Zesty Life Energy Bar

Chewy, nutty, fruity and packed with goodness

You were riding along at good pace, focused and energized… then seemingly without warning your legs turned to cement, you begin to lag behind and the muscle-trembling feeling of hunger and nausea sets in—Get home quick, cause you’re going to bonk!

Your ability to run, bike, ski and get zesty in any activity that exerts yourself, hinges on the capacity of the body to extract energy from food. Riding strong and steady is about eating the right amounts of the right foods at the right times. And drinking adequate amounts of water!

Top up so you don’t tap out

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30-60 grams of carbohydrate per hour of exercise, but few athletes understand the reason for this amount. The average person can process, or oxidize, only about 1 gram of carbohydrate per minute, no matter how much is consumed. So, dumping more carbohydrates into your gut doesn’t necessarily increase the absorption rate, and it can increase your chances of an upset stomach. 

Don’t overload

It is all too common for people to consume too many calories and sports drinks during short exercise. For example, on a bike ride under 1 hour there is no need to refuel during, if you have eaten beforehand. There is no need for those extra calories you’re probably trying to burn!

For shorter training sessions where the goal is to improve your fitness, it is better to try to minimize the amount eaten during as this will train your body to maximize and access its own nutrient stores.

It is only for activities over 1 hour that nutritional intake needs to be well organized. The body can store enough glycogen to support approximately 90 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise.

Toss the garbage and grab some dates

Stop buying those disgusting Clif Bar’s, Gatorade’s and GU’s—That stuff is awful for you!

Dates (yeah those weird wrinkle things that resemble a turd) are cheap, yummy, full of nutrients and have been sustaining humans for about 4,000 years. Even if you’re not taking the time to prepare these Zesty Energy Bars I recommend you simply replace your over-processed crap foods with a few dates for your activity—they fit perfectly in your jersey, they don’t spoil during the ride and they’re super easy to chew and swallow. (Remove the pits beforehand though!) Did you know 100 grams of dates has almost twice the potassium of a banana? They’re also lighter and there’s no peel to get rid of!

Nutritional Highlights

Dates – Easily digested, allowing your body to make full use of their goodness, dates are full of minerals, vitamins, and health-benefiting phytonutrients—essential for normal growth, development, and overall well-being. Containing simple sugars like fructose and dextrose allowing them to replenish energy and revitalize the body instantly.

Coconut Oil – Loaded with natural pH feeding electrolytes, immunity and energy enhancing lauric acid and  fat burning MCTs.

Chia Seeds – A naturally gluten-free grain, chia is high in muscle-building protein, skin-repairing antioxidants and healthy blood-sugar levelling fibre.

Flax Seeds – Contain a large amount of recovery-enhancing manganese, inflammation-reducing Omega-3 and energy-boosting Magnesium.

Walnuts – Full of healthy fat, Walnuts have Bone-strengthening ALA (Alpha-linolenic acid), blood flow improving amino acids, disease-fighting Vitamin-E and free-radical fighting manganese and copper.

Almond Butter – Full of muscle-repairing protein, energy-boosting Riboflavin and Vitamin B2, free radical fighting antioxidants and blood sugar and blood pressure stabilizing magnesium.

Coconut Flakes – Along with adding a great texture, Coconut flakes have healthy muscle and tissue promoting protein, fatigue combating iron and immune-system enhancing zinc.

Quinoa Flakes – Essential nutrients for muscle recovery, one cup of quinoa delivers minerals, fiber, antioxidants, enzymes, all nine essential amino acids and nine grams of protein, making it one of the most complete foods in nature. Iron-rich quinoa helps the body produce energy and helps the blood deliver oxygen to muscles. Particularly critical for female and endurance athletes who are often iron-deficient.

Cacao Nibs – Cacao can improve heart health, cholesterol, stress levels, and inflammation. With recovery enhancing manganese, bone-strengthening minerals and mood boosting flavonols. Read more on Cacao Nib Benefits

Cranberries – Cranberries are the second highest fruit (blueberries are number 1) in antioxidants. Antioxidants will reduce muscle damage, immune dysfunction and fatigue, and will thus improve performance.

Pink Himalayan Salt – Containing at least 84 naturally occurring trace elements in their natural mineral form, the benefits of natural Himalayan Crystal Salt range from Regulating the water content throughout your body and promoting healthy pH balance in your cells to preventing muscle cramping and aiding in proper metabolism functioning.