The World's First 100% Certified Organic Bar Under One Dollar (with a taste to die for!)

Move over muffins! Imagine a healthy, sumptuous alternative to unhealthy muffins, a perfect companion to your morning cup of coffee or tea. Now, anyone can enjoy a tasty, convenient breakfast treat without the extra helpings of unhealthy fat -– and unwanted guilt!

In an economy in which people are cutting expenses in order to endure these uncertain times, along comes a bar that allows people to eat pesticide-free food -- and not have to incur an unreasonable cost!

Our new Organic Food Bar – ONE Makes Organic Food Convenient, Delicious and Affordable for All!

This is the world's first 100% certified organic bar under one dollar.

Organic Food Bar – ONE is a bar more delicious than a morning muffin and loaded with beneficial probiotics to boost the immune system and promote good digestive health with ten times the active cultures of yogurt.

Organic food production is a $16 billion-a-year industry, according to the Organic Trade Association – and it is rising precipitously as people understand the need for better nutrition. Organics account for just 3% of overall food sales, but they are growing at 17-20% per year as compared to 2-3% for conventional foods. The 2002 Organic Consumer Trends Report found that thirty-nine percent of the U.S. population uses organic products.

Dr. Jack J. Singh, founder and President of Organic Food Bar, Inc., believes Organic Food Bar – ONE will move that number from 39% to 99%. 

"We want everyone in America to have the same opportunity to eat healthy organic food because, as we say on the bar: "Good Health is Something we All Deserve," says Dr. Singh, a board-certified naturopathic physician with three generations and 30 years of experience. "Organic Food Bar ONE makes this dream a reality with Delicious and Affordable, Organics for All."

"The inspiration for Organic Food Bar – ONE was borne from the cherished concept of equal right. Everyone has a God-given right to be healthy, to choose healthier alternatives over chemical-laden, nutritionally-inferior foods. It is a birthright that must not be denied to anyone, regardless of education level or socioeconomic status."

Dr. Singh continues: "Organic food is better for you and for the planet. It is free from the harmful chemicals that degrade our environment, erode our health and hurt our children the most. People have had to choose conventional foods over organics for two reasons: organics cost more, and the taste of packaged organic food just hasn’t been there. Until now. Organic Food Bar – ONE costs less than a dollar and is downright delectable. Now, everyone can enjoy the health benefits of organic food with Organic Food Bar – ONE."

Organic Food Bar – ONE products are 100% certified organic and dairy-free and contain no preservatives, trans fats, high-fructose corn syrup, refined sugars or Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).

Organic Food Bar – ONE comes in three varieties: Blueberry Muffin Crunch, Raspberry Muffin Crunch and Chocolate Macaroon Crunch.

Organic Food Bar – ONE Chocolate Macaroon Crunch contains a special component: Probiotics, or "good bacteria," improve the balance of one’s intestinal microflora, which has been shown to promote digestive health and boost immunity. Organic Food Bar – ONE Chocolate Macaroon Crunch contains ten times the active cultures of yogurt.

Organic Food Bar – ONE retails for $0.99-cents and is now available in your favorite health, grocery, convenience and drug stores nationwide. You may also order calling (800) 246-4685 or online at: www.organicfoodbar.com.

About Organic Food Bar^TM Products

In 2001, Organic Food Bar^TM products became the first organic bars of their kind in the world; they are now the best-selling organic bars in the world. All nine varieties in the product line contain 100% certified organic ingredients with no refined sugars, preservatives, GMOs or trans fats. Ingredients are sourced from the USA, Canada and Europe. Unlike most bars, Organic Food Bar^TM products are handcrafted fresh daily in a certified organic and kosher facility at its headquarters in Corona, California. The company recently released a line of 100% certified organic bars for children, the first SB-12 compliant bars in America. For more information, visit www.organicfoodbar.com.

Media and press may contact: Eric Harr, +1-415-827-3073 or eric@organicfoodbar.com.

Important note regarding the salmonella outbreak

To our cherished customers,

Recently, there has been an outbreak of salmonella that has lead to the deaths of seven Americans. This letter is to assure you, in no uncertain terms, that no product in the ORGANIC FOOD BAR line is, or will be – in any way – affected by this outbreak.

Here is what has occurred: Several products containing peanut butter have been recalled as the U.S. government investigates the outbreak of salmonella food poisoning.

As of Wednesday evening, 491 people had been reported infected by a salmonella outbreak by public health authorities in 43 of the 50 U.S. states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on its website.

Salmonella can cause abdominal cramping, diarrhea and fever and it can kill the very young and very old.

This outbreak impresses upon us, yet again, that commercial, conventional food production too often puts our health, and the health of our children, at grave risk.

We will say, with categorical confidence, that ORGANIC FOOD BAR products, and ORGANIC FOOD BAR KID’S products, are completely safe. ORGANIC FOOD BAR products will not be affected by this outbreak, because they are 100% peanut-free and contain no dairy, wheat or soy.

Moreover, ORGANIC FOOD BAR, Inc. goes to extraordinary lengths and expense to ensure our 100% certified organic ingredients are sourced from the finest, highest-quality, cleanest and most trustworthy sources in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Our products are handcrafted on site in a certified organic and kosher facility that adheres to superlative standards of quality, unsurpassed in the industry.

That is why you don’t see our paid ads on television or in fancy magazines: we put our product, and our people, over our promotion. We channel every spare resource into our product. We do this because you are part of the ORGANIC FOOD BAR Family, and we genuinely care about each and every customer like no other bar company does.

You not find ORGANIC FOOD BAR products embroiled in any “food scandal,” be it tainted milk powder from China or a salmonella outbreak from a U.S. plant, because we eat these bars ourselves – and we feed them to our children. And, we go to the necessary lengths to ensure that ORGANIC FOOD BAR products will remain safe and above the “fray.”

When you eat an ORGANIC FOOD BAR, you are placing great trust in us; and we work tirelessly to honor that trust. It is that simple.

If you have any questions or concerns about this, or any other issue, please feel free to contact us at any time: 1.800.246.4685.

From our family to yours, we wish you the very best of health,
The ORGANIC FOOD BAR Family

Graze Your Way to Better Health and Weight Loss

MOST OF US WILL READILY ADMIT our dietary habits could be improved, but knowing how to do that is the hard part. There are more people with more disparate opinions telling us what, how, when and where to eat. As we enter the stress, and food-filled, bacchanalia of the holidays, how and what we eat takes on added importance.

Most of the information about nutrition and weight loss information we are presented with comes from commercial sources -- rather than unbiased, scientific studies, which are far more inaccessible to the mass market. In our confusion and frustration, many of us have understandably thrown our hands in the air and given up.

However, the "grazing" method of eating—consuming small, frequent meals or snacks throughout the day—is a very simple and proven way to improve your eating habits. Best of all, it’s free.

“Grazing is one of the most healthful ways to eat,’ says Cheryl Platzman Weinstock, a freelance writer specializing in health and science, based in Chappaqua, New York and a regular contributor to the New York Times. “It has been shown to decrease bodyfat, lower cholesterol and boost energy levels. It also simplifies your life, saves you time and it doesn’t cost a dime,” she says.

The notion of “grazing” on five to six smaller meals a day may seem counterintuitive, since most of us have been raised on the three-squares-a-day approach. But there are four reasons to look into this new way of eating:

DROP A COUPLE POUNDS

By spacing your daily intake of food more evenly throughout the day, you may lose bodyfat. "There is some evidence that people who snack in a wise sort of way may find weight control easier. This is because if you wait too long in between meals, you're more likely to be really hungry and over eat or eat too fast, both of which can increase bodyfat storage," says David J.A. Jenkins, professor of medicine and nutritional science at the University of Toronto.

LOWER YOUR CHOLESTEROL
On November 30, 2001, The British Medical Journal found that eating more frequently throughout the day may help lower cholesterol levels. The results showed low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels – the so-called “bad cholesterol” that clogs arteries -- were about five-percent lower in both men and women who ate six or more times a day, compared to folks who ate only twice or three times a day. The finding held true, researchers said, despite the fact that frequent-eaters had higher intakes of calories, including fat.

BOOST YOUR ENERGY

When you eat a large meal, your blood sugar rises dramatically. To remove the excess blood sugar, your pancreas releases a hormone called insulin. Oftentimes, however, too much insulin is released and too much blood sugar is removed. This leaves you feeling tired and sluggish after big meals. By eating smaller portions, your body releases less insulin, and that translates into steadier energy levels.

SAVE TIME

"Since most of us are rushing around in a hurry these days, there's often less time to prepare big, elaborate meals. So grazing on mini-meals becomes important, because it can save you the time associated with preparing larger meals," says Marilyn Stephenson, a registered dietitian and assistant to the director, office of nutrition and food science, Food and Drug Administration. Healthy “on-the-go” food is difficult to find. Organic Food Bar provides a delicious, whole food, nutrient-dense, 100% certified organic snack that is delicious and will sustain you for hours.

ANY DOWNSIDE?

There are two important caveats to grazing. Alice Lichtenstein, professor of nutrition at Tufts University in Boston and vice-chairwoman of the American Heart Associations’ nutrition committee, offers this cautionary advice: “It is important to keep in mind that the calories from small, frequent snacks and meals can quickly add up, and grazing can easily get out of hand. Fifty extra calories a day can add up to five pounds per year if those extra calories are not countered with extra exercise,” she says.

Given the fact a growing number of Americans are currently overweight or obese, those extra calories, Lichtenstein says, are "not insignificant." In other words, you still have to be vigilant in watching the total number of calories you eat each day.

WHAT TO GRAZE ON?

For many of us, the word “graze” conjures up images of gnawing dejectedly on celery sticks and other flavorless plant-life. Not the case. You can and should still eat foods you enjoy – just eat them in smaller portions throughout the day.

You should also try to focus more on high-quality proteins and fats, such as fish, chicken and, yes, even peanut butter. For example, rather than eating two bagels, have half a bagel with salmon or peanut butter. Why? Because the latter option satisfies you for longer periods of time, which means you’ll end up eating less overall calories throughout the day.

As for specific suggestions, we have created an ideal day of grazing for you. Below is a sample well-balanced eating plan for an active person on a 2000 calorie-per-day diet -- based on the principles of grazing. Please keep in mind that this is only a sample diet for this caloric intake and that there are many different possibilities and changes that can and should be made to meet your individual needs and food preferences. In other words, use this as a guide, but trust yourself and your body above all else.

The idea here, is that by eating smaller, higher-quality portions throughout the day, you may experience an increase an energy, lower stored bodyfat, lower cholesterol and a more consistent feeling of satiety. We suggest that you experiment with this method of eating for a week, and see how it makes you feel.

For more information on your individual needs, contact a local Registered Dietician.

(Following the plan below may make you feel like you're eating more food, but this meal-plan is roughly 2000 calories -- which is the equivalent of three medium to large-sized meals. It's just more evenly-spaced throughout the day.)

YOUR DAILY GRAZE

Breakfast:
- 3/4 cup of oatmeal with pat of putter
- 4 ounces nonfat milk
- 1 slice whole wheat toast
- 1 teaspoon jam or jelly
- 8 ounces coffee
Nutritional breakdown: 274 calories, 3 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 478 mg sodium, 59 grams carbohydrate, 10 grams fiber and 11 grams protein.
Mid-Morning:
- 1 Organic Food Bar, Active Greens (the healthiest of the healthy!)
- 1 slice whole wheat bread with 1 tsp of peanut butter
- 6 ounces orange juice
Nutritional breakdown: 365 calories, 6 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 3 mg cholesterol, 283 mg sodium, 76 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams fiber and 15 grams protein.
Lunch:
- 2 slices whole wheat bread
- 2 ounces lean luncheon meat (roast beef, turkey breast, etc.)
- 1 ounce reduced fat cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup alfalfa sprouts or 1 leaf romaine lettuce
- 1 slice tomato
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1/2 cup raw broccoli florets*
- 4 carrot sticks*
*Don't like plain raw veggies? Try squeezing lemon or lime juice on them with a few shakes of chili powder!
Nutritional breakdown: 381 calories, 13 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 41 mg cholesterol, 606 mg sodium, 42 grams carbohydrate, 9 grams fiber and 27 grams protein.
Mid-Afternoon:
- 1 slice whole wheat bread
- 1 RAW Organic Food Bar
- 1 cup grapes (try freezing them for a cold treat on a hot day)
- 1 reduced fat oatmeal cookie
- 8 ounces nonfat milk
Nutritional breakdown: 329 calories, 7 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 27 mg cholesterol, 455 mg sodium, 46 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams fiber and 24 grams protein.
Dinner:
- 3 ounce chicken breast
- 1 cup cooked rice (add herbs to the cooking water for flavor without calories)
- 3/4 cup cooked carrots
- 1 cup tossed salad greens
- 1 tablespoon reduced fat salad dressing
Nutritional breakdown: 399 calories, 3 grams fat,1 grams saturated fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 215 mg sodium, 64 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams fiber and 27 grams protein.
Evening:
- 3 cups air-popped popcorn with pat of butter
- 1 medium apple
Nutritional breakdown: 222 calories, 3 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat,6 mg cholesterol, 211 mg sodium, 40 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams fiber and 10 grams protein.
Total Daily Nutritional Breakdown:
Calories: 1970
Fat: 36 grams (16% of calories)
Saturated fat: 11 grams
Cholesterol: 129 grams
Sodium: 2248 mg
Carbohydrate: 327 grams (62% of calories)
Fiber: 39 grams
Protein: 114 grams (22% of calories)

By simplifying your diet and nutrition, and grazing throughout the day, you may be able to drop a few pounds, lower your cholesterol, boost your energy levels and perhaps most importantly, liberate yourself from all the confusing information around nutrition – so that you can finally enjoy eating again!

For more healthy living and eating tips, visit: www.organicfoodbar.com/lifestyle.

Boomers: Here are 4 Ways to Stay Spry

LAST OCTOBER, WITH A FEW UNREMARKABLE KEYSTROKES, Kathleen Casey-Kirschling took one small step for a woman and one giant leap for a generation.

Ms. Casey-Kirschling, who is widely considered to be the nation’s first Baby Boomer, became the first Boomer to file for Social Security retirement benefits.

What does this have to do with fitness, you ask? A lot, actually. It means that the Boomers are getting older. And, that means that in order to make the next phase of their lives as healthy and fulfilling as possible, they must do things a little differently when it comes to physical activity.

Does this mean that I’m going to recommend that you pick up a copy of Richard Simmons’s - Sit Tight: A “Sittin' Down” Workout?” “Now as you sit there, lift your can of lima beans up to the sky. Good. Good for yooou!”

No. I’m not going to do that, because the Boomers are marching into older age in far better physical shape than their parents.

First, let’s get clear on what “older” is and what it is not.

“Older” is a fact of life. Time passes, we age, and our bodies change. However, “older” is also an arbitrary designation based on an arbitrary number. Granted, sixty years ago, “older” meant “old,” because old people looked and acted…well…old. In 2007, that word has been rendered all but meaningless. Eighty-year olds are surfing and playing tennis and bungee jumping and completing the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon in 16 hours.

Here’s what “older” is not: It’s not a valid reason to avoid getting into stellar shape. It’s not an excuse to slow down, make concessions, do less -- and go gently into that good night.

Baby Boomers comprise the largest segment of the American population at roughly 80 million strong. But a recent study indicates that while Boomers may be strong in numbers, they’re not so strong in body. Injuries among Boomers -- torn ligaments, stress fractures and knee problems – are at an all time high. “Boomeritis,” as health professionals call it, cost an estimated $22.8 billion in 2003. That’s the bad news. Here’s the good: It’s easier than you think to get into great shape, and the scientifically-verified benefits of physical activity include: a better heart, a better mind, a better body and a better life.

We often forget how good it feels to have a fit and radiant body. We learn to accept less. If that sounds like you, stop that. Start demanding more, and you will experience the joy and passion of what it feels like to be fully alive. It all starts with moving your body.

Motivation Follows Movement

This may sound like more self-help ballyhooing, but it’s true: the motivation to exercise does not spontaneously occur. In fact, the less you exercise, the less you’ll want to exercise. You simply must start moving to get motivated to move. If you are out of shape, as little as three 20-minute workouts a week can have huge, positive effects on your physical and mental health.

Sometimes the notion of getting into shape after a long layoff can be so daunting that it discourages people from even starting out. Those people operate under the false assumption that it takes a series of one-hour leg-pumpin’, heart-thumpin’ spin classes to get back into shape. Here’s the trick: First, consult your physician and make sure your body is ready for a new exercise program. Then, when you start back to exercising, don’t focus on any numbers: no “workout time,” no “calories burned,” no “repetitions,” no “heart rate zones.” Just be smart, listen to your body and have fun with it. If, on your first day out there, you complete a five-minute walk, that is a terrific start. Once you generate a little momentum, it’s a difficult force to stop.

Bear the Burden

As Boomers age, it is estimated that half of women over age 50 will suffer a bone fracture caused by weakened bones, while one in eight men will suffer the same fate. While it’s important to take care of your joints and never overdo it, avoiding weight-bearing exercise, such as brisk walking, climbing stairs, resistance training, etc., can actually increase the risk of osteoporosis. Light jogging, if your knees can handle it, is a terrific activity for Boomers. Strength training is a must as well, since you can lose up to a half-pound of muscle tissue every year after age 35. Strive to incorporate some form of strength training and weight-bearing activity into your routine at least twice a week.

Your Body is Keeping Score

“You are more likely to be killed by your couch than by a stroke or an accident,” says Jim Taylor, Ph.D, author of The Prime Sport book series and a performance consultant in Greenbrae.

“There are 35 diseases, collectively known as Sedentary Death Syndrome (SeDS), associated with a sedentary lifestyle,” says Dr. Taylor. “Each year, about 250,000 Americans die from them. Since only 28 percent of Americans exercise regularly, an estimated 60 percent of the population is thought to be at risk for SeDS.”

It’s important to understand that your body is keeping score, right this moment, and every moment. Ignoring exercise is akin to accruing credit card debt; somewhere down the road your body will demand payment…with interest.

Most of us require some form of tragedy to make a positive change. We’re comfortable with the status quo. We wait until something goes wrong until we decide fix it. The U.S. medical model works this way; it depends on the appearance of symptoms to prompt action. This is no way to live. Take action now and pursue a simple exercise program, and you can be healthy and strong all the way to the finish line. Investing in your body is arguably the best investment you’ll ever make. It's also important to do our best to eat well on a regular basis. The adage "you are what you eat" is true in a very literal sense. With our increasingly chaotic daily schedules, it can be difficult to eat healthfully on the go. That's where ORGANIC FOOD BAR comes in: it is the healthiest and most delicious 100% certified organic snack in the world. Pack several ORGANIC FOOD BARS in your car and at work, so that your "fast food" can indeed be "healthy snacks!" To learn more, visit: The ORGANIC FOOD BAR Web site.

Mix it Up

Who says you have to run on a treadmill to get into shape? Not me, that’s for sure. Set me loose on Mount Tamalpais, and I can scamper happily over hill and dale for three hours. Put me on a treadmill, and I start weeping after 11 minutes. We live in the world’s greatest outdoor gym: Marin County, California. You can pursue more enjoyable activities in more stunningly beautiful locations here than anywhere else in the world. Find your “fitness bliss,” and the calories burned will be a natural consequence of the fun, rather than the focus of the activity. That’s when it becomes easier, and more rewarding, to get into shape.

Boomers, some say you have the best years ahead of you. If you commit to staying in shape, and taking care of your body, I believe the years ahead of you can be your best ones.

Go rock it, Boomers.

For more healthly living tips and a podcast, visit: http://www.organicfoodbar.com.

How ORGANIC FOOD BAR Became the Best-Selling Organic Bar in the World

In 2001, Dr. Jack J. Singh, N.D., H.M.D. a board certified naturopathic physician and expert nutritionist with over thirty years of experience, set out to “raise the bar” in an energy and food bar industry beset with nutritionally poor products and disingenuous marketing tactics. The mission: create a non-allergenic, 100% certified organic, whole food bar of such uncompromising quality and unparalleled taste that one bite would change the way people feel, eat and live. He founded ORGANIC FOOD BAR.

It was the first organic bar in the world.

Now, it is the best-selling organic bar in the world.

ORGANIC FOOD BARS contain the freshest, 100% certified organic ingredients (USDA & EEC 2091/2092) from “the cleanest and most trustworthy food sources" in the USA, Canada and Europe. They are handcrafted fresh each morning in our own certified organic and kosher facility on site, rather than outsourcing this vital step like most other bar companies do. ORGANIC FOOD BARS contain no: refined sugars, hydrogenated oils, preservatives, dairy, high fructose corn syrup, rice syrup, gluten, peanuts, wheat or GMOs. (They do, however, contain “lots of love!”) Look for our new ORGANIC FOOD BAR KIDS, the first 100% organic SB-12 (School Junk Food Ban) compliant bar in America. ORGANIC FOOD BAR KIDS is the first bar that parents can trust and kids love. www.organicfoodbarkids.com.

We make organic, whole food products that we would (and do!) feed to our own families. That is why ORGANIC FOOD BAR is uncompromising in its ingredients. One bite, and one review of our ingredient list, will tell you all that you need to know.

To learn more about our full product line, to sign up for our new ORGANIC LIVING magazine -- or if you have any questions, comments (or kudos!), please call us toll-free at: 1.800.246.4685 or visit us online at: www.organicfoodbar.com. (You could win an all-expense paid trip for two to Pure Kauai simply by visiting!)

Best wishes of health from our family to yours!

~The ORGANIC FOOD BAR Family

Shifting to a Healthier Lifestyle

TODAY, A RECORD 68% OF AMERICAN ADULTS are overweight or obese. Seventy-eight million Americans—roughly one-quarter of the U.S. population—exercise zero times per year. Zero times per year! This widespread avoidance of physical activity, coupled with poor eating habits, have created an unprecedented health crisis in this country. The time for change is now.

If we accept that physical activity and healthy eating confer benefits such as a healthier weight, a more beautiful body, higher energy levels, more confidence, a longer life and a better life, why do so many people struggle to exercise and eat right?

Most puzzling is the quiet resignation of Americans, whose collective apathy towards exercise, and the disinterest with which we do it, marks the eye-popping escalation of obesity in this country. Some experts believe we are approaching a moment of unbearable physical crisis and that we are losing touch with our bodies and growing disconnected from our human nature. Many people are becoming imprisoned in their own bodies.

This problem isn’t limited to adults. According to The National Institutes of Health, one in five U.S. children is overweight or obese—and that number is rising precipitously. Perhaps most striking is that this generation may be the first in human history whose life expectancy will be shorter than that of their parents.

This obesity epidemic threatens to wipe out other improvements in our children’s health and safety over the past three decades, a new report says. “Childhood obesity has risen to a point that it can be considered a modern day epidemic,” said the report by Duke University researchers.

We know more about health and nutrition than ever before, yet we’re worse off than ever before. Each year, new diet and weight loss books flood bookstores with newfangled ways to lose weight and get healthy. Here are some examples for 2008: “The Ultimate Tea Diet,” “The No Crave Diet” and “How to Eat Like a Hot Chick” (I actually read it, and I really did feel like a hot chick when I ate! Amazing!).

But these, like most books, made big promises, and will likely fail to deliver lasting results to most of its readers (except maybe “Hot Chick”). Studies show that most people who undertake weight loss programs lose some weight only to put most, or all, of it back on once the diet has concluded. People want quick results, but look where “quick fixes” have gotten us. As a result of being more overweight, we are suffering more from diseases and diminished quality of life, and our health care system is in dire straits. We need permanent results. Starting now.

It’s time for a fundamental shift in how we how we eat, how we move our bodies—and how we live. We must abandon all notions of “quick fixes” and think in terms of an enduring lifestyle “shift.” It can happen in seven steps. And, it’s easier than you think.

It begins with making the time for your health.

“The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.” –C. S. Lewis

It is the one bonafide non-renewable resource in the world—and it is the one resource that most of us feel we don’t have enough of. Perhaps that’s why “lack of time” is the main reason why most people don’t exercise more or eat better.

Making the time to exercise and eat right is the foundation upon which this entire program rests. You must master this step, and consistently carve out the time for your health every week, in order to achieve a permanent shift to a healthy lifestyle.

Fortunately, we’re all on a level playing field in this respect. Regardless of who we are, where we live and what we do, there is one constant: We all have the same amount of time. Each of us has access to precisely 168 hours every week, and we can use that time any way we choose.

The differences between us start to show in how we use our available time. Our subtle choices each day create strikingly different realities. The perception is that busier people don’t have the time to exercise or eat well. However, research shows that people who consistently work out and prepare healthy meals are just as busy as those who do not.

Perhaps it’s not that you don’t have the time to exercise or eat right. It may be that you are choosing, consciously or unconsciously, not to make the time for these things. This is merely conjecture, but I want you to take a serious and hard look at how you spend your time each day. You may even consider keeping a “time journal” for three days to get a realistic view of where your time is spent. You might be surprised.

The first step to making more time for your body and your health is to decide that health is a top priority in your life. Then, you must create some extra time each week for yourself. Here’s how to do it:

TIP: Turn off your television.

This is the simplest, fastest and most surefire way to liberate more time for yourself, your health, your family—and your life. Admittedly, watching less television is exceedingly difficult to do. Television is an engaging media. The average American tunes in for a whopping of 27 hours every week. Programming is designed to keep you glued to the set, as often as possible, at all costs! For decades, TV has been a vehicle to sell products to a mass market, and it’s been carefully engineered to keep you engrossed. In order to “break” from TV, you must do it gradually. Start by choosing four days a week on which you can watch TV, and three days on which the tube stays off all day. This will give you more time to live your life more fully: you’ll have more time for your kids, more time for yourself—and yes, more time for exercise and healthy eating. Despite being on the air, I have been without television for over six years. At first, I developed an alarming facial tic by not getting my CSI, but it went away. Turning off the TV has vastly improved my family’s quality of life, and it has liberated more time than we could have imagined. And, I believe it would do these things for you as well.

TIP: Pay yourself first.

As our daily schedules grow increasingly hectic, it is vital to re-focus on our most important life priorities, such as: family, health, career, community, etc. Not exercising is tantamount to not paying your health insurance. You may be able to dodge bullets in the short term, but it’ll catch up with you. Financial experts say that the best way to save money is to “pay yourself first.” What do they mean? Our money is constantly being channeled away from us at breathtaking speed. If we don’t allocate money for ourselves first each month, then that money will somehow find a way to be allocated elsewhere (“But honey, iPhone is a need, not a want.”) Such is the nature of money. The same goes for time. If you don’t take the time for your health first, the day will likely get away from you. Studies show that people who exercise in the morning are almost nine times more likely to do it consistently than people who don’t exercise. If you aren’t a morning person, or simply cannot work out in the morning, then you must commit to exercising immediately upon finishing work.

TIP: Get more bang for your workout buck.

One way to effectively “expand” exercise time is to squeeze more out of your workouts. In other words, greater efficiency creates more results. Be smart and focused about how you work out; break down your aerobic exercise into four phases:

• Warm-up (5-10 minutes) – ease in to your workout to boost blood flow, warm up muscles and enhance flexibility;
• Listening (5-10 minuets) – tune into your body to decide how hard and how long you should exercise in that session;
• Main portion (15 minutes – 2 hours) – keep your heart rates in a comfortable, aerobic “target zone” and use good technique in whatever activity you’re dong;
• Cool-down (5-10 minutes) – use this time to allow your body to return to a more relaxed state. This flushes the body of metabolic waste from exercise and improves recovery time.

TIP: Set “business appointments” with yourself.

Once you’ve liberated some time and agreed to “pay yourself first,” lock in the time to do it every week. To shift, you must treat your workouts with the same reverence that you would an important meeting with your boss. You wouldn’t dare miss a meeting (career). Why then, do we cavalierly skip exercise (health)? It’s probably because if we neglect our jobs, we could suffer immediate consequences. The human body is resourceful, and we don’t immediately pay for mistreating it. However, skipping exercise and eating poorly is like accruing credit card debt: your body is keeping score, and one day it will demand payment—with interest. This is not an idle metaphor. You must begin to treat your workouts like “serious business appointments,” and do everything in your power to make those appointments. Without health, little else matters.

For more healthy living tips -- and to receive the complete book THE SHIFT, visit The ORGANIC FOOD BAR Web site.

The Myth of the "Energy Bar" as Optimum Sports Nutrition

PEOPLE OFTEN ASK ME how I can eat ORGANIC FOOD BARS during training and competition -- given their modest fat and fiber content. I got that question this morning, in fact, from a group of elite cyclists with whom I was training. It compelled me to post my answer here:

This notion that popular "energy bars" made from synthetic ingredients optimally fuel the body during exercise is nothing more than market-generated drivel. And, to be candid: after 10 years as a professional athlete and journalist, I've grown a little tired of the misinformation. Simply because the major players in the energy bar category have the most money, and can afford the most media impressions, does not mean that their messages are truthful -- or correct. In fact, often they are far from it. And frankly, their behavior is unethical given that we're talking about nutrition here, and that impacts people's health, which is their most precious asset.

Here is the indisputable fact based on sound nutrition and verified repeatedly by science: the human body responds most favorably to real, wholesome food free from synthetic ingredients, preservatives or unhealthy fats. Yet these ingredients are often found in products touted as "healthy energy bars." Some of these products still contain hydrogenated oils! The National Institutes of Health recently set a "safe level of consumption" for trans fats. Do you know what that is? ZERO! That means, that "no amount" of trans fats are acceptable in the human diet!

I find it more than mildly ironic that people who exercise in order to boost their health, wellness and performance are largely duped into consuming energy bars that are not good for their health, will not promote wellness and do not boost performance.

As a professional triathlete, I train 20-30 hours a week. I eat ORGANIC FOOD BARS exclusively during all of my workouts and all of my competitions. It is the "cleanest burning" and most "nutrient dense" fuel I've yet tried. And, I have never -- repeat, never -- bonked when fueling with ORGANIC FOOD BAR. That is where the healthy fats come into play.

(Before I continue, it is proper and necessary that I disclose the following: Yes, I am the ORGANIC FOOD BAR Media Director. But, I approached them. And no, I do not receive free product. I go to Good Earth Fairfax, Calif., and I buy my ORGANIC FOOD BARS full price, because I believe they are a gift of nature and worth every penny.)

Back to the point: If I can digest an ORGANIC FOOD BAR at 160 heart rate in the heat -- when the blood is being shunted from my stomach to working muscles and to the surface for thermoregulation -- surely ORGANIC FOOD BAR will work for most anyone, at any level, looking to boost their performance in an intelligent, healthful way.

Does this mean ORGANIC FOOD BAR is guaranteed to work for everyone during every workout and event? Certainly not. Does it mean that you should give ORGANIC FOOD BAR a try and compare it to your current bar? You'd be crazy not to.

I am going to name names here: Most Powerbars, Clif Bars and Balance Bars are not good for you. Just as Gatorade is not the best thing to hydrate your body, most of these highly-visible, slickly-marketed products are high-glycemic, low-quality fuel. These companies, regrettably, put more money into marketing their products than into making their products. Their success has been built primarily on the success of their promotion rather than on the integrity of their products. A simple review of their ingredient lists will tell you that.

ORGANIC FOOD BARS top-quality ingredients and healthy fats that boost energy and promote better health. Anyone who knows nutrition, and who reviews the ingredient list of ORGANIC FOOD BAR, will tell you the same thing. Real food is best whoever you are, whatever your background and whatever your health or athletic goals.

So, here is my challenge to you: incorporate ORGANIC FOOD BAR into your exercise or training regime and experience the difference for yourself. The body doesn't lie. Whether you're a "weekend warrior" or a serious competitive athlete, you stand to benefit enormously from consuming pure and organic food during and after workouts -- and during competition.

If ORGANIC FOOD BARS don't provide the best solid fuel for your longer workouts of any bar you've ever tried, then I'll buy them for you. How's that? (Just email me at eric@organicfoodbar.com and I will cut you a personal check for the amount you paid for your ORGANIC FOOD BARS.

In nutrition -- just as in competition and in life -- it's what's inside that counts. That's not merely ORGANIC FOOD BARS tagline; it's the company's value statement.

Now, go ahead, take the challenge. And, let us know how it goes!

For more healthy living tips, visit The ORGANIC FOOD BAR website.