photo credit: so.salem

How Soy Ruined my Teen Years

By Anonymous Guest Blogger, “Ray”

My heart goes out to those poor suffering prisoners in Illinois, whose health is being destroyed by a high-soy diet. I can really understand the horror of what is being done to them, because I lived through a nightmare caused by soy.

I was 13 years old. Football was my passion. I was nicknamed “the man they can’t tackle,” which was an exaggeration, but I could move the pile, and carry people with me a few yards. My family moved to a new town, and I developed a mild case of hay fever. My father took me to a famous allergist, who announced I was “allergic” to most foods. Not to worry, he could cure me by changing my diet. He prescribed soy. Soymilk. Soy muffins. Soy bread. Soy burgers. Tofu. Soy flour to be used in everything my mother baked. Soy spread instead of butter. Soy, soy, soy.

Dietary Change Brings on Asthma, Skin Problems, Indigestion, Weight Gain

I went on this soy-heavy diet. I hated it. The soy products tasted terrible and foul unlike the modern flavor-enhanced versions. My parents insisted that I eat them because the doctor said they would make me well. As the months passed, I developed severe asthma which resulted in frequent asthma attacks and difficulty in breathing. The “man they can’t tackle” became the man who could not run, the man who could not climb stairs, and the man who had to struggle to breathe. Then I developed massive skin eruptions all over my body, except on my hands and face. Medication gave only temporary relief, and the rashes just did not go away. I then developed extreme indigestion, including burning pains deep in my stomach, painful constipation, stomach cramps, and other related symptoms. I also suffered from constant burping and flatulence, which was extremely embarrassing for a teenage boy. I was always hungry, and could never get enough to eat. I became fat, then obese. The asthma became so bad that I had to stay at home and be taught by a tutor provided by the school district. I had gone from being a strong, confident football player to an invalid.

I felt like a disfigured monster, and eventually wanted to do nothing but stay in my room—alone.

Overwhelmed by Emotional Problems, Learning Difficulties

But the physical problems (as bad as they were), were not the worst part. The absolute worst part of this nightmare was what was happening to my mind. I was angry all the time—at everybody. I trusted no one. I had many violent and ugly thoughts running through my head. Fortunately, I never harmed anyone. I had always been a good student, but I couldn’t focus on my schoolwork and did terribly. If my mother hadn’t made friends with my tutor—I would have gotten terrible grades.

Doctor’s Orders?

The doctor insisted that I stay on the soy diet, and that it would eventually cure me. It took years for my parents to lose faith in him. Finally, my father took me to a new doctor. The new doctor, after reviewing the whole sad story said, “This isn’t working for you. Let’s try something else.” He took me off the soy diet. Within a few weeks, my anger and violent thoughts disappeared as mysteriously as they had come. My mind cleared, so that I was able to focus on my schoolwork, and I excelled at it. All of my physical problems improved, and I was able to go out in the world again.

The Lasting Effects of a Toxic Diet

The asthma, however, remained a serious life-threatening problem for decades. I also had chronic skin problems for decades.

Eventually I learned to control my asthma without medication, and was restored to good health by following the nutritional wisdom contained in the website of the Weston A. Price Foundation. The last step in restoring my health was when I learned how to cook grassfed meat and fat, which healed my damaged lungs, restored my energy, and brought me back to good health. I can run, climb stairs, breathe easily, and my skin has cleared up.

What are We Doing to our Children?

A year ago, I was in a major supermarket which was promoting a program where you could buy a meal for a poor family. I looked at the display of the items that would be given to the family, and was shocked to see a large carton of soymilk. I have since learned that there is a big push to get children to eat soy products by misinforming their parents, by forcing soy into school cafeterias, by having pediatricians recommend soymilk and other soy products. This must not succeed.

No child, no teenager, no prisoner, nobody should be forced to eat soy products.

“Ray” asked that we not use his real name, as this story is very personal. He hopes his story will be a warning to parents and health practitioners that there are significant risks to a high soy diet.

This article was prompted by a recent blog post on Hartkeisonline.com about a British study linking poor diet to violent, anti-social behavior in prisons. When “Ray” read the research, what he read reminded him that his high soy diet had caused him to think and feel angry. Prior to that, he knew only that his physical problems were caused by soy, but not the emotional ones. Going off the soy diet improved his health both physically and emotionally, right away.

The Weston A. Price Foundation Soy Alert! campaign details the possible risks associated with modern soy foods. Now that soy is a common ingredient in many processed foods, it is important for parents to do their homework.

Here is an interesting link sent to me by the “Drugless Doctor” about how food may be causing aggressive behavior. Toxins Cause Aggression in Young Girls.

This blog is part of the Fight Back Friday blog carnival. To hear from more real food activists visit Food Renegade blog.

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