Muesli – An alternative approach to Soylent • Hacker News Board

Re: Muesli – An alternative approach to Soylent

#51

Post by QAPereo » Sat, Aug 19, 2017, 2:47 AM UTC

eljimmy wrote: post #9

Soylent is so awful for you. They really capitalized on the ignorance of millenials with regard to proper nutrition. edit: Shouldn't have trigger responded, but one of my biggest gripes with Soylent is their use of maltodextrin. It's not something you want to be consuming in mass every day. It is good for post-workout nutrition but as a meal you may as well be consuming sugar.

It wasn't so long ago that saying that here and elsewhere would get you shouted down, it's refreshing to see that the tide has finally turned.

Re: Muesli – An alternative approach to Soylent

#52

Post by droidist2 » Sat, Aug 19, 2017, 2:58 AM UTC

ng12 wrote: post #23

eljimmy wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's full of maltodextrin which is about as healthy as pounding sugar.

As a type 1 diabetic I think your concerns are overblown. Soylent has a pretty low glycemic index which makes it ideal for a quick breakfast. My only concern about Soylent is if I should be ingesting this much soy as a male of European descent.

> My only concern about Soylent is if I should be ingesting this much soy as a male of European descent.

Afraid it's going to make you impotent?

Re: Muesli – An alternative approach to Soylent

#53

Post by CuriouslyC » Sat, Aug 19, 2017, 3:18 AM UTC

sowhatquestion wrote: post #20

eljimmy wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's full of maltodextrin which is about as healthy as pounding sugar.

They've addressed this many times. There are different "grades" of maltodextrin with different glycemic indexes. Soylent uses a higher grade with a low glycemic index. Google "low DE maltodextrin." Soylent also uses other low-glycemic carbs such as isomaltulose.

The glycemic index of a carbohydrate is a bad measure of its quality. A better measure is the degree to which it is fermented by bacteria in the intestines. Furthermore, there is research demonstrating that carbohydrates consumed without the phytonutrients that normally accompany them in whole food increase markers of oxidative stress and inflamation.

Soylent might be better than a frozen pizza or fast food, but in the big picture it's still shit compared to real food.

Re: Muesli – An alternative approach to Soylent

#54

Post by nether » Sat, Aug 19, 2017, 3:37 AM UTC

eljimmy wrote: post #13

k_sh wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm going to need some citations on that one...

It's full of maltodextrin which is about as healthy as pounding sugar.

Have you tried Soylent? It's barely sweet. It's not like the maltodextrin in energy gels.

Re: Muesli – An alternative approach to Soylent

#55

Post by CuriouslyC » Sat, Aug 19, 2017, 3:40 AM UTC

wdewind wrote: post #31

eljimmy wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've studied nutrition pretty heavily in the past as it pertained to my bodybuilding. They could have used so many better ingredients. Maltodextrin is the cheapest and worst complex carb you could have put in it. It's chemically a complex but really your body doesn't react much differently to it than other simple sugars.

Controlling for calories and assuming you're not diabetic why does it matter what your source of carbohydrate is?

1.) Carbs are a "hot" fuel, they have been shown to increase markers of oxidative stress and inflammation unless paired with phytonutrients as is typically the case in whole fruits and vegetables. This is because sugars are highly reactive in comparison with fats (particularly fructose).

2.) Highly quality carbs, such as in beans, barley, certain kinds of sweet potatoes, etc, are fermented by by your gut bacteria into short chain fatty acids. Short chain fatty acids have been linked to lower inflammation, improved mood and memory, weight loss, longer life span, the list goes on.

Re: Muesli – An alternative approach to Soylent

#56

Post by CuriouslyC » Sat, Aug 19, 2017, 3:43 AM UTC

Analemma_ wrote: post #48

kpil wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honest question: Do you not enjoy food? What do you think the benefits are? I'm asking because I think I would be severely depressed on such a monotone diet. I love cooking and it gives me great joy to eat good food, or new kinds of food, or even the boring lunch restaurant type food if it's done reasonably well. Lunch is also a nice social event. I'm skipping lunch sometimes (when I'm not that hungry) but I feel lik…

I use Mealsquares instead of Soylent, but the same idea applies: it doesn't replace all meals (I only have one per day, about 400 kcal worth), but just the ones where I don't have time to make something proper. In that sense, it's strictly an improvement over what I was eating before in that situation, which was usually either going out to eat or raiding my fridge of whatever junk was handy. If you use Soylent/Mealsq…

You know, if you're not trying to live off of soylent, you could just pound a protein shake for a fraction of the cost, and if you get a decent brand like optimum, it tastes better too.

Re: Muesli – An alternative approach to Soylent

#57

Post by fernly » Sat, Aug 19, 2017, 3:47 AM UTC

peterhajas wrote: post #8

I've been eating Soylent twice a day for more than a year as my primary food source. I'm always interested in new variants (especially ones that cut down on cost) - this one seems interesting. Any chance that there's an Amazon shopping cart that someone can add to get all this stuff easily? Also, I noticed that the Readme links to Rob Rhinehart's page ( http://robrhinehart.com ). Unfortunately, it looks like it's all…

He cleaned it out some months ago. However, all the major posts are still on the wayback machine, see for a list:

https://www.reddit.com/r/soylent/comments/6dbw74/rob_rinehar...

Re: Muesli – An alternative approach to Soylent

#58

Post by apocolyps6 » Sat, Aug 19, 2017, 3:48 AM UTC

kpil wrote: post #38

peterhajas wrote: post #8

I've been eating Soylent twice a day for more than a year as my primary food source. I'm always interested in new variants (especially ones that cut down on cost) - this one seems interesting. Any chance that there's an Amazon shopping cart that someone can add to get all this stuff easily? Also, I noticed that the Readme links to Rob Rhinehart's page ( http://robrhinehart.com ). Unfortunately, it looks like it's all…

Honest question: Do you not enjoy food? What do you think the benefits are? I'm asking because I think I would be severely depressed on such a monotone diet. I love cooking and it gives me great joy to eat good food, or new kinds of food, or even the boring lunch restaurant type food if it's done reasonably well. Lunch is also a nice social event. I'm skipping lunch sometimes (when I'm not that hungry) but I feel lik…

The choice for me is pretty simple. No breakfast, or soylent. I'd rather be eating something than nothing.

If I have the chance to eat a real meal I take it, but there are also times where I literally can't.

Idk why it is suddenly in vogue to shit on people for being busy.

Re: Muesli – An alternative approach to Soylent

#59

Post by pacaro » Sat, Aug 19, 2017, 4:15 AM UTC

contingencies wrote: post #37

cyberferret wrote: post #24

I appreciate the coincidental irony that I am eating a bowl of muesli while reading this article this morning (AM in Aus., that is). * Whole rolled oats * Pumpkin seeds * LSA (powdered) * Sunflower seeds * Chopped green apple * Coconut water and Orange Juice 50/50 mix (NOT Milk, Ugh!) * Mango flavoured thick greek yoghurt Mmm...

For other people who have no idea what LSA is... LSA is a 3 in 1 solution [...] made of ground linseed, ground sunflower seeds and ground almonds Seems to be a thing in Australia and New Zealand.

And just because I didn't know this until yesterday, Linseed is Flax seed, just different names for the same stuff.

You can use your kitchen grade flaxseed oil for painting, putting your art supplies linseed oil on your quark is more questionable.

Re: Muesli – An alternative approach to Soylent

#60

Post by branchless » Sat, Aug 19, 2017, 4:21 AM UTC

ng12 wrote: post #23

eljimmy wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's full of maltodextrin which is about as healthy as pounding sugar.

As a type 1 diabetic I think your concerns are overblown. Soylent has a pretty low glycemic index which makes it ideal for a quick breakfast. My only concern about Soylent is if I should be ingesting this much soy as a male of European descent.

Isn't cereal quick? Just how busy are people?