Sugar: Should be less than 10 grams. When grams of sugar are too high, your blood sugar will quickly spike, causing a surge of energy followed by a crash. This will result in a strong physiological desire for additional carbohydrates (sugar) in the attempt to increase your energy.
Protein: Grams of protein should be larger than or equal to grams of carbohydrate. This will ensure that your blood sugar will remain stable, keeping you satisfied for at least 2-3 hours. Protein contains amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle. Muscle is the engine that drives the metabolism.
Fat: At least 30% of a bar’s calories should come from fat. Contrary to popular belief, fat does not make you fat. If you are looking to decrease your girth, avoid sugar. Like protein, fat works to stabilize your blood sugar. Fat also is an excellent source of immediate energy, helps to increase satiety and metabolism as well as supports the production of key hormones. Please note: This pertains only to high quality fats, such as coconut oil, butter, extra virgin olive oil, fish oils, nut oils, and some seed oils. Avoid chemically altered fats like trans fats and hydrogenated oils. These are processed fats that are chemically modified to increase the shelf life of products.
Look out for: Corn syrup, fructose, agave, hydrogenated/fractionated oils, artificial sweeteners, and soy. These ingredients all have a negative impact on the body’s metabolism and can cause a variety of health problems overtime. Corn syrup, fructose, and high fructose corn syrup are believed to be THE major contributors to insulin resistance and diabetes. Fructose, in its many forms, interferes with your brain’s communication with leptin, the appetite suppressing hormone, which results in overeating. Agave is also a highly processed ingredient that contains 90% fructose. Hydrogenated and fractionated oils take natural, healthy oil and turn it into a totally dangerous, relatively indigestible “plastic” that the body does not recognize and know how to process. Another group of ingredients that is difficult for the body to breakdown is artificial sweeteners. They are known to stimulate your appetite, increase carbohydrate cravings and cause fat storage and weight gain. Soy has been scientifically proven to mimic estrogen in the body, which can lead to hormonal imbalances that can cause unwanted weight gain, low energy, and digestive problems.