Thank you, ladies! Great discussion thus far.

Well my mom is a breast cancer survivor and has osteoporsis. So those are two specific health things I need to be mindful of in changing my diet.

All this extra discussion about salt is ironically how I started the veggie eating journey. I was having dizzy spells from my BP being high. So I decided to cut out processed foods with sodium, and some other things like dairy (a lot of sodium)...and threw in the no meat thing to boot. My results within a month were a dramatically positive turn-around. Thus, my interest in this type of diet grew.

I have two diet athlete books I am reading currently. One is the Paleo way (gym cycling buddy following this, reading to compare and be able to discuss). The other is the Thrive Diet (vegan based, towards what I think I want to follow). Btw, nice article link comparing the two for anyone interested>>>http://experiencelife.com/article/paleo-vs-vegan/ (jic link doesn't work, google experience life paleo vs vegan article May 2012).

It sounds like soy might not be a good idea as a big thing in my life. I'm early on in my journey learning what to eat. I'm not sure if we have a qualified nutritionist/RD in our Mayberry area I could consult about my specific family health history. Gonna hafta research that some more. You ladies are always so amazing in your diverse backgrounds and knowledge.