning to > prefer the superior forms. > > Another thing that could help hubby right away is to start feeding more > dry-acting foods. Wheat and dairy are very damp according to traditional > chinese medicine, and need to be balanced with appropriate amounts of dry > foods, especially sour and pungent foods. Does he like spearmint? It is an > excellent drying pungent food. Otherwise add things like kimchee, garlic, > onion, brined pickles, vinegar etc. > > -Lana > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.