Officially Off Soy And Starting To Feel Better Than Ever

[Sarah8793]

It is clear to me now that soy has been causing my stomach problems. I have stopped eating it and can't believe how much better I am beginning to feel. Besides stomach pain and bloating, I have energy returning! I hadn't associated the low energy with soy. I have already been gluten and casein free for over a year, but now that soy is out of my diet, I am honestly feeling better than I can remember. I am just amazed. At first I was disheartened about having to remove soy, but now it is totally worth it. Just wanted to share.

[hathor]

I'm glad your experience has been so positive. I was surprised when Enterolab told me I was soy intolerant. Then I went off it and found things improving I hadn't expected. For instance, my complexion is finally clear. Just to think of all the years of this and that skin care product not working and it was something I was eating

[Sarah8793]

Yes, it is strange how the differenet intolerances affect your body in different ways. I am amazed. And isn't it nice when you realize that you can go off a drug or cream, etc. just by removing something from your diet?

[Offthegrid]

I'm wondering now if soy is one of my reactors. Can you help break down any hidden sources of soy that you had to eliminate?

[hathor]

As long as you read labels, there are no hidden sources of soy in food. It is an allergen that has to be listed. You do have to check with supplements and medicines, though.

Going out to eat, it is very hard to find something in an Asian restaurant. Most sauces have soy in them. Sometimes you can get Thai curries without soy or can have things made with (hopefully wheat-free) fish sauce. I find it less nervewracking to make safe Asian dishes at home. The folks in those restaurants often seem to have no idea what I'm talking about.

You probably know all the usual forms of soy without that word in the name, right? Like tofu, miso, tempeh, edamame.

Some people don't react to the soybean oil, but some do. You will see some soy allergy sites saying soy lecithin is OK, but there are those of us who do react to it. I think you can only tell by trial and error on this one. If you do react to soy lecithin, be very careful with pills. I doublecheck even if something says it is soyfree, because I had a product where the web site says that and the label used to say that, but the new bottle says it contains soy lecithin in the glaze. Replacing that with another product, I called the company about a product that says "soy free" on the bottle, but the customer service person couldn't say if that included the lecithin form or not. I had to wait for a call back from someone else the following day.

[tom]

Woohoo to feeling better!!!

I'm like the poster boy for soy-free. Went off soy may29-07.

EVERYTHING is better.

I'm happier than any time since maybe 8 or 9 yrs old, in the 70s.

So many little things better too, like my shoes fit better and I didn't even know my feet were swelled or whatever caused that.

~10 days into soy-free, I felt like I got my brain back. Simply thrilling. :)

[Sarah8793]

  tom said:

Woohoo to feeling better!!!

I'm like the poster boy for soy-free. Went off soy may29-07.

EVERYTHING is better.

I'm happier than any time since maybe 8 or 9 yrs old, in the 70s.

So many little things better too, like my shoes fit better and I didn't even know my feet were swelled or whatever caused that.

~10 days into soy-free, I felt like I got my brain back. Simply thrilling. :)

I so AGREE! It is exactly the same for me. You are right, it is akin to feeling like you are a kid again! If I had only known about this a long time ago. I have spent the last 8 years feeling like I'm 20 years older than I am. This tops gluten and dairy by a long shot.

[Sugarmag]

  hathor said:

As long as you read labels, there are no hidden sources of soy in food. It is an allergen that has to be listed. You do have to check with supplements and medicines, though.

Going out to eat, it is very hard to find something in an Asian restaurant. Most sauces have soy in them. Sometimes you can get Thai curries without soy or can have things made with (hopefully wheat-free) fish sauce. I find it less nervewracking to make safe Asian dishes at home. The folks in those restaurants often seem to have no idea what I'm talking about.

You probably know all the usual forms of soy without that word in the name, right? Like tofu, miso, tempeh, edamame.

Some people don't react to the soybean oil, but some do. You will see some soy allergy sites saying soy lecithin is OK, but there are those of us who do react to it. I think you can only tell by trial and error on this one. If you do react to soy lecithin, be very careful with pills. I doublecheck even if something says it is soyfree, because I had a product where the web site says that and the label used to say that, but the new bottle says it contains soy lecithin in the glaze. Replacing that with another product, I called the company about a product that says "soy free" on the bottle, but the customer service person couldn't say if that included the lecithin form or not. I had to wait for a call back from someone else the following day.

Oooh no! I never, ever imagined a supplement that says no soy, or soy free, could have soy in it! I've been using some GNC products, that state 'no wheat, no gluten, no dairy, no soy, no artificial colors, no preservatives', etc. Should I call them to double check then? WHY put that on there if it has soy in it!?!??!

ps...I react to soy lecithin very much. I do have a bit of a rash now, after starting a new supplement, but I thought it was from cc from going out to eat last weekend.

[hathor]

  Sugarmag said:

Oooh no! I never, ever imagined a supplement that says no soy, or soy free, could have soy in it! I've been using some GNC products, that state 'no wheat, no gluten, no dairy, no soy, no artificial colors, no preservatives', etc. Should I call them to double check then? WHY put that on there if it has soy in it!?!??!

ps...I react to soy lecithin very much. I do have a bit of a rash now, after starting a new supplement, but I thought it was from cc from going out to eat last weekend.

Good question. Now I prefer to make customer service reps think I am paranoid rather than inadvertently eating the stuff. I suppose it could be that they get the glaze from an outside source and didn't know at first what it had in it. Or they changed suppliers. I suppose, too, they might have relied on the notion that folks react to soy protein and so the pure fat isn't an allergen. There aren't any allergen listing requirements in the law for supplements, so I guess what they say is up to them.

I don't know if the supplement I had taken for some time always had soy lecithin in the glaze or not, for sure. If it did, I doubt they would tell me. It would seem like a potential lawsuit to them.