Soylent

[Ninijutsu]

https://campaign.soylent.me/soylent-free-your-body

It's basically a drink that is made to replace food - it contains all of the nutrients needed for a healthy diet in the form of powder that you mix with water.

The idea is that people who live busy lives, have problems eating food (allergens, gluten, etc), have difficulty eating vegan/kosher, can't afford to eat healthy... They can down a quick-to-prepare, affordable, nutritive drink instead of a meal. It also has the potential to help tremendously in the world hunger crisis, as it is very affordable to produce and extremely easy to ship (no refridgeration or anything like that required, super space-efficient, long shelf life).

Many people have lived off of it exclusively for months, and feel more energetic, healthier, lost bad weight, etc.

It has only been in development for about a year (during which they have made leaps and bounds, and are almost done perfecting the formula), but in the future they plan to make varieties of the drink for different body types, people who want to diet, people who work out a lot (and need more protein/calories) etc.

They have received a few million USD from crowdfunding and private investments, production has begun, and they will begin shipping out around may-july 2014.

I'm really interested myself, and I'm gonna try it for a week. I'm going off to college soon, and if this works out, it could help me immensely, as I'll have much more time to focus on my studies without having to worry about food or nutrition. What do you guys think? Revolutionary, or bullshit?

[AnnaC]

Surprised it's taken so long, myself. Although I personally disagree with it as there is a lot more to food than just supplying your body with required nutrients. There are cultural, social, and emotional aspects of food preparation and consumption that can be much too fulfilling in their own right to ever give up in my opinion.

[Jesus_Smith_Nandez]

BS, I think.
I don't think it's natural. Humans are meant to eat food, not powdered-crap, it's not right. And I'm not saying that from a hipster-y standpoint. When your body does something it's not naturally used to, it fucks you up internally and you feel terrible. I imagine it would probably make you really depressed and wouldn't make you feel right overall if you only consumed it and no food for a long period of time.
It's like one of those juice-smoothy-whatever diets that people try. I had a friend who tried a juice diet, and he told me that, for the 3 days he tried it, he has never been so sad about life overall, because simply the concept of eating and chewing actual food is what our bodies are used to.
I think that, if this happens, our bodies will just be like "wtf y r u eating paste eat food m8 lemme make you feel bad nao so you eat food again you hipster", and the fad will pass.

[AnnaC]

I think that, if this happens, our bodies will just be like "wtf y r u eating paste eat food m8 lemme make you feel bad nao so you eat food again you hipster", and the fad will pass.

[Jesus_Smith_Nandez]

I think that, if this happens, our bodies will just be like "wtf y r u eating paste eat food m8 lemme make you feel bad nao so you eat food again you hipster", and the fad will pass.

Watch it happen tho

[Ninijutsu]

I think that, if this happens, our bodies will just be like "wtf y r u eating paste eat food m8 lemme make you feel bad nao so you eat food again you hipster", and the fad will pass.

Everyone who's tried it so far feels great after weeks of exclusive consumption. But yeah, there is always the possibility that it causes long-term issues that can't be known yet.

As for the emotional and social appeal to eating food, not everybody feels this way (some people hate eating), and not every meal involves eating out with friends, or dinner with the family.

Also, it's not a fad yet, it's barely been introduced to a tiny portion of the world

[Jesus_Smith_Nandez]

I think that, if this happens, our bodies will just be like "wtf y r u eating paste eat food m8 lemme make you feel bad nao so you eat food again you hipster", and the fad will pass.

Everyone who's tried it so far feels great after weeks of exclusive consumption. But yeah, there is always the possibility that it causes long-term issues that can't be known yet.

As for the emotional and social appeal to eating food, not everybody feels this way (some people hate eating), and not every meal involves eating out with friends, or dinner with the family.

Also, it's not a fad yet, it's barely been introduced to a tiny portion of the world

Don't forget the cultural hit this will take too.
In many, many, many cultures in Europe and South America especially, eating food it, well, it's important. That's one of the reasons why I so strongly disagree with this. I'm Italian, and as most people know, in Italy, food is important. People make promises, talk, laugh, cry all at the dinner table, and food has a very important place in the culture.

Now try introducing them to some drink that makes it so that they never have to cook again and have more time! Yay! Wait.... That wouldn't fit in at all there, would it? This cultural barrier pretty much prevents the stuff from leaving the US, Canada and maybe Britain, since all those people just want to do stuff whenever they want and for some stupid reason see food as an obstacle to all their goals.... or something.

[czaper2]

Required Reference

[btaylor]

I agree with the psychological aspect. Eating food is a stimulating and enjoyable act in itself which provides the release of chemicals in your brain i.e. endorphins which are necessary for a healthy body. Take out the stimulation and enjoyment and you'll disrupt the chemical balance in your body and make for a bad time, both mentally and physically.

Also... IT'S PEOPLE! SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!!!

[Jesus_Smith_Nandez]

I agree with the psychological aspect. Eating food is a stimulating and enjoyable act in itself which provides the release of chemicals in your brain i.e. endorphins which are necessary for a healthy body. Take out the stimulation and enjoyment and you'll disrupt the chemical balance in your body and make for a bad time, both mentally and physically.

Also... IT'S PEOPLE! SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!!!

This is what I was trying to say, but I didn't have the vocabulary lol.
IT'S PEOPLE! SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!