Although advertising has led many of us to believe that soy is healthy, the fact of the matter is that for many people it creates, rather than prevents health problems – including obesity, hypothyroidism, osteoporosis and indigestion.

Even those who know soy is not good for them have trouble avoiding it. Soy is found in over 60% of food products, even in places where you would not expect it to be. For example: Soy can be found in most canned tunas, canned soups, chocolate, pizza, frozen dinners, breads, muffins, donuts, cake mixes, hot chocolate, some baby foods, and thousands of other popular products.

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In today’s market 60% of the food commericaily available contains some form of soy.  Consumers need to know where the soy is hidden in such common items as prepared frozen foods, sauces, seasoning mixes and salad dressings.

Here are six quick and simple substitutes for products containing soy.

1.  Instead of using vegetable oil – which often contains soy oil as part of the mix – use olive, safflower, or coconut oil.

2.  Use real butter instead of margarine, butter substitutes or shortening, all of which contain soybean oil.

3.  Many microwave meals – including seasoned frozen vegetables – particularly those in a sauce, contain soybean oil.  Instead buy fresh/or unprocessed frozen vegetables.

4.  Instead of canned soups try using Kitchen Basics brand broth, which contains no soy.

5.  If you buy jarred tomato sauce. Buy organic brands – most do not contain soybean oil – but always read the label to be sure.

6.  Instead of purchasing pre-packaged seasoning mixes, which can contain soy, get creative and blend your own spices. For example, to prepare steamed or grilled vegetables, use olive oil, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram. Add a little salt and pepper – voila!

We have all been conned into believing that soy is healthy!
The fact of the matter is, soy products are creating more health problems, not preventing them, including obesity.

After developing a severe soy allergy and nearly dying, I learned how bad soy is at any age. Over 60% of products on the shelves that you eat contain soy. When I eliminated soy from my diet, I lost 32 pounds – weight the doctors told me was tied to menopause. For eight years I complained to doctors about my nausea, bloating and unusual weight gain.

This can be a challenge because soy is in so many products where we would not expect it. It’s in canned tuna, canned soups, chocolate, pizza, frozen dinners, most bread, muffins, donuts, cake mixes, hot chocolate, some baby foods, and tens of thousands of other popular products.

Soy has many aliases so beware…

Food processors don’t always list “soy” instead to name a few, you see labels with “textured vegetable protein” (TVP), “textured plant protein”, “hydrolyzed vegetable protein” (HVP), “vegetable oil” or “MSG” (monosodium glutamate). Other ingredients to watch out for are “lecithin”, “vegetable broth”, “bouillon”, “and natural flavorings” (unless flavors are listed). In the beginning, this was the most frustrating for me because soy is “hidden” – you have to know what to look for.

Beware that food labels and ingredient lists change so always read them…

Manufacturers can switch the ingredients used in food products without warning. Allergic consumers like myself, need to check the labels every time I make a purchase. When I go to restaurants (which is very rare) I carry a card with ingredients listed that I cannot have. If you buy packaged deli items make sure you read the labels. If you buy from deli counters where they slice it for you, if you are allergic like me, you need to make sure there is no cross contamination from other meats using the same slicer for everything. I can buy Boars Head, but only if the supermarket carries that brand only. Otherwise, I can’t buy it at all.

Believe it or not…

Vitamins, over-the-counter drugs and prescriptions may contain an unwanted dose of soy. Beware of pills with soy oil bases; Vitamin E derived from soy oil, and soy components such as isoflavones. The inhaler Atrovent is one Rx products that contain soy. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on supplements, eating the right foods will supply you with the nutrition you need.

I was surprised to learn that soy is also found…

Soy inks, paints, plastics, carpets, mattresses, cars, etc. are just a few of the industrial products that may be green for the environment but deadly for highly allergic persons. So far, I have been lucky and have not had any reactions.

To learn more and live healthier – I’m living proof! And I lost 32 pounds within eight months and never gained it back – just by removing one ingredient – soy!