You enter a convenience store or
local grocery and inevitably, you come across a rack filled with delicious
energy bars. You find yourself overwhelmed with such a huge display of health
claims so, you quickly buy the first bar that catches your eye and has an
appealing flavor. It may be a simple Chocolate Clif Bar, a Macadamia Nut Clif
Bar or a seasonal Iced Gingerbread ClifBar. However, do you feel you got the bar that is best suited to your
needs?
When you purchase an energy bar, do
you think why you are eating it? Do you need a mini-meal replacement, a handy
snack or additional protein before or after your workout?
Just because you are dieting or
keeping yourself healthy with lots of exercise does not mean that energy bars
are a must in your plan! Know that, these bars are not necessary for a
balanced, healthy diet. Below are some pros and cons about these energy bars:
Pros
Energy bars such as Iced Gingerbread Clif Bar are popular
for many reasons. Generally, energy bars:
·
Help
meet your needs of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and other nutrients
·
Help
meet your calories (energy) needs
·
Are
pre-packaged, convenient and portable
·
Help
meet other nutritional needs such as minerals and vitamins. Some nutrients,
which are added, include zinc, calcium, iron, Vitamin D, folic acid, Vitamin
B-12, fiber and protein
·
Do
not require refrigeration
·
Have
a long life
·
Help
ward off unnecessary eating and craving when you become hungry
·
Keep
you away from dangerous areas like drive-thru fast food and vending machines
Cons
The downside of these energy bars
are:
Excessive Calories –If you eat too many and that too often, they may contribute to increasing
your calorie intake which will eventually increase your weight
·
Cost
- $1 to $3 a bar. At some point, this will become a huge expense on your bill
Excessive Nutrients – These bars may contribute to excessive nutrients intake,
especially when you:
·
Eat
two or three bars daily
·
Already
take some kind of multivitamin supplement
This is dangerous to health and may
lead to minor intestinal discomfort (constipation and diarrhea), nerve damage, liver
disease, or even death.
Abdominal Discomfort – Energy bars with low-carb, high fiber and low-sugar contain
alternative fiber sources (chicory root, inulin) and sugar alcohols that may
cause diarrhea, bloating and gas in some individuals. Even though these
ingredients consuming rating come in the safe area, individual tolerance is not
known.
Additives – Energy
bars with additional weight-loss aids and herb ingredients are often a lie to
entice people to buy them. These bars are not beneficial to health. They have
no standards, which makes these safe or effective at what they claim. Many of
these result in dangerous side effects or medication interaction.
Processing – Most
energy bars are processed food whereas they should be made whole unprocessed
foods. That is what a healthy diet requires.
Lack of Data – Few
researches support the need of these bars. While many bars claim weight loss,
muscle building and antioxidants, they are not miracle food and therefore must not
be used as replacement for your daily meals. http://icedgingerbreadclifbar.webs.com/
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