To be bothered by DH's new "food militancy"??? He's turned vegan and gone a bit nuts really.

[MrsMushroom]

He's always been into healthy eating and working out...it's part of his personality. Fine.

But...a friend of his (big into uncovering government plots and all that...lizard people you know)

Well this friend sent DH a copy of something called The China Study which is a big expose on our food chain etc.

All this happened BEFORE the horse meat thing.

DH is now vegan. He's constantly asking me to read the report...telling me things like "When meat protein mixes with milk protein that is what causes some cancers"

And the latest is that cheap peanut butter has mold in it...which causes cancer.

So we can only buy organic.

He won't eat any processed foods...we hardly have any anway! As a family we didn't eat a lot of meat...one roast chicken a week which we got 3 meals out of...and maybe a bit of bacon.

That was it...no red meat really as we're on a small budget.

I'm frigging SICK of hearing it all!

he's now on Skype with his paranoid mate and they're discussing the evils of that fake meat...what's it called...you know soy stuff.

I cooked a chicken yestersay which I ate with the DDs...he came in from work and asked me to cover the chicken up...I suspect because he was tempted.

AIBU to be bored and a bit annoyed?

Even the Fail is running something on it today.

Thanksfor the heads up, Ariel.
Very good article in the Mail and mentions what AmberLeaf said about thyroid

Meanwhile, there have been suggestions that, far from being protective, eating too much soya protein can be harmful because of its hormonal effect.

In 2003, the UK government?s Committee on Toxicity identified three groups where evidence suggested there might be a potential risk from consuming large amounts of soya: babies fed on soya-based formula, people with an under-active thyroid and women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Soya beans contain naturally occurring toxins. These include phytic acid, which reduces our ability to absorb essential minerals, such as iron and zinc, and might therefore cause mineral deficiencies, and trypsin inhibitors, which impair the body?s capacity to digest protein.

But the industrial nature of soya protein manufacture also raises concerns.

While some soya foods, such as tofu, miso, soya milk and yoghurt, are lightly processed, pure soya proteins ? the sort you might find in a veggie sausage or vegan cheese ? are commonly extracted by washing soya flour in acid in aluminium tanks.

This raises the possibility that aluminium, which is bad for the brain and nervous system, can leach into the product.

Another potential concern is the chemical solvent hexane ? a component in glue and cement ? is used to extract the oil from soya beans. It is known to poison the human nervous system.

Through repeated exposure, people can develop neurological problems similar to those experienced by solvent abusers.

The soya industry claims only trace residues of hexane find their way into the finished product.

Processing also frees up glutamic acid from the soya, a substance that can trigger allergic reactions.

Soya is one of the eight most common food allergens, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

A further issue with many soya products is not the soya itself, but what is added to it.

As soya protein is pale, odourless and almost taste-free, many manufacturers rely on sweeteners, artificial flavourings, salt and colourings to make their products more appealing.

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2284435/Horsemeat-scandal-Think-soyas-safer-choice-meat-Think-again.html

Also a good article on olive oil and mediterranean diet in today's Mail

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2284523/Eating-Mediterranean-diet-cuts-heart-stroke-risk-third.html

'Very good article in the Mail'

See- that for me immediately destroys any argument

'See- that for me immediately destroys any argument'

But can't you see that that is exactly what they want you think, so that you read the Guardian and start believing that eating insects is healthier than eating meat and will help you "save the planet"?

I'm afraid that's true.

It is actually just a badly paraphrased version of the original.

Claig, I'm absolutely certain you don't need to be worrying about any MNers rushing earnestly down to the insect shop because they have been duped by the government into doing so.

Actually some people in Africa (can't remember exactly where) make very tasty looking burgers out of the insects swarming over the lake. They BBQ them.

Stop reading their tall tale about eating insects that will make you quail, written by cabs for hire up for sale, don't continue to fail, seek the truth that is on the nail, open up your Daily Mail!

I don't think soya is all bad is it? My understanding was that that the traditional preparation of soy ie tofu and tempeh removed many of those dangers.

I think the issue is of so used as a cheap filler, where it is processed very differently.

'Actually some people in Africa (can't remember exactly where) make very tasty looking burgers out of the insects swarming over the lake. They BBQ them.'

Yes they do, but some people want us to ditch meat and do the same, they tell us and sell us that that will "save the planet" and that cows' methane is to blame. Their stories are always the same and they propagate them without shame for pecuniary reward and wide acclaim.

There are plenty of articles about the dangers of soya if the Daily mail link puts you off!

I'm puzzled by the way you are constantly putting save the planet in inverted commas in every context. I have never been told to eat insects to "save the planet".

It almost seems as though you regard any environmentally responsible action as risible, leaving aside insects for the moment. It is actually true that eating less meat is good for the environment were everyone to do it, simply because animal herds take up far more room and use more energy that vegetable or cereal crops. It's a more efficient way of using the land for the same amount of nutrition.

Or does pointing that out make me a gullible, tree and bunny hugging "saver of the planet"?

On the saving the planet note, is it true that natural vegetation is cleared to make way for massive soya crops?

...and does it happen for soya any more than other crops~?

ItsAllGoingToBeFine, in Asia soya products are produced in such a way as to reduce or eliminate the antinutrients, but that is not true of many of the soya-based products used in the West today

Read this Guardian article

www.guardian.co.uk/news/2006/jul/25/food.foodanddrink

'On the saving the planet note, is it true that natural vegetation is cleared to make way for massive soya crops?'

They say they want to "save the planet" (in quotes because that is what they say), they say they believe in "sustainability", but the soya fields are not "sustainable" and they tell us meat production is not "sustainable" for teh future of the "planet"

'In many ways it is the perfect place to grow unsustainable soy. Ruled by despotic dictators for centuries

...

In the last year the amount of land planted with soy has grown to a record 2.6 million hectares, most of which is GM, leading to claims of deforestation, violent land disputes and the ?poisoning? of local communities.

Already it is estimated that 90 per cent of the Atlantic Rainforest in Paraguay has been lost to make way for crops, taking with it thousands of unique plants species, hundreds of rare birds and endangered animals like the jaguar.

There is evidence that soy production is now moving into the vast ?Gran Chaco? in the north of the country, the home of some of the last uncontracted tribes on Earth. The Natural History Museum are currently planning an expedition to the area in the hope of finding hundreds of undiscovered species before it is too late.

Its not just animals that suffer, the forests were also home to humans. Groups of Guarani people claim they have been driven from their land by the soy farmers. They can be seen camping in pathetic tarpaulin shacks in the town squares or on the road side.

www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/8391748/GM-soy-The-invisible-ingredient-poisoning-children.html

That's an interesting link Claig. It looks like soy j's an issued for on veggies too given the amount of it in animal feed!

Confirmed what I thought though, traditionally made products and edamame are not so bad. After all, according to the DM most thins give you cancer...

Bloody hell, I love soy. Can any one tell me (haven't read all the links) if the three forms I eat it in are bad.

A) Tofu - four times a week
B) Soya sauce -four times a week
C) Steamed Edamame - infrequently, but copious quantities each time as I love the damn thing

Ok, cross-posted With Itsallgoingtobefine

Think my diet is ok whew!

I love soy milk too, but will switch to almond milk instead.

'That's an interesting link Claig. It looks like soy j's an issued for on veggies too given the amount of it in animal feed!'

Yes it is an issue for all of us, since soya is added to 60% of our processed food. It is in bread and biscuits and cakes and cereals. It is hard to escape it. But you won't hear the "five-a-day" brigade mentioning it, just as they don'y mention aspartame and many other things. Why?

I think the obvious solution is to eat the lizards.

flatbread, take some time to read this Guardian article

www.guardian.co.uk/news/2006/jul/25/food.foodanddrink

flatbread if you eat organically grown soya and buy from firms like Alpro which is grown in Belgium ( I think) you're okay.

I try to avoid eating palm oil which is difficult, it seems to be in everything, because it is also doing untold damage to tropical forests.

IMO anything that huge global companies get their mitts on becomes exploitative due to the massive size of their operations ( firmly believe that all countries should try to be self sufficient as much as is possible to avoid this)

Soya is certainly hidden in lots of things.

claig I think Ive seen that article before or similar, thats what I was thinking of.

So, does he believe vegans don't die of anything? And just keep on going?