Comments on: Soy

By: jill

jill — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:51:59 +0000

I’ve been doing martial arts for the past four years, which includes working on my core- lots of crunches, yoga, and other pilates- like work to strengthen it.

I’ve found that the more core exercises I do, the less my cramps hurt.

also, studies have shown that calcium intake helps too- and it certainly can’t hurt.

I take calcium pills most morning- the chewable type with vitamin D added.

good luck!

By: Katie

Katie — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:55:56 +0000

Hi, new to your blog but just wanted to say being soy free vegan is irratating, and sometimes hard, but well worth a cramp free life. My son is allergic to soy, so we had to eliminate it from our diets. I was also a terrible cramp sufferer, and once I cut out the soy, I am now almost cramp-free. I frequent alot of good soy-free blogs (if you care to know any let me know) and I have my own. Good luck with your journey!

By: Joni

Joni — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:44:17 +0000

Hey mama. I’m cutting back on soy too. A couple of things I’ve been really enjoying are Daiya, Ryza Brown Rice Milk, and Earth’s Own Almond Fresh Milk. It’s amazing how much better I feel by just making small changes.

By: La Donna

La Donna — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:49:24 +0000

I’m sensitive to soy protein and have been a soy-free vegan for 3 years. It possible to do and isn’t as hard as you’d think. Cashew cream is a big help for creamy stuff. There is a mayonnaise recipe that I can share with you that is very easy and soy free. I don’t have painful periods, but I just wanted you to know that a soy free vegan diet is doable and not as hard as you might think.

By: veganmegan

veganmegan — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:30:34 +0000

Hang in there Joanna! Henry is mostly soy intolerant. For some reason he is fine with tofu, but not things made with tofu (like soy yogurt). It was a struggle in the beginning but it isn’t so bad. Especially since there are tons of non-soy non-dairy milks around for baking and drinking.

I am feeling very similarly at the moment. I went off wheat for two weeks and have been eating it again for one week. I came to the very painful realization yesterday that I have to (mostly) cut it out of my diet. I physically felt so much better without it, it isn’t worth it. Total Bummer.

I hope cutting out soy helps! Oddly enough, I have found doing crunches when my cramps are bad very helpful.

By: Zoey

Zoey — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:18:19 +0000

I noticed that you have a McDougall book in with your cookbooks, many of those recipes are soy-free.

By: joanna

joanna — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:24:43 +0000

hi everyone! thanks so much for your comments. i probably should have said a few of these things in my entry but didn’t want to load it down with my personal history.

i do exercise — 3 times a week of cardio and i get moderate exercise every day walking and carrying & chasing milo around. i have noticed that if i don’t exercise at all, the cramps are worse, so the exercise is for sure helping.

i am planning on eliminating the processed soy entirely (as much as i can), but will be leaving in tempeh, miso, and edamame in moderation.

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:17:08 +0000

Dude! So with you on this. A few months ago, I was dealing with some crazy digestive issues. Like, the way my stomach felt before I went vegan (which was caused most likely to severe dairy intolerance). I remember the way I felt the week after cutting out dairy completely and how AWESOME I felt. So I was doing my research and decided that I consumed way more soy than gluten, so I decided to cut it out completely. No more soy milk and no more tofu, since they were the big culprits. I wasn’t as mindful about added soy in the form of soy sauce or soybean oil, but I did try to steer clear of them without being all crazy obsessive. That week, I felt AWESOME. I didn’t even notice that my cramps have lessened immensely until you posted this, so HECK YEAH! I will say that I started incorporating miso and tempeh back into my diet, since I am testing out fermented soy. I haven’t noticed any difficulties with those, so for now, I’ll keep them. I’ve consumed soy in my coffee if I’m out (since most cafes don’t offer other non-dairy milks, except for a few handful of awesome ones that are never where I’m near in Orlando), and haven’t noticed a problem but I have tried to not make a habit out of it. I’ve been getting intense tofu cravings, but I’m trying to weigh whether the pros of eating it outweigh the cons of what my stomach will do to me afterward. Good luck with it all!

(Do you take calcium for your cramps? I always noticed that helped me, but everyone’s different, I know.)

By: dandykins

dandykins — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:22:13 +0000

Joanna, I’m so sorry to hear this – how miserable for you! Just a thought that I’m sure you’ve had to have had too… do you think you have to eliminate soy entirely, or would just eliminating the big things (soy milk, tofu, processed soy foods) be enough? Avoiding the biggest sources of soy might be easier than trying to cut it out entirely.

I really hope it goes well. Get better soon!

By: kfan

kfan — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:50:01 +0000

Rosalie recently cut way back on soy for the same reasons. It’s hard!