As most of you know, Step and I struggling to get more fit and healthier. I have an eating disorder, and he, disordered eating. We spend a great deal of our brain energy obsession about food, so Step decided that it's time to try something different. We are going to do a week on Soylent.
For those of you who don't get the above reference (double points if you got the X-Files- "Chaco Chicken" reference too), Soylent was first introduced to the world in 1973 in a movie called, "Soylent Green". It was Directed by Richard Fleischer. With Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson, Leigh Taylor-Young, Chuck Connors. The premise is that in a future would where the earth is over populated and starving due to greenhouse gas, a company has come up with the perfect solution- a liquid food that acts as a perfect meal replacement. In the film however, the food has dark origins, in the form of *spoiler alert*- people.
Kinda gross, right?
While the people part is yuck, the idea that you can have a complete, affordable food source is really cool.
So, in 2013 this very idea was created and first tested by software engineer Rob Rhinehart as a self-experiment in nutrition. Strangly enough, he named it Soylent- after the film. I suppose as a marketing gimick, it's pretty clever. So essentially it's not that different from a protein shake, except for the macro nutrients. It's a powder you add to water that is calorically measured out.
For me, the fact that is has a low GI impact is fantastic. So no spiking blood sugar and horrible crashing.
Here is some of the information.
Soylent’s nutritional makeup is comprehensive. It contains all of the elements of a healthy diet, with limited contribution from less desirable components such as sugars, saturated fats, or cholesterol.
The Soylent recipe is based on the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and is regulated as a food by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Soylent 1.5 was developed under the close guidance of our nutritional advisor, Dr. F. Xavier Pi-Sunyer, M.D., MPH. Pi-Sunyer is professor of medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. At St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center he serves as chief of endocrinology, diabetes, and nutrition, and is director of the New York Obesity Research Center. Dr. Pi-Sunyer is also a senior attending physician at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital and New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Basic Nutrition Powder Blend Soylent 1.5 (along with water) provides a balanced and healthy source of nutrition. Calories 2000 Volume/mass 459g Serving sizes & meals Soylent’s nutritional profile has been optimized for the average adult human, using guidelines from the Institute of Medicine, United States FDA, and our physician team. Baseline Caloric Requirements Each person burns calories at a different rate based on build and activity level. This is known as the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Visit http://bmr.soylent.com/ to get a better understanding of your personal caloric needs. Knowing your BMR is useful for overall health, not just Soylent consumption.
Macronutrient Ratio: Soylent 1.5 has a Carbohydrate/Fat/Protein ratio of 45/40/15. Ingredient Certifications: Soylent contains GMO and conventional ingredients. It is not certified organic or GMO-free.
So we've decided to try this for a week. It's supposed to taste like pancake batter, which has me worried that I won't be able to stomach it. I'm going to be blogging daily to update people on what it's like, how I'm feeling and how I am emotionally. (Also to confirm that I haven't killed Step due to this venture :P ) Our shipment came today and we'll be starting Thursday. Here's a look at what it looks like.
Wish us luck!
Tams
