Archive for the ‘Rice Milk’ category

Soy – A 30 Day Experiment – Week 4

September 30th, 2009

My month-long soy free journey is nearly at an end.  As I have stated in past posts, I have felt no change, in energy or weight loss, during this time.  So many pieces of research I have read before and during this trial has stated that there is a direct link with soy and the thyroid and a significant decrease in soy intake will result in heightened energy levels and potential weight loss.  I have read studies indicating consumption of soy in relation to memory loss and concentration issues.   All of those have not proven themselves during this test and so, from my standpoint, are bunk.  During this time not only have I given up the more wholesome soy in its unrefined form but I took out of my diet the processed soy you find in just about every snack food.

I have had visitors to the blog since I started this project who are vegan and allergic to soy.   To me that’s willpower.  Being allergic and unable to consume soy but then taking it one step further and deciding to be vegan for whatever reason, that takes willpower!

Eating out was limited for the past month.  Most items contain some soy additive and sometimes, even with known vegan stuff, you just don’t know if it has soy or not so it was better to abstain.  I did some deep checking into some places and found an item here or there.  One thing I managed to find out was soy free was the sweet & sour at Pei Wei.  I had assumed eating anything Asian would be out during this time and considered myself lucky on this one.  Sweet & Sour vegetables with rice fit nicely and I managed to get a plate piled with fresh veggies and a tasty sauce that hit the spot.  A trip to Atlanta left out most of our favorite eateries except for Eats.  You can’t find soy in the pesto or a big veggie plate and you can’t go wrong at Eats!

Pei Wei - Sweet & Sour Vegetables Soy Free

After this is over I’ll be going back to soy.  Of all the things I missed I think the soy milk in my coffee would be the first to come to mind.  As I said before I didn’t notice any changes during this time.  Maybe after the upcoming holidays I’ll do this again and have some bloodwork done before and after just to benefit those in doubt.  I’ve made it through one month, I can do it again.  Willpower!

One more day left!

4 comments »

Posted in Almond Milk, Rice Milk, Soy Experiment, Soy Free, Soy Milk

Tags:

Soy – A 30 Day Experiment – Days 3 – 7

September 8th, 2009

I am at the end of my first week of reading labels more extensively than I ever have as a vegan.  The soy industry has a firm grip on every aspect of our food supply, and nowhere is this more evident than in processed foods.  Soy protein isolate, soybean oil, soy lecithin – all components of just about every processed food you pick up.  Although some processed foods don’t contain soy, the fact is most do and the only way to truly avoid it is to eat whole foods.  Fresh vegetables, fruits, grains and nuts, which are indeed the best foods for your body, are also the only road to getting zero soy.  With that said, I have not been eating only whole foods.  I have found a processed food here or there without soy.  Our garden is still producing tomatoes, cucumbers and okra.  I picked a small amount of pinto beans last week.  These items typically give me a good lunch but I get lazy in the evenings, the time I really shouldn’t.

The milks I have been trying, which I have spouted about over the last two posts, have been narrowed down to hazelnut.  I have tried a few over the past week.  Almond: too much of a bite.  Rice: too watery.  Oat: grainy, gritty, liquid paper. Hemp: powdery, not as bad as oat.  Drinkable but far too expensive.  Hazelnut tastes light enough, doesn’t have a bad aftertaste and isn’t too expensive.  I spend the most time on the milk subject because I drink a lot of it.  I use it extensively in my coffee and in my cooking.

I have read many articles about soy interfering with thyroid activity.  I haven’t noticed a difference in my energy levels or any weight fluctuations since starting this plan but this is only the first week.  Those differences, should they come, would be expected later on, possibly near the end.

3 comments »

Posted in Almond Milk, Hazelnut Milk, Hemp Milk, Oat Milk, Processed Foods, Rice Milk, Soy Experiment, Soy Free, Soy Milk

Tags:

Soy Milk vs. Rice Milk vs. Hazelnut Milk

February 12th, 2009

Go out to get a coffee and you’ll most likely have the options of whole milk, 2% milk, skim milk and soy milk.   Why do you never find rice milk, almond milk, or goat milk for that matter,  as a choice in your coffee?  I decided to get out of the soy milk rut at home with my coffee and picked up some rice milk.  I used Trader Joe’s Rice Drink from the refrigerated section to try first.  I always found rice milk to be watery and this was no exception.  It is also a bit on the sweet side which isn’t a bad thing considering a like my coffee sweetened, usually with a vanilla syrup I make myself.   Steaming rice milk doesn’t seem to work well if you like foam.  You seem to get a good foam started but it all breaks down to nothing as soon as it gets heavy.  The rice milk lends no flavor to the end drink, so for me it doesn’t work.  No foam, no flavor, no worky.

I also tried hazelnut milk from Pacific Foods.   The consistency is the same as rice milk but the flavor is a bit better.  Still, if you like foam this one doesn’t work.  I’m sure the watery formulas of these two are what lends to the lack of foam production during the steaming.

For now I will stick with soy milk but I will be trying others.  Oat Milk?  Hemp Milk?

3 comments »

Posted in Almond Milk, Hazelnut Milk, Hemp Milk, Rice Milk, Soy Free, Soy Milk

Tags: