Mighty Miso

There's a great debate about soy in the health food world today.

Once thought to be the cure-all for many ills and the lifesaver for vegetarian and gluten-free diets, more and more studies are showing what my feelings on the subject have been for some time: soy is NOT the health food you may think it is...unless it's fermented and non-GMO (not genetically modified).

Unfermented soy has been linked to digestive distress, immune system breakdown, PMS, endometriosis, reproductive problems for men and women, allergies, ADD, higher risk of heart disease and cancer, malnutrition and loss of libido.

Who Is At Risk? 

While sales of soy are slowing as people learn about the risks, there are still people using soy. According to Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, who wrote The Whole Soy Story, the most at risk populations, are: infants who are taking soy baby formula, vegetarians (especially vegans) eating a high soy diet and mid-life women eating a lot of soyfoods thinking it will help with the symptoms of menopause.

So how can you get the benefits of soy, without the risks?

Fermentation To The Rescue

Fermented foods and drinks are an important component of the MHW REVIVIFY Nutrition Program because they help build your inner ecosystem. When your inner ecosystem is healthy, it is full of friendly microflora (beneficial bacteria in your intestines), that help you digest and assimilate nutrients and boost your immunity.

In fact, healthy microflora actually go to work for you, creating the vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay strong and energized.

When you follow the REVIVIFY Whole Body Reboot or the REVIVIFY Nutrition Program, you begin to create energy so that your body can correct digestion, conquer infections and cleanse. Once your body has had a chance to reboot and balance, we recommend adding fermented soy foods like miso soup, natto and tempeh. 
Soyfoods are high in copper and we have found that high copper foods often are not tolerated when a person has candidiasis. So we eliminate those from the diet for a short period of time while we give our body a chance to reboot, rejuvinate. 

Amazing Miso

Miso has been eaten in Japan and China for many centuries and has been attracting the attention of many of us because of its health and anti-aging benefits. It's also quite delicious. When you aren't feeling well a bowl of miso soup can be especially soothing.

While it was once thought that soy was the reason for the low rates of heart disease, breast and prostate cancer in Asia, more evidence is now showing us that it is the consumption of traditional fermented soy products (usually eaten every day) that are providing the real benefits.

Traced from ancient China, where it was known as hisio, a seasoning prized by aristocrats, miso was perfected in Japan from the 7th century to today.

Making miso is an art form in Japan. It is made of soybeans and koji, a culture starter made from beneficial molds, yeast and lactic acid bacteria. As long as you choose unpasteurized miso, you will be getting the benefits of live friendly microflora for the health of your inner ecosystem.

There are many types of miso, some made with just soy beans and soy koji (called Hatcho miso, a favorite in Japan) and others made with barley and rice.

No matter which type you choose, this fermented superfood has many health benefits.

Miso Benefits

Many studies have been done on miso, some on humans and some on animals.
These studies are showing the following benefits of miso:

• Reduces risks of cancer including breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer.
• Protection from radiation
• Immune strengthening
• Antiviral -- miso is very alkalizing and strengthening to the immune system helping to combat a viral infection.
• Prevents aging - high in antioxidants, miso protects from free radicals that cause signs of aging.
• Helps maintain nutritional balance - full of nutrients, beneficial bacteria and enzymes, miso provides: protein, vitamin B12, vitamin B2, vitamin E, vitamin K, tryptophan, choline, dietary fiber, linoleic acid and lecithin.
• Helps preserve beautiful skin - miso contains linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that helps your skin stay soft and free of pigments.
• Helps reduce menopausal complaints - the isoflavones in miso have been shown to reduce hot flashes.

Length of Fermentation Matters

Soy protein is hard to digest and takes a long, slow process of fermentation to break it down. Bacteria that can digest soy are much more hardy than the more fragile bacteria used to ferment vegetables, young coconut water and milk products.

With miso, length of fermentation matters. Hiro Watanabe, PhD, an expert in developmental biology and cancer prevention in Japan, conducted several animal and human studies using freeze dried rice miso to better understand how miso protects against cancer, radiation and other diseases.

Dr. Watanabe's studies showed that when it comes to healing illnesses like breast and prostate cancer, the ideal length of fermentation was between 180 days (6 months) and 2 years.

Dr Watanabe also found that miso fermented for 180 days is typically a rich color and has plenty of healthy microflora. After 2 years of fermentation, the amount of friendly bacteria has begun to disappear. And while the miso would still be a fermented food and is not "spoiled", there is a risk that other pathogens can grow in the miso.

Sipping Miso Soup For Your Health

According to Dr. Watanabe's studies, the sodium in miso did not show adverse affects for people with salt sensitivity and hypertension. Here are the amounts of miso soup he recommended for different health conditions:

• Cancer - 3 or more cups per day
• High blood pressure - 2 cups per day
• Menopause - 1 - 3 cups per day

Special Note:  I recommend eating less miso in the summer months because our body needs much less salt in the hot months. Though can be really beneficial to add it to salads, cultured veggies or salad dressings during the summertime. However, right now it is winter and much of the country is having extremely cold weather. Miso is a great food to eat every day.

For health maintenance, follow your intuition when it comes to how much miso soup you enjoy. This delicious, healing food is a great way to nourish yourself to great health!

Make Your Own Miso Soup

When you are ready to introduce the benefits of miso into your diet, you have more options than just sipping on soup. For example, you can blend certified organic miso (made with healthy sea salt) in with your cultured vegetables or add it to salad dressings for a delicious dose of protein, minerals and anti-aging power!

Or, sip your miso in a warming cup of soup as the Japanese have been doing to stay healthy for centuries. If you are really in a hurry simply dissolve a heaping spoonful of your favorite miso paste into a cup of hot water that you've poured into a favorite coffee mug. Spoon some cultured veggies into another bowl, add some roasted pumpkin seed oil and some sea salt to these and enjoy a perfectly balanced meal. This is fast food at its finest!

To make a more traditional miso soup, follow this easy recipe:

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes
Yield: 4-5 servings

Ingredients:

• 4-5 cups spring water
• 1-2 inch strip of wakame, rinsed and soaked 5 minutes in 1 cup of water until softened
• 1-2 cups thinly sliced vegetables of your choice (see notes)
• 2-3 teaspoons barley miso (I really enjoy a non GMO white miso paste)
• 2 scallions, finely chopped

Directions:

1.    Chop soaked wakame.
2.    Discard soaking water or use on houseplants for a boost of minerals.
3.    Place water and wakame in a soup pot and bring to a boil.
4.    Add root vegetables first and simmer gently for 5 minutes or until tender.
5.    Add leafy vegetables and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
6.    Remove about 1/2 cup of liquid from pot and dissolve miso into it. Return it to the pot.
7.    Reduce heat to very low; do not boil or simmer miso broth.
8.    Allow soup to cook 2-3 minutes.
9.    Garnish with scallions and serve.
 
Note:
Any combination of vegetables can be used in miso soup.

Here are some classic combinations:

• onion-daikon: cleansing
• onion-carrot-shiitake mushroom-kale: mildly sweet
• onion-winter squash-cabbage: great in wintertime
• leek-corn-broccoli: great in summertime

 Variations:

• Add cooked grains at the start of making the soup. They will become nice and soft.
• Add a tablespoon of uncooked quinoa or millet at the beginning and let it cook with vegetables for 20 minutes.
• Add cubed tofu toward the end.
• Add bean sprouts toward the end.
• Season with 1/2 teaspoon ginger juice for an interesting twist.
• If using dry shiitake mushrooms, let them soak for 20 minutes, slice and add at the beginning.

If you have a favorite miso combination let us know in the comments below!