How To Choose A Healthy Sports Nutrition Bar

Finding a truly healthy nutrition bar can be tough as I noted in my article, “Zing Bars Awarded Best Nutrition Bar 2008.”

I interviewed the makers of Zing Bars, nutritionists Michael Kaplan, ND, Minh-Hai Tran, MS, RD and Sandi Kaplan, MS, RD to help us better understand the following qualities to look for in a healthy sports bar.

What qualities should people look for when purchasing a healthy sports bar?

100% Natural Ingredients: In our opinion, a bar does not need to be 100% organic to be a healthy choice.  With the rising cost of food in general, organic ingredients can sometimes strain a food budget.  We recommend comfortably settling for a 100% natural bar, free of colorings, preservatives and additives.

High quality protein: Not all protein sources are as efficiently utilized by the body.  There are several measurements that seek to describe protein quality.  One such measurement is a protein’s Biological Value (BV).  The higher the Biological Value of the protein, the more nitrogen the body can absorb, use, and retain. As a result, proteins with the highest BV promote the most lean muscle gains.

Whey protein has the highest BV value, with a relative 104 rating.  Egg protein is second with a relative 100 and milk proteins rank third as relative 91.  Beef and soy protein have relative BV scores of 80 and 74 respectively.  Rice protein scores even lower than soy protein on the BV spectrum.  However, rice protein’s gluten free, relative hypoallergenic profile solidifies its usefulness as a protein source for those looking for a vegan alternative to soy protein.

High quality fat from sources such as nuts and seeds. High quality fat is important for at least two reasons:

• Fat helps stabilize blood sugar: Nuts, when consumed with a meal or snack, significantly reduce the rate at which glucose from carbs enters the bloodstream.  This means better blood sugar balance and control.  Nuts are comprised predominantly of monounsaturated fats and are a rich source of phytosterols, magnesium and folic acid which are means they are cardioprotective (reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease).
• Fat helps with satiety: A meal or snack with a balanced amount of fat (with respect to carbs and protein) will help increase feelings of fullness and satiety.  This can be very helpful in terms of portion control.

Fiber is a key player in any healthy food.  Fiber increases satiety by adding bulk, helps to slow the absorption of glucose from the diet, sweeps away dietary cholesterol in the gut, helps to create a nourishing environment for beneficial gut bacteria and scrubs toxins from the digestive tract.  This is just a partial list of the benefits of fiber.

We recommend 3 grams (or more) per bar. In our opinion, fiber really speaks to a particular food’s “Carbohydrate Quality.”  We define Carb Quality as follows: First, 3+ grams of Fiber.  Second, minimal use of sugar alcohols.  Third, the use of low glycemic sweeteners, such as Agave nectar.

Low allergens: (see the next article in this series discussing common allergens found in sports bars – coming up soon!)

Authors: Michael Kaplan, ND, Minh-Hai Tran, MS, RD and Sandi Kaplan, MS, RD

Reference Citations:

1.  Mozaffarian D, Pischon T, Hankinson SE, et al. Dietary intake of trans fatty acids and systemic inflammation in women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004; 79:606-12.
2.  Mozaffarian D, Katan MB, Ascherio A, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC. Trans fatty acids and cardiovascular disease. N Engl J Med. 2006; 354:1601-13.
3.  Trans fats: The Story Behind the Label. Harvard Public Health Review. Spring 2006.
4.  Freeman J, Hayes, C. Low Carbohydrate Food Facts & Fallacies. Diabetes Spectrum. 2004. 17:137-140.
5.  Hartman E. High Fructose Corn Syrup: No so Sweet for the Planet.  Washington Post. March 9, 2008. p. N02
6.  Jenkins, D, Kendall, C, Josse A, et al. Almonds decrease post-prandial glycemia, insulinemia, and oxidative damage in healthy individuals. J Nutr 2006;136;2987-92.
7.  L’Hocine L, Boye JI. Allergenicity and the soybean: new developments in identification of allergenic proteins, cross reactivities and hypoallergenization technologies. Crit Rev Food Sci Nut. 2007;47(2):127-43.
8.  Stolzenberg-Solomon RZ, et al. Folate intake, alcohol use, and postmenopausal breast cancer risk in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Apr;83(4):895-904.
9.  Stranges S, et al. Effects of long-term selenium supplementation on the incidence of type 2 diabetes: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2007 Aug 21;147(4):217-23.
10.  Ericson U et al. High folate intake is associated with lower breast cancer incidence in postmenopausal women in the Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Aug;86(2):424-43.
11.  Steinberg FM, Bearden MM, Keen CL. Cocoa and chocolate flavonoids: implications for cardiovascular health. J Am Diet Assoc. 2003 Feb; 103(2):215-23.
12.  Champe PC, Harvey RA. Biochemistry 2nd edition. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1994. 112, 152.
13. Oku T, Nakamura S. Threshold for transitory diarrhea induced by ingestion of xylitol and lactitol in young male and female adults. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2007 Feb;53(1):13-20.
14.  Farschi HR, et al. Beneficial metabolic effects of regular meal frequency on dietary thermogenesis, insulin sensitivity and fasting lipid profiles in healthy obese women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jan;81(1):16-24

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Japanese Prawn and Noodle Salad Recipe

Prawns are a delicious, healthy light protein choice.

Try pairing them with veggies for lunch and keep the carbs “slow” for optimal energy at the office or while chasing kids around all day.

Today’s healthy recipe is brought to us by my friend Zesty of ZestyCook.com. Visit his website for more whole food recipe ideas.

Ingredients

• 150 g Japanese noodles or Chinese
• 6 Cups Mixed Greens
• 2 Cloves garlic; crushed
• 1 Red pepper; deseeded and cut into thin strips
• 4 tb Brown rice vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. Coconut Milk
• 1 Tbsp. Fresh root ginger grated
• 2 Tbsp. Soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. Sesame seeds toasted (1oz)
• 2 tb Sunflower oil
• 1 Lb. Prawns

Method

1. Place the cooked drained noodles in a salad dish and chill.
2. In a small bowl add the the rice vinegar and soy sauce. Leave for 10 minutes.
3. Heat the sunflower oil in a wok and add the crushed garlic,stir fry for 1-2 minutes and add the red pepper.
4. Add Prawns to the hot pan and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add coconut milk and allow to thicken. Then cool slightly.
6. Combine the vegetables with the noodles and add the rice vinegar and soy sauce directly to noodles. Take the grated ginger and holding in one hand squeeze the juice over the salad and discard the pulp.
7. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.
8. Toss with mixed greens.

Delicious served as a light lunch or as part of an oriental meal.

Zesty Tip: When dressing a salad, place the dressing in the bottom of the bowl and the greens on top of them and gently toss with a pair of tongs just before serving. This will prevent damaging the greens.

More Zesty Recipes:
The Healing Power of Cauliflower
Sauteed Spinach Recipe

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Vegetarian Protein: Not just for Vegetarians

Hi Dr. Nicole, I would like to start eating more vegetable proteins and less meat, but am not sure how to do so healthfully.  Do you have any suggestions?

Eating vegetarian sources of protein at each meal is beneficial to both omnivores and vegetarians alike.

Moving towards more of a plant based diet will aid weight loss, benefit both those with diabetes and hypoglycemia by reducing the “total glycemic load” of your meal, reduces pain and inflammation, slows the aging process, reduces the toxic burden placed on your liver by eating high on the food chain, and saves the planet by eating less meat.

So what are the best forms of vegetable proteins?

Now I bet most of you are shouting “beans and rice” or “tofu” right now, and that is good, and I am VERY proud of you, but there is more to vegetarian sources of protein than meets the eye.

Whether you choose to be a full fledged vegetarian, or you decide to be just like me and eat less than one meal per day that contains animal products in it, you will benefit from the wisdom of the author of “Live Life 365″, an immensely inspiring video website that actually shows you how to be healthy.

Please welcome to the kitchen table today’s guest, Mike Foster!

So, Mike, what led you towards becoming a vegetarian?

I wasn’t always a vegetarian. Back in the day, I used to be seated right beside some of you, gnawing away on that rib bone, masticating that filet mignon, devouring a double double from my (former) favorite burger place, In-n-Out. I was an animal-eating carnivore most of my life—just like over 90% of the population. Then I had some blood work done and got a glimpse of my cholesterol levels.

Yikes!

Here’s the thing: I was never what you would call a BIG meat eater. More often than not, I was just as interested in the vegetable and salad portion of my meal as the animal protein part. And once I’d done further research about the contributing factors of high cholesterol (mine, by the way, was closing in on 300) and unhealthy weight gain—namely: saturated fats—it made perfect sense to gradually cut down on the meats. Years before I became a full-time vegetarian, I often would go days without consuming any animal protein. My palette, as well as some deeper region of my subconscious, was changing, sounding an alarm: Reduce your saturated fats or die!

Okay, Mike, you can stop with the dramatics. But it was a wake-up call, and my unhealthy cholesterol and weight gain (I was up over 200 pounds—far too heavy for my barely 5’ 11’’ frame) forced me to do something else—discover healthier eating options. More to the point: I needed to reduced saturated fats, which meant limit the consumption of animal proteins.

So without animal protein in your diet, what do you eat? How can you POSSIBLY survive without meat? (Just a little humor on behalf of all my carnivorous readers out there).

Here are some of the best sources of vegetable protein that I incorporate into my daily eating routine. Eat as much of this stuff as you can and you will not only get the necessary amount of protein into your diet, but tons of fiber (a good thing!). All without those harmful saturated fats; instead filling up with the good fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

NUTS

I eat nuts every day—mostly almonds, but all nuts have a decent amount of vegetable protein. In addition to almonds, eat walnuts, Brazil nuts, pistachios, even peanuts. They have anywhere from 6-8 grams of protein and 3.0 grams of fiber. I also suggest trying some of the butters. Almond butter is delicious and has 8.0 gms of protein per serving.

BEANS

I love Mexican food, and eat it at least twice a week. I’ve found that you can replace just about any of the meat dishes with healthy black beans (7.0 gms protein/7.0 gms fiber) or refried beans (be sure to check if they are made with lard, in they are, opt out). There are dozens of varieties of beans (see one of my previous blog posts, You Don’t Know Beans…or Do You?); pinto, navy, garbanzo—add them to salads or eat as a side dish. Most have around 6-8 gms of protein and about the same amounts of fiber.

And don’t forget lentils. These tasty tidbits are loaded with vegetable protein—10.0 gms. And 9.0 gms of fiber.

WHOLE GRAINS

I eat a high-protein, whole grain cereal every other day. Kashi makes excellent products. Try their Go Lean. It has 13.0 gms of protein per serving, also 10.0 gms fiber. I mix mine with their Good Friends (5.0 gms protein/12.0 gms fiber) for a vegetarian protein and fiber blast (pun intended!) The days I don’t eat whole grain cereals, I have some toasted whole grain bread (4-6 gms protein; shop around and read labels, some have more protein than others. I recommend Milton’s) with almond butter. You can see how the vegetable protein is adding up, huh?

Pastas, especially whole grain pastas, are another great source of vegetable protein. Most have at least 6-8 gms, while some go as high as 12-15 gms. Again, read labels, and you will be pleasantly surprised by all of the healthy vegetable protein options available to you.

I also eat oatmeal (8.0 gms protein/ 6.0 gms fiber) every day. And wild rice will get you around 5.0 gms of vegetable protein per serving.

VEGETABLES

Not all veggies are created equal. Some have more protein than others. Here are the ones you should look for when looking to increase your vegetable protein consumption:

SOY

I eat edamame, or soybeans, (11.0 gms protein/ 6.0 gms fiber) several times a week. I like to mix in another vegetable, usually broccoli (5.0 gms protein/ 4.0 gms fiber), add a little olive oil, salt, pepper. How’s that for veggie protein? Also, soy chips are a wonderful source of protein: 6.0 gms–I like Glenny’s and Gen soy. And Dr Soy makes a tasty soy bar (11 gms protein) that I devour most days.

ALSO:

Avocado: (4.0 gms protein/8.0 gms fiber)
Peas: (5.0 gms protein/ 4.0 gms fiber)
Corn: (4.5 gms protein/3.0 gms fiber)
Lima beans: (6.0 gms protein/4.0 gms fiber)
Brussels sprouts: (4.0 gms protein/3.0 gms fiber)
Artichoke hearts: (4.0 gms protein/4.0 gms fiber)
Asparagus: (4.0 gms protein/3.0 gms fiber)

This is by no means a complete list, and a lot of it is personal preference. But, as you can see, the variety of vegetable proteins available to you are endless. And the best part—they are low in saturated fats, high in good fats, loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that contribute to a longer, happier, skinnier, healthier life.

Thanks Mike for being my guest this week at the kitchen table. How can my readers learn more about eating a healthy vegetarian diet?

As always, you can watch me talk about all of these healthy topics at my video website, livelife365.com.

If you would like to be my next guest at the kitchen table, simply contact me with a suggested health topic.

~Dr. Nicole
www.KitchenTableMedicine.com

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Cellulite Reduction: The Best Treatments

By Bonnie Pfiester, Fitness Trainer.

Someone once asked me if I knew of anything that would help get rid of cellulite.

I am proud to say I do!

My answer isn’t a cream nor is it a complicated surgical procedure. My solution is something that has been around for years – diet and exercise.

Surprised?

You see, I don’t believe the issue is always the lumpy fat we call cellulite, but the problem can be magnified by the result of muscle deterioration. The unfortunate combination can leave skin loose and lumpy.

Let’s look at the facts. Women who do not exercise lose an average of 5 pounds of muscle per decade before menopause and a pound a year thereafter. Since cellulite is more common for women, this causes a couple of problems.

Each pound of lean muscle lost decreases your metabolism, making it easier to gain weight. If you already have a problem with cellulite, the slowing metabolism will only make matters worse. Weight gain causes the cellulite to be more pronounced as the fat cells grow.

If that wasn’t bad enough, the firm muscle that once supported the skin and fat is now shrinking. Lumpy fat cells are growing and smooth firm muscle is withering away. Have I scared you into working out yet?

Let me encourage you. Although diet and exercise may not get rid of all the cellulite in the world, it sure can make a huge difference. A low-calorie diet can reduce and manage overall body fat, affecting the size and visibility of cellulite.

Exercising to preserve or increase lean muscle mass can prevent, and even reverse, a lot of the problems. Building lean muscle not only increases your metabolism to help fight weight gain but it builds firm shapely muscle to support and smooth out our aging skin.

Some may argue, but I have seen too many transformations as a result of diet and exercise that are undeniable proof that it can work. Although diet and exercise may not always get rid of the problem completely, I bet it works ten times better than any cellulite cream on the market!

~Bonnie

Bonnie Pfiester is a Personal Trainer and owner of the health club Longevity Fitness. You can enjoy more of Bonnie’s fitness and beauty articles at www.BonniePfiester.com .

You are invited to leave your fitness and sports nutrition questions in the comments below for Bonnie to briefly answer or write about in future articles.

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