admin

One word describes what Americans want from their diet these days: Convenience. So stock the supermarket with compact “energy-on-the-go” food touted to fight fatigue, fuel muscle growth, or help you lose weight and it’s guaranteed to fly off the shelves. That’s why sales of energy bars have seen incredible growth over the last decade, with more than $700 million in sales, according to research in Dietitian’s Edge.

Cut through the hype and flashy packaging, and you’re often left with a hefty (and expensive) dose of sugar, oil, and a mass of added vitamins and minerals. With little research to back up the bars claims, many are nothing more than protein-containing candy in disguise.  So do you really need any of this stuff?

They May Not Have as much Protein as You Think

Some meal-replacement bars may not have as much protein as you think. You won’t find pig’s feet or cattle hide listed in the fine print, but that’s because they’re hidden behind names like gelatin, hydrolyzed collagen, or hydrolyzed gelatin. Both collagen and gelatin lack an essential amino acid required to make them a complete protein. That means the quality of the protein is inferior to products that lack gelatin or collagen.

Look for a bar that lists whey or casein protein—or a blend of both—as the first or second ingredient. These milk proteins contain all the essential amino acids your muscles need. Baylor University researchers found that when men with at least 6 weeks of weight training experience were given a whey-casein mixture before their workouts, they built 50 percent more lean muscle mass over 10 weeks than men who took only whey.

Could it Damage Your Manhood?

“All-natural protein” is often code for soy, which research shows may cause gynocomastia—the abnormal enlargement of the mammary glands in men. When you consume soy protein, you’re actually courting the Mr. Hyde side of two organic compounds: genistein and daidzein. Both act so similarly to estrogen that they’re known as phytoestrogens (plant produced estrogen). Eat enough of the stuff, and you open up the potential for hormonal havoc.

They are Often Glued Together with Sugar

Many allegedly healthy bars contain high fructose corn syrup, which quickly raises blood sugar and cancels out any of the potential benefits you might otherwise get from healthy ingredients like oats. Take Health Valley Low Fat Chocolate Chip Granola Bars, for example. The main ingredient is brown rice syrup—a euphemism for sugar. You’re better off snacking on good old-fashioned cheese and crackers to swap out sugar and calories for protein and fiber.

If you’re tied to the convenience of a bar, look for labels with no more than five ingredients. “The longer the list and the more unpronounceable the words are, the farther it is from real food,” says Jonny Bowden, Ph.D, CNS Board Certified Nutrition Specialist.

They Don’t Boost Energy

Food companies out to make a buck capitalize on “energy’s” double meaning. Most consumers expect an “energy bar” to make them feel energetic or like they could hammer out an extra set of reps at the gym. But to nutritionists, “energy” simply means calories. “Boosting energy is a completely bogus claim,” Bowden says  “It’s a weasel use of the word energy.” Unless you’re recovering from a grueling workout or running a marathon, opt for nutrient-packed snacks like

Does high-fructose corn syrup make you fatter than sugar?  See this new study and you decide…

by Mike Geary – Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author of best-selling program:  The Truth about Six-Pack Abs
A “Corny” Lie?

Unless you’ve been under a rock for the last year or two, you’ve undoubtedly seen the massive media campaign that the Corn Refiners Association (the CRA) has been running on TV commercials, online ads, etc trying to “clean up” the poor public image of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

They have even tried a re-branding campaign trying to change the name to “corn sugar” instead of high-fructose corn syrup.

In addition, the TV commercials try to convince you that HFCS is “no worse than sugar”, and even try to imply that it is somehow ‘natural’, with this phrase:

“It’s made from corn, has no artificial ingredients, has the same calories as sugar and is okay to eat in moderation”

REALLY?  I’d say that it’s a downright LIE to say that HFCS has no artificial ingredients if you’ve ever seen how HFCS is refined and processed and the chemicals involved in that process.  Watch the entertaining documentary King Corn and you’ll see the NASTY chemicals involved in refining HFCS!

And let’s not forget that HFCS is almost always made from Genetically Modified corn.  Not so “natural” anymore huh!

In response to this CRA propaganda campaign to revamp the image of HFCS, Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest stated: “High-fructose corn syrup starts out as cornstarch, which is chemically or enzymatically degraded to glucose and some short polymers of glucose. Another enzyme is then used to convert varying fractions of glucose into fructose… High-fructose corn syrup just doesn’t exist in nature”.

What about the debate:  Is High-Fructose Corn Syrup worse for you than sugar?

This seems to have been an ongoing debate for the last couple years, but I personally think it’s a stupid debate…  In terms of your health and your waistline, they are BOTH pure evil!  Over time, with excess consumption of either HFCS or sugar, they can both lead to diabetes, obesity, and other major health problems, including premature aging, and a bulging belly!

However, with that said, I personally avoid HFCS at all costs, but I don’t necessarily avoid sugar altogether. I minimize sugar greatly, but I don’t avoid it like I avoid HFCS.  Have I mentioned that I haven’t had a soda pop since I was a teenager… not one!  Two things that I try to avoid almost 100% are HFCS and trans fats… because they are easily two of the MOST evil food additives that cause the most damage from a biochemical standpoint internally in your body (keep that in mind when you’re about to eat or drink them, and it’s easy to say no).

The only HFCS I get is probably the minor amounts that I might get in ketchup at a restaurant (sorry, I’m not giving up my ketchup… but I do get organic ketchup at home, which has no HFCS).  But other than ketchup at a restaurant, I stay away from anything and everything with HFCS in it, including store-bought salad dressings which are often laced with high amounts of HFCS.  Instead, I make my own healthy lean-body salad dressings at home.

The reason that I avoid HFCS more than I avoid plain sugar is that there is just too much evidence at this point that your body DOES process HFCS differently than sugar… despite the propaganda that the Corn Refiners Association is trying to shove down your throat with their ads.

New Princeton Study reveals that HFCS can stimulate more weight gain than sugar

Leave it to those geniuses at Princeton to give us some good evidence that HFCS can make you fatter than sugar!  In a 2010 Princeton University study, researchers found that rats given water sweetened with HFCS gained significantly more weight than those given water sweetened with plain sugar, despite calorie intake being the same between both groups.

Princeton researchers also state:  “In addition to causing significant weight gain in lab animals, long-term consumption of high-fructose corn syrup also led to abnormal increases in body fat, especially in the abdomen, and a rise in circulating blood fats called triglycerides“.

And what about those claims by the Corn Refiners Association that HFCS is “no worse than sugar”?  Well, let’s get past the propaganda, and hear what an actual researcher has to say:

According to professor Bart Hoebel, who specializes in the neuroscience of appetite, weight and sugar addiction… “Some people have claimed that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity, but our results make it clear that this just isn’t true, at least under the conditions of our tests.  When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they’re becoming obese — every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don’t see this; they don’t all gain extra weight.”

Princeton researchers also noted that the HFCS groups in the studies gained significant amounts of visceral fat around the belly.  As you might know, visceral fat is more deadly than subcutaneous fat and is a serious health concern as it releases inflammatory molecules into your system.

One reason that HFCS appears to cause more weight gain than plain sugar is that HFCS doesn’t trigger a leptin response in the body.  This means that it won’t signal the body to decrease appetite despite those HFCS calories that were consumed.

Another reason that HFCS affects our bodies differently is this… according to Princeton researchers, although HFCS only has 10% more fructose than table sugar (55% fructose content vs 50% fructose content in sugar), the fructose in HFCS is more sinister… According to Princeton, “as a result of the manufacturing process for high-fructose corn syrup, the fructose molecules in the sweetener are free and unbound, ready for fast absorption and utilization. In contrast, every fructose molecule in sucrose that comes from cane sugar or beet sugar is bound to a corresponding glucose molecule and must go through an extra metabolic step before it can be utilized.”

Aha… very interesting!

Well, I hope that’s enough evidence for you to simply try to fully avoid HFCS from now on.  Again, this doesn’t mean eating loads of table sugar is good for you either (that should be obvious), but these studies clearly show that HFCS is at least one step WORSE for you than sugar.  And you also know that HFCS contributes to more abdominal fat, so with that said, why in the world would you ever want to touch another soda again!

You also now know that the deceptive advertisments by the Corn Refiners Association have basically been LYING to you with their propaganda that “HFCS is no worse for you than sugar”.  Yeah, right.

How about some good comedy about HFCS to finish this off…

When I first saw this SNL skit that mocks the Corn Refiners Association ads on TV, I didn’t know which direction they were going with it… but if you watch to the end, you’ll see where they went with it… hilarious!  See what I mean below…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OmPUXVZL1xA]

Friendly Bacteria for Your Digestive System

— By Becky Hand, Licensed & Registered Dietitian

Did you know that your digestive tract contains more than 400 types of “friendly” bacteria? These little guys, commonly referred to as probiotics (which means “pro-life”), help reduce the growth of harmful bacteria and promote a healthy digestive system. That’s right! Probiotics are live bacteria with clinically-documented health benefits.

Health Benefits
It appears that when the digestive system is kept healthy, other body systems greatly benefit as well. Probiotics may:

• Protect against infection
• Enhance and boost the immune system
• Promote and improve digestive health
• Alleviate diarrhea caused by antibiotic treatments
• Promote urinary and genital health
• Assist in the management of inflammation
• Help alleviate symptoms of lactose intolerance
• Improve some types of eczema in infants and children
• Reduce cholesterol levels
• Decrease the risk of certain cancers

It is important to note that each type of friendly bacteria has a specific health benefit to the body. With over 400 different types of probiotics identified, researchers are just starting to uncover the health roles and benefits of each.

Food Sources
Currently, foodsthat contain probiotics are primarily dairy products and dairy beverages, including:

• Yogurt
• Drinkable and squeezable yogurts
• Fluid milk with added probiotics
• Fermented milk such as sweet acidophilus milk
• Kefir

Through fermentation, probiotics enhance the flavor and texture of these particular dairy products. Dairy foods actually buffer your stomach acid and bile, thereby protecting the probiotics from the stomach acid so that they can reach the intestines.

Raw (unpasteurized) yogurt is loaded with bacteria. Most yogurts today are pasteurized and these bacteria are killed. However, some friendly bacteria are added back. Look for a yogurt that contains the “live and active culture” sign on the label. Pay close attention to the expiration date because these live bacterial cultures can diminish with time.

Probiotic Supplements
Probiotic supplements are available in a variety of forms, such as freeze dried powder, capsules, wafers, and liquids. Remember to exercise caution before using a probiotic supplement. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate supplements in the same way as it regulates medication. Legally, manufacturers can sell supplements, even with little or no research on how well it works or how safe it is.

Supplement and medication reactions can occur, therefore seek the guidance of your health care provider before using any probiotic supplement.

Grab Some Bugs!
Why not give some fermented dairy products a try today? Little Miss Muffet did! Remember her curds and whey—a fermented dairy product filled with friendly bacteria? That old spider probably came and sat down be side her…because he wanted the probiotic benefits too!