Carb Counters - What is this Soy Milk Obsession

O.K. Gang. This is wierd. I started heating unsweetened soy milk a few weeks ago and using it in my coffee with a splash of cream for the latte feel. Then it became more soy milk until I am only having about 1/4 a cup of coffee and the rest is soy with some splenda and vanilla. I now think about soy lattes all day and it is my favorite treat a couple of times a week at bedtime.

I'm not worried about the carbs (since the unsweetened soy milk only has about 1 net gram per eight ounces) but I'm curious as to why I am actually craving it. I mean seriously craving it.

Does anyone know why this might be? I have heard that soy milk is beneficial to post menopausal women but I am perimenopausal. I swear I could drink this stuff 10 times a day.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks
SC:whoo:

MMMMMMMM soy milk! I like it too, just like you make it but no artificial sweetener, I use stevia and erythritol instead.

Perhaps there's nutrients in it you need and so crave it? It does have a lot of calcium, protein, good fats too.

It could be something your body needs. I know when I was pregnant I craved orange juice and fresh grapefruit juice. I would drink a gallon a day. Just couldnt get enough of it. I found out later that citris is high in folic acid, a vitamin most recent ex-smokers are lacking in. (I stopped smoking when I found out I was pregnant. He is my sweet little surprise. hehe) And folic acid helps reduce the chance of spina bifida. I feel like my body was making sure baby was healthy.

So, hang on - is Soy Milk allowed on Atkins? I hadn't taken that on board - if so, that definitely opens up my beverage opportunities! Awesome! ('cause here in Bangkok, Soy Milk is almost as widespread as normal milk!)

edited to add:

Fab! Just checked it out on Fitday - I see what you mean! Low carb, lots of fibre - great stuff! I'm off to buy skimmed milk today! Cheers, babe!

is Soy Milk allowed on Atkins?


This is a good question. To my knowledge, no...its not allowed on Atkins.

I guess the insatiable desire for the sugar free soy milk shall forever remain a mystery. I started using it about week 4 I guess because I was playing around with getting rid of real coffee and using decaf. It has been vvv helpful in the uh...elimination department for some reason. Always a plus on this WOL. I think it makes a better latte than the regulars from the outrageously expensive coffee places.

SC

Hmmmm....soy milk?? never tried it...sounds delish though...and only 1 carb! SIC - No weight loss stalls when you drink soy milk?

I'm not a fan of milk period (actually hate it unless I'm eating fresh, hot baked chocolate chip cookies!:^:), but I do use milk or half-n-half in my coffee...sooooo....I guess I'll put it on my grocery list for tomorrow's shopping. Thanks for the tip!:carrot: Joyce

I only used it a couple of times beginning at about week four and really started using more the past week and 1/2 (I'm now in week six). It is not on the induction list so I would not have used it then. I found it by making DH some of that sugar free jello cheescake pudding and using about 1 cup of unsweetened soy milk, 1/2 cup of cream and a couple heaping tablespoons of whipped Cream Chees in place of two cups of milk. I've only ever had a taste of that concoction but it is yummy, yummy, yummy (I also grate chocperfection bar over his little servings (I only let him have about 1/4 of a cup for his sweet tooth). I was almost out of cream one day for coffee and so I mixed some soy milk, vanilla, hazelnut sf syrup, nutmeg and cin with the little cream I had left. Then I boiled it on the stove and added it to the coffee. I kinda forgot all about it until the craving just hit hard. I'm looking through the fridge and my eyes just landed on that sf soy and I've been using a lot more. Very satisfying.

SC

This is a good question. To my knowledge, no...its not allowed on Atkins.

See, I know it's not on the list of foodstuffs Dr A cites as okay - but the list is pretty USA-centric, isn't it? Looking at the nutritional content of Soy Milk, does it strike you that its absence from the list of approved foods is a conscious choice, or that it didn't cross his mind one way or the other? Because he includes tofu and soya flour in recipes in the book.

I'm bewitched and bewildered Fay. Soy milk is soy bean extract mixed with water. I too noted the other soy products on the later lists so I decided to give the soy milk a whirl. I DID use some tofu also. I made some mock fried rice using grated cauliflower, chopped green onion, sesame oil, scrambled egg, sliced chicken (or pork if you like) and just a few slices of tofu that I cubed up small dashed with a very little soy sauce and fried up with the other stuff.

I can't see what the harm of the soy milk could be unless you find it stalls you. It just seems like a great way to enjoy a sweet, creamy beverage that has very very few carbs and a nice bit of fiber. It also would probably be helpful for people trying to break the excessive coffee habit.

Hmmmm....that "mock fried rice" sounds delish!:drool: Was it good??? Did you get it from Linda's low carb recipes?? Would you suggest making it? On the soy milk tip...I think your both right...I think that Dr. Atkins couldn't have possibly got to include every food in the world (being a US based book) and the bottom line is we have to use our own common sense when following any diet. Go ahead....try it...if you find it stalls you...chuck it.:D
Joyce

I'm bewitched and bewildered Fay. Soy milk is soy bean extract mixed with water. I too noted the other soy products on the later lists so I decided to give the soy milk a whirl. I DID use some tofu also. I made some mock fried rice using grated cauliflower, chopped green onion, sesame oil, scrambled egg, sliced chicken (or pork if you like) and just a few slices of tofu that I cubed up small dashed with a very little soy sauce and fried up with the other stuff.

I can't see what the harm of the soy milk could be unless you find it stalls you. It just seems like a great way to enjoy a sweet, creamy beverage that has very very few carbs and a nice bit of fiber. It also would probably be helpful for people trying to break the excessive coffee habit.

Bambi Love: I think I just made up the fried rice thing because didn't use a recipe but, I probably saw it somewhere while I was doing my endless recipe surfing and it stuck in my head. It was very good! I think it would not have been if I did not have sesame oil to fry it in. I fried the grated cauliflower for a bit before anything else went in. I also put some of the sesame oil in a bowl with just a little soy sauce and let the chopped tofu marinate in it while the initial cooking of the cauliflower took place. If you add enough meat and eggs I'm sure it can be a really nice meal packed with protien.

SC

Yummmmm....when you get a chance...can you post the recipe for this...I would love to try it this week...I'll pick up some tofu (never really had that), but I already have everything else in the pantry sooooo.....fried rice it is for me!:carrot: Thanks:hug: Joyce

Bambi Love: I think I just made up the fried rice thing because didn't use a recipe but, I probably saw it somewhere while I was doing my endless recipe surfing and it stuck in my head. It was very good! I think it would not have been if I did not have sesame oil to fry it in. I fried the grated cauliflower for a bit before anything else went in. I also put some of the sesame oil in a bowl with just a little soy sauce and let the chopped tofu marinate in it while the initial cooking of the cauliflower took place. If you add enough meat and eggs I'm sure it can be a really nice meal packed with protien.

SC

I don't really like soy milk.

I do drink unsweetened almond milk from almond breeze:

http://www.bluediamond.com/retail/breeze/index.cfm

Only one carb per cup. I drink one every day and it's so tasty.

That's my favorite milk too! Oddly, it's a little salty tasting though.

I love the Almond Breeze unsweetend as well. I use it almost as much as the soy milk. It does have soy lethicin in it. Probably to give it body. Another friend who is a body builder told me that she uses the soy milk or almond milk to mix her protien shakes with (instead of water). The protien powder seems to get absorbed better that way and she doesn't have the gritty aftertaste problem. Of course, I don't drink those supplemental or meal replacement things. Not that I'm judging at all. I just like food too much and DH and I would fight over who had to clean out the blender all the time. One epsiode of rushing in for a shake and finding a crusted blender bowl in the sink would do me in.

TS

Maybe its the richness of the milk? Or vecause its winter and we're craving vitamin D? That's it for me, I think. I get vanilla flavoured soymilk- It's a real treat for me.

Yay! I'm not alone in my secret desire for soy milk. I was beginning to get scared and think I would have to hide it from my low carb friends. After being treated to the soy milk latte and the tofu in one week, my husband was beginning to get scared that I would stop shaving my legs and start running around in flowing gypsy skirts and Berkinstocks. We all can rest easy now.

SC:)

After being treated to the soy milk latte and the tofu in one week, my husband was beginning to get scared that I would stop shaving my legs and start running around in flowing gypsy skirts and Berkinstocks. We all can rest easy now.

I do most of those things, with DH's blessing. :o

Then again, he's vegan too. :lol:

Oh Golly! I hope I didn't offend you. I was going for a health food stereotype rather than a vegan one. I would say, "some of my best friends are vegans" but that would sound canned. Now that I think of it I do know a goodly number of vegans but they aren't wearing Berks.

tee hee.

SC

No, no offense. :) I am a health-food-vegan, and it fits! :D

My daughter is the only one who is bothered that I don't shave, really. :lol:

Actually, I don't wear Birkenstocks, but do all the rest you said! :o

You know what health food makes me think of? Bear with me because I am 46 now so my teen years were in the 70s. I think of wonderful wood and cedar lined homes in the woods with dappled rays shining through the window and a woman (dressed as I described) humming to herself and cleaning vegtables picked from the garden in the sink. In my (albeit idealized) version, no one has to go to work (though how they afford that b*&ch&^ house I don't know) or maybe they are really artists and s their work is their joy. That's it. She is a potter and he makes natural wood scuptures. They have one of those burled wood tree trunk coffee tables. God I'm so jealous of them.

SC

I decided to try soy milk tonight as a part of a protein shake (I use Zero Carb Isopure in the "Cookies and Cream" variety). The protein powder never mixed quite right with water and it was hard to choke down. It mixed nicely into the soy milk (I used 1c. soy milk with an extra 4oz of water and 2 scoops of Protein powder for a whopping: 330 calories; 7g carbs; 1g fat; 57g protein. :D I'm not a strict adherant to Atkins these days, but I am keeping it very low-carb (usually between 20-30g net carbs/day). The diet advice I'm following to accompany a fat loss workout book suggest having 1g protein per pound of body weight--so I find having a shake a day really allows me to get some extra protein in :) I'm just glad it tastes delicious in the soy milk, instead of only bearable in water! It'll make a great post workout shake! Thanks for the Soy milk thread! All the benefits of milk without all the carbs--I like it!

Azure - I have a question for you...you seem to workout alot as I have seen you on other threads. So, sorry if this is unrelated but....
I'm looking for something to boost my energy while working out...have you tried any drinks/supplements that just help you "push it to the limit" a little better on the treadmill/bike/eliptical?

Bambifox--

I'm just tentatively returning to 3FC--I've been away for awhile! I try to workout a lot, but I have a problem with consistency! I'm trying to hit the gym 5 days a week and I've been only making it 3 as of late. We'll see how I do next week! That said, I try to lift weights on MWF, and hit a Cardio Kickboxing class on Tues/Thurs. I've decided to start adding some extra high-intensity cardio in on my weight lifting days, just for a little extra calorie burn.

As far as supplements, I haven't really felt like I needed to supplement with anything--especially for cardio. Low carb diets alone seem to keep my energy level up high enough! I feel like lifting weights is the most important part of exercise for weight loss, with high intensity cardio (in the form of intervals--sprint/walk/sprint/walk, etc.) as a second, followed by slower steady-state cardio in last place (walking, low-intensity work on elllipticals/bikes).

To support muscle maintenance while I'm losing weight, I try to keep my protein intake high, so I "supplement" with whey protein (100% Whey isolate--I use Zero Carb Isopure). I also take a multi-vitamin daily--but that's it! I hope that answered your question :)

Azure - Thanks for your reply. I was at GNC today looking for some kind of supplement to assist me with energy in the morning. I want to start working out in the morning instead of at night, but, I have absolutely no energy in the a.m. The guy was just trying to sell me anything so don't know if I bought the right thing, but, I did look at the Isopure. He said the Isopure would "bulk me up"...so, of course, I put it back on the shelf! How long have you been on Isopure...does it help with your muscle tone or give you any extra boost of energy before a workout?

Anyway, I ended up buying "Ripped System" for $70 bucks!!! I'm reading it now and it has 3 bottles (one named Lean that you take before bed...supposed to burn fat while you sleep; and one named Ripped that you take before your workout and six hours after your workout; and one named Dry that you take before a bodybuilding contest!...needless to say, I won't be taking that one)! The guy showed me hydroxycut, but I haven't heard good reviews on that...so I am lost....??? Thanks for any help you can give me. Joyce

Bambifox--

Firstly, I don't believe in "fat burning" supplements...places like GNC exist to largely sell body-building types things they don't need ;) Or, in your case, sell people who don't know any better things they don't need. I'm not trying to tell you what to do, you can take what he suggested if you want to, but if you haven't opened the bottles, I'd return them.

Isopure will not "bulk you up"--it's whey protein. Does eating 50g of protein through chicken breast (if you could take the fat out of your chicken breast almost completely) "bulk you up"? :) I don't use the Isopure religiously--I'm using it maybe 4-5 times a week as a post-workout sort of meal replacement. I'm using it to promote muscle maintenance and the building of lean mass.

Here's the thing about women and "bulking up": unless you're trying very hard, plan on being around 14% body fat, work on your muscles for hours a day at the gym for years, and eat super cleanly for competition...you just can't! The reason men might "bulk up" while taking whey is because they have a lot of testosterone, which promotes muscle building. Women have low testosterone levels, so even natural body building women have a VERY hard time getting into competition-form.

Words like "bulk up" or "get big" scare women away from things like lifting weights, when in reality, having lean muscle instead of fatty tissue when you hit your goal will make you look smaller. I'm personally looking forward to building muscle and shedding the rest of this fat. For women "bulking up" equates to "getting lean"--since we can't really bulk like men can.

I know we're getting off-topic, but since becoming interested in lifting weights (heavy weights), I've become a little impassioned :)

Azure - Thanks for all of those tips. I was thinking the same thing...that he was just "trying to sell me something" and he really didn't even know what the **** he was talking about! Have you heard about this "thermogenic gat burners"? Just curious. Also, they had so many flavors of the Isopure...I was going to get the Strawberry or Chocolate and mix it with the unsweetened soy milk...have you tried any of those flavors? Thanks again. signed...starving for information

Ooops...typo..meant "thermogenic fat burners"...hee hee...sorry. Also, do you recommend taking the isopure before a workout for energy???

Bambifox--

I think that "thermogenic fat burner"= giving you lots of caffeine so that your heart is forced to beat faster all day, which burns a few more calories. I could be wrong about that--but if the ingredient list on the bottle includes caffeine, guarana or white willow bark (or all of them), it's all caffeine ;) I'm not 100% on that being what "thermogenic fat burners" are all about...but that's what I think it probably is.

I've really only used the "cookies and cream" variety of Zero Carb Isopure (make sure the one you're getting does say "Zero Carb" on it, and that you double-check the label), and I think it's pretty tasty. You can probably Google "Zero Carb Isopure Reviews" to find reviews on the other flavors.

I use the Isopure as a meal replacement (if I'm going to be out and about), or after a workout for quick muscle-repair support. I don't think it really gives you "more energy"--but it's a quick way to get more protein into your body. 2 scoops of Isopure in water is 210 calories and 50g of protein; 2 scoops in 1 cup of soy milk is 310 calories, 57g protein and 7g carbs. So, it's just the right amount of calories to be a meal replacement or post-workout meal.

I'm trying to get 160g of protein in a day right now, which is why I'm using the Isopure--it's very hard to get that much protein in through solid food. Sometimes when I'm out and about or have classes all day, I might not have time for solid food. Having protein powder helps then, too--so I can get a "meal" in with enough calories on-the-go. :)

Hope this has helped! I'm going to be away from my PC for a couple days, so if you have any other questions, I'll check the thread then. Or, you can PM--whichever you'd prefer. Take care!

Thanks soooo much Azure! I appreciate all the helpful info you gave me. I will try the Isopure as I think it will be a good way to vamp up the protein while I vamp up my exercise program! Thanks again...Joyce

Hey all! I just bought unsweetened soy milk for the first time!!!! yeahhhh me! I'm gonna mix it in with my new Isopure Vanilla, add fresh strawberries and water and/or ice...put it in the blender and whalla...we'll see! Still on Atkins, but starting my new "Ripped System" tomorrow...it's truly intense and I will need a few extra carbs for maximum results. I'll let you all know how this stuff is working after week 1. Tune in......folks......Joyce

my husband was beginning to get scared that I would stop shaving my legs and start running around in flowing gypsy skirts and Berkinstocks.

Sounds like outer Cape Cod, a place where the flower people from the '60s & '70s go to retire. Or maybe they never left. :D It's actually a great place for natural foods & herbs. Oh yeah, the dress code is, shall we say...a bit eclectic. :D

On the dairy milk alternatives, I use both unsweetened Almond Breeze & SoySlender in both plain & the flavored versions. I use the plain versions on hot cereals & in recipes but prefer the flavored ones as beverages. I especially LOVE the SoySlender Cappuccino. Yumm!!! :)

Wow. I've never tried soy milk. I've sort of been afraid of it but you guys have convinced me it's worth trying. I use Calorie countdown which used to be known as carb countdown.

Question for soy milk drinkers. Do you recommend any particular brands? It looks like 8th continent has the fewest carbs. Has anyone tried making a yogurt smoothie with soymilk?

Hi Petra...I've just recently tried soy milk for the 1st time about a week ago. I use a cup in my vanilla whey protein drink with banana and fresh strawberry after my workout. It tastes like regular milk to me. I'm not a milk fan though..sooo, but I can tell ya it only has like 2 grams of carb, it's called "Silk" unsweetened. Hope this helps. Joyce

Thanks Azure & Joyce I've had many of the same questions. Go to GNC and come out more confused and empty handed. I'm going to try this isopure stuff. With my silk soy milk. I'm a real picky milk drinker and I just love this silk soy. (not the choclolate though, yuck. It was a buy one get one or something I managed to mix the two just so I could get the chocolate down with out throwing it out)

Just a little note on the Isopure (Vanilla) which is the only flavor I've tried so far...I tried it first with just 1 cup of milk and didn't really like the taste...kinda a little gritty for me. But....when I added the banana and strawberries...whooo...it was sooo friggin delishous...like night and day! I know your thinking...but Atkins...bananas??? I have a very strenuous workout program I'm doin...so I only drink the shake after my morn or afternoon workouts! I stay in ketosis this way...and it quickly brings my electrolytes, potassium levels and just overall energy back up...so I don't colapse after my workout!:carrot:

Thanks Azure & Joyce I've had many of the same questions. Go to GNC and come out more confused and empty handed. I'm going to try this isopure stuff. With my silk soy milk. I'm a real picky milk drinker and I just love this silk soy. (not the choclolate though, yuck. It was a buy one get one or something I managed to mix the two just so I could get the chocolate down with out throwing it out)

The Isopure flavor I use (so far) is Cookies and Cream--it's pretty tasty :)

I tried the soy milk this morning with latte. It really was kind of watery and didn't taste like much. Maybe it will grow on me. I can't say that I didn't like it but it was nothing to rave about either.

I put in 1/8-1/4 or so cup of soy, a couple of ounces cream, some vanilla flavor, some hazelnut syrup (sf of course), some liquid splenda, heat it on the stove add it to my coffee and sprinkle some cinn and nutmeg on top. Try that sweetpea. I hope it tastes better for you. I now have a lot more soy/cream combo than I do coffee!

Wow, that is quite a concoction. I could probably just put all that together in the frothing pitcher and froth it.

I put the flavoring straight in the coffee cup, then put in the espresso, then I mixed soy and half and half in the frothing pitcher this morning and I have to say, it was quite tasty. Thanks for the suggestion.

Glad it helped. It is quite a concoction isn't it? I feel like a mad scientist when I make it. Especially with the liquid splenda because it has that little eyedropper thing. The fact I'm not much of a cook makes my waxing poetic on the formula even funnier:)

SC

For some reason i just cannot find unsweetened soy milk at my local supermarket. Does anyone know if Walmart sells it? I like to drink a cup of chocolate calorie countdown a day. It has few carbs per cup and is a special treat in the mornings (since I am not a coffee drinker) that really helps keep me full throughout the morning!

Our super walmart has both 8th continent and silk unsweetened. The silk unsweetened comes in a green carton if that helps.

A lot of times the unsweetened soy is located in the market in one of the shelf areas. It does not have to be refrigerated. Look in the natural food section if your market has one. If it doesn't I ususally have success in the cooking and baking section or in the same section where cartons of rice milk are located.

ox
SC

ahh ok ill have to try there. Thanks ladies!

in the book it says you can have unsweetened soy milk..does that mean the original one?..in the past before the low carb diet I used to buy the vanilla one. I was at the grocery store today and I didn't pick any up because I wasn't sure what they meant by unsweetened.

If your asking is the "vanilla" soy milk "unsweetened"...I'd have to say...I don't think sooo...but not sure. I'm new to drinking soy milk, but I do know that Silk makes unsweetened (green carton) and regular soy (red...I think). To be sure though...check the carb count on the back of the carton...if it's more than 3 carbs...then it's a no-no! Hope that help!:carrot:

in the book it says you can have unsweetened soy milk..does that mean the original one?..in the past before the low carb diet I used to buy the vanilla one. I was at the grocery store today and I didn't pick any up because I wasn't sure what they meant by unsweetened.

If your asking is the "vanilla" soy milk "unsweetened"...I'd have to say...I don't think sooo...but not sure. I'm new to drinking soy milk, but I do know that Silk makes unsweetened (green carton) and regular soy (red...I think). To be sure though...check the carb count on the back of the carton...if it's more than 3 carbs...then it's a no-no! Hope that help!:carrot:

ok thnks joyce :)

All soy milk, even the plain, is sweetened UNLESS it specifically states on the face of the carton that it is unsweetened. Therefore, vanilla soy milk is sweetened. Read the ingredients for the drink. Westsoy [the brand I get for my kids] uses cane juice [liquid sugar] to sweeten it's soy milk. I know Westsoy makes a unsweetened version. Also, try Trader Joe's, Whole Foods or Fresh Fields, if you have those stores in your area. Trader Joe's even has their own brand.

My kids have been on soy milk since they came off breast milk, that is why I know this.

Just curious...Why??? Is soy milk more like breast milk??:o

...My kids have been on soy milk since they came off breast milk, that is why I know this.

I made that decision for my kids because both my husband and I are lactose intolerant and so are all of their grandparents. Therefore, the likelihood that they are lactose intolerant is very high. I didn't need for them to get diarrhea and stomache aches to prove it to me.

Ughhh...soy does kinda look a little like breast milk though... Yeah...I'm lactose intolerant too...but it doesn't bother me...the only people bothered when I consume dairy is everyone else...peeeewwww!!!!:D

... I didn't need for them to get diarrhea and stomache aches to prove it to me.

SO I bought Silk Unsweetened and 8th Continent Original. OMG the Unsweetened was soo gross. LOL But the 8th Continent (2carbs) was pretty good. Today I found a choc. one with 3 carbs and it is sooo good. Its by Hood.

The Hood one isn't soy milk. It's a "dairy beverage". It used to be called Carb Countdown-now Calorie Countdown. My perception of it is that is it somewhere between milk and half&half. You will need to "doctor" your unsweetened soy milk to make it drinkable-read previous posts. I don't think any of us drink it out of the carton.

My protein powder has sucralose in it to sweeten the powder--so it makes the soy taste sweet ;) I don't use it for anything else beside the shakes, so I can't comment on how palatable the unsweetened soy is all by itself ;)

I finally found Almond Breeze at my supermarket! I can't beleive I have been skipping this WONDERFUL sugar free section with so much Walden Farms 0 carb, 0 calorie stuff, and Almond Milk! I'm so excited! I have never been so happy to be at HEB before!