Friday, August 10, 2012

Friday Food Facts: Soy



Green Girl Goodies, August 2012

Featuring information from “12 Best Foods Cookbook” by Dana Jacobi


Everyone knows that knowledge is power and that idea applies to food as well.  Many people try to eat healthy but we are surrounded by so many distorted food facts and information from companies trying to sell products that it is easy to be led down the wrong path.  When a friend of mine got married, she had on her registry a book called “12 Best Foods Cookbook” by Dana Jacobi.  I got her and her husband a copy for their wedding present and purchased one for myself as well.  Like Jacobi, I have a passion for amazing, delicious food and am a firm believer that healthy food can fall into this category as well.  She uses 3 main principles to select her top “12 Best Foods”: 

     1.       “Seek Foods with Maximum Vitality” - i.e. “more nutritional bang for their caloric buck”
     2.       “Consider Versatility and Convenience”
     3.       “Enjoy Voluptuousness, Always”  - Voluptuous, although frequently associated with sexy, actually means “delighting the senses”.   Jacobi understands that “the food we eat must ignite our senses or we are unlikely to eat it”

I decided her top 12 would be a great starting point for my Friday Food Facts.  Each Friday I will share with you information on a chosen food item to help you get a better understanding of why some foods are considered healthier than others and get you pointed in the right direction as far as choosing what to put in your body!  This week I chose from her top 12 an ingredient I have been using a lot lately:  Soy.

Not only is soy one of my favorite foods to enjoy in all of its various forms, Jacobi says “If one food is best of all, soy earns the top spot as the Best Food because it offers so many benefits and delicious possibilities.”  Soy comes in the form of edamame (soy beans), tofu, soy milk, soynuts, miso, tempeh, soy based imitation meats, soy sauce, soy yogurt, soynut butter, soy flour and various soy supplements.  With so many options to choose from, incorporating soy into your diet is easier than you think!  Once you read on about all the health benefits soy has to offer, you will begin to wonder why you haven’t been eating more of it already J

Soy offers the highest-quality cholesterol-free meatless protein and is also a great source of fiber.  25 grams a day of soy daily combined with a diet low in cholesterol and saturated fat has been shown to not only reduce cholesterol levels but also lower blood pressure.  Soy is the only major food source of isoflavones, an estrogen-like substance that helps protect and maintain bone strength, reducing the risk of osteoporosis.  These isoflavones have also been shown to stabilize blood sugar and reduce insulin resistance and to protect again certain cancers, including breast and prostate.  In addition to all these great benefits, soy is a great source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, lignans, calcium and potassium.

If the health benefits alone aren’t enough to inspire you, try out some of our amazing recipes.  Soy takes on the flavor of the ingredients around it and can be easily disguised and hidden in many dishes.  Start small by snacking on edamame and work yourself up to switching out your regular milk for soy milk or replacing one carnivorous meal with a meal centered around tofu or tempeh.  It is a hard adjustment for many but give it a shot!  You will feel great and your body will thank you in the long run J

When picking out your soy ingredients, the brand can make all the difference.  You might need to try a few different kinds to find the brand you like best.  Also, be sure to look for the “Non-GMO” or “Organic” label so you know you are getting soy products made with non-genetically modified soy beans. 


Look for more tips from the Green Girl on working with various soy products in posts to come!
 

Next Friday Food Facts:
Spinach

 


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