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According to OPT:

The few types of soy that ARE healthy are all fermented varieties. After a long fermentation process, the phytic acid and antinutrient levels of the soybeans are reduced, and their beneficial properties — such as the creation of natural probiotics — become available to your digestive system. The fermentation process also greatly reduces the levels of dangerous isoflavones, which are similar to estrogen in their chemical structure, and can interfere with the action of your own estrogen production. So if you want to eat soy that is actually good for you, following are all healthy options:

Natto, fermented soybeans with a sticky texture and strong, cheese-like flavor. It’s loaded with nattokinase, a very powerful blood thinner. Natto is the highest source of vitamin K2 on the planet and has a very powerful beneficial bacteria, bacillus subtilis. It can usually be found in any Asian grocery store.

Tempeh, a fermented soybean cake with a firm texture and nutty, mushroom-like flavor.

Miso, a fermented soybean paste with a salty, buttery texture (commonly used in miso soup).

Soy sauce: traditionally, soy sauce is made by fermenting soybeans, salt and enzymes, however be wary because many varieties on the market are made artificially using a chemical process.

Part 6 of my holiday sharing serries is about whey protein and really the message here is short and sweat:

Why not just eat the original source?

Its highly processed and creates an insulin response. Avoid whenever possible.

Not only are isolated protein powders made from soy, whey, casein, and egg whites are usually obtained by a high-temperature process that over-denatures the proteins to such an extent that they become virtually useless they also contain nitrates and other carcinogens.

Part 5 of my holiday sharing serries:

Couple things to consider before picking up your next tin of diet pop (Yes this includes Coke Zero):

Artificial sweeteners confuse your brain.

The enzymes in your mouth begin a cascade that primes your cell receptors for an insulin surge, and when it doesn’t arrive your brain feels cheated.

Its like a don’t cry wolf scenario where your brain stops sending the message to metabolize the insulin (it assumes its not really there). This turns metabolism off even when your eating real foods and don’t fully digest the food that you do eat.

Even if your brain is distracted momentarily, soon enough it wants the energy boost you promised it — and you find yourself craving carbohydrates.

If you are going to have diet pop, have it with protein so there are at least some calories for your body to digest and your brain gets the boost its looking for.

Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together. — Vincent van Gogh

Part 4 of my holiday sharing serries:

Robbs Opinion of Gluten was pretty clear: Avoid at ALL COSTS!

Especially Mainly in wheat, spelt, rye, oats and millet. Corn and rice do not have gluten but do have similar attributes and should be avoided whenever possible as well.

Why should you avoid it?
Grains are reproductive structures that do not want to be eaten-protective mechanism.

When they pass through the small intestine, the immune system recognizes them as an irritant and the villa and micro villi (enzymes that help you pull in and digest nutrients) fold allowing large food particles to get into the system (to the body they look like protein, but when the body tries to process them as such it triggers an auto immune response where the bodys own defense mechanism attacks itself.

Bacteria, viruses, and undigested foods can share similar protein sequences with our own human tissue. Thus these invaders may look like “us” to the immune system. Here is where we get into serious trouble with autoimmune responses. When these substances activate the immune system (in genetically susceptible people), antibodies are formed to attack the foreign substances or antigens. The problem is that the antibodies also recognize the protein sequences in the self or human tissue that are similar to the foreign protein in the bacteria or virus. This is called cross reactivity.

People with hereditary predisposition for autoimmune diseases are particularly susceptible to food interactions with the immune system. Some common culprits are milk proteins, wheat gluten, and kidney beans. Lectins are often responsible for these reactions. Other lectin containing foods include lentils, peas, jack beans, peanuts, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice and soy.

Gut irreitation affects sleep and recovery and grains and legumes increase viral and bacterial adhesion to mucosal membranes leading to increased rates of cold, flu and infection.

More on grains and the potential to allow for easier absorption by soaking them to come later.