Photo provided by Shutterstock.com
Did you ever want to love a food or drink but do not? That’s how I feel about tea. I SO want to be a tea lover, since I love hot beverages, but for some reason have never developed a taste for it. I especially have been wishing it was so since I’ve been suffering from a cold longer than I thought possible. For some reason; I envision myself with a cup of tea with honey in my hand and then miraculously my cold gets better. You know, now that I wrote this – I am going to give this tea thing another try! Or perhaps I am just giving it more credit than it deserves?
In this week’s The Keri Report:
- A Dietitian’s View On Clinical Research
- What is The Potato Hack Diet?
- What Is The Beyond Burger AND Is It Healthy?
Photo provided by Soylent
A Dietitian’s View (Well, OK MY View) On Clinical Research and Spokesperson Work
As a registered dietitian who frequently partners with food brands, I’ve noticed that a lot of the important behind-the-scenes work that these companies engage in doesn’t ever make it to their consumers. And when I use the word consumer here, I am using it as an all-encompassing term that includes other registered dietitians, healthcare professionals, and even my friends and family. I mention this because I think sometimes when we don’t know the “why” behind a brand’s decision we are quick to judge, but when we know the true mission behind the company, we probably would feel differently.
Let me tell you a story.
Years ago, I was interviewed about Soylent, a company at the time that I believe was trying to revolutionize the way we eat with its Ready-To-Drink Meal Replacement. It was all the rage at the time in Silicon Valley. Needless to say, as a RD I was like – “UM, we don’t need to drink our meals at our desk but instead take the time to prepare a meal!”
Fast forward to six months ago when I became a spokesperson for Soylent. What? That’s right, I changed my tune. I changed my tune, not because of the money for all you skeptics out there, but because I learned all about the mission of the company and the work they were doing within the scientific community. They have the mission of making complete, sustainable nutrition accessible, appealing and affordable to all. Also, I learned that their goal is NOT to replace all food but rather have complete nutrition easily and affordably available to help people across the country fill “food voids” (those times throughout the day when we all skip meals or make poor food choices due to either lack of time or other resources). However, even though they don’t want to replace all meals they do have some consumers who consume their products for multiple meals a day so they wanted to make sure that it was not only safe, but healthy.
To that end, I wanted to share with you some of the research that the company has conducted or participated in, because they don’t just talk the talk – they also walk the walk to make sure their products have the health benefits they tout.
As of today, Soylent has been involved in three published scientific studies:
- A Safety, tolerability and nutrient status after consuming a total meal replacement beverage for 30 days: a randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study in healthy adults.
- An Interventional Soylent Diet Increases the Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes Ratio in Human Gut Microbiome Communities.
- Integrating Exclusive Liquid Meal Replacement Supplementation to Reduce Gastrostomy Tube Rates in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer Undergoing Chemoradiation.
The bottom line here is that while consumers often feel that all brands care about is selling its product, the reality is that is not always the case. As my example shows, a company such as Soylent, a leader in the meal replacement category and food technology, cares about its community and the health implications of its products. By being a part of science-based research, their ultimate goal is to keep their consumers safe, healthy, and educated. This is why I am proud to partner with Soylent.
*This post was sponsored by Soylent – but my opinions are 110% mine!
Photo provided by Shutterstock.com
What is the Potato Hack Diet? – U.S. News Eat + Run
Whenever I think I know all the crazy diets out there another one raises its ugly head. Say hello to The Potato Hack Diet. And then hopefully after you read what I wrote about it for US News you will say goodbye. I mean really, as much as I love potatoes, they were not meant to be our only source of food. The end.
Photo taken from Prevention.com
What Is The Beyond Burger AND Is It Healthy? – Women’s Health
OK, so this isn’t the first time I shared something about a plant-based burger and it probably won’t be the last. They really are all the rage right now, and I think it is important to get the full picture. One overall point I would like to make is that we all would benefit from more vegetables in our diet, BUT don’t be mistaken that all plant-based burgers have veggies in them. Read on to find out more of what is actually in the popular Beyond Burger.
