FitSugar

The Latest on Soy For the Ladies

Zelana Montminy — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 11:41:58 PDT

If all the mixed messages about soy products have you confused, you're not alone. Recent studies have certainly found mixed evidence on the benefits. I've been hearing mostly about soy's effect on heart disease and breast cancer, so here's the latest research on the topic.

Heart Disease
A recent comprehensive update of soy research by the American Heart Association's nutrition committee found that soy protein does not have as much of an effect on cholesterol as previously thought. The benefit for the heart is not due to a direct relationship to reduced cholesterol but rather because soy products are generally used as a substitute for unhealthy choices and also because they are low fat yet high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Breast Cancer
Soy products contain a wide range of compounds including isoflavones, which can act as antioxidants, but also function as phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are chemicals that plants make that are similar to human estrogen, and many of us have read that these phytoestrogens have been linked to breast cancer. In some cases these phytoestrogens may be able to mimic estrogen in the body or block the action of estrogen. Phytoestrogens acting as estrogen could possibly affect cell communication, prevent the formation of tumors, or change the way DNA is processed in cell multiplication.

For more on the relationship between soy and breast cancer, keep reading.

Meat Alternatives Explained: Tofu, Tempeh, and Seitan

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 01:46:16 PDT

I've been a vegetarian for over 20 years, so tofu, tempeh, and seitan are always stocked in my fridge. If you're new to the meat-free world, preparing and eating these new foods can be really intimidating. I'm here to break down the basics so you know how to choose the right one for your nutritional needs and what to expect from your first bite.

	Firm Tofu (1/2 cup)	Tempeh (1/2 cup)	Seitan (1/2 cup)
Calories	88	160	240
Fat (g)	5	9	3
Sodium (mg)	15	7.5	705
Carbs (g)	2	8	12
Fiber (g)	1	3.8	1.5
Protein (g)	10	15.5	36

Now that you know the nutritional stats, learn how these meat alternatives are made, what they taste like, and discover yummy recipes for preparing them after the break.

Soy by Any Other Name: A Nutritional Comparison

FitSugar — Fri, 20 May 2011 13:05:01 PDT

Soy is one of the most versatile ingredients; it can be eaten whole or ground, fermented, and formed into various ingredients for nutritious and healthy cooking. Not only that, but it's also high in protein and fiber and contains less fat than its animal counterparts, so it's a no-brainer for people who want to eat less meat. Want to know how different forms of soy compare in both taste and nutrition? Read on for four forms of soy and how they work in your diet!

Edamame: Edamame are baby soy beans that are harvested when ripe and sold either frozen, cooked, or shelled. The nutty-flavored beans are great for snacking or in anything from stir fries to soups. A 1/2 cup of edamame has 95 calories, 4 grams of fat, 8.5 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fiber. Try shelled edamame in a super easy side like this brown rice and edamame dish.
Soy milk: Soy milk is the liquid extracted from ground cooked soybeans. It also has a mild nutty flavor but can be sweetened with other flavors like vanilla as well as made into other dairy-like products like soy yogurt. A cup of plain soy milk has 100 calories, 4 grams of fat, 7 grams of protein, and 1 gram of fiber. Substitute soy milk for regular milk in anything from cereal to smoothies to pancakes (like these vegan pineapple pancakes with citrus cream).
Tofu: Tofu is made by curdling soy milk with a coagulant to form thick white blocks. There are four types of tofu to use in various dishes: silken, soft, firm, and extra firm. Since tofu has little flavor, it works with many different kinds of dishes (it'll just take on the flavor of your ingredients). A 1/2 cup of tofu has 97 calories, 5.3 grams of fat, 10.1 grams of protein, and 0.5 grams of fiber. Firm and extra firm tofus are great in stir fries, or even healthier baked, like in this spicy mango veggie rice bowl.
Tempeh: This form of soy is made by fermenting cooked soybeans with a mold. It is sold in dry, brown blocks and has a firm and chewy texture. A 1/2 cup of tempeh has 160 calories, 9 grams of fat, 15.4 grams of protein, and 3.5 grams of fiber. Many people think tempeh makes the perfect meat substitute, so try it out instead of bacon in a TLT - tempeh, lettuce, and tomato sandwich.

Source: Flickr User adactio

Tame Your Hormones Naturally

Heather Dale — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 10:20:25 PST

If you ever suffer from cramps, bloating, insomnia, breast tenderness, headaches, acne, or food cravings, your hormones may be in flux and need to be balanced. Hormones are crucial to our well-being since they impact our bodies at the cellular level and, if stabilized, many of the above symptoms can be alleviated.

According to The Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels, the toxins in processed foods, nonorganic produce, prescription medicine, and the environment can throw our hormones out of whack, wreaking havoc on our systems. In her book Master Your Metabolism: The 3 Diet Secrets to Naturally Balancing Your Hormones For a Hot and Healthy Body!, Jillian talks about the important role our hormones play in our endocrine system and how we can rebalance them through diet, sleep, and exercise.

Reducing stress, drinking lots of water to flush out toxins, and getting your circadian rhythms on track are all steps in the right direction toward getting your hormones balanced out, but to learn about the easiest and most effective change you can make right now, just keep reading.

Tofu Comparison: Regular vs Tofuplus

FitSugar — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 03:46:01 PDT

When I dabbled in vegetarian and veganism in college, I came to love tofu. It's so mild, so versatile, and such a healthy form of protein, that I continue to eat it regularly. When picking up a package of my favorite organic extra firm tofu from Nasoya, I saw a new label staring back at me - TofuPlus. It's fortified with vitamins B2, B6, B12, D, and calcium. I drink fortified soy milk, so I thought, "Why not fortified tofu?"

Sounds like a brilliant idea, but does it taste the same and have the same texture? To find out and see how it compares nutritionally to regular tofu

read more. Blindfold me and I couldn't tell you the difference between regular tofu and this new Tofuplus. It has the same firm, spongy texture, takes on the flavor of whatever you add to it, just like the regular tofu did, but the difference is what you can't see. I feel good knowing it contains 20 percent of my daily vitamin D, calcium, and vitamins B2, B6, and B12.

Serving size: 3 oz.	Extra Firm Tofu	Extra Firm Tofuplus
Calories	80	80
Total Fat (g)	4	4
Saturated Fat (g)	.5	.5
Cholesterol (mg)	0	0
Sodium (mg)	0	5
Carbs (g)	2	2
Fiber (g)	1	1
Sugars (g)	0	0
Protein (g)	8	8
Iron (%)	8	8
Vitamin D	-	20
Calcium (%)	6	20
Vitamin B2 (%)	-	20
Vitamin B6 (%)	-	20
Vitamin B12 (%)	-	20
Phosphorus (%)	-	10

I'll definitely buy this fortified tofu again, and if you're a tofu fan, I recommend you try it, too. If you need some ideas on how to use this new tofu, check out these recipes:

Is It a Soy Product?

YumSugar — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 05:50:57 PDT

Now that April Fools' Day, Easter, Passover, and the NCAA Championships have come and gone, what's left to celebrate? Well, for starters, it's National Soyfoods Month. For vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike, soybeans and soybean-derived products are a source of complete protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and isoflavones. Soy products are often used in vegetarian cooking, but not all meatless protein sources are derived from soybeans. Can you guess which foods are soy products and which ones aren't? Test your know-how by taking my quiz!

Take the Quiz

Yummy Links: From Twice Baked Potatoes to Real Sugar Pepsi

partysugar — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 06:50:34 PST

Double stuffed baked potatoes are comforting and delicious. - Cooking With Amy
Ten dishes to make when you are cooking alone. - Chow
Time has come up with a list of the world's best food blogs. Did your favorite make the cut? - Time
Food Network is now showing full episodes online. - The Kitchn
Next Fall the Council of Fashion Designers of America plans to release a cookbook. - Eat Me Daily
Take this fun quiz to find out how much you know about food reality TV. - Time Out New York
Eating more soy could help save the planet. - The Epi-Log
Pepsi and Mountain Dew "Throwbacks" will be made with real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. - Serious Eats

Source

Casa Verde: Eco-Friendly Candlelight

CasaSugar — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 06:15:00 PST

Even if you're eco-willing, sometimes it helps to shed some light on why we choose certain products over others, such as soy candles versus regular ol' wax. I've heard that soy is better, but it's also not cheap. So if you want to light your home with eco-friendly candles, here's what to look for.

First, shop for soy and beeswax candles, which burn
cleaner and longer than standard parrafin wax and are mostly soot-free.
Unlike petroleum-based waxes, soy and beeswax candles are made from renewable resources. Even better if the soy is grown without pesticides.
The best candles are 100 percent soy or beeswax or a blend. Palm oil wax is also acceptable.
In addition, look for candles with all-cotton wicks, such as this Timothy Han Fig Candle ($58).
Sniff out scented candles with natural fragrances, not synthetic ones that are potentially toxic.

Burning Question: Does Soymilk Need Refrigeration or Not?

YumSugar — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:00:54 PST

Soy milk, once opened, requires refrigeration and should be consumed within five days. Prior to being opened, however, soy milk actually doesn't require chilling, and has an unrefrigerated shelf life of at least one year. Then why, might you ask, is some soy milk is sold refrigerated in the milk aisle while other brands go unrefrigerated next to rice milk? To find out,

read more. The answer might surprise you: It's primarily for marketing reasons. When it entered the market more than a decade ago, the now-bestselling soy milk brand, White Wave, aimed to compete head to head with cow milk. They arranged for the product to be sold in traditional gable-top milk cartons and lobbied for grocers to place its product, Silk soy milk, in the dairy case, to convey the image of being freshly made. In reality, there is little nutritional difference between refrigerated and unrefrigerated soy milk - both are made by mixing a dry soy mixture with water. Got a burning question? Contact us. Source

DrSugar Answers: Could Soy Cause Acne Outbreaks?

DrSugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:24:16 PST

DrSugar is in the house and answering your questions.

I am struggling with acne and have been for a while; topical options just don't seem to cut it, and I'm not sure how I feel about antibiotics. Anyway, I eat a lot of soy products and recently have noticed that my acne gets worse during periods when I eat more of them. I've been doing my own research, but the opinions on the web are conflicting. Is there a link between soy and acne?
-Suspicious of Soy

No one likes to deal with blemishes. If you're curious what the doctor has to say about this matter,

read more. When I first received your inquiry, I was not sure about the relationship, so I did an extensive online search of medical databases, including the biggest, PubMed. The search for "soy and acne" returned no relevant papers or articles. Next I went to a reputable online source of medical information called Emedicine and again came up empty-handed. The next place I turned was Google. The search for soy and acne led me to a number of forums, message boards, and health-related websites/blogs. Similar to your experience, I found these sources contain conflicting information. There are quite a few reports of people eliminating soy from their diets and noticing an improvement in their acne. However, there are also a number of websites that actually promote increasing dietary soy to improve acne. The short answer to your question is no. There is no evidence of a direct link between acne and soy. However, everyone's body is different, and some people may have improved acne by eliminating soy. The only way to know for sure is to try a week or two without soy and see if it helps. Most health professionals, including dermatologists, actually do not believe that there is a strong relationship between food and acne. This is because most old wives' tales about the relationship between acne and foods, such as chocolate, have never been validated by scientific studies. However, this Newsweek article reports a possible link between highly refined carbs (such as bread and pasta) and acne. More well-established causes of acne include bacteria, hormones, stress, and inflammation. Wikipedia actually has a surprisingly good review of the causes of acne and the issues surrounding the relationship between food and acne. If you have a question for DrSugar, send me a private message here, and I will forward it to the good doctor. DrSugar's posts are for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. Click here for more details.