[face=Courier][/face]I have not been to this forum in a long time, and I know that the topic of soy use has come up probably in the past but I wanted to revisit it. It seems that soy is being pushed by mainstream medical community as a super food, but I find it anything but that. I did try what was supposed to be a whey shake a few years ago only to find it loaded with soy (reminds us to read labels carefully). I noticed when I used it, I just did not feel well and often felt spacey which I know now is what a lot of people report when using soy products. I guess this has to do a lot with it affecting your hormones as well as your thyroid functions.

My husband is an O and a few years ago was getting cluster headaches so began seeing a well respected area naturopath. He immediately told him to start using soy shakes. With diet and exercise, he did lose 30 lbs only to regain it this fall (started graduate school, lots of stress and lack of regular exercise). This doctor now wants him to go back on the soy shakes and I am resisting. He did recommend another shake that is rice based without soy. He wants me to use these as well in addition to diet and exercise to lose weight and bring my glucose levels finally into the normal range (I have been hovering just over the normal levels). I should add this naturopath kept telling my husband his headaches would go away if he just lost weight - they didn't and we eventually realized it was the statins he was taking that was causing the headaches.

I am not big on shakes as a long term meal solution, would prefer to get my nutrients from real, available foods, but wanted to hear from feedback from some of you, especially O's who tried these soy shakes. I am willing to try the non-soy shake for just a boost to get me back on track.

Thanks in advance.
Joyce

Might want to read  bit more on weight loss--
http://www.dadamo.com/program_weight.htm

Here is a shake that would be a better choice.

http://www.4yourtype.com/prodinfo.asp?number=BT010O


Changing how you eat is a much better choice then a quick weight loss solution. Sounds like he never changed his eating habits.

He did change his eating habits, but was backsliding a bit. I think the stress and lack of sleep was a big factor as well.

Even the rice shake may have many additives, etc. that are not good.  As you already stated, make sure to read the ingredients...

My opinion would be to get the SWAMI diet, input the data (as much as you can determine readily), and follow it, both in the foods / portions and the exercise recommendations.  You may have to adjust a bit here or there, but for the most part (>95%), it should show you what you need.

Soy shakes are great for many individuals, while being "not so great" or "downright awful" for others. Most processed foods aren't a great idea long-term. I'm not familiar with the specific product your naturopath is promoting; it may or may not contain other "avoid" ingredients.

Those weight-loss shakes do have a place; IMO they're better than weight loss surgury for obese individuals who haven't been sucsessful at other methods of weight loss. But I still think that SWAMI is a much better investment than buying "fake food" to help you lose weight. Learn which foods are healthy for you personally, and in what portion sizes, and you've got a lifetime of healthy eating, rather than a month's worth of weight loss with no real change in eating habits.

It just surprises me that a naturopath is focusing on a meal replacement product rather than healthy eating habits. Food reactions (including reactions to ingredients in these shakes) can also cause cluster headaches or other uncomfortable symptoms. Would this doctor be open to learning about BTD/GTD/SWAMI? If not, you need to decide if this naturopath is worth your time and money. Does he or she also provide other treatments options that actually help, such as herbs or homeopathics?

It doesn't matter much how famous or well-respected a doctor is. That practitioner can still be a bad fit for you personally.

I make my own soy shakes using tofu.

If I was type O, I would probably make them using cooked rice instead of tofu.

If rice did not work might look at almonds, walnuts, flax, hemp, and/or adzuki. Black beans if making a chocolate shake.

Thanks to all for your comments and suggestions. I was concerned about soy for anyone, even A's because I hear about 90% are now GMO.

I will check into the SWAMI, it is new to me but am willing to check it out.

As for the naturopath, he does recommend healthy eating and told both of us to do at least 30 min of aerobics. We are fine with the exercise and luckily both of us are big vegetable lovers so that has not been difficult. I also am not a big fan of using something like a shake when you should be able to use a normal food plan. His theory is that these shakes can reverse or help with some conditions and in my case, my blood sugar was hovering just over the normal range and his claim is that the rice shake can help move the numbers back into the normal zone.

I think he is a good guy, but I do wonder if he is up to speed on some of the more recent findings. I had mentioned the BTD to him a while back, even some naturopaths are uninformed on it.  I had become familiar with the BTD back at least 10 years ago and this was before the genotype things that you now have.

I will try the soy free shakes for the time being and see how I feel but I think realistically a shake is not a long term option.

Thanks again for all of you comments.

I think shakes have their purpose. Some people need something quick before or after exercise. Some need a very quick breakfast to keep them away from donuts at 10:00 AM coffee break. Others have a choice between "drinking a quick shake and exercising at lunch hour" or "eating a real lunch and then not exercising." They can also be quite handy after dental work when you can't have solid foods for a few days. I can even see the point of these things for people with current health problems who aren't (yet?) willing to make real dietary changes; use the shakes, get their health under control, then work on changing eating habits.

But I agree with you that shakes shouldn't be used as meal replacements when you do have access to real, whole foods. What exactly is in these shakes that the naturopath thinks you're missing in your diet? What don't they have (carbs?) that he thinks you're getting too much of in your diet?

>>"I did try what was supposed to be a whey shake a few years ago only to find it loaded with soy (reminds us to read labels carefully). I noticed when I used it, I just did not feel well and often felt spacey which I know now is what a lot of people report when using soy products."<<

The word "whey" jumped out at me because it's an avoid for Os, if that's any help at all. You dont say your type in your status thingy.