So, What's the Deal with Soy?

When I went gluten free I learned more about food than just about the gluten I couldn’t eat. I learned about nutrition and health in general. You see, even though I have always been healthy and fit, frankly I didn't know jack about nutrition. I was actually very ignorant to nutrition, like I think many people have been up until the past few decades or at least up until they reached their thirties when metabolism and hormones and all sorts of things start changing and everything starts to hit you at once. 

I’m one of those people who never really had to try to stay fit. I grew up in a household with ten different bags of snack foods in the cupboard at any given time. Doritos, potato chips- sour cream onion, salt and vinegar and regular varieties, popcorn, cheez doodles, pretzels, you name it. My mom happened to be a salt -o- holic junk food junkie, just like me and I loved it! That's how we bonded, over french fries and hot fudge sundaes WITH nuts, or with peanut butter cups and Doritos on our drive to drop my sister off at gymnastics a couple days a week.  I managed to stay in great shape all my life, active in sports, and felt great up until a couple years ago. 

When I first went gluten free I saw a nutritionist who gave me a list of all the foods I could eat and the foods I should avoid and then sent me on my way. Soy was one of those foods that I had to be careful of because you see, some soy contains gluten and some does not. At one time I knew which one was gluten free, but since then I’ve forgotten because as I was cutting the gluten and eating cleaner overall by adding more fruits and vegetables to my diet, I noticed that when I did eat certain foods (soy being one of them) I could immediately feel a difference in my physical body as well as in my mood. I had done a little bit of research on soy and decided that since the health benefits are not convincing to me, I would for the most part like to live without it.   

This is what Dr. Mercola says about soy in his article, This "Miracle Health Food" Has Been Linked to Brain Damage and Breast Cancer.

“Soy sauce, which is traditionally made by fermenting soybeans, salt and enzymes; be wary because many varieties on the market today are made artificially using a chemical process.”

Click here for the full article where he points to other resources on the soy debate.  

Needless to say I am not too keen on taking risks with my health anymore by putting “foods” into my body that have been chemically processed.  Apparently, fermented soy like soy sauce is OK for you unless it is chemically processed, (and how would I really know that?). But unfermented soy like tofu is not good for you. Either way, I don’t have time to try figure it all out and would rather just avoid soy and focus on the hundreds of natural, fresh foods that are available to me that I know for a fact will not leave me feeling fatigued, achy or sick to my stomach.  

I didn’t have to search far before I found a soy and gluten free “soy sauce,” that is in my opinion better than the real thing.

Here it is:

Gluten/Soy Free Stir Fry Sauce:

2 cups beef broth (Organic is best, doesn’t have a lot of added stuff and won’t end up too salty)

1 tsp. molasses

1 tsp. diced ginger

2 tsp. cider vinegar

2 bay leaves

1 T diced shallot

Put all in saucepan, boil lightly (uncovered) until reduced to 1/2-1/3 of a cup. Strain it and use as needed but add dash of pepper, onion powder and garlic powder before using.

Stir fry your meat and vegetables, pour your stir fry sauce on top and you have a fresh tasting, healthy and beautiful looking meal.