Thanks To All The Soy Posters!

[codetalker]

I would like to extend my heart-felt thanks and appreciation to all the soy-intolerant posters on this board. You have provided me an invaluable service. It has become apparent that I have developed an acute soy intolerance. Without all of your posts, I would not have been able to figure out what has been happening.

A couple of years ago, I started having reflux problems. It took awhile but I finally got serious about it and got it under control via strict diet and other changes. The past several months though, something has been wrong. Certain symptoms were coming back and for no logical reason. Other symptoms, like the heartburn were conspicuously absent. I could not drink any type of tea, even chamomile. The little dab of mayo I put in my salads had to go. The same for tuna salad: no mayo. Each time, I just assumed it was reflux-related.

I had those palpitations behind my breastbone, tightness in my throat and difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath for no apparent reason (even though I swim a mile several times a week) and upper body weakness. I even lost 15 lbs.

The first three weeks in March it got worse than ever. I was forced to conclude I had botched the reflux remedies and had some sort of throat cancer.

Despite the fact that this will sound stupid, the last week in March was the annual SCUBA trip my friends and I go on. This year we went to Belize. Once I left on the trip, things showed a marked improvement. By the end of the week, all the symptoms were gone.

I came back home and the symptoms immediately returned. I concluded it had to be one of three things: 1) stress, 2) a contaminant in my house 3) something I was eating.

Fortunately, there was a flurry of soy postings that caught my attention. As a shot-in-the-dark, I eliminated the obvious soy sources: soy burgers, soy milk, soy protein powder and things got a lot better (yes, I know, too much soy in my diet; I was trying to avoid fatty meat which aggravated my reflux). Then, I started finding other things.

The mayo I was using is made with soybean oil. The chamomile tea I was drinking has soy lecithin. My calcium supplement has soy as well. Sunday and today have been bad again. Saturday, I picked up a lot of gluten-free cookies to satisfy my sweet-tooth and maybe gain back some weight. It turns out they all have soy lecithin. Sometimes, you just can’t win.

Nonetheless, the evidence is just too undeniable now. So, all you soy intolerant posters, raise up your hand, reach over your shoulder and pat yourself on the back. Good job!

Thanks!

[tarnalberry]

if you are dairy intolerant and can't use whey protein powder, you can get rice protein powder if you still need that particular item. :-)

[Ursa Major]

Codetalker, I am glad you figured it out, finding what you're intolerant to can be soooooooooo tricky!

[jerseyangel]

Hi Codetalker--so glad you got to the bottom of it!!

[marciab]

Congrats. I have soy allergy / sensitivity too and it took me forever to figure it out and eliminate it. Even my meal replacement that I depended on when I couldn't digest anything else had soy lecithin in it. BTW, did you know that newspaper ink is made from soy?

I'm hoping I will be able to add other foods back into my diet now that I have gotten rid of the soy.

Good luck ... marcia

[kabowman]

Watch out for all veggie oils, soy, no more fast food (if you even did that), soy. And, I found out that I cannot have any commercial broth - I suspect soy but could be something else. Many gluten-free mixes have soy instead, etc. Soy is worse than gluten to avoid.

Glad it is working and you found out what the problem was!

[ms-sillyak-screwed]

Ursula -- Your SOY posts are working. Don't stop.

[codetalker]

Watch out for all veggie oils, soy, no more fast food (if you even did that), soy. And, I found out that I cannot have any commercial broth - I suspect soy but could be something else. Many gluten-free mixes have soy instead, etc. Soy is worse than gluten to avoid.

Glad it is working and you found out what the problem was!

I think I just experienced the truth of this first-hand. I started adding things back in to my diet and just had a major relapse (soy, not gluten). The ingredient lists on products apparently are of no use. Either that or it's the veggie oils you mentioned. I'll eliminate those and see how I fare.

Thanks!

[ms-sillyak-screwed]

They hide the name(s) they use for soy.

They can call it "protein", or "veggie broth", "lecithin" they will confuse you with these below...

Other names for soy

Edamame

Miso

Mono-diglyceride

Natto

Okara

Soya, soja, soybean, soyabeans

Soy protein (isolate/concentrate), vegetable protein

Tempeh

Textured soy flour (TSF), textured soy protein (TSP), textured vegetable protein (TVP)

Tofu (soybean curds)

Yuba

Possible sources of soy

Note: Avoid all food and products that contain soy in the ingredient list, e.g., soy cheese.

Baby formulas

Baked goods and baking mixes, e.g., breads, cookies, cake mixes, doughnuts, pancakes

Bean sprouts

Beverage mixes, e.g., hot chocolate, lemonade

Bread crumbs, cereals, crackers

Breaded foods, chili, pastas, stews, taco filling, tamales

Canned tuna/minced hams

Chewing gum

Cooking spray, margarine, vegetable shortening, vegetable oil

Cross contamination, e.g., containers, utensils

Diet drinks, imitation milk

Dressings, gravies, marinades

Frozen desserts

Hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP), hydrolyzed soy protein (HSP), hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)

Lecithin

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) (may contain hydrolyzed protein)

Natural flavours, e.g., listed in ingredient lists may be soy derivatives

Processed and prepared meats, e.g., beef, deli, pork, poultry

Sauces, e.g., soy, shoyu, tamari, teriyaki, Worcestershire

Seafood-based products, fish

Seasoning, spices

Snack foods, e.g., candy, chocolate, energy bars, fudge, popcorn, potato chips

Soups, broths, soup mixes/stock

Spreads, dips, mayonnaise, peanut butter

Vegetarian dishes

Non-food sources of soy

Cosmetics, soaps

Craft materials

Glycerine

Milk substitutes for young animals

Pet food

Vitamins