Kellogg's Special K Protein Snack Bar Chocolate Delight Ingredients: COATING (SUGAR, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED PALM KERNEL OIL, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, WHEY, NONFAT DRY MILK, SOY LECITHIN, SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE, SALT, POLYSORBATE 60, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR), CORN SYRUP, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, FRUCTOSE, SUGAR, RICE FLOUR, SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE (SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, COCOA BUTTER), TOFFEE BITS (SUGAR, BUTTER [CREAM, SALT], CRISP RICE [RICE FLOUR, SUGAR, MALT EXTRACT, SALT, RICE BRAN], CORN SYRUP, SWEETENED CONDENSED SKIM MILK [SUGAR, SKIM MILK], SALT), SOYBEAN AND PALM OIL WITH TBHQ, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF INULIN, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, MAGNESIUM PHOSPHATE, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, NONFAT DRY MILK, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SALT, GELATIN, GLYCERIN, MALT EXTRACT, SODIUM ASCORBATE (VITAMIN C), VITAMIN E ACETATE, SOY LECITHIN, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, NIACINAMIDE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), ALMOND FLOUR, PARTIALLY DEFATTED PEANUT FLOUR, WHEAT STARCH, VITAMIN B12.
Issues with this so-called "protein" bar:
1. SUGAR is the main ingredient. It is listed first on the ingredient list (ingredients are listed in order of prevalence). When you’re a kid and you eat candy loaded with sugar, your blood sugar increases and your pancreas releases a little insulin, which drives your blood sugar back down rapidly. The pancreas only releases a small amount of insulin because in children the cells are very sensitive to this hormone. This delicate sensitivity causes insulin to easily handle extreme amounts of sugar and carbohydrates that kids gorge themselves with, but not without a price. We may think it is fine for our kids to enjoy the simple pleasures of junk food, but they eventually develop a loss of sensitivity in the sensors to insulin, a condition known as insulin resistance. This begins a cruel cycle of needing more insulin to keep the system going. As the body releases more insulin in an attempt to push through the resistance and force the precious blood sugar to the muscles and liver that need it, the extra insulin leads to carbohydrate cravings. In an attempt to calm our desire for carbohydrate-filled foods, even more insulin is released. In an attempt to protect itself from too much insulin the body becomes even more insulin resistant. Eventually, the fat cells will shut down while the insulin gets stuck in the bloodstream which leads to adult-onset diabetes. As the years go by of overconsumption of refined carbohydrates and sugar, our bodies require higher levels of insulin in order to metabolize food appropriately and keep our blood sugar in the normal range.
2. PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OILS: NO one wishes harm on their children, but if you feed them trans-fats, you are unknowingly setting them up for severe health issues. This is because trans-fats in foods are like BIG SUV's trying to park into a "compact" parking spaces of our cells that are reserved for healthy Omega 3 fats (DHA). When this happens, our neurotransmitters responsible for focus, mood, and memory have a hard time finding and recognizing their receptors due to the inflammation of the membranes on the brain cells caused by the consumption of trans fats. Brain levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine (important for mood and focus) are lowered by 95% when you ingest trans fats. BUT what is even more disturbing, is that when you switch to eating 100% trans-fat free our brain remains unable to produce normal amounts of dopamine in the hippocampus (the part of the brain most responsible for consolidating memory). This is one reason for the high rates of ADHD and depression.
3. SOY PROTEIN: Soy protein blocks zinc and iodine absorption in the thyroid gland which is essential for proper metabolism. It also contains enzyme inhibitors that reduce protein digestion. The processed soy protein in soy burgers, soy milk, soy-butter are phytoestrogens. This in turn decreases testosterone (women we want this for our metabolism and sex drive!). This estrogenic effect is toxic and increases risk of cancer to estrogen-sensitive organs; such as breast and uterus. Baby's given soy formula are found to have growth and thyroid disorders, infertility, and tumor growth. Soy also has toxic chemicals and carcinogens, unless fermented.
4. RICE FLOUR: We mistakenly believe complex carbohydrates are healthy and we need to eat them in abundance. But what if I told you that complex carbohydrates are just glucose molecules hooked together in long chains. The digestive track breaks it down into glucose (sugar). So a sugary and a starchy diet are pretty much the same thing. When I write about sugar, I am also referring to starch. Rice flour, the common flour substitute in gluten-free products, is higher in calories, higher in carbohydrates, and lower in nutrients than regular flour. It can cause more inflammation in our body.
3/4 cup Just Like Sugar (or erythritol and 1/2 tsp stevia glycerite)
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup coconut oil or butter
1/2 cup vanilla or chocolate almond milk (optional)
1/2 cup natural Peanut Butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups whey crisps
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil for 1 1/2 minutes. I then add the other three ingredients and drop by tablespoon on wax paper. Let cool and enjoy. Makes 24 servings.
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional No Bake Cookies = 152 calories, 19.2 carbs, 1.3 fiber
“Heathified” No Bake Cookies = 109 calories, 3 carbs, 1.3 fiber
