Energy bars

I've always wondered about energy bars. Do they really give you energy? And, what about all the sugar they contain? They're at grocery stores, Jamba Juice, and on college campuses throughout the nation.

Easily accessible foods that may or may not be good for your body. Plus, with health and fitness becoming a trend now, (hopefully people just want to be healthy for themselves) there are tons of nutrition and energy bars out there to alter/enhance post and pre-workout results. Do they really?

The key is to look closely at ingredients, and know what they are.

Protein Bars: Be careful which of these you pick up. Often times, certain gross ingredients (something like pigs feet) are disguised as something different, some sort of gelatin or collagen. Try to steer clear of that. If you do want to opt for something with protein in it, go for whey, or whey-casein. I was reading in Men's Health that an experiment Baylor University did, reported that men who consumed protein with whey and casein pre-workout, gained muscle quicker than those who just consumed whey.

Sugars: Often times you'll find high amounts of sugar in protein bars. Yes, they might have some energetic boost for you before your workout and some protein, but some of these busters are loaded with sugar. Sugar, or high fructose corn syrup, which is not good for you, at all. When your body tastes something sweet, it automatically believes it's sugar, so to speak, and your blood sugar levels rise. Sadly, this cancels out any benefits you could have gotten from some more whole foods. Like my mom always told me, the less ingredients there are, the better. Usually when the ingredients list is miles long and half the ingredients are unpronounceable, best to put that bar back on the shelf.

Energy- Sometimes do you feel tired after you eat your, "energy bar?" Well, partly, all the sugar you are consuming makes you sleepy, and these bars really don't give you energy. You'll just pack on extra calories. (Don't want that? Opt for something healthier) There are times when you can eat them, like after an intense workout.