Low Glycemic Protein Bars

Low Glycemic Protein Bars to Counteract Eating Foods High in Carbohydrates

Personally, I believe that the best low glycemic protein bars are the Balance low glycemic protein bars which help you reach and stay in the Zone.

I say that because it's not healthy in the long run to go too far in the opposite direction -- that is, that to be so afraid of insulin and carbohydrates that you eat no or almost no carbohydrates. That will send your insulin too low.

After a few days your body goes into an abnormal state called ketosis where you're burning fat, but the resulting ketones go into your blood, so your piss turns a weird color.

That's what the Atkins Diet does. I tried it once, and I'm glad I did, so I can say I know what it's like.

But I'm also glad I stopped it. Believe me, after a few days or few weeks of eating nothing but protein and fat, you'll feel a craving for carbohydrates you will hardly believe. Listen to your body. You need those carbohydrates.

Low Glycemic Protein Bars Should Focus on Healthy Nutrition

Of course, they should be low glycemic carbohydrates. They should be mainly vegetables, with some fruit (especially low glycemic kinds) and maybe a small amount of whole grains, especially non-instant oatmeal.

Balance Bars also makes a line of bars that are even lower in carbohydrates than their Original Balance Bar line (which adheres to the Dr. Sears Zone diet 40/30/30 nutrition guidlines to keep you in the Zone), called Carbwell bars.

Balance Carbwell bars contain just 2 grams net.

The Caramel 'n Chocolate Balance bar contains 14g of protein and 190 calories. The website claims that they have 40/30/30 nutrition, but this doesn't make any sense.

That implies that 40% of calories come from carbohydrates and 30% from protein. With 14 grams of protein and only 2 grams of net carbs, obviously carbohydrates do not make up 40% of the calories.

Balance does not supply the glycemic index of the Carbwell bars. That is apparently information not required by the federal government. It'd be nice if they'd put it on the label and website anyway, since they should know that many of their customers are looking for. Or maybe it'd confuse possible potential customers who don't know what the Glycemic index is.

The Glycemic Index of Healthy Protein Bars is Insignificant

Still, with only 2g of net carbs, the Glycemic Index of those two grams is insignificant. They are more than balanced by the protein and fat in the bars.

That could be true of all low carbohydrate protein bars. When the emphasis of your food bars is the protein and fat, and there's little or no carbs in the meal bars, then the exact Glycemic Index of them is not of much concern.

The protein in the bars (and any fat or fiber in them as well), lowers the Glycemic Index so that you don't have to be concerned with it.

The time to be concerned with the glycemic index of a bar is when it's high in carbohydrates. For instance, many energy bars are just as high in carbs as the sugariest candy bars.

By eating healthy protein bars instead, you're guaranteed a healthy hormonal balance. So looking for low glycemic protein bars is a search for the healthiest bars that contain protein instead of carbs.

Next: Zone Diet Celebrities -- famous people who eat the Zone diet.