Kellog's has quite an advertisement on the front of their Nutri-Grain box... since we are smart consumers, we know to check out the real facts! High fructose corn syrup, food dye, and a whole bunch of yucky ingredients for our growing kids brains and bodies!INGREDIENTS: Filling (high fructose corn syrup, strawberry preserves [high fructose corn syrup, strawberry puree], glycerin, blueberry preserves [high fructose corn syrup, blueberry puree concentrate, water], fructose, water, maltodextrin, modified corn starch, natural and artificial blueberry and strawberry flavors, citric acid, sodium alginate, calcium phosphate, xanthan gum, soy lecithin, malic acid, red #40 lake, blue #1), enriched wheat flour, sugar, partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil, whole oats, high fructose corn syrup, honey, corn cereal (milled corn, liquid sugar, high fructose corn syrup, salt, malt flavoring, calcium pantothenate), calcium carbonate, dextrose, nonfat dry milk, salt, cellulose gum, leavening (potassium bicarbonate), natural and artificial vanilla flavor, soy lecithin, wheat gluten, potassium carrageenan, modified wheat starch, guar gum, molasses, niacinamide, zinc oxide, reduced iron, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin A palmitate, thiamin hydrochloride (vitamin B1), annatto color and folic acid.
Nutri-Grain bars in American include Red 40, Yellow 6 and Blue 1, but in Europe, they use beetroot red, annato and paprika for color. Kraft, Coca-Cola and other manufacturers already removed artificial dyes from the products they distribute in other countries, but not in America. Synthetic dyes cause hyperactivity because it is an excitotoxin, where it over stimulates our dopamine production, but then we don’t produce enough; which causes a deficiency. ADD is a symptom of a dopamine deficiency.
Becoming quickly bored with the routine and having a hard time focusing are classic symptoms. People with dopamine deficiencies tend to start a lot of things yet don’t finish them. They work on a lot of different things at once. In an ADHD child, low levels of dopamine don’t allow the child to focus or attend to anything in the environment, looking very physically hyperactive due to their lack of focus.
As dopamine levels in the brain begin to rise, we become excited and energized. If it gets too high, which usually happens with stimulations like MSG, food dyes and drugs, then the body becomes hyper stimulated by our environment, becoming guarded and suspicious. With low levels of dopamine, we can’t focus while with high levels of dopamine our focus becomes intense to the point of focusing on everything as though it were directly related to our situation. Steering clear of these exitotoxins are your best defense for your family!
To learn more on specific foods and how it effects our mood, I have a very shocking class called Food Mood Energy and Weight Loss for only $25. Please email me at mariamindbodyhealth@gmail.com for more info.
BUSY FAMILY TIP: Since I have everything out, I make a triple batch and store extras in the freezer for easy additions to lunch boxes or for a breakfast on the go. More kid friendly recipes and family tips in my cookbook: The Art of Eating Healthy: Kids. Thank SO much for your support!
"HEALTHIFIED" BARS
3/4 cup blanched almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
2 TBS psyllium husk powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter or coconut oil, softened
1/2 cup Swerve (or erythritol and 1 tsp stevia glycerite)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla (or your favorite natural extract...I used strawberry)
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
1½ cups Nature's Hollow no-sugar Jelly (any flavor) OR fresh berries
In a large bowl, mix almond flour, coconut flour, psyllium and cinnamon until well combined. In another bowl, cream together the butter or oil, Swerve, eggs, vanilla and salt. Add the dry ingredients into the wet until well combined. Chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes for easier preparation.
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Grease two pieces of parchment with coconut oil spray. Place 1/2 the dough onto 1 piece of greased parchement and top the dough with the other piece of parchment. Roll out until a rectangle that is about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into small rectangles about the size of a NutriGrain bar. Place 1 TBS or a few berries onto the middle of half of the rectangles. Gently place cover the jelly topped retangles with a piece of dough without the jelly. Seal the edges with a fork or your finger. Place the parchement onto a cookie sheet and bake for 14-17 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 12 servings.
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per bar)
Kellog's Bar = 120 calories, 3g fat, 2g protein, 24g carbs, 3g fiber (21 effective carbs)
"Healthified" Bar = 109 calories, 8g fat, 4g protein, 4.3g carbs, 2.5g fiber (1.8 effective carbs)
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