3 ms·

But I'm looking for consistency, not variation. I want the same thing every morning, I dont want to have to prepare by going to the store, checking experiation

But I'm looking for consistency, not variation. I want the same thing every morning, I dont want to have to prepare by going to the store, checking experiation dates and timing usage before stuff goes bad, etc. It seems funny that people are coming out of the woodwork to tell me alternatives to Soylent like its some kind of toxic waste. I might be horribly wrong, but I'm pretty sure that a soylent shake is going to be nutritionally better for me than an orange in the mornings...

eropple 10y ago
To be clear, I wouldn't suggest that Soylent is some kind of toxic waste (though I think it tastes like shit, personally). It's certainly better than an orange. But I would suggest that there is a human good in being willing and able to do things for yourself that is worth reflecting on and exploring. Like, there's an Aristotelian "are we really attempting to achieve the good?" question that I would put to people who neglect--and this word is chosen very carefully--themselves in lieu of other pursuits. I don't claim to have any answers on this, mind! And I'm certainly not perfect about any of this (said my waistline, peevishly), but actually thinking about this stuff has made me spend more time taking care of myself. And I actively wonder if attempted solve-everythings like Soylent are not a step backwards for us as people, instead of mere consumers. The stuff you don't want to do with regard to going to the store and so on is so very, very trivial, and yet actually engages you with the ephemera of your world in a way that I would suggest meditating on before discarding.
- smallnamespace 10y ago
  Is Soylent actually better than an orange though? For example: https://discourse.soylent.com/t/phytonutrients-and-all-the-other-stuff-soylent-doesnt-have/12782/ https://discourse.soylent.com/t/phytonutrients-and-all-the-o... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistant_starch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistant_starch http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/phytonutrients-faq#1 http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/phytonutrients-faq#1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4287321/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4287321/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26757793 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26757793 There are all sorts of compounds in natural foods that science hasn't even begun to analyze in depth, but which humans have been eating and coevolved with for millions of years. What's the effect if you take them all out of your diet completely? Soylent's strategy, understandably, is to put in all the things that we think we already understand and know we need, but what if that's only 10% of what the body needs long term? How do you quantify the risk from unknown unknowns? Also, the comparison isn't really between Soylent and oranges alone, but Soylent and a normal balanced diet, of which fruit is one component.
  - eropple 10y ago
    My hunch is that it is, because of the lack of sugar bomb involved in fruit. But as mentioned in the other thread, fruit makes me feel like complete shit. You did suggest a piece of fruit as a replacement breakfast, though. I agree with you in the large, but I think you left this barn door open a bit. =)
    - smallnamespace 10y ago
      Soylent's glycemic index is comparable to 1-2 servings of fruit: https://faq.soylent.com/hc/en-us/articles/212769503-Glycemic-Data https://faq.soylent.com/hc/en-us/articles/212769503-Glycemic... http://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods http://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/glycem...

eropple 10y ago

To be clear, I wouldn't suggest that Soylent is some kind of toxic waste (though I think it tastes like shit, personally). It's certainly better than an orange. But I would suggest that there is a human good in being willing and able to do things for yourself that is worth reflecting on and exploring. Like, there's an Aristotelian "are we really attempting to achieve the good?" question that I would put to people who neglect--and this word is chosen very carefully--themselves in lieu of other pursuits. I don't claim to have any answers on this, mind! And I'm certainly not perfect about any of this (said my waistline, peevishly), but actually thinking about this stuff has made me spend more time taking care of myself. And I actively wonder if attempted solve-everythings like Soylent are not a step backwards for us as people, instead of mere consumers. The stuff you don't want to do with regard to going to the store and so on is so very, very trivial, and yet actually engages you with the ephemera of your world in a way that I would suggest meditating on before discarding.

smallnamespace 10y ago
Is Soylent actually better than an orange though? For example: https://discourse.soylent.com/t/phytonutrients-and-all-the-other-stuff-soylent-doesnt-have/12782/ https://discourse.soylent.com/t/phytonutrients-and-all-the-o... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistant_starch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistant_starch http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/phytonutrients-faq#1 http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/phytonutrients-faq#1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4287321/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4287321/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26757793 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26757793 There are all sorts of compounds in natural foods that science hasn't even begun to analyze in depth, but which humans have been eating and coevolved with for millions of years. What's the effect if you take them all out of your diet completely? Soylent's strategy, understandably, is to put in all the things that we think we already understand and know we need, but what if that's only 10% of what the body needs long term? How do you quantify the risk from unknown unknowns? Also, the comparison isn't really between Soylent and oranges alone, but Soylent and a normal balanced diet, of which fruit is one component.
- eropple 10y ago
  My hunch is that it is, because of the lack of sugar bomb involved in fruit. But as mentioned in the other thread, fruit makes me feel like complete shit. You did suggest a piece of fruit as a replacement breakfast, though. I agree with you in the large, but I think you left this barn door open a bit. =)
  - smallnamespace 10y ago
    Soylent's glycemic index is comparable to 1-2 servings of fruit: https://faq.soylent.com/hc/en-us/articles/212769503-Glycemic-Data https://faq.soylent.com/hc/en-us/articles/212769503-Glycemic... http://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods http://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/glycem...