Soy products

[vegkara]

Hi Jeff:

I am new to the program and haven't gotten my book and cookbook yet!

A couple of things~

I am a new vegetarian and try to be vegan most of the time. I have noticed the strangest thing~ever since I cut out animal products, I have been in a totally depressed state of mind. I WANT to do this for the animals, my health, the environment and myriad other reasons. I just can't understand why I am feeling so funky. Do you have any ideas??

Also, I love soy milk (light), tempeh and tofu. Are these soy products okay??

My husband had a high PSA reading and we read in a book about prostate health that he should have 40 grams of soy protein isolate a day. This scares me because I know Dr. M considers it a processed food and I was just wondering what his take is on the soy products that aren't so processed!!

Thanks in advance for any comments or suggestions.

[JeffN]

Hi Kara,

Hi Jeff: I am new to the program and haven't gotten my book and cookbook yet. .

Welcome aboard!

I am a new vegetarian and try to be vegan most of the time. I have noticed the strangest thing~ever since I cut out animal products, I have been in a totally depressed state of mind. I WANT to do this for the animals, my health, the environment and myriad other reasons. I just can't understand why I am feeling so funky. Do you have any ideas??
.

I do not know exactly what your diet/lifestyle was before, and/or is now, but dietary transitions can create all kinds of ups and downs in the beginnings even when transitioning to a healthier diet.

In general, and over time, most people report feeling better, with more energy and a brighter outlook, then before. And, there is published evidence that this kind of diet best supports optimal mental health.

Give it some more time, and make sure you are getting in enough activity also, as activity helps produce all those "feel good" chemicals in the body and brain.

Also, I love soy milk (light), tempeh and tofu. Are these soy products okay??

My husband had a high PSA reading and we read in a book about prostate health that he should have 40 grams of soy protein isolate a day. This scares me because I know Dr. M considers it a processed food and I was just wondering what his take is on the soy products that aren't so processed!!.

You can read my comments/thoughts and recommendations on soy products here

http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5600

and here

http://www.jeffnovick.com/content/view/467/349/

In Health
Jeff

[vegkara]

Dear Jeff:

Thanks so much for your timely reply.

I certainly think I may have been overdoing the soy consumption and will try to incorporate moderation when eating anything.....

Your links and comments are greatly appreciated:)

[Quiet Heather]

And, there is published evidence that this kind of diet best supports optimal mental health.

I'd love to see this evidence, if possible. Thanks!

[JeffN]

And, there is published evidence that this kind of diet best supports optimal mental health.

I'd love to see this evidence, if possible. Thanks!

Dr. Judith Wurtman, who is a clinical researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the director of the Women’s Health Program at the MIT Clinical Research Center, has studied the link between diet, emotions, and the brain, and have found that fiber-rich, complex carbs like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, are essential for good mood and optimal mental health.

Wurtman, R. J., and J. J. Wurtman. "Carbohydrates and Depression." Scientific American 1 (1989): 68-75.

Fernstrom, J.D., and Wurtman, R.J. Brain serotonin content: Increase following ingestion of carbohydrate diet. Science, 174:1023-1025, 1971

Also, in a recent survey of 200 people in Great Britain, 88% reported that changing their diet improved their mental health significantly. The foods most likely to alleviate mood swings, anxiety, and depression included fruits and vegetables, essential fats, whole grains, fiber. Eating regularly and not skipping breakfast also boosted mental health. Food “stressors” – those foods that negatively affected mood – included sugar, caffeine, alcohol, gluten, and foods rich in saturated fat, such as meat, chocolate, and full-fat dairy products.

In Health
Jeff

[starchcurious]

vegkara, concerning feeling funky when you first make the switch to veganism: I had a really hard time at first, probably because I was coming off of a diet of vienna sausage, pizza, kraft mac & cheese, hot pockets, food from Sonic and Wendy's, and so on and so forth. I know it seems like a person would feel better after making the switch from that lousy diet, but my body had become so used to that kind of food that once I cut out pretty much all of the food I used to eat, I think my digestive system and the rest of my body were at a loss for what to do for a while, so I felt tired, irritable, and sick at first. I really did a complete 180 when you think about it.

It took me a couple months to really normalize. At first I ate richer vegan foods, like a lot of tempeh. I found a way to use it in nearly everything, because it was a good transition food. After I adjusted to a richer vegan diet, and also after finding McDougall's page, I decided to try to try to switch to a low fat vegan diet. Just switching to a lower fat, more starchy diet actually made me feel a little weird for a couple of days. I even felt weird after I started eating several servings of fresh fruit every day. I guess any change you make in your diet can make you feel weird for a while. But, on the whole after every transition I've felt better, I've lost weight, and my skin has cleared up, so it seems I'm heading in the right direction.

Hope you transition goes more smoothly than mine did! Definitely stick with it, because you'll feel much better.

SC