You don't need to be a vegetarian or vegan to reap the benefits of eating healthy. Even the most devoted vegan must watch what they eat; sugars and fatty foods are out there everywhere and everyone can fall victim to them. Knowing what to eat and how much to eat is the key. Avoiding some foods all together will help, just as adding a little of this and that every once in a while will aid you as well.

Soy foods have always been associated with health foods. There was the tofu craze of the early eighties and then, in the nineties, people found themselves buying soy yogurt and soy ice cream. Unfortunately, the media frenzy has died down but the benefits associated with eating these foods have not.

How Soy Works to Help Promote Weight Loss

Soy foods are great for weight loss; they contain protein that is easily digestible, unlike animal proteins that can be stored in the body for days. Soy protein has also been linked to helping reduce the risk of obesity in direct correlation with Type-2 diabetes. Studies show that replacing animal protein with soy protein can decrease short-term appetite and calorie intake.

For those of you who watch your weight and study all the fad diets, you undoubtedly know that fiber plays an incredible role in weight loss. Soluble fiber, which can be broken down in the body, helps in lowering cholesterol levels and fighting disease.

Insoluble fiber is great for bulk or, as dieters like to say, roughage. This type of fiber helps you stay full, go to the bathroom regularly, and keep your body's systems running efficiently. Fiber can also help eliminate other fats that you eat from your body. Because soy fiber helps the body and the digestive system, the fat doesn't stay in the body as long, therefore less is absorbed into the blood stream.

The Assistance of Isoflavones

Soy hormones or isoflavones have been linked to reducing breast cancer risks as well as eliminating certain menopausal symptoms like hot flashes. Further studies have also linked these isoflavones to weight loss. One study at the University of Illinois proved just this. Research concluded that the hormones aided in boosting the metabolism and degrading lipids. It seems the inherent medical properties of the soy isoflavones help with weight loss, independent of calorie content.

Diabetic studies have linked soy foods to regulating sugar levels and minimizing insulin fluctuations, meaning fewer sugar cravings. This is due, in part, to soy products being a low-glycemic index food. Many people have added the recommended 25 grams of soy protein to their diets for this reason alone.

However, soy foods have a tremendous amount of other healthy qualities as well. For instance, the FDA says eating soy foods can lower your cholesterol and help fight disease. The American Heart Association has also gotten on the soy bandwagon. It's a healthy food that aids the body in fighting many diseases, and an added benefit is losing weight.