Soy and High Fructose Corn Syrup [Archive]

BLG1007

09-30-2008, 12:00 PM

drheather

10-03-2008, 06:14 PM

I have been doing a lot of research on soy and its effects on women's and men's bodies. I have found that it can cause irregular cycles, weight gain, hormonal imbalances, and in some cases cancer. I know that I have heard that some soy in your diet is good for you, but if you read the labels in your pantry everything has either soy, or high fructose corn syrup. I have read that Americans consume 7 times more a day of soy than that of the average Asian does in a week. I have even read that in some Asian countries they use soy as fertilizer. Even when you find something that does not have soy/soy lecithin it will say that it was made on equipment/facility that processes soy.
I now have seen that they are putting out commercials telling you that high fructose corn syrup is good for you as its made from corn and can be used as a sugar subsitute, but should be used in moderation, but again if you look in your pantry everything contains HFCS. How is "everything" moderation??

I have especially become aware of all this as I research foods that are good for me to reverse my insulin resistance, PCOS and to increase my fertility. Its very hard to find foods that are good for you while dealing with PCOS, and that won't break the pocket book(seems they charge more for things that are actually good for you. If good food was cheap then everyone would eat it and not get sick, then not need to go to the doctors to be placed on several perscriptions!)

What can we do to keep our diets on track, and lose that dangerous belly fat if we are going to go broke, starve ourselves, or just break down and eat the "not so bad for you" junk that floods our grocery stores?

I have found an organic farm(vegetables/meat/eggs), but its 35 miles away from my home and at 3.69/gal.... and the farm has stipulations about visiting. They have mulitiple chemical sensitivites and so request that you read their list before you visit. The list includes pretty much everything that I use everyday, scented deoderant, scented shampoo, laundry detergent, lip stick and so on. HELP!!!

What can we do to protect ourselves, and our families against the constant barage of "Big Food" telling us that preservitives are ok for us?

They even have splenda in diabetic candy!(saw this today while looking at glucometers)

What are other alternatives? Should PCOS sufferers eat a diabetic diet? Buy Diabetic Cookbooks?

Any thoughts? Ideas? Help!!
THANKS~!!!
BLG1007

Hello again,

Well, I had a conversation the other day with one of my patients that was similar to what you have written.

You are right, we often hear about the benefits of a food and then think more must be better. In the case of soy, sure it can provide protein, fiber and some important nutrients, but does that mean that it should be added to everything. I do think that it can be used in moderation. But too much of any food may not be healthy.

I was told about the high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) commercials from another doctor at Insulite. They were not airing where I am located yet. Have started to since then. I went to the website and sure enough, information on how HFCS is not bad for you and not much different than other natural sweeteners.

So, what can you do when you are continually bombarded with this information and when food companies decide what is best in the food supply... well first, if you don't agree, let them know. Then, as much as you can, stop supporting those companies. Certainly, this is not an option for everyone. Food is expensive and unfortunately the processed foods are cheaper but at a cost to one's health. I tell people to invest in there health by choosing the better foods. In the long run you will be saving money and it will have a positive effect on your health and well being.

Do you have a farmer's market or a local health food store that might have some produce? I think farms are wonderful to support, especially local, organic farms. But some of those stipulations can make it difficult for people to access the resources. I would contact them and see how you might be able to come to an agreement, as you both will benefit from it.

I sort of addressed how you can eat better without going broke with another women that was a student and on a tight budget, here is the thread: http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84. Included you find tips to help make it cheaper to buy less processed foods. I hope that you find it useful.

Eating a diabetic diet can be helpful and that is what we have outlined in our protocol. The think you have to watch out for is that not all diabetic diets are equal.

It really is quite shocking to see how the large food companies have managed to get into our heads. No wonder, they really are everywhere and unfortunately health is not the priority when it comes to the marketing. It will be hard to shield your family from the adverts but providing healthy choices when you have control will expose them to better quality foods and will give the opportunity for you to educate them. I imagine it is a struggle for many families to set an example when it comes to food choices.

I do hope that this helps. I look forward to hearing how you are doing.