Energy Bars – Health or Hype?

We all know that candy bars are not good for us. Loaded with sugar, they give us a quick lift without providing any real nourishment…that lift soon crashes and we feel hungrier than before. They also contain dangerous hydrogenated oils and A LOT of artificial ingredients.

OK, so the food giants gave us an alternative -- energy bars to the rescue! They look and taste like candy bars, have the shelf life of candy bars, contain protein and fiber, and are loaded with vitamins and minerals!! Whoo-hoo! They are convenient and they taste great! And, thanks to an incredible amount of advertising hype, they can be consumed without the guilt of a candy bar....

Or NOT.

Here’s the real truth: most energy bars are based on so-called natural sweeteners -- usually high fructose corn syrup and sometimes juice concentrates --along with dried fruits, nuts, peanut butter, and sometimes even chocolate -- a combination that results in higher percentages of carbohydrates and sugar than the typical candy bar!

But, they’re high in protein, you say...I say, there is nothing natural about the protein used in energy bars.

Soy and whey proteins used in most energy bars are waste products of the soy and cheese industry. Soy protein must be processed at very high temperatures -- a process that denatures many of the proteins in soy, especially lysine, making them unavailable to the body. Also, toxins are formed during this high-temperature chemical processing, including nitrates, lysinalanine and MSG.

Besides, most (if not all) soy in this country is genetically modified and has the nutritional equivalent of plastic. Yep. That's right. In fact, according to the late, great Henry Ford, soybean oil makes a superior enamel for painting automobiles and it's a great plastic alternative.

Yum.

Whey protein is inherently fragile and must be processed at low temperatures or its qualities as a protein are destroyed. Whey protein is formed by drying skim milk and whey at high temperatures and putting the powders into energy drinks, body building powders and high-protein bars. Bad news.

Other major ingredients of these “health” bars include high fructose corn syrup (or concentrated fruit juices, which are high in fructose), an ingredient that has been shown to be worse for test animals than sugar. "Natural flavors" and loads of synthetic vitamins are thrown in so the bars can be called "complete."

In reality, energy bars are simply glorified candy bars and have similar effects on the body. Instead of relying on them for a pre-workout energy boost, try something truly natural, like REAL FOOD. Raw nuts, organic raw goat cheese slices, fresh fruit, or a green smoothie (fruit, water, leafy greens). Real food, the way Nature intended.

Take a listen to some of my radio archives to learn more. I did an entire program about energy bars call "Bar Exam", also about High Fructose Corn Syrup, "It's so Corny". Enjoy and Be Well! http://www.wellness4women.org/archives.html

Green is Sexy

Greens. The sexiest of all food groups! Chlorophyll is one of nature's greatest healers. If you want glowing health and beautiful skin, choose greens: arugula, collards, parsley, kale, chard, watercress, nettles, dandelion, spinach, sprouts -- any green, any time! So much research has been done on the benefits of greens. Greens help us digest other foods by stimulating the secretion of digestive enzymes. They are an excellent source of amino acids -- in fact; greens are the primary food group that match human nutritional needs most completely! Why aren't you eating them??

"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon." ~ Doug Larson

Why is it so hard to love greens?? Take a look at what has been found when greens are put to the test:

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that individuals who eat leafy greens had a 23% reduction in coronary heart disease.

Scientists found that a diet rich in leafy green vegetables actually showed a significant reduction in the chance of developing colon cancer.

Research shows that folate, one of the impressive B Vitamins in greens, may protect against cognitive decline in older adults.

Studies found that caratenoids (powerful antioxidants) in green leafy vegetables can inhibit the growth of certain types of breast cancer cells, skin cancer cells, lung cancer and stomach cancer.
Another study showed that women who ate the most leafy greens had half the risk of ovarian cancer compared to those who ate the least. Half!! What are you waiting for??

The darker the green, the more nutrients they hold. Choose those that are lusciously deep in color, like kale and collards, and mix them with a variety of shades, textures and tastes for the perfect balance of vitamins and minerals.

Have you ever dared to eat raw collard greens?? Dinosaurs must have been gnawing on collard greens because they date back all the way to prehistoric times. They're one of the oldest members of the cabbage family and a close cousin of another one of my favorite greens, the super sexy Kale. The vitamin K, A, C and magnesium levels in collards are off the charts and their folate, calcium and dietary fiber content is impressive, too. Try this easy recipe:

Collard Green Wrap

Cut the stems off of 1 or 2 collard green leaves. Cover with a layer of hummus. Add filling, such as grated carrot, sliced zucchini, sprouts, avocado, tomato, quinoa or anything you like or have on hand. Fold over the bottom and roll up like a burrito. Easy, healthy, portable and a cinch to make! You can try other greens, too, like big chard leaves or crunchy cabbage leaves.

Super Sexy Smoothie

1 cup pineapple, fresh or frozen 1 ripe banana, fresh or frozen1 fresh, juicy mango or 1 cup frozen7 leaves of dinosaur kale (stems removed)2 cups water

Blend until creamy. Use more or less water to get your desired thickness.The super sexy kale is considered to be a nutritional super star among green veggies, with very strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Leafy Greens Rock!!

Get green and get your sexy back!! Try to include at least one good green salad into your diet every day -- two if you can. Add greens to your smoothies! Juice greens! Gently steam or lightly sauté your greens just until they wilt and turn a brilliant emerald! There are so many varieties of sexy greens at your local Farmer’s Market. Have fun and try a new green every week. Fuel your glow with greens!

Get the Glow!

If you want your health to improve, if you want to glow with wellness and beauty, and if you really want your life to change for the better -- you have to do something different than what you are doing now. The foods we choose to fill us make all the difference because everything we eat becomes a part of us.

What we eat radically affects the way we think, feel and behave. It is nutrient-rich, real, authentic, alive foods that put a sparkle in our eye, a glow to our skin and hair and a feeling of pure energy, beauty and joy from the inside out.

If you insist on eating processed, dead foods that are devoid of nutrients, you will feel devoid of energy, radiance and vitality. Your body cannot live on dead food energy. If you want to feel alive, glowing and beautiful, doesn’t it make sense to fill yourself with foods that are alive with energy and vibrantly beautiful, instead of foods that are devoid of life and even vibrant color??

Even mice fed live foods have three times more energy and endurance than when they are fed cooked foods! And when we have more energy, we glow. Our food, as all of life, has electrical energy and the potential to enhance our own glowing life-force. “You are what you eat” — it’s true!

Raw food is complete with everything that allowed it to sprout and grow in the first place -- enzymes, water, oxygen, vitamins and minerals and so much more. It was divinely designed to be perfect by nature. Untouched, untainted, raw food is honest food -- what you see is what you get. No hidden ingredients, nothing messed around with, just pure delicious fresh live food that we are designed to eat - living food for living bodies. Natural foods, alive with energy, creates new life, new cells and glowing wellness. These are the foods that nourish and give us vibrant health, glowing wellness, exquisite beauty, an exceptional quality of life and longevity.

Foods that Rob You of Beauty

Sugar & Artificial Sweeteners / Refined Flour and Gluten / Heated & Processed Oils / Dairy

A Few Foods that Enhance Your Beauty:

Greens — The sexiest of all food groups. Chlorophyll is one of nature’s greatest healers. If you want to glow, choose greens — arugula, collards, parsley, kale, chard, watercress, nettles, dandelion, spinach, sprouts — any green, any time!

Try to include at least one good green salad into your diet every day— two if you can. Add greens to your smoothies! Juice greens! Fuel your glow with greens!

Olives – Olives are perhaps the most beautifying food of all. They are one of the highest natural sources of vitamin E, known to erase fine lines on the face, repair connective tissue, heal the circulatory system and soothe digestion. They are high in antioxidants and squalene to keep the skin smooth. (Canned olives are pasteurized and don’t contain these beneficial properties.)

Coconut – In Sanskrit, the coconut palm is known as “the tree that supplies all that is needed to live.” It contains one of the most healing fats of all foods and the remarkable ability to rejuvenate tissue damage. So, repairing and nourishing the skin with coconut should be approached by both eating the coconut and massaging it’s oil into the skin. It also heals and prevents stretch marks.

Cucumber – cucumbers have the reputation as the most excellent kidney cleanser known – they prevent puffiness and bloating due to water retention – and they are very hydrating.

Radish — Very high in both sulfur and silica, and one of the highest vegetable sources of vitamin C! Sulfur and silicon work together with vitamin C to create glowing, radiant skin.

Pineapple — Rich in bromelain, manganese and collagen-healing vitamin C, pineapple contains enzymes that make skin elastic, improve skin hydration, reduce inflammation and remove damaged and dead cells for a clear and glowing complexion. The enzymes in pineapples also fight free-radical damage and can reduce age spots and fine lines. It can even help curb sugar cravings!

Figs — One of the most nutritious fruits in the world, with one of the highest concentrations of calcium than any other food. Sweet and sexy, figs increase fertility and are a symbol of abundance.

Get the glow and bring color and vibrancy back into your life with the power of fresh, whole raw foods!!