Dr Mehmet Oz revealed his picks for the best protein bars on the Aug. 4 episode of the Dr. Oz Show.
Dr. Oz is a huge fan of protein bars because they’re convenient and nutritious. His personal favorite is Quest Nutrition Protein Bar because it contains 17 grams of fiber.
When buying protein bars, Dr. Oz said you should look for ones that contain at least 10 grams of protein and less than 15 grams of sugar. Here are his other top picks for best protein bars:
- Balance Dark, Chocolate Coconut
- Vega Sport Protein Bar Chocolate Saviseed
- Zing Almond Blueberry Nutrition Bar
- Grab1 Nutrition Bar, Cranberry Almond
- Fiber One Meal Bar, Chocolate Peanut Butter
On his lead segment, Dr. Oz said high-protein, Paleo-inspired diets accelerate weight loss and prevent heart disease and diabetes.
“One in three of you are not getting enough protein,” said Dr. Oz. “It’s the single best thing to fight disease and lose weight fast. It’ll jump-start your metabolism, and you’ll actually lose more weight with the calories from protein.”
Dr. Oz ripped recent reports claiming a high-protein diet is as bad as chain-smoking for causing early death, heart disease, and cancer.
If anything, Dr. Oz said consuming high-quality animal protein such as grass-fed beef, poultry, wild fish, and pastured eggs (all recommended on the Paleo diet) is good for you.
He said a 20-year study confirmed that a high-protein diet reduces heart disease and diabetes, especially for people in their 30s and 40s.
Dr. Oz suggested eating five to six servings of protein each day, and said each meal should always contain protein (whether from animal sources, nuts or plants).
Paleo Diet Twice as Effective for Weight Loss
Meanwhile, the high-protein Paleo diet is soaring among celebrities, including Megan Fox, Joe Manganiello, and Tim McGraw (who credits Paleo for his astonishing 40-pound weight loss).
The Paleo diet emphasizes high-quality animal proteins, healthy fats, low-starch vegetables and fruits, and excludes gluten, sugar, dairy, legumes, alcohol and processed foods. Proponents say the Paleo diet promotes weight loss, and prevents diabetes, cancer, heart disease, depression, and even Alzheimer’s.
Fitness expert Mark Sisson said people who go Paleo will notice health changes almost immediately, including weight loss, improved sleep, and more energy. Sisson told Palm Springs Life the Paleo diet enhances weight loss by turning your body into a fat-burning machine.
“Over time, you become good at burning off your own body fat for energy rather than depending on carbohydrates throughout the day,” said Sisson, author of The Primal Blueprint. “It takes about 21 days for your body to switch to this mode of fat-burning, and that’s when you’ll really start to see results.”
A recent study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicates the Paleo diet is twice as effective as other diets for promoting weight loss and reducing belly fat.
“Clinical trials have shown the Paleo diet is the optimum diet that can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, blood pressure, markers of inflammation, help with weight loss, reduce acne, promote optimum health and athletic performance,” said Dr. Loren Cordain, author of The Paleo Diet for Athletes and The Paleo Diet Cookbook.
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