From my nutrition classes in college, it is about your weekly or even monthly food mix rather than your daily food mix when it comes to nourishing your body. The isoflavones found in soy is about 1/1000th the potency of the estrogen found in our bodies.

I think soy becomes more important in your diet after the age of 40 (as mentioned in my post today) than when you are younger (unless you are on hormone replacement therapy). When we are younger, our bodies produce enough estrogen and plus birth control, we really do not need soy as much.

Sure – it is healthy and easier to drink soy milk than to cut up a watermelon, but we really should eat that fruit or veggie instead. I think it is our love of getting our nutrition from a pill or a drink that makes everything so confusing.

As for protein powder, I rarely use one. I have dinner right after I workout in the evenings, so I prefer to refuel with that instead. I usually have cottage cheese beforehand if I am hungry or a banana.