Is Soylent the Food For People? 30 Days In
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I have officially lived with a diet consisting of mostly Soylent for 30 days. Actually, I’m a little late in getting this to SeedSing, so it is actually 32 days now. I do not have much to add from my previous observations, so this will start as more of a recap.
I started out with the following goals and expectations of my use of the product:
Increased consciousness of nutritional value of food intake
Increased feelings of wellness related to dietary consumption both physically and mentally
Less hungry between meal times, therefore less snacking
In the first few days I noted that the taste was neutral, but not displeasing. I said that I felt different due mostly to the change in diet and that I was disinterested in snacking for the most part.
In the days that followed I noticed an increase in energy. I also noticed a reduction in weight due to my attention to calories. I had stated that I felt a greater sense of physical and mental wellness. I had also mentioned experiencing cravings of some of the less healthy foods that I usually eat when I am around others who are eating them.
Upon my subsequent review I noticed that I did not have as much of a dependence on coffee. I could use it for the pure joy of drinking coffee rather than force myself to make coffee to give me energy. I was still noticing a strong craving for solid food around others eating it. I pointed out the increased enjoyment I had with eating food when I did eat it. I sensed richer flavors and textures than I was before. As far as my digestive system goes, gas was less prevalent which might be welcome to those around me.
What now?
Now that I have done this experiment for 30 days, what am I going to do? If I put these observations into a list of pros and cons I am not really seeing much on the cons side. One might argue that the cravings for solid food could be a con. Maybe. But remember that what I am trying to gain will come with that no matter how I do it. Also, when I think about how I feel after giving into those cravings, the cravings themselves and my ability to look at them and consciously analyze why they are there (mostly because I want to taste something rather than actual hunger) the experience looks a lot more like a pro to me.
When looking at my experiences versus the goals and expectations that I set forth I think that they are more than satisfied. There is certainly an increased consciousness of the nutritional value of what goes into my body. Mentally I feel that I am sharper and more focused. Physically, rather than feeling drag as I had been, I feel energized to the point where coffee is a drink I enjoy instead of depend on. The less hunger between meal times is absolutely awesome. I rarely find myself distracted by hunger and that focus feeds into my mental wellness as well. I have also been losing weight and feeling lighter and more energetic as a result since I have been tracking calories. I plan to continue to track calories either way, but I also want to track nutrition since, as I have mentioned before, a person can still be quite unhealthy while tracking calories.
As I said, this writing comes 32 days into my Soylent usage. Guess what? I am still drinking Soylent for over half of my calories. I am enjoying it. I like the simplicity of doing it for two of my three meals, but I still have the experience (now with increased enjoyment) of cooking and/or eating meals once a day. I like the increase awareness of nutrition. I like the increased overall mental focus. I am sold.
Kirk Aug
Kirk is interested, and sometimes weary, of what the future holds. Like drones. Follow Kirk on instagram @kirkaug and twitter @kirkaug.