We are the commander of our sweet self-deception by taming our intellectual world with a carrot and stick in today’s confusing nutrition circus. Trends come and vanish, so let’s have a closer, critical and objective look behind the curtain of the so-called liquid food tendency!
This blog post about liquid food reflects my personal experimental experiences, cause, and effect as well as thoughts and visions regarding future nourishment. The issue about future nourishment is of a high personal interest (since twenty years) and mirrors my thoughts, some of them evolutionary deeply grounded and on the other side right up to tomorrow’s technical and mental possibilities. Since May 2017 I satisfy my needs of nourishment through liquid food products! Therefore 80 % of my meals are liquid, and the other 20 % are conventional, I call them ‘social meals’ which I consume and enjoy with family, friends or at a business lunch! I was fortunate growing up without feeling a pinch of hunger, not even once! In my definition, I am never hungry, but sometimes, especially after long workouts, I feel an impulse for revitalization which most likely leads me to a liquid food shake. Whenever the topic liquid food and future nourishment comes up, I encounter exceptionless depreciation. I get exposed by bringing the issue up and almost immediately the topic gets transformed into an object of ridicule and branded with sacrifice, associated with self-denial!
Throughout the whole period of testing and also found in my daily routine is the sugarless but tasteful water of Nuapua. A big range and different assortment of flavors make Nuapua to an indispensable and therefore constant companion.
Let’s get started. Changes are not welcomed everywhere so (for self-protection reasons) it does not surprise me that radical ideas such as the possibility of replacing old fundamental eating habits through LIQUID FOOD, cause an ultimate rejection! If people accepted this idea (or the possibility to live on liquid food) in a first instance, they would have to question their habits, and that could cause an unpleasant encounter. One of the first rejected words I get to hear is… WAIVER! But for me, waiver’ has an external and an internal meaning. The external signification is, to deny oneself from a justified entitlement. The internal importance is the transformation of a legitimate right WITHOUT having a sensation of self-denial! Because of personal interest and with the hope to bring more ‘laxness’ to this cramped world of nourishment I wrote this blog. Bon appétit and enjoy your meal!
As mentioned I am interested in the topic of liquid food and future nourishment since a long time, but just a couple of years ago I started to visit producers worldwide to gain more knowledge about their products which then, I tested experimentally on myself, for a lengthy period. In this blog post, I will introduce and compare three such products while my focus will level off on my favorite product – JAKE. To find a beginning and to write a blog post about such fundamental topic, I like to mention my interest on the subject with simple words such as… research for energy efficiency regarding the past, current and future nourishment. No matter what topic I pick (from an evolutionary point of view); I realize one commonality, the rapid progress of efficiency! It obviously is human nature to enhance things, and while the efficiency of ‘most likely everything’ has an incredible driving force, the manner of nourishment still seems to limp in the old groove of arable farming. This fact raises the question how and from where do we get the energy to perform?
The answer is as long and coherent as its related way. A laborious, economic costly and lavish way from cultivation all the way till we flush it down the toilet. This transformation process for how we get energy is, in my point of view, definitely not up to date! If we would disassemble now the whole chain of production, then add effort, expenses and then finally calculate the whole path we would be surprised about the negative caloric value (like many groceries)! We also would realize the grossly inefficient and obsolete way of how we get energy. Enough for now, so let’s get started with the products and the summary of the self-tested products (over the years). Starting with my favorite LIQUID FOOD – Product N0. I JAKE
Now follows an abstract from the producer’s website: JAKEFOOD and some links for frequently asked questions and one more interesting link about essential nutrients. What is JAKE? “Jake was founded in the Netherlands in the summer of 2014. Today, our meals are delivered to customers in over 34 countries around the world – we’re proud of that! It’s our goal to make eating healthy easy and sustainable. We only have one body and one planet, so let’s take good care of them. That’s why it’s our goal to make eating healthy easy and sustainable. Jake is here to make a positive impact. And we’ll keep doing so for many years to come.”
The Vision: “Our vision is a healthy world full of healthy people. Food is a key aspect of both. Our body is made of the food that we eat, and the food that we eat is made from the planet that we live on. Food has an enormous impact on the world. The meat industry is accountable for a third of all CO2-emission, 34% of the earth’s land has turned to desert, and over 110 species are lost every day because rainforests are making room for agriculture. We can do better than that. We need to start eating healthier and more sustainable. It sounds easy, and it should be easy. That’s why we made it our goal to make it easy and that’s why Jake is completely vegan.”
“What is JAKE? Jake is a new type of food. Jake is a meal that contains every nutrient that your body needs. One meal includes 33% of all your healthy nutrients, vitamins, minerals and fibers (25% for Jake Sports). Jake is made from real food. The powder contains a carefully chosen mix of vegan ingredients including oats, peas, coconut oil and a vitamin and mineral blend to provide you with every nutrient you need. Convenient for whenever you feel like eating something healthy, but for whatever reason don’t have or don’t feel like taking the time to prepare something in the kitchen. Perfect for traveling, busy days and hasty mornings.”
“How does it work? Jake is prepared within a minute. The shakes come in single meal packages. You mix the powder with 450 ml water and shake for about 5 seconds. We provide you with a free shaker to get you started. We eat for many different reasons. Jake is for those moments when you want something healthy and easy. We’re often asked how Jake should be used. How many times per day, whether you can still eat other foods if it’s a diet? The answer is simple: Jake is not a diet or a meal replacement: Jake is food. Use it in any way you like; you make the rules.”
JAKE offers me (and you) new possibilities; it opens an experimental journey to confront oneself with its habits and coinages – a great way of self-reflection.
How does it feel like? “If you’re already eating healthy, you know how it feels. You feel fitter, stronger and healthier after a proper meal. You’re satiated for hours, but you don’t feel stuffed or bloated. If you have an unhealthy diet, Jake will make a huge difference. Ever noticed how you crave even more food and feel sluggish after a meal? That’s caused by an excess of (simple) carbs. Jake contains the right balance of carbs, protein, fats, and fibers, providing a balanced and constant flow of energy. When your body gets the benefits of complete nutrition, you’ll start feeling better physically, which can have a big effect mentally as well. Being healthy and feeling healthy does a lot. Start taking care of yourself!”
The pic below mirrors my daily breakfast (at least for the first two weeks) because then I changed my habits and had Jake food always after my outdoor activities, around 11 am. It just did not feel right (and safe) to start a trail run, to go swimming or to train in general with a full stomach.
Now you can have a look at the nutrition sheets of this vegetarian and vegan liquid food product:
The next pic shows you my statistical records from May 2017 where I did live and nourish myself on nothing else than jakefood. By taking a closer look at the file, you can see and discover all the essential details about when, how much liquid food and some calories I took /burned. Among all products from JAKE, my favourite is JAKE LIGHT. Jake light has the least amount of sugar 5.6 g (one serving/meal contains 113 g) but also has the least amount of calories per serving, which is 500 kilocalorie (kcal) = 2093 kilojoule (kJ). The unit ‘calorie’ is since 1st of January 1978 not- permissible and was replaced by ‘joule’! So if you are interested in how to convert calories into joule just follow the link: convert measures: kcal – kj
LIQUID FOOD – Product No. II MANA with the link to Mana powder, which I used for testing. Mana is definitely my second choice regarding liquid food and MANA is designed in a lab, based on more than 44 clinical studies, and is produced using the latest technology. It could be said that MANA is a food of the future that you can enjoy now. Thanks to the newest technology, we can guarantee a one-year shelf-life for our products without the necessity of refrigeration or adding stabilizing agents. MANA is lactose-free, contains no animal products and is suitable for vegans. If you were looking for that delicious, balanced food, which saves you time and enables you to be informed about the consumed nutritional content, you have already found it.
MANA is a delicious and nutritionally balanced food, which is suitable for any healthy adult who cares about his or her body but doesn’t want to spend too much time preparing food. Our immediate mission is to change the production, storage, and consumption of food. Beyond that, we aim to alter the thinking around nourishment. Following our very favorite powdered MANA, let us introduce our new ready-to-eat product, MANA DRINK. Even taking Mana over a long period, I did not get tired of it regarding taste and texture. My outdoor activities and sports consume a lot of time. Therefore my body needs lots of energy (right now an average of 3500 kcal = 14644 kJ per day). By using liquid food products, my performance never decreased, instead I was able to deliver a better, more constant performance and increased efficiency!
The few little disadvantages about Mana are as follow packaging, measuring the amount of oil which needs to be mixed with the dry powder and the impractical plastic bottle (which makes it almost impossible not to spill the drink on your shirt while drinking). The measuring spoon is another (small) issue as well as the general handling.
LIQUID FOOD – Product No. III SOYLENT and the tested described Soylent powder.
Soylent™ is a pioneer in food technology, producing healthy, functional foods that are good for the body and the planet. In 2013, Founder and CEO Rob Rhinehart developed the first iteration in his kitchen after recognizing the need for a simpler, more efficient food source. Soylent uses science and technology to solve the challenges plaguing the current food system and work toward its mission of providing access to quality nutrition to people across the globe. Syolents mission is to expand access to quality nutrition through food system innovation. By using liquid food products you probably will miss out on the social aspects (by comparison with standard meals) because of the short preparation and consuming time.
From my point of view: Without a doubt, you will lose the flavourful richness of everyday food while using liquid food products and the Healthwise long-term effects of those products are insufficiently investigated! That’s why most consumers are using the products as Convenience Food and not as sole nourishment. I started to test and consume Soylent in 2013, the year of market entry. But the excitement differed quite fast and after several weeks of drinking it. I did not have any performance loss, but the taste (compare to JAKE & MANA) was pale and dull. Like with all other products I started to blend in some berries and bananas but myself… I did not get used to the taste of Soylent. Meanwhile, all mentioned companies extended their product line!
* Grundumsatz = (BMR) Basal Metabolic Rate. You could also say that the BMR mirrors the energy amount a human needs for the general sustainment without being in motion (in a total neutral state of relaxation). To name a benchmark, you can calculate with 100 kJ per day and body mass, that summarises up to 7000 kJ (1,9 kWh) for a person with 70 kg (women need a little less than men). * Negative Brennwert = Negative Calorie Food. A negative calorie food is food that requires more energy to be digested than the food provides. Its thermic effect or specific dynamic action – the caloric “cost” of digesting the food—would be greater than its food energy content. I can identify myself 100 % (through experiences) with this scientific fact!
Closing remarks: There is no more need to spend hours in the kitchen preparing meals, modern times supply new nourishment possibilities. For me, JAKE offers a tasteful, comfortable to handle and adequate nourishment surrogate! Further, I can simply take Jake with me and especially after a sporty activity the preparation is, to be honest, fantastic. The price, from €2.24 per meal, is not just an argument it ensures full-value! Once again all three products are NOT MEANT TO BE a diet, nor a meal replacement. They are a 100 % adequate foods, and you should consume at somebodies own discretion. Myself… I just love feeling this lightness, the simplification and the possibilities which come along with liquid food products. Now and in the soon future.
Attersee – Austria, August 2017
