Caution: Soy

[GinaRae]

My midwife told me today that a little soy is okay, but take it easy in the first trimester. As in, one veggie burger a day is okay, but not six. Or drinking straight soy milk, etc..

Soy has estrogen in it and that's not good for the first trimester.

Here are some articles so you can make up your own mind:
http://www.mothering.com/articles/gr...soy_story.html
Here's a search I did: http://tinyurl.com/2qq9qr

[boogiemonster]

Interesting...

I'm a happy soy-consuming vegetarian. Guess I'd better take it easy!

Now where did I put that peanut butter?

[GinaRae]

I updated the first post with some articles

[scheelimama]

Yeah, thanks. I just discovered that my tummy likes the Boca Black Bean burgers. And of course Luna bars. Both have quite a bit of soy. Seriously, those two things and peanut butter are my ONLY source of protein. I can't handle any meat right now, and I can't do milk products.

[tribalmax]

Originally Posted by scheelimama

Yeah, thanks. I just discovered that my tummy likes the Boca Black Bean burgers. And of course Luna bars. Both have quite a bit of soy. Seriously, those two things and peanut butter are my ONLY source of protein. I can't handle any meat right now, and I can't do milk products.

What about Quorn products? They have eggs I think -- but they are pretty tasty...

[scheelimama]

I've not heard of them. Are they a vegetarian option, perhaps located close to the Boca stuff? I don't mind things with egg in them, I just can't stand the smell of them cooking (really I can't stand the smell of anything cooking.)

[tribalmax]

http://www.quorn.us//cmpage.aspx?section=WhatIsQuorn

"You can depend on Quorn products to always be meat-free and soy-free.
There are believed to be over 600,000 varieties of fungi in the world, some of which are the most sought after foods like varieties of mushrooms, truffles and morels. The principle ingredient in all Quorn products is mycoprotein (“myco” is Greek for “fungi”). The mycoprotein comes from Fusarium venenatum, which was originally discovered growing in a field in Buckinghamshire, England. In the late 1960s, initial product development began, soon recognizing mycoprotein’s potential as an efficient and nutritious protein source."

They are vegetarian and soy free. They come in all kinds of meat substitute forms -- nuggets, patties, roasts, etc.

[scheelimama]

Thanks Tribalmax. Do you like the Quorn products? And where do you buy them? Do you get them at your grocery store or at your HFS? They sound yummy.

[tribalmax]

Originally Posted by scheelimama

Thanks Tribalmax. Do you like the Quorn products? And where do you buy them? Do you get them at your grocery store or at your HFS? They sound yummy.

DD is allergic to eggs. And garlic, and celery -- and I am sure the Quorn products have garlic and eggs. So I haven't had them in YEARS (DD is still nursing).

But I remember really liking them!

I can only find them at the HFS here -- and you might have to special order them...they are not as normal as Boca -- depending on the size of your HFS.

[sorteep]

I agree totally, not to mention thyroid supression etc.. hence my post before about my issues with soy as aprimary protein for vegs...

[sorteep]

now speaking of peanutbutter.... I have read lots saying go easy or skip totally while PG or nursing so you don't sensitize the kids and give them a peanut allergy... so I don't know about daily or high peanut consumption either.. not to mention the high pesticides (if not organic) and common aflatoxin mold content and that's not even getting into if you eat the kind with hydrogenated fat and sugar or that peanuts have very long chain fatty acids (hard to breakdown) and also are a very high inflammatory food ..... yikes, sorry to be such a wet blanket but I'm not a peanut fan either!,,, you guys prob hate me by now (the food police that I am!) either that or you just think I am a nut case!

[tribalmax]

You know, I was going to post the same thing! I think we have to be careful to eat a variety of foods -- and not overdo any one food. We are avoiding Peanuts totally since DD has multiple food allergies. We try to rotate soy nut butter with Sun butter (an expensive sunflower butter). We also try to rotate milk -- from rice to soy to oat etc.

I think there is some evidence that avoiding allergens is especially important in the 3rd trimester -- shellfish, peanuts and the other big ones (wheat, soy, milk, etc). Clearly you can drive yourself crazy by worrying about all this (or atleast I can). For me, balance is the key -- I really try to watch my pregnancy cravings and not do too much of any one food even if I am craving it.

Another interesting note -- during my pregnancy with DD, I totally hated eggs. I actually made myself eat some eggs because my midwife was really encouraging me to (good source of nutrients and protein). So I ate them and didn't listen to my body -- turns out DD is allergic to eggs. Grr...should have listened to my body more.

Also with garlic -- I hated garlic and avoided it some -- but not as much as usual (and usually I LOVE garlic) and it turned out that DD is allergic to garlic too. So I think it is really important to listen to your body..

[Momma Aimee]

I have always avodied as much soy as i can -- ie nt useing soy prtine drinks and so on -- when preggo --

check out the health food store -- i bought a HEMP protine drink mix (no grosser tasesing than the rest) and a PEA protine one. I saw one made of bean and legum protine too (used ti last time,a nd will buy it when one of these is gone).

I am a total meat eater -- married to the great white hunter -- but i try to get the biggest variety of protin i can wheh preggo -- and rotate them.

it IS plant estrgen and as such I do not want to expose a child of either gender to a sex hormon either at teh wrong time to too much of it.

I also do not eat in general for the same reason -- you are -- in effect -- giving yourself a supplement of estrogen -- and i do not think messing with teh homonal balance is a good idea -- it is delicate enough

I also do not allow T soy (at all) as a young boy and I limit -- sticktly -- how much DH as a grwon man eats.

as far as nuts go -- i allow myself to have them every other day and I rote them...almonts, peanuts, cashwes, walnusts.......(I do however admit to PB and honey as an emergeny meal -- but for that reason alone i limit it when i have time or feel like making other foods )

call me militant.

[Mama2Setia]

Wow! Thanks so much for the information on soy! I knew not to give DS too much soy but I really didn't know all the long term effects. Oh, goodness! Now I'm feeling guilty. The only soy he gets is soy milk. I am lactose intolerant so I figured he is too.

We actually started him on whole milk when he moved on to whole foods but he didn't like it. So we tried soy milk and he loves it! I know soy milk is much more sweeter than cow milk.

I'll have to go ponder this over with DH. DH is a huge soy fan!

[tribalmax]

I think it is worth noting that there are different views on too much soy. Several naturopaths I have worked with actually don't believe the research that excessive soy is bad for you.

Just wanted to point that out -- like anything else (and perhaps more so with this issue) there are folks who believe any soy is bad and folks who believe too much is bad and folks who believe you can eat as much as you want.

For me, balance is the key. There are lots of health benefits to soy -- and we try to eat a variety of foods.

[GinaRae]

How about green leafy stuff and nuts and seeds for protein?