Cognitive Stack is a go.

Back on the grind. Round 2 of the DIY soylent challenge. The first part was a test of the effects of boosting nutrition and its translation into noticeable changes in the day to day. There were definitely some ingredients that needed to be changed out to improve the mix and overall experience. 

Step 1 of the revamped shake was to get a better source for some of the nutrients. Some of the nutrients of the DIY that were selected, after more research had alternative sources and forms that provide a much better absorption and nutritional value.

Choline - The form of choline that is used in almost all of the DIY formulas out there, mostly because of the price and it says choline is Choline Bitartrate. This form of choline is however the least absorbable forms into the body. A more absorbable form of choline, Citicoline, a much higher absorption rate, balancing price to nutrient benefit, will be swapped in. 

PlantFusion - Protein source. A more rounded source of protein was needed with a more complete stack of amino acids. This can be found in the total plant protein from PlantFusion. There is much less flavor in this protein however it blends well with very few if any clumps if just using a shaker cup. Use a blender, it makes all the difference.

Kerry Gold - The fat source needed to be changed to a less omega 6 rich source. Enter good old Kerry Gold unsalted butter. This fat source is part of a popular coffee drink that has its users add butter to their coffee to enhance the benefits of caffeine by evening out the highs and lows by allowing the caffeine to be used over a longer period of time. I can attest that it works very well. Another key benefit to KerryGold grass fed butter is far less rich in inflammation causing omega 6 fatty acids allowing for a total shake ratio close to a 1:2 ratio with the goal of 1:1 ratio diet. At room temperature the butter will blend easily and add a great texture to the mix making that pancake flavor truly incredible.

Step 2 is to increase the cognitive benefits of the shake by taking certain supplements that would increase the overall functions of key mechanisms in cognitive gains. Besides the choline source there are many other supplements that can be added in pill form or otherwise into the actual mix.

Fish Oils  (Omega 3’s) - Adding these in the forms of EPA and DHA in a 2:1 ratio is important in a number of brain functions along with other anti inflammatory processes. Nordic Naturals and Swanson make great products and have great documentation available of how they process the oils. This addition also aids our goal of 1:1 ratio of our omegas. If you have a fish oil that you prefer make sure that it has be processed as to leave it in the triglyceride form, otherwise you're better off spending your money elsewhere for better absorbability.

Krill oil (Omega 3’s)- Similar to the fish derived oils in nutrient content, in the phospholipid form (krill) rather than the triglyceride form (fish). The phospholipid form of omega 3’s DHA component is more bioavailable than the triglyceride form, noted to be almost 38% higher. Research has led to the practice of getting your EPA from fish oils and your DHA from krill oils if possible.

AlphaBrain - Nootropics at their best. The combination of the various compounds in this supplement from Onnit are super effective, cognitively speaking. I find that taking 1 - 2 pills a day is all I need to feel the effects, but know of many who take 2 - 4 a day for maximum benefits. Taking 2 just before you go to sleep is reported to increase your lucid dreaming abilities as well.

With these changes the mix is one step closer to the full nutrient spectrum that is available to the human body. It is by no means complete as of yet, however in the normal diet of any human on the planet this is a great start to feel what being fully supplied with vital nutrients can do for you. 

Pancakes

Successful week of the Soylent test. Energy levels, mood, food cravings, ease of making the whole concoction and flavor were better than one would expect. More than a week would be needed to see a real physical effect that could be more accurately measured but this will do as a first run.

Energy levels were up throughout the day with no typical crash 30 mins after a meal. The overall energy was also not too high like over caffeinating oneself on a triple espresso. Reading was easier and focus seemed to be clear with little that distracted me. While trying to learn something like programming I think it really helped, however this may have been attributed to the ease of starting something new and as it ramps up becomes easier to lose motivation.

Food cravings were fairly low considering that I was only drinking my meals. I did how ever need to break the smoothie up into 5 parts as to curb the hunger throughout the day and give myself a "snack" between the 3 main meals. Chewing was missed overall but I expected this and had gum ready. The gum served as a decent substitution most times however a pack or more of gum was needed every day or so to keep that need at bay. Probably too much gum, I was looking for crunch and varied textures and the smoothie fell short here. Towards the end of the week I was having plain popcorn as the chewing substitution and that worked perfectly.

The overall ease of assembling and mixing the Soylent DIY ingredients was more difficult than what would typically be experienced by most people as I am making it in a van with little to no counter space, the top of a bin to be precise. In a kitchen it would be a snap to have several jars of the ingredients and add scoops to the blender without having to worry about the mess of the nutrient powders so much. It would be much easier to make the month in a big batch and bag each day or even each meal up separately, like a grab and go just add water system like the actual Soylent. Also mixing the powders in a blender would have been ideal but given my current setup, no power for a blender, a shaker cup was used. This had some advantages in the fact that it was the right size to carry around throughout the day and only held 1/5 of the total days mix making it easier to measure your portions. The disadvantages are that it doesn't get as smooth as you might like. One or two of these shaker cup blended Soylent DIY’s is about as much as you can comfortably tolerate texture-wise if you're not a daily protein shake drinker via shaker cup. Use a blender! Also drink as cold as you can. 

“All exciting at first but by the end you're sick of them.” - Mitch Hedberg. This was the feeling you get after a day of this mix. It really tastes like pancakes, I also added a touch of raw agave syrup and vanilla extract to enhance the flavor as well. It was great in the morning with a coffee to wash down the “batter” but as it got closer to dinner something savory was wanted and pancakes were not cutting it. I kind of had to force the last two smoothies down by just chugging them with an air of discontent but it wasn't as bad as being forced to eat ‘insert your least liked food’ here’ . It was tolerable just not thoroughly enjoyed. Again if it was cold and you had a coffee it made it palatable all day. By the end of the week I was adding my coffee to the mix in place of some of the water portion and it made the whole experience just different enough to make it the whole week. 

Overall it is something that can be done easily with the right kitchen setup. The amount of flavors are lacking and would need to be developed before this would be more wide accepted and implemented. A savory version served warm and perhaps a spicy version as well. Im all for pancakes but Mitch was right, by the end of the stack, or in this case smoothie, you're sick of them.

Up Next

• Round 2 of Soylent DIY

• Nutritional add-ons information

• Cognitive support add-ons information

Here we go!

This is the start to optimum nutrition and hopefully fueling my body to run optimally of the foreseeable future.

Food = Fuel and that is a simple equation that many overlook. Most focus, if they pay attention at all, to the carbs and fat and sometimes protein for workout fans. This accounting method however lacks many of the variables that otherwise would be accounted for if you had to write it all out and solve it like a math problem.

Nutritionists spend their days and nights assessing the individual users needs and filing in the blanks in a comprehensive equation, then crafting a diet, a translation of the necessary nutrients into food items and recipes. This is great when you have someone who knows what they are doing and knows how to translate properly and efficiently. It will cost you to get a nutritionist, and for many is a great option. But what about those DIY people out there?

My last posts set out a basic premise for the design and implementation of a food experiment that should be on par if not surpass a basic nutritionist's recommendations. Now, I’m not a nutritionist, but I know my body and have tried food experiments similar in nature to this new plan with great results. From my Ensure diet to my quarterly cleanses and detox protocols that took care of many of my allergies years ago, I feel up to the challenge and am ready to push off into the unknown. 

Complete nutrition for the human body in the simplest and efficient manner is the goal. 100% RDA is the baseline, which I would bet anything that the vast majority of humans on the planet don't get anywhere close to. The RDA isn't even the optimum levels, that is just what you should intake to live a healthy life.  

So here we go. 

http://diy.soylent.me/recipes/schmoylent 

This is the site and the recipe that I am using. I tweaked it a bit, like changed out the canola oil for light flavor olive oil and nixed the stevia powder. This will be my starting shake and I will break it down to 5 shakes a day instead of 3 so as to increase the absorbability and handle the snack cravings that I generally have 2 hours after eating.

The blood work will have to wait for the nutrition panels as they are fairly expensive and I didn't want to wait 4 weeks to get all the results. They will come in handy for stage 2 where I optimize and tweak the formula and implementation further. 

Up Next:

• Week 1 reflections
• Cognitive Baselines

1 month in a box

After using the diy soylent builder, I ordered all the and have just received all the components for 1 month of fuel. In an effort to minimize the any discomforts or vitamin shock that my malnourished body may incur I will take the next week to reduce the solid food and junk that I consume while increasing the water and supplements that will serve as my complete diet. 

1 month is a good start to see if the system can work without too many modifications. Full blood panel before and after will be performed to give see if this shake is actually improving my diet and overall nutrition. Cognitive tests like lumosity games and other assessments along with physical tests, like blood work and fit tests, will be used to track improvement levels.

Next up will be the blood work and nutrition panels along with the mix that I will be using and first impressions.

Food as fuel

There is a need to make food that is fuel for mankind to achieve greater heights.

Machines need the right fuel and power to work their best. Why is this an after thought for most of our cooking and meal prep. With custom fuel foods there is a reduction in the toxins and side effects of eating while providing the best conditions for your body to be running at the optimal levels. 

We begin by crafting the perfect blend of minerals and calories balanced with the right fats and nutrients to achieve the RDA 100% minimums and then work with our own personal bodies to get to 100% personal levels.