When you are on the go day in day out having the time to make healthy food can be difficult. Protein bars and shakes and meal replacement drinks become the ‘healthy’ alternative but soon enough the diet consists of these replacement items instead of eating real whole foods that are loaded with nutrition and fiber. Thanks to clever marketing we don’t see these shakes and bars as such a bad thing.
Some of these products are so dense and high in calories. Packed with ‘healthy’ things like nuts and dates...one bar has as many calories as a giant salad with some chicken but with loads more sugar.
Additionally, when you drink your meals it prevents your stomach from signalling to your brain that you have actually eaten thus being more inclined to snack. The process of chewing your food is very important since it prepares your stomach for digestion. Actual food that has bulk like fibrous salads takes longer eat via chewing and longer to digest so it keeps you feeling fuller for longer. What’s the use of having a small yet calorie-packed bar or a shake (most likely filled with additives anyway) to lose weight when you’ll be hungry again in an hour or so?
Don’t get sucked into the marketing mania and think that by consuming bars and drinks is healthy and the way to lose weight. It’s exactly the opposite. If you want to be healthy fill yourself up with loads of fresh raw whole foods such as fruits, vegetables that contain enzymes, fiber and phytochemicals. Eat protein from a whole source such as eggs and fish rather than whey or soy isolates that are made in a lab. Avoid the condensed ‘health’ bars that are loaded with calories even though they may be ‘naturally sweetened.’ None of them will keep you full for long.
Here are some snack suggestions that I enjoy every day. They fill me up and they are made with real, whole foods that give you the nutrients that your body needs for optimal health.
