Ever eaten an “energy” bar only to feel hungry and sapped a few hours later? Truth be told, most of the ingredients jammed into those 5 bite bars are less than fabulous. The packaging is flashy, the health claims are enticing and the idea a “healthy” chocolate covered anything is always appealing. But, here’s what you’ve got to do. You’ve got to put aside your love of that super appealing label and read the list of ingredients. That list won’t lie to you! If you see sugar, fake sugar, numbers, colors, modified or artificial ingredients, put it back. If you can’t pronounce it, look it up. If you want your body to function at it’s best, you’ve got to fuel it with the best foods.
Here are a few energy sapping ingredients you’ll want to avoid:
1. Sugar: One of the best ways to feel your worst is to eat added sugar. And it’s tricky because health food producers use terms like organic evaporated cane juice or organic cane syrup which sound pretty healthy. At all costs, steer clear of the white stuff.
2. Fake Sugars: Ingredients like acesulfame potassium (potential cancer causer), sucralose (headaches, stomachaches, diarrhea and dizziness), and aspartame (mood, memory issues, cancer, and chronic respiratory disorders) are commonly added to energy bars in order to keep the sugar content lower and still have the bar taste sweet. I say, stay away! Not worth it.
3. Sugar Alcohols: Ever get super bloated and abdominally uncomfortable after eating a bar? Find yourself running for a bathroom after downing those bites? It’s not surprising given that most include ingredients like erythritol (also a primary ingredient in truvia), sorbitol, malitol and xylitol all of which are known to wreak havoc on the gastrointestinal system.
4. Colors: Lakes are gorgeous, but if you see a lake in your ingredient list, don’t eat it! Yellow 6 lake (kidney and adrenal tumors), red 40 lake (thyroid cancer and nerve interference), blue 1 (chromosomal/DNA damage) are by no means natural. Dyes sometimes aren’t stable enough, so food chemists combine the dyes with insoluble compounds. Color pretty pictures with lake pigments, don’t eat them…
So, the good news is that there are some really fabulous energy bar alternatives that you might just love! My top 3 picks are Coconut Cream Pie Larabars, Go Raw Live Granola Bars, and
Ballerina Spirulina Barre Bars.
Eat Real Food, Feel Real Good!
PS Want to kick start your healthy weight loss? Check out my Metabolic Plan…
