Is Tofu Safe??
 

Okay, here's why I'm asking.

I am getting sick to death of chicken and fish is getting very expensive. I can do the vegetarian thing with no problem, but I have to find a source of protein.

I do have my sprouts but I want to make meals with stuff that I like. I do like Tofu, but I heard it might not be that safe to eat.

Last month, when Alan's nurse was here she was telling me about a person she knows who has fibroids. She was eating tofu and they got bigger. She was told to STOP EATING TOFU. They shrunk. I know that Tofu has something called soy isoflavones. It has an estrogen kind of effect on the body.

When I was younger I began to develop fibroids. I was told "they will shrink as you go into menopause" And indeed they did. I have no problems.

But I'm hesitant to start eating Tofu because of what I have heard.

I wouldn't eat it everyday, maybe once a week... I would stir-fry it with some broccoli or make it various ways.

Would once a week present a danger?

Anyone know for sure??

Thanks much.

Melody

Dr Weil is a big fan of tofu and soy in general
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA40030...milk-safe.html

he has some great tofu recipes

talking of recipes....time to check the apple-peach pie in the oven:D

Chemar:
I went to that website. What a treasure trove of information. There was a link there to a person with neuropathy and Methyl B-12. I was amazed.

I also saw that I wasn't the only one asking questions about Soy and whether it's good or bad. Dr. Weill seems to approve.

But I read about processed soy foods. I have no idea what this is. Are they referring to Boca burgers, and veggie protein stuff? They also mentioned soy isoflavonoids and cassein.

Very interesting reading. I'm also trying to learn the difference between the kinds of tofu. I read where you should not eat processed tofu. I don't even know what that is.

I will probably go to my local organic store and pick up some Organic plain Tofu. I don't think once a week will do any harm. I really don't.

But I don't want to clean another chicken. I'm am SO TIRED OF CHICKEN.

lol

Hope your peach pie came out good. I know my pumpkin pie did. Who knew that just tweaking a recipe and making a low sugar, low fat version of it, well, IT WORKS!!!

My next project?? Baked apples.

thanks much.
Melody

My dd has been a vegan for about 6 yrs - she's 19 now. She eats some tofu, but not processed so much. She'll get a block and cook with instead of the ready-made burgers and such.

She seems to eat more flax, beans, nuts and rice for protien though. I think they form complete protiens when combined, but maybe not on their own.

I'll ask what she does for other protien sources.

At any rate, there are so many ingredients in some of the fake meats, I have to wonder if they're less healthy than the real meat, know what I mean?

Anyway, she's been as healthy or moreso than before she began eating like this. And she's learned to keep a fairly balanced diet. You should be able to find a lot of products where you live - it's not as easy out here, where vegan is not a popular lifestyle. But even here, there are more items in stores now.

DD made a thai steak with a soy based fake meat product for TDay that I swear you never would have known it wasn't beef. It was absolutley delish. She says the secret is to marinate a longer time (3 days on that one).

From what I see, most of her recipes lean toward Chinese/Thia and the spices flavor the tofu really well.

Another plus, she eats all the time and never has to watch her weight.

If you want to only
 

substitute one or two days, I'd do beans.

Beans are high in protein (not all amino acids tho) and high
in magnesium. If they bother you some Beano does the trick.

Edamame beans (a soy bean) are also very inexpensive, taste terrific and are a good source of magnesium and potassium as well. You buy these frozen and precooked.

For the rice I'd do brown rice. It is better for diabetics and has a lower glycemic index.

Hi Mrs. D and Brain:

I don't need the rice (I don't eat rice so I wouldn't need the brown kind). As far as beans, I sprout organic lentils and put them in two meals a day. Together with the broccoli, and everything in my salad, and my eggs (or egg whites) for breakfast, well...what I'm asking is: "Is this enough protein?"And are my sprouted lentils, the same as beans? I have other sprouts that I eat also (twice a day) and I read that sprouts have lots of protein.

I plan to buy the block of organic tofu and make it stir fried with some veggies. I was just worried about the estrogen that tofu seems to get a bad rap on.

Now about the edamame? I just go to the frozen section and they sell edamame? What the heck do you do with these? I never heard of this. This sounds like it would be a nice source, but again, it's soy right?

Is this the same thing as tofu and do I have to worry about estrogen levels, etc.?

I feel much better eating this way and the really interesting thing (and I don't understand all of this yet), is that WHEN I EAT, MY SUGAR GOES DOWN.

Today my sugar was 109, two hours after eating my grilled chicken and my homemade blueberry muffin (which I made with fresh blueberries).

I was thrilled to be able to have a muffin and see my sugar reading as 109.

This diabetes is very baffling, but hey, I can eat and my sugar goes down.

Never knew this in all my life.

lol
mel
(P.S. Thanks for all the info, much appreciated)