DAY 12

Chaos & Order

To me, food (like much of life), is a delicate balance of chaos and order.

As a kid, trips to the grocery store with my Mom almost felt like being on a gameshow. We had a precise list of items to get: Vitamin D Milk, Morning Star Vegetarian Breakfast Sausages, Pulp-Free Tropicana Orange Juice, Haagen Dazs Coffee Ice Cream, Boar’s Head Roast Beef — nice and rare slices.

She always followed the same route through the aisles, seeking maximum efficiency, and my sister and I would get little assignments along the way: Walk down that aisle and get a bottle of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce. Check it off the list. In 30 minutes we were home with a week’s worth of groceries for the whole family.

That is making order from chaos.

Our ancestors practiced the same philosophy, in their own way. Women and men were divided into gatherers and hunters. Trade routes developed to spread spices, animals, and staple crops around the globe. Recipes and techniques were passed down the generational tree.

To some extent, all beings on our chaotic planet are just trying to carve out a tiny piece of order for their kin.

Thanksgiving, for example, brings my family together from across the country under one roof. It feels chaotic on the surface: the noises and smells, mealtime chaos with a big family, sights, smells, etc. But we cook and eat and drink and laugh, and largely ignore the rest of the outside, chaotic world. We give thanks for our health and for the Ravens beating the Steelers on Thanksgiving day. Order indeed.

We’ve design the spaces around us for order — the fridge holds perishables, the pantry holds dry goods, drawers hold utensils… with Soylent, much of that melts away. There’s no need for much more than a pitcher, fridge, and a few glasses/water bottles. I typically use the same cup for at least two meals. I’ll fill a shaker bottle with Soylent for breakfast, then refill it and bring it to the office for lunch.

Some recent social trends dismiss consumerism & excess. Soylent can be a move towards a minimal lifestyle. Little waste, little thought, more energy, more happiness.

Another way to impose order onto chaos.

Hours slept: 10

Meal times:
11:30AM : 16oz
3:00PM : 16oz
8:00PM : Cheat Meal #2 — Lamb Burgers!

Weigh-in : 168lbs
Weigh-out: 169lbs