Day 24

Thoughts: I gave up soy today! Elisha would be so proud! Elisha is my earthy food friend! She told me about soy and its effects on the human body months ago, I tuned out when she was telling me about it because I love soy and at the time could no way think of giving it up! My favourite thing to do would be to go to a sushi train and have soy sauce with my plates! And she was telling me it's bad for us?! Whatttt!? So I was totally ignorant to it. I included it my Earth Diet as I justified it earthy by being made from "soy beans, water and salt".

So here's the dirty little secret about soy and whats under the bean and why its not good for us at all! Sorry to burst your soy bubble if you love soy products, I let my bubble burst today because I realized my body deserves only the best best best foods!

Soy: SO….. No soy sauce... Elisha says 'In fact SOY BEANS are possible the worse thing for you. There are copious amounts of research on soy beans, and the findings are scary. Do a simple Google search and im sure you will discover why". So I did and I was saddened by what I found, and "basically, the genetically modified soy beans changes the structure of your DNA and soy beans raises your hormone levels through the roof. They are especially not good for guys, because of the high level of estrogen in them (causing low sex drive and infertility). SOY milk and all SOY products are a bit of a scam. We are OVERCOMSUNMING soy... Pick up a product of any processed food ie dorito chips, seaweed crackers, chocolate, anything, and you most likely find soy in the ingredient list. Our bodies are trying to FIGHT away the soy as we dumping so much of it in our bodies without realizing." (Elisha)

I also found out about the processing of soy and the use of hexane in processing. Hexane is strictly prohibited in organic food processing, but is used to make “natural” soy foods and even some that are “made with organic ingredients,” such as Clif Bars®. Hexane is a neurotoxic petrochemical solvent that is listed as a hazardous air pollutant with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).CRAZY!!!!

I even found a website that said "SOY—THE LURKING DANGER IN AMERICA'S FAVORITE HEALTH FOOD". Who hasn't heard of the marvels of soy? The marketing bandwagon has touted soy as the next perfect health food for decades. In fact, its health benefits have been aggressively pushed in advertisements on national TV. And from 1992 to 2006, soy food sales increased from $300 million to nearly $4 billion! That just goes to show that soy has fast become synonymous with healthy eating. But could something that sounds so healthy be actually dangerous? Before you take another bite of tofu and another gulp of flavored soy milk,think about the effects on your body!

Soy contains goitrogens which lead to depressed thyroid function.
It also contains phytates which prevent absorption of life enhancing minerals.

It is also loaded with phytoestrogens which sometimes block the hormone estrogen and have adverse effects on human tissues! It causes Breast Cancer, Brain Damage and Infant Abnormalities!!!

Soy foods, such as soymilk, soy sauce, tofu and “veggie burgers,”. It aint good. No more soy for me.

Check out http://www.cornucopia.org/2009/05/soy-report-and-scorecard/?gclid=COHw8ryCkp4CFZMtpAod9lfjow for more information or http://www.mercola.com/Downloads/bonus/dangers-of-soy/report.aspx?gclid=CJafhbyEkp4CFY0vpAod6kEHpg

Challenges: Giving up soy!

Triumphs: Giving up soy! Oh and tonight I declared I am committed to growing long and beautiful nails (I Have been a nail biter my whole life!) and tonight I looked at my short nails that hurt because I have bit them down eewww and said enough! And I declared it to 4 of my arab friends who will hold me accountable! wooohoooo! Otherwise they will come after me with their camels! hahaaaa!

What I Ate Today:

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs and a bowel cleansing juice hehe beetroot, carrot, celery, gingerrrrrr

Lunch: cherries, sprouts and chocolate balls! Mmmm such a creative lunch ;) recipe below

Dinner: one of my favourite dishes, free range organic chicken breast with my tomato basil sauce and advocado on the side! The tastes sensations and textures go together so well! (recipe is in blog day 10)

Dessert: Cherries. Chocolate paste (recipe below)

Snacks: Cherries, green apple.

Recipe: Hazelnut Chocolate Balls.
Ingredients: Now I use no specific measurements for this, so get your being on and get creative woooo!
1. organic cocao powder (or your own made from cocoa beans)
2. water
3. olive oil
4. whole hazelnuts
5. hazelnut meal 9or you can use almonds and almond meal!)
6. oats
7. agave syrup.

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in the bowl except for the whole hazelnuts. Make it as sweet as you want with the Agave. Make it as dry as you want with oats, or more like a paste with water. It is absolutely amazing! You can roll the chocolate dough in a ball and pop into the freezer, or have it as a paste as an icing for a cake, or to add into cookies or just eat like nutella. They are totally natural, raw, organic and healthy for you with tonnes of magnesium and iron! wooo a healthy chocolate treat!!!

Costs: Today I spent $23 at the organic store, I bought some more Agave syrup $7, and tomorrow I am making buckwheat pancakes for my boyfriend and I so I stocked up on ingredients! I also bought some organic cherries! You know they are the same price as the regular ones in the supermarket! I noticed the cherries in the supermarket are more plump. It seems they are feeding the cherries something! hehe! I don't care if my fruit has dents in it, at least its organic! So I'm so excited for pancakes tomorrow with maple syrup and strawberries! I will post the recipe tomorrow!

Exercise: 30 minutes running and swimming at Surfers Paradise mmmm love the beach!!! With the beautiful Steph :) Oh and then I did a 90 minute pole dancing class with my friend Angie! haha I love trying new sports ;)

342 days to go!