Archive for July 19th, 2010
The Trouble with Bars
July 19th, 2010
No, not that kind of bar.
We’re talking instead about the meal replacement bar. You know the type: Zone bars, Oh Yeah! bars, EAS Myoplex bars, Clif bars, Labrada bars, Power bars, Met Rx. The athlete’s best friend, right?
As a guy who used to eat one or two “protein bars” every day, I am writing from experience. Serously, I would crave my afternoon bar with a cup of coffee. When I made the switch to a mostly-Paleo diet, I was afraid to give up bars. I had no idea what I would use to fill those slots in my daily diet.
Consuming all those bars was not good for me–at all. And I want to share some insights (okay, warnings really) with those Firebreathers and others who have made the commitment to begin to eat a healthy diet. You could be doing all the right things at the box (in the gym) and consuming the recommended volume of calories and protein. But if you’re eating a couple meal replacement bars a day (like I was), you could be signalling your body to retain extra bodyfat by slowing its metabolism and contaminating it with unwanted toxins.
Beyond the health conscious crossfitter, mainstream America has fallen victim to the lure of meal replacement bars manufactured by the Big Food companies. Some are cleverly disguised and some are emotionally linked to beloved breakfast cereal brands. Have you seen those Special K bars, Snickers energy bars with protein, Dr. Atkins bars and any number of granola bars with some protein added. The trouble with bars becomes quickly evident when you take a look at what’s inside.
Let’s break down one of my old faves:
Big Colossal Super Cookie Crunch Bar
Trouble Sign #1 -way too much sugar – 26g to be exact. (That’s almost 7 teaspoons of sugar.)
Trouble Sign #2 – soy protein (Nobody needs to eat soy, especially not men. It is an estrogen mimicker.)
Trouble Sign #3 – too much high fructose corn syrup (Causes insulin to spike, which causes us to store fat. It also interferes with the production of collagen and elastin. Think soft, loose skin.)
Trouble Sign #4 – lecithin – an emulsifier / preservative which helps to keep the bar moist (Genetically-engineered additive that contains plant toxins. Our bodies don’t know how to process lecithin.) This is just one of many artificial additives and preservatives commonly found in meal replacement bars.
The job of a meal replacement bar is to, simply, replace a meal … to serve as a substitute for a meal. Any bar can cure your hunger for an hour. But what are you consuming in that “meal?” Are you getting a healthy balance of protein, carbohydrate and fat? Are you getting a reasonable amount of sugar–or way too much? And what about chemical additives and preservatives? You wouldn’t add those to your home-cooked meal; so don’t accept them in a meal replacement. The bottom line is that you have to read the label on any bar. Be smart and be aware of how much sugar you’re consuming … and how many additives.
Do any bars out there deserve to be consumed by a Firebreather? We’ll examine this question next time. Until then, please continue to post your meals to Comments, as part of your healthy dietary routine.
This post contributed in collaboration by Coach Lis and Tin Man Skip.
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