“Why do we need to eat solid foods when vitamins exist?” said every child at some point in their life. Not going to lie, I had the same thought. If everything essential was in the vitamin, there was no point in eating… right?
Well, wrong. Vitamins are meant to serve as an add-on to the nutrition we get from other foods. Nothing can really take the place of a banana except for a banana, even though supplements and pills may come very close. But the truth is, food has become way more than just a tool for survival. It’s also important for our culture.
That’s why it’s downright strange that a woman has been making headlines stating that she rarely eats solid foods. Now, I just want to note something quick — I’m not a nutritionist, nor is this lady. So, this can be filed under “WTF News” and not something you should try yourself, especially without the support of your doctor.
The woman in question is named Audra Bear, and she’s 25. Prior to this new “diet,” she identified as a vegan and a raw vegan. But this new method is called “pranic” and “breatharianism,” and she reportedly swears by it.
Instead of getting her energy from food, she gets it through breathing exercises. Just 40 minutes a day, five days a week, and she said she no longer craved actual food.
“It is a life-giving force that flows in, through and around all things, it’s in the air we breathe, the sunshine, nature, connections with people and all living things,” Bear said, according to Mirror. “It is a powerful energy that actually has the ability to fuel and sustain us as humans.”
It’s important to know that Bear does chew her calories. She takes them in through smoothies, juices, and tea.
She also stated that it wasn’t her intent to stop solid food. It’s just how her body felt after doing the breathing exercises.
Now, any licensed nutritionist will tell you that your body needs more than just juice and meditation. Both of these things are good, but they shouldn’t be everything.
Bear also admitted that she eats solid food on a limited occasion. She uses solid food mostly to celebrate events with her family.
She’s posted a lot of her juices and rituals on Instagram. Not going to lie — the juice looks really good.
But nothing will replace pizza in my heart. Literally nothing.
It’s kind of hard to take all of this in, Sure, Bear looks healthy and happy on her Instagram.
But, is she causing a lot of damage? She’s not the first person to take on an eating lifestyle like this.
TEARS OF GRATITUDE
— TAYLOR DURDEN (@Taylordurden609) June 10, 2019
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THE BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS
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Audra Bear
Back in 2013, The Telegraph ran a feature on a man named Rob Rhinehart, who mixed his own health drink to use as a meal replacement.
He called it “Soylent” (which is upsetting in its own way) and said it was rich in nutrients. He did this as a way to help “solve” food, as he felt like it wasn’t being very efficient.
The good news is that Rhinehart at least had a background in research. He was an engineer, meaning that trying to solve problems just came naturally to him. He wasn’t a nutritionist, but attempted to figure this puzzle out.
soylent: a drinkable meal replacement made by computer devs with zero background in nutrition / culinary sciences https://t.co/CsGvm2Gw4S pic.twitter.com/kbbFitfZr8
— Tracy Chou 🌻 (@triketora) July 31, 2017
Soylent went through a few stages. He added fiber, to make sure the human body didn’t metabolize it too quickly. He also added iron.
Magnesium, extra potassium, and extra phosphorous were also added to the shake. Rhinehart really tried hard to study the human body and figure out every necessary nutrient it needed to run its best.
Rhinehart stood by his product. While he’s no longer involved in the day to day of Soylent, it’s currently available to buy on Amazon.
I would like to try some soylent because ....I'M READY FOR MAXIMUM NUTRITION MINIMAL HASSLE! ....also curious to how this tastes because it looks super yum 😋 pic.twitter.com/dwYCVbf4mJ
— mangotango101 (@mangotango1011) June 28, 2019
But, even the current package states that it’s only 20% of someone’s daily nutrition — meaning that even though you probably won’t get sick, it still may not be enough to fully replace solid food.
Soylent stops selling nutrition bars after customers report diarrhea, other illnesses https://t.co/F13vrlH9XV pic.twitter.com/jYd6iVC2eC
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) October 13, 2016
So even though this isn’t the craziest idea, it’s definitely not for everyone. Food is often seen as the enemy, but it’s so important for so many reasons. Do you really want to live in a world where people take breathing breaks at work instead of lunch breaks, and drink nothing but shakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
