Please let me know if you’re looking for a article writer for your site. You have some really good articles and I feel I would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d absolutely love to write some content for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine. Please shoot me an e-mail if interested. Cheers!|Have you ever considered about adding a little bit more than just your articles? I mean, what you say is important and all. Nevertheless think about if you added some great visuals or videos to give your posts more, “pop”! Your content is excellent but with pics and video clips, this blog could definitely be one of the most beneficial in its field. Superb blog!|Awesome blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere? A design like yours with a few simple adjustements would really make my blog jump out. Please let me know where you got your theme. With thanks|Howdy would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re using? I’m looking to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a difficult time deciding between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your layout seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something completely unique. P.S Sorry for being off-topic but I had to ask!|Hey just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your content seem to be running off the screen in Safari. I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with internet browser compatibility but I figured I’d post to let you know. The style and design look great though! Hope you get the problem fixed soon. Thanks|With havin so much content and articles do you ever run into any problems of plagorism or copyright infringement? My website has a lot of completely unique content I’ve either created myself or outsourced but it appears a lot of it is popping it up all over the web without my permission. Do you know any solutions to help protect against content from being stolen? I’d definitely appreciate it.|Have you ever thought about creating an e-book or guest authoring on other websites? I have a blog based on the same topics you discuss and would really like to have you share some stories/information. I know my viewers would value your work. If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me an e mail.|Hey! Someone in my Myspace group shared this website with us so I came to check it out. I’m definitely loving the information. I’m bookmarking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Terrific blog and outstanding design and style.|Wonderful blog! Do you have any hints for aspiring writers? I’m hoping to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost on everything. Would you recommend starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many choices out there that I’m totally confused .. Any recommendations? Kudos!|My developer is trying to persuade me to move to .net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the expenses. But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using Movable-type on a number of websites for about a year and am worried about switching to another platform. I have heard very good things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can import all my wordpress posts into it? Any help would be greatly appreciated!|Does your blog have a contact page? I’m having trouble locating it but, I’d like to send you an e-mail. I’ve got some suggestions for your blog you might be interested in hearing. Either way, great site and I look forward to seeing it develop over time.|It’s a pity you don’t have a donate button! I’d without a doubt donate to this superb blog! I guess for now i’ll settle for bookmarking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account. I look forward to brand new updates and will share this site with my Facebook group. Talk soon!|Greetings from Idaho! I’m bored at work so I decided to check out your site on my iphone during lunch break. I love the knowledge you provide here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home. I’m amazed at how quick your blog loaded on my cell phone .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyways, awesome site!|Howdy! I know this is kinda off topic but I’d figured I’d ask. Would you be interested in trading links or maybe guest writing a blog article or vice-versa? My site goes over a lot of the same subjects as yours and I feel we could greatly benefit from each other. If you’re interested feel free to send me an e-mail. I look forward to hearing from you! Superb blog by the way!
This past weekend I was hanging out with Transformation Domination LIVE speakers Craig Ballantyne and Vince DelMonte, both of whom are collectively almost as cool as me.
No really, we measured it.
Anyway, after some informal “meetings” and such, we decided to head out to dinner at a Hibachi restaurant called Benihana, home of the official worst desert ever—the pineapple boat.
I assumed from the name that it would come with at least 3 “passenger” scoops of ice cream, some whipped cream, and a cherry, but no, the pineapple boat is simply a shallow 1/8th cut of pineapple, mostly rind, for $6.
Terrible.
Fortunately, their Japanese cuisine was much better than the dessert, which leads me to this suggestion: Order the Hibachi Chicken and Steak, not the Pineapple Boat.
Just a heads up.
Nevertheless, as a diet author it’s not too often that I go out to eat without coming home with a least some ideas for blog content. This experience was no different.
You see, meals at Benihana start off with a serving of edamame, or in laymen’s terms, salted baby soy beans still in the pods. Over the past decade or so, soy has been touted by the media and certain dietary organizations as a god-like health food, which, quite frankly, it’s anything but.
Now, I’m no soy-a-phobe, and I enjoyed my serving of edamame (and some of Craig’s), but I think it may be time to expose some of soy’s dirty little secrets to those of you who may not be aware.
How do decreased testosterone levels, low sperm counts, inadequate sperm production, and impaired fertility sound? Well, that’s exactly what numerous studies have linked high consumptions of soy to.
Additionally, high soy intakes have also shown to decrease thyroid output (particularly in women) as well as HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol), and may even increase the likelihood of birth defects and below average weights in newborns.
On a similar note, infants fed soy-based formulas may suffer from future impaired sexual and reproductive development.
These are issues that no one takes lightly; unfortunately, most are unaware of their existence.
So, how, why, huh?
The problems that arise from regular soy ingestion are mostly a result of the phytoestrogens (plant estrogens; also known as isoflavones) found in soy, specifically the isoflavones genistein and daidzein.
These isoflavones possess estrogen-like properties and when ingested act like estrogen in the body; while a little soy isn’t anything to be concerned about, considerable soy intake on a daily basis may be. And while there are authorities on both sides of the fence (as there always are), even the American Heart Association confirms that neither the safety nor efficacy of soy isoflavone supplements have been proven.
The AHA has also recently reversed their position regarding the health benefits of soy, now stating that the food has little effect on cholesterol and is unlikely to prevent heart disease.
Because of the controversy surrounding soy, my personal stance and recommendation for my clients is that soy protein intake be minimized in favor of more desirable milk protein supplements (whey and casein), and of course, other non-soy whole food protein sources.
That said, there’s no reason to become soy-phobic either; you can still enjoy some edamame with Sir Ballantyne and Playa Wince from time to time if you so choose. The sheer amount of testosterone that that Vince guy exudes is enough to make up for Craig’s plate of tofu any day.
All in all, moderation is key.
Enjoy today’s post? Have a different opinion about soy? Question? Comment? The comments section is where all the action is!
At least 20 comments and I’ll be back before you know it with more triple E (exciting, entertaining, and educational) blog content!
Talk to you in the comments section!
Joel
P.S. Yes, I don’t just make stuff up. All of my recommendations are research-based; this being no exception:
1. Atanassova N et al. Comparative Effects of Neonatal Exposure of Male Rats to Potent and Weak (Environmental) Estrogens on Spermatogenesis at Puberty and the Relationship to Adult Testis Size and Fertility: Evidence for Stimulatory Effects of Low Estrogen Levels. Endocrinology. 2000 Vol. 141, No. 10.
2. Chorazy PA et al. Persistent hypothyroidism in an infant receiving a soy formula: case report and review of the literature. Pediatrics. 1995 Jul: 96 (1 Pt 1): 148-50.
3. Irvine CHG et al. Phytoestrogens in soy-based infant foods: concentrations, daily intake, and possible biological effects. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1998 Mar; 217 (3): 247-53.
4. Lohrke B et al. Activation of skeletal muscle protein breakdown following consumption of soybean protein in pigs. Br J Nutr. 2001 Apr; 85 (4): 447-57.
5. Nagata C et al. Inverse association of soy product intake with serum androgen and estrogen concentrations in Japanese men. Nutr Cancer. 2000; 36 (1): 14-8.
6. Newbold RR et al. Uterine Adenocarcinoma in Mice Treated Neonatally with Genistein. Cancer Research. 2001; 61, 4325-4328.
7. Pollard M et al. Prevention of spontaneous prostate-related cancer in Lobund-Wistar rats by soy protein isolate/isoflavone diet. Prostate. 2000 Oct 1; 45 (2): 101-5.
8. Strauss L et al. Genistein exerts estrogen-like effects in male mouse reproductive tract. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 1998 Sep 25; 144 (1-2): 83-93.
9. Weber KS et al. Dietary soy-phytoestrogens decrease testosterone levels and prostate weight without altering LH, prostate 5alpha-reductase or testicular steroidogenic acute regulatory peptide levels in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. J Endocrinol. 2001 Sep; 170 (3): 591-9.
10. Strauss et al. Genistein exerts estrogen-like effects in male mouse reproductive tract, Mol Cell Endocrinol. 1998 Sep 25;144(1-2);83-93.
11. Casanova M et al. Developmental effects of dietary phytoestrogens in Sprague-Dawley rats and interactions of genistein and diadzein with rat estrogen receptors alpha and beta in vitro. Toxicol Sci. 1999 Oct;51(2):236-44
12. Kumi-Diaka J et al. Cytotoxic potential of the phytochemical genistein isoflavone and certain environmental chemical compounds on testicular cells. Biol Cell. 1999 Sep;91 (7): 515-23.
13. Anderson et al. Effect of various genotoxins and reproductive toxins in human lymphocytes and sperm in Comet assay. Teratog Carcinog Mutagen. 1997;17(1);29-43.
14. Zhong et al. Effects of dietary supplement of soy protein isolate and low fat diet on prostate cancer. FASEB J 2000;14(4):a531.11.
15. Nagata C et al. Inverse association of soy product intake with serum androgen and estrogen concentrations in Japanese men. Nutr Cancer 2000;36(1):14-8.
16. Habito RC et al. Effects of replacing meat with soyabean in the diet on sex hormone concentrations in healthy adult males. Br J Nutr 2000 Oct;84(4):557-63.
17. Klein M et al. Energy metabolism and thyroid hormone levels of growing rats in response to different dietary proteins – soy or casein. Arch Tierernahr 2000;53(2):99-125.
18. Flynn KM et al. Effects of genistein exposure on sexually dimorphic behaviors in rats. Toxicol Sci 2000 Jun;55(2):311-9.
19. Atanassova N et al. Comparative effects of neonatal exposure of male rats to potent and weak (environmental) estrogens on spermatogenesis at puberty and the relationship to adult testis size and fertility: evidence for stimulatory effects of low estrogen levels. Endocrinology 2000 Oct;141(10):3898-907.
20. Whitten PL et al. Phytoestrogen influences on the development of behavior and gonadotropin function. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 1995 Jan;208(1):82-6
21. Kumi-Diaka J, et al. Cytotoxic potential of the phytochemical genistein isoflavone (4′,5′,7-trihydroxyisoflavone) and certain environmental chemical compounds on testicular cells. Biol Cell 1999 Sep;91(7):515-23
22. Ashton E, Ball M. Effects of soy as tofu vs meat on lipoprotein concentrations. Eur J Clin Nutr 2000 Jan;54(1):14-9
23. Madani S, et al. Dietary protein level and origin (casein and highly purified soybean protein) affect hepatic storage, plasma lipid transport, and antioxidative defense status in the rat. Nutrition 2000 May;16(5):368-75.
24. Cline JM. Effects of dietary isoflavone aglycones on the reproductive tract of male and female mice. Toxicol Pathol. 2004 Jan-Feb;32(1):91-9.
25. Dillingham BL et al. Soy protein isolates of varying isoflavone content exert minor effects on serum reproductive hormones in healthy young men. J Nutr. 2005 Mar;135(3):584-91.
26. Sacks FM et al: American Heart Association Nutrition Committee. Soy protein, isoflavones, and cardiovascular health: an American Heart Association Science Advisory for professionals from the Nutrition Committee. Circulation. 2006 Feb 21;113(7):1034-44. Epub 2006 Jan 17.
27. Sirtori CR et al. Phytoestrogens: end of a tale? Ann Med. 2005;37(6):423-38. Review.
Related Posts
Wow what a great giveaway! hope to win
Thanks a lot for providing individuals with a very brilliant possiblity to read in detail from this blog. It’s usually so cool and as well , stuffed with a good time for me personally and my office co-workers to visit your blog nearly 3 times a week to see the fresh guides you will have. And lastly, I am usually fascinated with all the effective pointers you serve. Certain 4 ideas in this post are truly the most beneficial we’ve ever had.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Hey, it’s Joel! So you want to know a little more about me, huh? Well, I’d be happy to oblige :-)
I guess it all started back in 2001 (my freshman year of college) when I was just a “skinny fat” 19-year old kid. At the time, I was spending close to 2 hours a day in the gym (now my workouts last about 30 minutes), and despite my efforts, you’d probably never guess I worked out a day in my life by looking at me...