This is a HUGE topic.  But I like to keep things simple, so let’s break it down…

There are 3 categories of soy foods.

A:  they are good for you without negative health effects:

• Miso paste (the refrigerated kind please), Tempeh, Natto

C:  they are ok, not great, but not the worst thing ever:

• Soy milk, Tofu, Edamame (ok, I’ll give edamame a B since it is a whole food)

F:  I wouldn’t even put these in my compost bin, let alone into my body:

• TVP (textured vegetable protein), TSP (textured soy protein), MSG (monosodium glutamate), Soy protein isolate, mono-diglycerides, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, soy protein powder/concentrate, vegetable oil, and soybean oil.

How do I rate each food?

Well, basically if the food is a whole soy food AND it’s been fermented then it gets an A rating.  In general you should try to stick with foods that are in their whole form, like brown rice over white.  Most soy foods are not made from the complete soybean, but processsed and isolated bits of soy (sounds suspicious).  We have read how eating soy can be beneficial for our health (help protect us from heart disease), and that may be true, but there is also a dark side to soy, so choose wisely (refer to chart). Unless the soy is complete (whole) and fermented then some of the negative characteristics start to outshine the positive ones.  Unfermented soy foods contain a compound that interferes with the body’s ability to absorb iron and zinc, leaving us tired and immune deficient (sound familiar?). But if soy is fermented then the compound is neutralized and now we can easily absorb iron and zinc from our foods.  Soy foods MAY disrupt hormone balance, this has been controversial when deciding whether soy is safe for certain hormone-related cancers, like breast cancer.  The latest research indicates that as long as the soy food is whole and fermented that it has no negative effect on health and hormones.  So what does this mean?  Can I put soy milk on my cereal?  Should I switch back to cow’s milk?  Here’s the solution:  soy foods should never be eaten in excess.  They have some healthy characteristics but only those foods in the “A” category.  A little soy milk (C rating) on your whole grain cereal (soy-free cereal please) now and then is fine.  If you have breast cancer, check with your doctor.  I personally use unsweetened almond milk or hempseed milk on my oatmeal.  If you have a blender you can even make your own.

Summary:  Read your labels.  Most of us don’t even know that we are eating processed soy (F rating) all day long.  One way to avoid this is to buy food in their whole form, you know, so it looks real close to how it did when it first came out of the ground.  Yeah, that’s right, plant foods, and organic if you can!  If you do eat soy, go for the whole soy foods (tempeh, miso and natto), but don’t over do it.  Keep your diet interesting with a variety of different grains, beans, fruits and vegetables.  There is no “miracle” food.  And ESPECIALLY once they start ripping apart the poor little bean and isolating this and that and then trying to label it as health food.  Don’t be fooled by food manufacturer’s tricks.  They only have one interest, and it’s not on you becoming a more healthy person!

P.S. Always buy Organic Soy products.  No if’s, and’s or but’s.  If it’s not organic then you run the risk of consuming Genetically Modified foods (GMO’s).  More on that another time.  Just buy organic, thanks!