By Perrin Braun Many people think of nutrition bars as a health food, but are they really good for you? Unfortunately, the answer is not a simple yes or no. Some brands of nutrition bars can make for a healthy quick snack, but many varieties contain as much calories and sugar as a candy bar! While nutrition bars are a convenient way to stock up on calories and carbohydrates, don’t become dependent on them and miss the benefits of whole foods in your diet.

  For endurance athletes, consuming enough calories (and calories from the right foods) is important to achieve optimal athletic performance. Many endurance athletes are exercising at a level that far exceeds the ‘Active’ description in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans of ‘walking more than 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.’ If you read my last post and thought, ‘wow, my activity is well above ...

  One of InsideTracker’s most useful features in promoting a healthy body is its customizable food basket that takes into account your food preferences, macro and micronutrient levels (according to your blood), and activity level (according to you). It’s like having your own personal dietitian, but you don’t have to feel guilty if you disagree with his/her twice weekly kale recommendation.