Donâ€t get caught hungry at the over-priced airport stores. And donâ€t let the temptation of fast “food” lull you in – just because you donâ€t have something delicious and handy close by.

Original (with whey protein) or Vegan (with brown rice protein) … Dr. Will Bar is a perfect travel buddy.  Order now! 

So letâ€s talk protein…because we know that our inquisitive fans really want to know!! And when it comes to nutrition, the more you know and understand, the healthier you can be!

There are many choices about what sort of protein powders to consume. But hereâ€s the brief, bullet point explanation:

• Proteins are comprised of amino acids. (these are the building blocks of all proteins.)
• The human body requires 20 amino acids to make all the proteins it needs to function.
• Of these 20 amino acids, 11 are required in the diet and 9 are made by the liver and are therefore not required in the diet.
• The 11 needed through the diet are thus called the “essential amino acids”.

How to evaluate a protein. First, we consider whether it is a “complete protein”, that is, does it contain all of the essential amino acids. Generally, animal proteins are more complete than vegetable proteins, and in the case of whey, it is in fact, a complete protein – rice protein is not.

Next, a more common and accepted evaluation of a protein is its “Biological Value” or BV score. This is a quantification of its bioavailability. WHAT? Thatâ€s a big word that just means … how easily it is digested, absorbed and synthesized by the body’s cells. The BV of whey protein isolate (used in the DrWillBar) is 100. Rice protein however, has a BV score of 83.

The last measurement for protein evaluation, which is becoming more accepted and understood in the world of nutrition is the “Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score” or PDCAAS…this is the World Health Organization’s method to evaluate a protein’s value. Whey protein has a PDCAAS of 1, whereas rice protein has a PCAAS of .47.

So now hopefully, you know “whey” more about protein than before. So why have a bar without whey? Why do we have an alternative? Here are the top 4 reasons:

1. Well, perhaps the obvious answer is that we eat many foods with protein, and may not need the extra protein boost of whey.
2. Whey is a dairy protein unsuitable for vegans.
3. Some individuals suffer with dairy allergy and cannot consume whey.
4. The plant-based proteins may fight inflammation and reduce muscle soreness more effectively than dairy-based proteins.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE DELICOUSNESS? When you change the protein does it change the flavor of this awesome, moist nutrition bar? Thatâ€s the cool part … itâ€s still awesome. Itâ€s WAY awesome.

There is no apparent difference in the taste, other than to those with the most discerning taste buds!!! And they seem not to prefer one over the other!

Hereâ€s the deal – for every box of original bars that you order, we will also include for you one FREE VEGAN DR WILL BAR – the one made with the rice protein. Give it a try and PLEASE – let us know what you think.

And for those of you who have been chomping at the bit for the vegan bar – feel free to place your order today because we will ship those fresh bars out to you just like we do the original!

1. When a goose flaps its wings it creates an “uplift” for the birds around. As a group, and flying in formation, the flock together adds 72% greater flying range than if each of the birds flew alone.
2. When one drops out, it feels the drag of flying alone. But when it comes back to the group it once again takes advantage of the lifting power of the birds around.
3. When the goose in front gets tired, it rotates into the group and another goose flies to the front for a turn.
4. The geese honk to encourage the ones in front to keep up their speed.

Looks like this is one instance where getting “goosed” is a good thing! The parallels are apparent. The benefits of group exercise extend beyond the obvious benefits of the exercise alone. A sense of community, encouragement, shared capabilities, motivation, fun and good health are just a few of the gifts of a shared exercise experience. Even if itâ€s just with one other buddy … go on, get out and go for it!

Do you work out as part of a team, class or group? There are so many awesome benefits! Order some gluten free, delicious and nutritious Dr Will Bars for your team right now.

For a lot of people, a new year inspires new beginnings and positive changes. We encourage you to get a buddy to help you keep going.

• Read a good book. Then give it to someone else to enjoy.
• Use a little less sugar in your coffee/tea for one week. Then keep it that way.
• Write a letter to someone you appreciate and send it “snail mail.”
• Say thank you more often.
• Say Iâ€m sorry more often, if you are and if you should be.
• Backup your computer.
• Smile to 1 stranger a day. (And maybe even say Good Morning/Afternoon)
• Use the good dishes – just because.
• Take a 20 minute stroll through your neighborhood.
• Video tape your grandparents talking about “back in the day”
• Leave a generous tip.
• Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
• Clean out the junk drawer.
• Color with kids. (You donâ€t even have to stay in the lines)

Of course, the usual eat healthy, lose weight, budget money etc… New Years Resolutions are still available. And gluten free Dr Will Bar is a delicious choice to help you achieve your health goals no matter where youâ€re at on your journey. Order yours now.

Happy New Year Friends! We wish you excellent health, great conversations, awesome experiences, lots of laughter and of course – rich relationships.

    Donâ€t let the title fool you,

    this isnâ€t Dr. Seuss.

    Itâ€s Dr Will and I am here

 Anyway, I am writing about abuse … abuse of the holiday celebrations. As the season of celebrations and cheer, parties, cocktails, feasts and sweets commences, itâ€s easy to get carried away. And while I donâ€t want to be like the Grinch, letâ€s take a moment to ponder our “weight concerns” and choices!

Perhaps youâ€re toting an extra 5 or 10 pounds. Or maybe an excess of 30 or more that have added up over the years. Remember, itâ€s never too late to take care of you!  Donâ€t wait for New Years; Iâ€d like to encourage you NOT to abandon all self-control in light of the proposed future resolution. And Iâ€m not advocating diets either. God knows there are endless weight loss diets and programs to choose from. I will state with a degree of conviction about DIETS: “they all work…and none of them work!”   Truth is they all result in weight loss, often dramatically and quickly, but rarely permanently.

So, if your goal is to lose excess weight … for a lifetime… then a “new lifestyle” rather than a new diet plan is called for.  So letâ€s get started and try to keep this simple:

1. Control your blood sugar and you’ll control your weight.

This means:

• eating every two to three hours
• eating only “low glycemic” foods
• these are foods that cause a   g-r-a-d-u-a-l and minimal elevation of blood sugar
• and therefore don’t cause a rapid and significant release of insulin.

Eating this way not only leads to weight loss, it also prevents or controls diabetes, improves energy dramatically, improves cardiovascular health and cholesterol levels, even reduces inflammation. Howâ€s that for a win-win-win?

Hereâ€s a sample menu:

Breakfast: 2-3 eggs and half an apple.
Two to three hours later: other half of the apple, with almond or peanut butter. 

Lunch: Chicken breast and quinoa, or chicken salad and veggies with hummus.
Two hours later, a Dr Will Bar or a handful of nuts or an apple.

Dinner: Chicken, salad and brown rice or Lean beef, roasted veggies and quinoa.

If evening munching is a weakness, consider sunflower seeds, or a couple slices of cheese or plain Greek yogurt with flax seed & frozen fruit.

The preferred, low glycemic foods include: eggs, meats, cheeses, veggies, fruits (excepting ripe bananas, grapes, and dried fruits), nuts, seeds, and of course: Dr Will Bars! Buy now.

High glycemic foods to avoid include the following: Breads, pastas, crackers, potato and corn-based foods, cookies, candies, soda and fruit juices, all sweets, fruit yogurts, high sugar/low fiber snack bars. 

 2.  Next  step: EXERCISE!

Raise your hand if you want to:

• manage your weight
• have more energy
• improve your heart health
• get better sleep
• ramp up your sex-drive
• increase circulation
• promote better brain health…

You get the idea – exercise has everything to do with how we age and how long we live and it is never too late to start! You donâ€t need to begin training for a marathon, or go to boot camp. Just start.  *Go for a walk after lunch.  *Park your car at the back of the parking lot.  *Take the stairs. Soon youâ€ll be ready to make exercise work for you. Hereâ€s how:

> Exercise for more than 40 minutes to target weight-loss and fat-burning.
(It takes this long for the exercise to "burn up the existing blood sugar".)

> The ideal fat-burning heart rate is 130 beats per minute, give or take 5 beats 
(periodically take the pulse for 15 seconds, multiply by 4).

> This is the ideal "aerobic" zone of exercise.
(better in fact than high intensity, high heart rate and heavy breathing type exercise.)

> If you’re serious about really wanting results, exercise at least 4 times a week.

Itâ€s simple: low glycemic foods, 5 to 6 times daily and low to moderate intensity exercise 4 or more times weekly…the ideal lifestyle change for nearly inevitable weight loss and optimum health.

The underlying factors causing diabetes include:

•  Eating a diet high in refined sugars
•  Genetic predisposition
•  Obesity
•  Old age
•  Nutrition depletion
•  Hormonal imbalances

To treat diabetes, or for that matter, prediabetes, one must address the root cause. This means that lifestyle changes must be made!

1. Losing weight is number one on this list. Americans are the heaviest people on the planet, with an estimated 66% of adults in the US being overweight or obese. Excess fat can result in insulin receptors developing an inability to respond to insulin and therefore leads to insulin resistance.

2. Exercise, of course benefits all of us for countless reasons, and with overwhelming evidence make us less likely to develop diabetes. Research has shown that as little as 30 minutes of daily exercise can dramatically increase blood sugar control. This effect is further magnified by engaging in more vigorous endurance type exercises which creates prolonged increased demand for stored sugars as well as blood sugar, which in turn makes the entire blood sugar regulating system function more efficiently. Therefore, engaging in hiking, distance walking or jogging, or cycling promotes healthy blood sugar metabolism, and typically has dramatic effect on the blood sugar of a diabetic individual.

3. Hormone imbalances involving the thyroid and adrenal glands can often contribute to diabetes. Other hormones that help improve blood sugar regulation include natural testosterone, progesterone and growth hormone.

4. Last, nutritional deficiencies in diabetics include magnesium and iodine. Supplementation with these after blood testing to verify deficiency may result in dramatic improvement in blood sugar levels. Other “raw materials” often necessary to overcome this illness include chromium, zinc, vanadium, B vitamins, and cinnamon.

First order of business: clean up the diet and lose weight! This alone will prevent or manage diabetes more than any other factor.

• Specifically, stop consuming so-called “high glycemic” foods.
• These are foods that cause the blood sugar to rapidly elevate and therefore cause the release of large/excessive amounts of insulin.
• This “flooding” of the bloodstream with sugar and then insulin is what eventually causes cells to become insensitive or resistant to insulin.
• At the same time, these are the foods that result in weight gain.

Yet many of us don’t even realize that we are eating a high glycemic diet since we “don’t eat sweets”.  Consider the following diet:

The Dr Will Bar was born of a desire to combine nutrient-dense ingredients into a low glycemic food, fit for consumption any time, mealtime or snack time or workout time! One that was perfect as a breakfast, as a snack, or before and during training/exercising. One that would taste so good and natural that I would never tire of it, which I had never experienced in a bar! One that my kids would eat…and even like!

During the growth of our “fan base”, more and more diabetic people have reported to us that the bars seem to stabilize blood sugar levels. And not only type 2 but even type 1 diabetics have thus far reported consistent stabilizing effects with the Dr Will Bar. This is extremely unusual for a nutritional bar. How does the Dr Will Bar stabilize blood sugar? By providing a high concentration of essential fatty acids (grossly lacking in the American diet), along with fiber and protein, to prevent the body from absorbing the sugars quickly enough to cause a surge.

Diabetes: an American epidemic, and getting worse. The Dr Will Bar: one small step in the process of lifestyle changes to prevent and treat this disease!!

Order yours here!

Omega-3 fatty acids on the other hand, are found in far less foods, and most people (especially as Americans) have a very low, even deficient intake of omega-3’s. Good sources of omega-3’s include ground flaxseeds, walnuts, fish, cherries, pumpkin seeds and berries. Flaxseeds must be ground or mealed in order for the body to absorb the omega-3’s from them, and this, along with fish oil, is the best source of omega-3 fatty acids.

The ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 in our diets, and therefore within the body, should be 1 : 1 to 1 : 4. However, as Americans our diets are typically 1 to 10 or 1 to 20, omega-3 to 6. This disproportion promotes inflammation, autoimmune disorders (allergies, rhematoid disorders, asthma, etc),decreased response to insulin (pre-diabetes), elevated LDL’s and cholesterol, and increased susceptibility to brain changes such as cognitive dysfunctions, depression, poor memory and early onset of dimentia. In other words, so many of the health conditions and disease states within our population at large, are to a great extent caused by, or at the least greatly contributed to, by a disproportion of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids,i.e. a dietary lack of omega-3 fatty acids.

The original intent of the Dr Will Bar formulation was to pack it with omega-3 fatty acids…so we started with ground flaxseed, the highest volume ingredient, each bar containing nearly a tablespoon. The pumpkin seeds and cherries contribute additional omega-3’s, along with other beneficial nutritional properties. Order your Dr Will Bars now!