If you've been a faithful regular consumer of tofu and now are mortified by the finding that regular consumption of tofu may raise the risk of memory loss, take heart. As always with studies of the effects of food on health the analysis is very complex, there are plenty of question marks and there is still a great deal more work to do.
This crisis reminds me of the warnings about consuming farmed salmon. In principle, salmon is a terrific food, delivering loads of healthy Omega-3 fats that offer an excellent protection against a range of diseases. As farmed salmon are fed with fish meal that apparently concentrates toxic substances in the environment, the red flag was raised over farmed salmon. Wild salmon is hard to come by on a regular basis and when it is available is too expensive for most people. In Scandinavia, where salmon is a staple food, people had to ask themselves whether they were better off with no salmon at all or with some farmed salmon in their diet. The logical and intelligent answer was, of course, the latter.
These types of crises over 'superfoods' can help each of us to mature when it comes to understanding what a healthy diet is. After you have been through a few of these crises, what you begin to realize is that your values and principles around food are of greater importance than having a list of foods that you do and do not eat (with the exception of foods that you are allergic to). Moderation and variety are two principles that come in handy throughout life and certainly during 'superfood' crises.
There are others too that can help you to flourish not flounder in the food jungle that we live in today. These are not rigid, constraining ideas, rather they are values that open up a new and joyful dimension of life. Healthy eating is about challenging your creativity; it has to do with learning about nature; it is about dining together and making a beautiful table; it concerns learning about ecology and how food is produced in the world; it is about eating who you are and expressing your individuality.
If you are looking for some inspiration to get started visit the food section at http://www.wellnessofscandinavia.com/web/!
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Comments: 27
Here's a good article about dangers of soy products.
Otherwise, I pay little attention to these newest findings. There had been a time in my life when I did, and it just made me nuts because these findings change so often. I think if I had heeded them all, by now I'd be eating nothing.
What people need to learn to do is find out if this is solid science or a press release. Health news sells papers, books, and air time. We may not feel we have control over geo-political issues but throw in an emerging disease or a diet tidbit and we are on it like white on rice.
Your article was very thought provoking, thank you for sharing.
I never read anything bad about tofu, but I have never been a tofu junkie. I like it on occasion, like in stir-fry and particularly "braised" I think ... but tofu is too processed for me, it is so man-made it seems funny that people think of it as a health food.
Also I (being a lover of Whole foods) am in constant search for New food items to temp my taste buds that come from local foods.
Tofu is great in moderation as it can take on the flavor of what ever spices you are cooking it with.
I've rejected McD and similar for decades--haven't so much as touched them--but they seem to stay in business despite my complete lack of business.
I tried the link but I can't get it to work.
Thank You for sharing.
Julie, I hope you will consider posting some of your informative and well written articles to Quick Tips 4 U Group. I'll send you an invitation to join.
You would do us all a service.
Thanks.
I'm not big on tofu but my husband likes to eat it at chinese restaurants so we eat it once a month or so. I have cooked with it - I was vegetarian a long time ago and ate it a couple of times a week.
I rarely believe any of those studies I hear about on tv. There is always a loophole in the research, I find.
I eat what I want, in moderation, and haven't been ill in a long time.
You know that those studies depend on a lot of things - everyone is different - of those folks who were studied, how many eat a lot of processed products normally? How many are vegetarians? How many eat meat regularly and not a lot of veg? If you eat everything in moderation, then you should be fine.
I eat as many veggies as I can during the week, some days are better than others. I try and eat at least one kind of fruit each day, sometimes 2-3. I eat red meat 1x a week, and pork or chicken 2x a week. I try and eat whole grains 2-4 times a week. I also try and avoid highly processed stuff. I eat fish or seafood once a week. I think everyone should eat that way.
Thanks for the information.