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Energy Bars -- Whatever Gets You Through the Day

Here you can find information on bars to provide you with a healthier dose of carbohydrates than candy bars.

Americans and apparently other people around the developed world have formed a fixation on the concept of energy -- not oil, but personal, physical energy. That's why there's a tremendous and growing market for energy bars and energy drinks.

Our busy lifestyles, general lack of exercise and poor fast food diets combined with an average of four hours a day spent watching TV have combined to rob us of our natural vitality. Doctors report that fatigue is one of the most common complaints of people they see, along with associated signs of physical slowdown such as insomnia, poor digestion, lack of sexual desire, and depression.

So we are suckers for any product promising to give us that make us feel happy to be alive feeling again.

One famous brand is Clif Bars. They come in Chocolate Chip, Apricot, Banana Nut Bread, Black Cherry Almond, Carrot Cake, Iced Gingerbread, Chocolate Mint Peanut Crunch, Cool Mint Chocolate, White Chocolate Macadamia, Spiced Pumpkin Pie, Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, Maple Nut, Peanut Toffee Buzz, Cranberry Orange Nut Bread, Cranberry Apple Berry, Chocolate Almond Fudge, Chocolate Brownie, Blueberry Crisp, Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, and Crunchy Peanut Butter flavors.

One bar is 68 grams and 230 calories. It has 45 grams of carbohydrate and only 10 grams of protein and 3 grams of fat. So it's a conventional "low-fat" but high carbohydrate bar. It obviously will not put you in the Zone since it's way overloaded in carbohydrates.

But of course, that's the energy -- the body converts all carbohydrates into sugar to burn.

The Glycemic Index is not known. It does contain fiber, so hopefully that slowly down the body's absorbtion of the carbohydrates so that it doesn't overload your pancreas and jack up your insulin in one fast spike, but spreads it out over time which is more natural and healthy.

The major ingredient is organic brown rice syrup, so at least the carb content is "organic." And it contain soy protein isolate.

Clif also makes the Luna Bar for women. It doesn't quite so much carbohydrates. Clif Kid.

Plus, they make a line of bars for backpackers taking it along in less than temperature-controlled conditions -- Mojo, the Sweet and Sour Trail Mix Bar. They contain 10 grams of both fat and protein, but 20 grams of carbohydrates and say they have a low glycemic index, so it's not a greatly overloaded with carbs as a regular Clif Bar.

PowerBar has the Fruit Smoothie Energy bar, Harvest, Triple Threat and Nut Naturals.

The Fruit Smoothie comes in three flavors -- Berry Blast, Creamy Citrus and Tangy Tropical. With 3.5 grams of fat, only 6 grams of protein and 43 grams of carbohydrates it's way overloaded with carbs. Again, no Zone balance bar. It's intended to give you a lot of "feel-good" carbs to jack up your insulin in a health food politically correct way. Total calories is 220.

Harvest is more grainy, intended for people outside with no refrigeration (energy bars coated with chocolate or some other creamy substance melt in high temperatures -- just try eating them after they've been left in a closed car for a few hours!). It is still overloaded with carbs, but does have twice as much protein. It contains 250 calories.

Nut Naturals have only 21 grams of carbohydrates, so it's the least likely to spike up your insulin, giving you better sustained control of your energy levels. Calories -- 210.

You have to read the labels and make up your mind. Energy bars are close to candy bars in their effect upon your body.